Plantar Fasciitis
One of the most common causes of heel pain is a condition called Plantar Fasciitis. This is the inflammation of the band of tissue that stretches from the heel to the toes. This is often a problem for people who have problems with their arches but can also be caused by wearing non-supportive shoes on hard, flat surfaces. Some symptoms of plantar fasciitis are:
- Pain on the bottom of the heel
- Pain that is worse in the morning when waking up
- Pain that increases over a period of months
Treatment Options
- Stretching exercises – Exercises that stretch out the calf muscle can help ease pain and assist recovery.
- Avoid going barefoot – Going barefoot puts a lot of stress and strain on the affected parts of your feet, which can worsen the condition.
- Ice – Icing you foot can help to reduce pain and inflammation.
- Limit activities – Limit extended physical activities to take some stress off your heel.
- Different shoes – Choose shoes that have good arch support and are slightly raised at the heel to take stress off your heel.
- Medications – Drugs such as ibuprofen can help to reduce pain and inflammation in the heel.
- Orthotic Devices – Custom orthotic shoes inserts can help to properly support your foot and correct underlying structural problems causing plantar fasciitis.
- Removable walking cast – This keeps your foot immobile for a few weeks to give it time to heal.
- Night splint – This allows you to maintain to stretch the plantar fascia while sleeping, which can greatly reduce normally large amount of pain felt in the morning.