How To Overcome Heel Pain

Life Before Heel Pain

In 2004, if you'd have asked me what I knew about new fangled terms such as: Stone Bruise, Achilles Tendonitis, Pronation, Plantar Fasciitis, Metatarsalgia, Heel Spurs and Orthotics I would have given a quizzical, if not, bamboozled look. "Nope....err...don't have a clue" would have been my likely response. Back then, prior to my mid forties, I'd run with the best of them in sports, walking and other everyday activities. As a kid, I'd walk to and from school every day. About a mile in primary school and around two miles a day in high school. Never with a single complaint (perhaps save for some minor blisters when breaking in brand new shoes at the beginning of the school year - ouch!). Ah yes, those were the days.

Mid Forties - What happened?

We now come to 2005. I'm now in my mid forties, I've given up the long daily commute and walking around the city's sidewalks in hard heeled, poorly supported business shoes. Instead, I've swapped it all for a local consulting practice, my own hours and softer heeled shoes. Anyone would think this is nirvana (the state of being - not the band) right? Wrong! This is where the downhill slide starts.

What happened you ask? Well, I first recollected that all was not so well with my feet when I began feeling a sort of stiffness creeping into the back of my right lower leg and at the rear of my right foot. It didn't seem to worry me a great deal at first. I simply waited for the discomfort to subside without really paying too much notice to it.

Unfortunately, the pain decided to stick around and didn't seem to want to let up. Things then began to take a turn for the worse where the stiffness progressed into a noticeable limp. I remember feeling like I was assuming the gait of Frankenstein's Egor when hobbling around. As my wife often says "There's no show without Punch!". So shortly after the pain in my right foot, the heel of my left foot began to feel sore as well. At times, even normal walking became difficult with a trip out to the letter box and back seeming like an arduous journey. Like a typical male, I tried to put off going to the doctor for along as I could. Then, in a moment of weakness, I relented and decided to pay a visit to my local GP.

The two bits of advice I got from the doctor were to:

• apply an anti-inflammatory cream or gel to help with the pain relief and;
• consider using orthotic shoe inserts to help with arch support and shorten heel lift

I'd have to say that the anti-inflammatory gel wasn't much help - no matter how much and how often I lathered it on. The orthotics, on the other hand, did make a noticeable (and welcomed) improvement to my walk. I then had a feeling that I was on the slow but certain road to redemption.

What I Did Next

With an initial glimmer of hope I wondered what else I could do to improve my heel pain even more. This is when I decided to undertake my own research of heel pain. I had a yearning to know more about what it was, what causes it, what people are more prone to be affected by it, the treatments that were available and whether there were any permanent cures.

This involved lots of book reading, sifting through endless publications and performing a plethora of Internet searches. From all of the material uncovered I had to establish for myself what would work and what wouldn't. Some of this took self practice with lots of trial and error and my fair share of false starts (sprinkled with a smattering of goods intentions).

Walking The Talk (Literally)

With a clear resolve I decided to commence the day the right way. This meant not jumping out of bed and onto a hard floor first thing in the morning.

Instead, I disciplined myself to begin the day by performing ten to twelve foot flexes while sitting on the edge of the bed. This involved moving the feet up and down off the floor with a slight pulling feeling at the back of the leg. Once done I'd then stand on both feet and walk around the house until the initial tightness and stiffness felt at the back of the heel and calves had slowly eased. Later on during the day I would commence a program of foot exercises involving gentle but progressive stretching of the calf muscles and hamstrings. These would then be repeated several times throughout the day until a routine pattern could be established.

One of the tips I learned early on with my routine was to put some variation into it. This is to reduce the likelihood of repetitive movements giving way to boredom from setting in. Repetition, no matter how necessary for physical fitness, can be a routine killer. That's why its important to add at least some variation in your foot exercise workout.

Use Orthotics Routinely

Another thing I learned on in my road to heel pain salvation is to avoid having to jump from wearing one pair of shoes with orthotics to another pair without. This can make walking uncomfortable because of differences in foot pronation and heel lift. My advice is if orthotics work for you, then use them in all of your shoes - walking, business, sports and casual. You'll feel better for it and reduce stress on your heels.

People using orthotics in shoes for the first time may feel a tad uncomfortable. For some, they may take a little while to get used to. Talking from my own personal experience, they are worth having to put up with any initial awkward feeling. When correctly fitting orthotics are used together with a suitable foot and leg exercise routine, they can make a noticeable beneficial improvement to how you walk and improve your overall gait.

Orthotics can help the foot structure improve its biomechanical efficiency. They can help to correct over-pronation, reducing the effects of Plantar Fasciitis and heel stress. They can help to aid walking, running and cycling. As indicated earlier, the thing to remember with orthotics is to make sure you use them in footwear daily and not on the odd occassion. Taking this approach, you’re giving them time to do their job to help you without the need for you to adapt to a different heel lift (and potentially regress in your recovery) when deciding to change your shoes.

Our Western Society and Heel Pain

There's no getting away from the fact that as a member of an affluent society, there are a number of societal factors that I'm sure have contributed to the onset of my heel pain. I'm an Aussie and, like my counterparts in other western societies such as the USA, United Kingdom, Canada, New Zealand, etc, I live in a highly developed country where technological advancement, ageing populations, increased levels of obesity (in children and adults), a love affair with sports and an obsession with fitness are ever present. I know that I could tick several boxes here.

Does that mean then that we should simply shrug our shoulders and accept the inevitable and suffer in silence? Not for me it doesn't.

A Solution That Works For Me

I've put together, from a layman's perspective, my ten point plan to getting your walking life back on track. These are:

• No more denial - accept that you have a problem with your feet
• Obtain professional medical advice - have your condition medically assessed
• Put together an exercise program that works for you - concentrate on gradual and repetitive stretching of the Plantar Fascia and Achilles Tendon
• Wear shoes that fit correctly and that are comfortable - use quality orthotic innersoles in all footwear
• Take the time to rest yourself - allow the body time to heal naturally
• Use cold therapy (ice packs) to help reduce swelling to the affected areas
• Give consideration to the use of anti-inflammatory gels & creams for temporary relief
• Reduce weight where appropriate
• If pain is refractory (persistent) you may need to discuss with your medical practitioner the pros and cons of cortisone injections or shockwave therapy
• Consider surgical intervention as a last resort - in some cases this may make matters worse

Early identification, intervention and treatment is often the key to successfully dealing with any human ailment. Heel pain is no different. If you feel a constant burning sensation at the base or rear of your foot you'd be wise not to ignore it. It's best to have it examined by a doctor or podiatrist to determine whether you have a muscular or structural problem.

If the problem is corrected early enough your heel pain may never reach the stage where it becomes an annoying and debilitating affliction that interferes with your day to day activities. Discuss and explore what options you have with your medical practitioner and agree upon a remedial plan that's tailored to suit your individual circumstances. This way you'll know exactly what to do to lick the problem before it tries to take control of your life.