5 tips to treat heel pain

Are you one of the 48 per cent of Australian’s that wake up with heel pain once a week? If heel pain is impacting how you move, how you feel, and how you live, then it’s time to get help from My FootDr.

Plantar heel pain (often caused by plantar fasciitis) is a common condition causing severe pain under the heel bone. Pain in the heel or in the arch often indicates inflammation of the long band of tissue under the foot (the plantar fascia).

As with most conditions, early diagnosis and treatment can prevent the injury progressing from an acute to the chronic stage at which point pain relief, walking, and normal everyday activities become much more difficult.

At My FootDr, our podiatrists use a best practice approach to treat your condition including shockwave therapy, custom foot orthotics, specific exercise prescriptions and footwear recommendations to treat plantar fasciitis and heel spurs. Foot scanMy FootDr’s top tips for healthy heels:

1. Seek a diagnosis from a podiatrist

You trust your dentist with your teeth and you can trust My FootDr’s team of highly-qualified podiatrists to care for your feet. Our podiatrists always provide that extra level of care and attention when delivering the best in foot care solutions for heel, arch, and foot pain caused by plantar fasciitis. See your local podiatrist for an early diagnosis, and to get treatment underway.

2.Take steps to minimise pain and rest

As a short-term treatment option, tapping and strapping can provide initial relief with severe heel pain. Your podiatrist can assist with strapping techniques for the best outcome.

Stretching and strengthening exercises can be helpful in heel pain treatment and rehabilitation but, only if performed correctly and at the right time. Stretching and strengthening exercises can assist in decreasing the chance of injury and inflamation. Morning stretches when heel pain is most intense can be helpful if performed correctly. Your podiatrist can prescribe a specific stretching and strengthening program to suit you. Most importantly, rest your feet if you are suffering from heel pain.
If you need additional short-term relief, ask your podiatrist about our shockwave treatment.

3. Choose the right footwear for your feet

The right footwear should provide the right balance between support and cushioning. Your podiatrist will provide footwear recommendations to suit your condition, level of activity and foot type.

4. Wear custom foot orthotics if prescribed by your podiatrist

A biomechanical assessment performed by your podiatrist will determine whether you need orthotics. Correct fitting footwear and custom-made orthotics will offload the damaging forces on the heel and help to prevent heel pain. Orthotics will also help to support your feet and legs when weight bearing. This improves function, weight distribution and posture to prevent the development of heel pain.

5. Commit to an annual check-up

Our My FootDr team will work with you to tailor a solution that is individualised to your needs and condition. Commit to an annual check-up with your podiatrist or as recommended to keep your foot health a priority and prevent plantar fasciitis.

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Why does the bottom of my foot hurt so much?

It is one of the most commonly asked questions we get: why does the bottom of my foot hurt so much? Conditions such as heel or arch pain can make waking up and getting out of bed each morning very difficult.

Feet are made up of many small bones, muscle ligaments, tendons and other body tissue – and pinpointing the problem isn’t something you can do yourself.

For the many Australians who live with foot pain, it is also not something that will simply disappear overnight or over time. So if you fall into this category, you’re better off doing something about it now. For many people who come in and ask us why the bottom of their feet hurt so much, we discover that they are waking up with one of the most common causes of foot and heel pain in adults – plantar fasciitis.

Plantar fasciitis is a condition that causes severe pain under the heel bone or pain in the arch, indicating inflammation of the long band of tissue under the foot. People experiencing this condition generally describe the pain as a stone bruise type pain, or as if they are walking on a stone or a bony heel spur. The pain is often worse in the first few steps each morning, after sitting down or towards the end of the day. Does this sound like you?

What can I do about it?

Left untreated, heel, arch or arch pain will persist for a long time. It is typically the result of overuse or lack of support from wearing inappropriate footwear.

Diagnosing and treating the condition must be done with the help of a Podiatrist. Our Podiatrists, we take a detailed history, perform a physical assessment, use video walking analysis and take a 3D foot scan to find out what’s causing the pain.

Once the cause is identified, we develop a treatment plan just for you.

It might be as simple as recommending a change in your footwear or some simple exercises to improve the biomechanics of the foot. Custom-made foot orthotics can also be prescribed to provide precise support for your individual foot condition.

The sooner you get to a Podiatrist, the sooner you can get to the bottom of your foot condition! Book an appointment with your local Podiatrist today.

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