Heel pain is one of the most common foot problems many people encounter in their lives. Luckily, it can be prevented with some strategies to keep your feet healthy. Learn the best tips to prevent heel pain in this article. Log on to www.doralhw.org for a consultation.

Causes of heel pain

Many different causes can lead to heel pain. Here are some of the common ones, including:

1. Plantar fasciitis: This condition occurs when the tissue of the plantar fascia gets inflamed. The plantar fascia helps in walking and other foot movements. Overuse of this tissue, wearing uncomfortable shoes, and foot structure disorders may lead to heel pain.
2. Sever’s disease: This occurs when repeated action is performed on the thigh that is still growing which causes heel pain and swelling. It is a common condition in kids who do sports and exercise a lot.
3. Achilles tendon injury: It is the fibrous tendon that connects the muscles of the back of your calf to your heel bone. If you push too hard, it can get damaged and lead to Achilles tendon injury. It is common in athletes who run a lot. It might feel like a slight ache in the back of your leg or above the heel after running or playing sports. Over time, it gets worse if you don’t get it treated and get it the rest, it needs to recover.
4. Heel spurs: This is a bony cartilage of the heel, which protrudes from the base of the thigh. This is exposed to the side of the heel. It commonly occurs when plantar fascia gets inflamed due to overuse because plantar fascia has a ligament attachment to the heel to the front of the foot. So, its inflammation may lead to heel spurs.
5. Bursitis: This occurs when small, fluid-filled pouches called bursae (that act as a cushion to bones, tendons, and muscles close to the joints) get inflamed. People develop this by repeating the same movements or staying in positions that put pressure on the bursae around a joint.
6. Stress fractures: This occurs when you develop tiny cracks in bones by repeating the same action like jumping a lot or long-distance running. People who start working hard recently develop stress fractures. This also applies to people who work out way too challenging, longer, or more frequently too fast.
7. Tarsal tunnel syndrome: This occurs when your tibial nerve gets damaged, which runs through the tarsal tunnel, an anatomical passage in your ankle that binds bones and ligaments. It can cause pain, burning, or tingling sensation in your feet and toes. When this occurs, an individual may experience problems from the inside of the ankle downwards to the foot.

Tips to prevent heel pain

Several ways can help you prevent heel pain and keep your feet healthy, including:

1. Wear the right-fitting shoes:

Wearing the right-fitting shoes depending on the activity is the best way to support your feet and prevent many foot complications like heel pain. Make sure you buy shoes according to your foot size and proper fitting according to your activity. For instance, for running, you can buy shoes that fit well and provide plenty of support and cushion to make your foot comfortable and protect it from impact when you run on the surface. Your foot structure and age affect your shoe’s fitting. Make sure you don’t wear too tight or loose shoes consistently because it can lead to many foot disorders.

2. Use custom orthotics:

If you have gait or structural abnormalities, you should use custom orthotics in your shoes to get extra support, cushioning, and stability to prevent foot and heel injuries.

3. Doing stretching and exercises:

Before a physical activity that involves intense foot load, you should regularly stretch and train your muscles, to prevent heel pain during activity. Consider performing exercises that make your hips, lower leg, and foot muscles stronger. It also helps you stabilize your ankle, ease your pain, and prevent plantar fasciitis from coming back.

4. Slowly build up your training program:

If your mind urges you to run 10K even when you’ve never completed a mile or run for a long time, avoid it because your body isn’t ready for that much running. Instead, start gradually by covering a short distance and increase your distance by no more than 10% per week. Additionally, don’t change your intensity level suddenly or change your running terrain.

5. Losing weight:

If you’re overweight or obese, it puts more load on the bottom of your feet which can lead to plantar fasciitis. So, hire a dietitian or talk with your doctor to get a suitable weight loss plan that works for you.

6. Cross-train:

While repetition is an effective way to learn something new and get better at it, however, when it comes to running, too much running can be detrimental and make you more prone to injury because it applies constant long-term stress and increases the risk of plantar fasciitis and other foot injuries. Instead, you should cross-train with low-impact activities sometimes in your routine to stretch your calves and feet to be healthy without straining. You can try biking, yoga, and swimming in your cross-training sessions.

7. Listen to your body:

While you may want to push yourself through the pain to be the best, it’s not a good option to ignore the pain because pain indicates something is wrong and injured. If you run continuously without breaks it will hurt the bottom of your heel and make it swell or hurt. That will eventually turn into something serious. So, instead of causing pain to your body, listen to it and get some rest until it’s gone.

When to see a doctor?

If your heel pain doesn’t get better on its own, you should visit a doctor. If you’re experiencing any of the following issues you should see the doctor:

• Having severe heel pain after the injury.
• Severe discomfort or swelling around the heel.
• Not able to flex the foot downward or rise on toes and walk normally.
• Besides heel discomfort, also experiencing fever, numbness, or tingling in your heel.

Your doctor may examine your foot and treat the underlying cause to relieve your symptoms. Your doctor may recommend physical therapy, steroid injections, or surgery in severe cases.

Most heel pain gets better without treatment over time. However, the above-mentioned tips for preventing heel pain can allow you to keep your foot healthy and avoid foot condition or problems that may cause heel pain. In case you develop heel pain, don’t ignore the pain especially if it makes you uncomfortable to work or cause additional symptoms, seek medical help to get treated.

If you need help with heel or arch pain, visit our podiatry clinic in Brooklyn to get professional medical help. Call us to book your appointment now!!!!

Doral Health & Wellness employs Podiatrists with extensive education and expertise. Trauma to the tendons, muscles, and bones of the foot is quite common, as are infections secondary to systemic diseases. It’s not a promising idea to put off seeing Foot Doctor Brooklyn until you’re in a lot of pain. Our address is 1797 Pitkin Avenue, New York, NY 11212. To make an appointment, please call +1-347-384-5690 or send an email to info@doralhw.org.