What is heel pain? What can be done? Final day of the #podshealheels campaign! š£š£š£
Itās the final day of the #podshealheels campaign which I have been talking about for the past two weeks on my social media pages šš£š
So, I decided to write up a blog on what is heel pain, what are the main types, how can you recognise the symptoms, what types of at home treatments can you try, etc!
š£What causes heel pain? š£
Are you experiencing heel pain? Ignoring it like many other people I visit? Ouch š
Various conditions / problems can cause this pain. However, the 2 most common causes are plantar fasciitis and Achilles tendonitis (tendinitis).
We have 26 bones in our feet believe it or not and the heel is the largest of the bones. The function of the heel is to provide support for the weight of your body. Heel pain can be common as you can imagine, as when we walk or run pressure is put onto our poor heels!
For some people heel pain can ease on its own but for others itās best to consult a Podiatrist to have an assessment to determine the cause. Heel pain when it gets bad can be disabling and I donāt think itās worth just ignoring it and suffering on!
Possible treatment can be looked at, along with future education given.
With heel pain, when visiting my lovely clients, I find a lot of the time that pain is caused by some form of mechanical injury due to small repetitive injuries that happen at a rate faster than the body can heal them.
A lot of people I visit have some form of health problem / medical condition so I also find that heel pain may be due to other problems such as lower back problems.
š£ What type of symptoms may you notice with heel pain? š£
You might notice the below types of symptoms which MAY suggest a type of heel pain problem:
A dull ache, redness and swelling.
A sharp pain in between your heel and arch. This may be worse for you when walking but may ease when resting.
Pain in your heel and ankle. Can affect your calf when you stand on your tip toes.
It may be hard for you to walk, with noticeable sudden sharp pain, swelling, with a popping or snapping noise during the injury.
If you notice these types of symptoms please get in touch as it may be a problem such as plantar fasciitis, Achilles tendinitis, heel fracture, bursitis. This is not an exhaustive list.
š£ Who does heel pain affect? š£
Heel pain doesnāt care! It can affect anyone at any age, but, there are certain factors which can increase our chances of experiencing it. For example, being overweight, standing for long periods of time (Maybe in your job?), those in middle age (over 40s age group) and athletes in particular.
š£ What treatments are available for heel pain? š£
Well, there are some DIY at home self care treatments you can try, but as always I must suggest contacting myself for a podiatry assessment and treatment to ascertain the actual problem.
But In the meantime you could try:
Maybe rest to give your heels a break so not to worsen the problem.
Choose apt cushioned footwear (see my other blog post on how to choose the right footwear here - www.themobilefootclinic.net/blog).
Insoles or ice may help.
Stretch out the calf muscles and Achillesā tendon. I find this video on the NHS website helpful to follow for some stretching exercises for heel pain - https://www.nhs.uk/conditions/foot-pain/heel-pain/
Anti-inflammatory medications can be helpful but remember to always ask a pharmacist for advice if buying over the counter, especially if you are taking other medications prescribed by your GP.
Avoid walking or exercising on hard ground.
Ensure you get plenty of rest breaks. Avoid walking or running too swiftly.
If you are overweight look at losing weight which obviously helps your overall health not just heel pain. I have a useful blog with some tips regarding your diet and your feet here - www.themobilefootclinic.net/blog
š£ Heel pain prevention š£
Last week I wrote a separate blog with some handy tips on how to prevent heel pain. Prevention is always best! Please find it here - www.themobilefootclinic.net/blog
So, now you have more knowledge about heel pain I hope.
If you do happen to already have heel pain, your #podiatrist should be your first port of call. Donāt suffer in silence as there are various possible, fixable reasons for heel pain. I can offer assessment, treatment, further foot education and advice. Get in touch here: https://www.themobilefootclinic.net/contact-me-1
Lynn, #podiatrist (#chiropodist) in #Sunderland x š£š£š£š£š£š£š£š£š£š£š£
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