1. Rest. When you experience intense pain, stay off your feet and put them up for several hours a day to relieve the strain on the plantar fascia. When you are able to return to your normal routine, avoid overexercising. Reduce the distances you walk or run, or switch to a low-impact activity such as swimming or cycling to avoid strain.
2. Ice. Apply an ice pack to the painful area three or four times a day for up to 20 minutes to reduce pain and inflammation. You can also place a tennis ball in the freeze and roll or massage your foot over the tennis ball.
3. Arch supports. Over-the-counter or office dispensed orthotics may be a quick fix for mild cases of heel pain, or when you're waiting for your custom orthotics to be made. Orthotics relieve the tension on the plantar fascia, Achilles tendon and calf muscles by redistributing your weight.
4. Stretches. Browse through our blog for many exercises and stretches you can do at home to help your plantar fasciitis.
5. Over-the-counter medications. Ibuprofen may reduce the pain and inflammation of heel pain.
6. Wear supportive shoes. That may mean you will have to go through your closet and get rid of all shoes that are old, worn, non-supportive, too-tight, too-loose, and ill-fitting. This is often the reason why heel pain comes back for many people- they do a quick fix on the heel pain, but do nothing to prevent it from coming back in the future. One way is to go through your shoes. All shoes should have good arch support, a low to moderate heel, and have heel support. If your shoes don't have these qualities, toss them! You'll thank us, we promise.
If you are experiencing heel pain, call our Rocky Hill or Middletown office to make an appointment.
Jeffrey S. Kahn, DPM
Connecticut Foot Care Centers
Heel Pain Doctor in CT
Podiatrist in Rocky Hill and Middletown, CT
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