6 Little-Known But Effective Methods to Treat Your Heel Pain
Most of the time, the pain is worse when you wake up or take your first step after being still for a while. The pain usually gets better when you walk, but if you walk or stand for a long time, it often gets worse again.
6 Little-Known But Effective Methods to Treat Your Heel Pain
There are many effective ways to treat this condition, and we’ve listed some below.
Rest as much as you can
If your heel hurts, the best thing you can do is get as much rest as you can. Plantar fasciitis is a problem when the feet are used too much. Your heel can get inflamed from playing sports, running, walking, or even wearing the wrong shoes daily. By taking a break, your body can focus on healing instead of the tendon. This means that you will soon be able to do the things you love without pain.
Move your feet around
When you stretch your muscles and tendons, you get more blood to those areas. Blood flow is essential for healing injuries because it brings oxygen and nutrients into the body that help it heal.
Here are two stretches you can try for your heel pain:
Take a towel and wrap it around your hands as if you were going to wring it out. Hold the two long ends. Place the center part of the towel at the base of your foot arch. Push your foot down while pulling on both ends of the towel, like you’re tying your shoelaces. Hold each stretch for 30 seconds, then do it on each foot three times.
Put one of your legs over the other while sitting up straight. Take hold of your big toe and gently pull it toward you until you feel a stretch. Hold for 15 to 30 seconds and do this three times for each foot.
Using ice to reduce swelling
Icing an inflamed joint, tendon, or muscle can help reduce the swelling and open up the blood vessels to get more oxygen and nutrients. You can ice your heel by putting a cold pack on the bottom of your foot and taping your foot up. You could also freeze a plastic water bottle and roll your foot out on it to massage and cool your foot at the same time.
Use pain relievers
Pain relievers you can buy over the counter won’t fix your heel pain, but they can help ease the pain you feel throughout the day. If over-the-counter painkillers don’t help enough, your NYC foot doctor can prescribe NSAIDs, which may help.
Invest in shoe inserts, orthotics and insoles
If you have shoe inserts, orthotics, and insoles, they could help reduce the pressure on your heel. You can have these customized so they will be made to fit the shape of your feet.
Avoid any footwear that can hurt
Even though you might want to wear those fancy high heels or nice-looking dress shoes for a night out, if you have plantar fasciitis, these shoes could put your heels in pain. Try your best to always wear shoes that fit well and are comfortable.
It is important to note that wearing the right shoes is also important. You should wear shoes with low to medium heels that support and cushion your arches and heels. Try not to wear shoes with no heels.
Also, a lot of people think that walking around barefoot is suitable for your feet. This can be true if you walk barefoot on soft surfaces. But don’t walk barefoot on hard surfaces, as this can hurt your feet more than help them.
Even though you can do some of these things on your own, there are some treatments that Willowdale physiotherapy services can offer. You may also want to check out a chiropractor in Waterloo or a chiropractor in Whitby who can give remedies to ease your heel pain.
