There are many treatments that people can try at home in an effort to reduce the pain of plantar fasciitis. The important point here is whether or not you actually have this condition.
It is important to point out that not all heel pain is from plantar fasciitis. As explained elsewhere in this section, there are other conditions that may cause heel pain. If you have not been diagnosed by a doctor, but feel you may have this type of heel pain and you are not in severe pain, then you can certainly try a few of the following suggestions with this cautionary note.
If your pain does not improve and in fact seems to be worsening, then you should seek medical care as there is a good chance you may have another problem.
If your pain seems to be most evident when you first get out of bed in the morning, which by the way, seems to be the most common complaint I hear from patients, then using a night splint may prove to be very helpful, at least in controlling the morning pain.
Most patients will tell me that when they first get out of bed, those first steps are extremely painful, but as they continue to walk, the pain does ease up somewhat.
The reason for this is due to the plantar fascial ligament tightening up during the night, so when you take those first initial steps, the stretching of the ligament is very painful.
A night splint works by keeping the plantar fascial ligament "stretched" during the night, making those first initial steps in the morning less painful.
The key here is the type of night splint you purchase as there are different types. My recommendation is what is known as a low profile night splint. The less bulky the night splint, the less problem with trying to sleep with this device on your foot. Patients have told me, over the years, that they have trouble sleeping with the bulkier splints as they are just too annoying.
In this instance it is not so much what shoes you wear, but rather what shoes to avoid. Since plantar fasciitis in many instances is caused by over-stretching the ligament, wearing flimsy shoes or even walking around bare foot for prolonged periods will aggravate the problem. Poorly supportive shoes like flip-flops, ballerina shoes, flat sandals and any other shoes with poor support will slow down the healing process and actually, in many cases, be the cause of your heel pain.
On the flip side, wearing shoes with a good arch support will reduce the pain and reduce the over-stretching. There are many different shoes on the market that advertise they help plantar fasciitis, but in reality, I feel the best shoes are nothing more then a good laced walking shoe with a good arch support.
If you are going to try "shoe therapy", then the key here is that you must wear your shoes essentially from the time you wake up in the morning, until you go to bed. Coming home from work at six o'clock, kicking off your shoes and walking around barefoot for the next five hours is counter productive in relieving your heel pain.
Most of the shoes on the market that are advertised as a walking shoe, exhibit a good rigid shank meaning the shoe is built stiff so your foot cannot flatten out from the shoe. In addition, there is usually an arch support of some type. The only problem here is that if you happen to have a relatively high arch, or a very rigid flat foot, the built in arch support may not help. Overweight individuals may also experience problems with the built in arch support.
The solution is to try a medical grade orthotic. These orthotics actually support the plantar fascial ligament and do not allow for over-stretching. A medical grade orthotic can be quite effective at permanently controlling the strain on the plantar fascial ligament and thus reduce or eliminate heel pain.
A lot of physical therapists, in treating heel pain will perform deep tissue massage. By massaging the painful heel, two things are accomplished. 1. The plantar fascial ligament loosens up, thus reducing pain and 2. The stimulation increases blood flow to the area which helps the healing process.
Stretching exercises may also help especially in an effort to relieve the pain experienced when you take your first steps in the morning. By stretching the foot, prior to getting out of bed, the foot tends to be less painful.
Taking a controlled round of oral anti-inflammatory medication for perhaps upwards to ten days can be very helpful in reducing pain. There are a few caveats here.
Topical medications such as those that make the area feel hot or cold are harmless enough to try and if they reduce the pain, that's even better. Just remember, these types of medications are "skin irritants" which give off a feeling of hot or cold and essentially mask the heel pain, making the heel appear to feel better.
There are also prescription topical anti-inflammatory medication which can be rubbed into the painful heel. I have never had much success with them, but there is little harm in trying them.
If your heel is very painful, then icing it can reduce the symptoms, but ice does nothing to heal the area, it just reduces pain. Apply an ice pack for fifteen minutes on, ten minutes off, then repeat
Heat on the other hand, particularly moist heat is used to help heal the area. Heat brings increased blood flow to the area which carries the nutrients needed to help resolve the problem. Heat can be applied continuously, until the heat pack cools down, ten re-heat and repeat.
REFERENCES
American Podiatric Medical Association
continue....posterior heel pain
Want more information? CLICK HERE
Jun 21, 22 07:42 PM
The rise in blood sugars due to diabetes can create other systemic illnesses compounding the health of a diabetic.
Jun 20, 22 04:32 PM
Will gene profiling become the new standard for treating patients with arthritis. Read on!
Jun 18, 22 08:18 PM
An interesting read on the effects of Vitamin K2 and arterial stiffness, otherwise known as arteriosclerosis.
Jun 17, 22 03:27 PM
Forbes has compiled a list of the most comfortable sandals for women based on varying criteria. A must read for any women looking for style and comfort.
Jun 16, 22 06:07 PM
Diabetic who go for annual diabetic wellness visits have shown to have a lower incidence of complications from the disease.
Jun 15, 22 01:26 PM
Overall, running is good for you but you need to be aware of potential knee issues.
Jun 14, 22 03:42 PM
An interesting approach to training.
Jun 13, 22 03:27 PM
Scientists have been experimenting with transplanting pancreatic cells in an effort to improve function in the pancreas of a diabetic. This will have life changing repercussions for Type 1 diabetics.
Jun 12, 22 08:07 PM
Inflammation has harmful effects on the body. Read about the best drinks that help reduce body inflammation
Jun 11, 22 10:39 AM
A nice article regarding mixing up your running with track workouts to ultimately make you faster.