Have Heel Pain?
Learn what the cause could be and how to get relief.
Heel pain is a very common complaint of active adults and kids. But it often goes ignored which can lead to some very serious foot issues.
Instead, at the first signs of a heel issue, you may want to try some at-home, self-care remedies to see if you can relieve the symptoms.
Four ways to try to ease your heel pain:
- Stop doing so much. Pain in your heel might be signaling you that you're overdoing it. If you've been walking more, running more, or doing an activity that requires a lot of jumping, it would be wise to pull back or even stop for a while until you no longer feel pain.
- Sit down and relax. Standing on hard surfaces for several hours or longer can damage the plantar fascia tissue that runs along the bottom of your foot from your heel bone to your toes, which almost always leads to heel pain. Whether your job requires you to stand most of the day or you've been trying to be good by positioning yourself at a standing desk to work, remember that too much of a good thing can be bad. Switch off and on between standing, sitting, and walking around, during the day.
- RICE. As with many injuries, it is recommended that you follow the RICE plan when you feel heel pain. RICE stands for Rest, Ice, Compression, and Elevate. Treat your ailing foot to an ice pack or roll your foot over a frozen water bottle three times a day, and especially after activity or extended periods of standing or sitting.
- Buy new shoes. Have you noticed that your heel particularly hurts after wearing a certain pair of shoes? If so, it's time to replace them with a shoe that better fits your foot and biomechanics. Try not to wear flip flops or anything with cleats at length - choose running shoes or other sneakers that have natural arch support for your everyday shoe.
Regular reflexology sessions can also be helpful when trying to manage your heel pain, even if it has been diagnosed as plantar fasciitis. A session may support the release of tension and promote circulation and blood flow to the damaged areas of your foot.
ROLLING OUT FOOT TENSION
If you wake up with tight feet and/or feel heel pain as you step out of bed, consider adding a morning practice of foot rolling as shown in this Foot-Joy video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=n4_L0cgolMo.