Heel pain may be excruciating enough to affect one’s normal daily activities. People with this may feel there is no significant improvement after visiting a lot of hospitals and taken a lot of medications including analgesics. What then could cause this? What else do they need to do to feel better?

About plantar fasciitis

The commonest cause of pain at the bottom of the heel is plantar fasciitis. There is a strong band of tissue under your foot that extends from the heel and fan out to the toe bones, this is called plantar fascia. It supports the arch of the foot. When it becomes irritated or inflamed, you feel pain under the heel. This pain is usually worse in the morning when you stand up from the bed. You tend to feel it also after sitting for a long time and you stand up to walk. You may not feel the pain when you walk around but this comes when you settle down after walking or standing for some time.

What then could cause this?

When you strain your plantar fascia or put too much pressure on it, tearing or bruising of this can occur. This then becomes red, swollen, warm and painful.

What factors can strain or put pressure on this fascia?

• Your weight. If you are overweight or obese, you put a lot of pressure on this fascia when you stand or walk for a long time.
• Exercises like jumping or running that you are not used to can strain the fascia.
• Exercising on hard surfaces can increase your chances of straining this fascia.
• As you grow older, this fascia loses its elasticity and becomes prone to injury.

How can you reduce or prevent this?

• If you are overweight or obese, ensure you lose weight.
• Wear comfortable foot wear. Do not wear heels.
• Rest your feet as much as you can. You can put your feet on a stool while sitting down.
• Avoid exercises that put strain on your plantar fascia.
• You can take over the counter pain relievers.
• Some creams that reduces swelling and pain can also be rubbed on the site.

There are some exercises that can help stretch the plantar fascia. These will relieve the pain in most cases. 

Let’s take a look at these

•  Sit down and roll the affected foot on a frozen water bottle for few minutes. Repeat this at least twice daily.
• Sit on a flat surface and keep your knee straight. Loop a towel or belt around the ball of your foot and pull it towards you with your knee straight. Hold for 30secs and repeat this 3 times.
• Sit on a chair keeping your heel on the ground, pick a towel dropped on the floor with your toes. Repeat 10-20 times, add a small weight gradually to the towel.
• Sit down on a chair and cross the affected foot over the other knee. Grab the base of your foot and pull toward the shin. Hold for 15 – 20 seconds. You can repeat this 3 times.
• You can also sit on a flat surface and cross the affected foot over the other knee. Use your 2 thumbs to massage the underneath of your foot from the heel to the toe. You can do this for about 5mins. You should push through the fascia from the center of your foot outward.