Heel pain is quite common among people of all ages but there are ways to prevent it. However, there are many reasons that you may experience heel pain and you can visit a podiatrist to get an idea of the root cause.
You can visit the Podiatrist Malvern to get a better idea of your foot health and what activities or habits may be exacerbating your foot pain. One of the reasons for heel pain is plantar fasciitis. The plantar fascia is a thick band of issues that you can find on the bottom of the foot. The runs along the foot and when it is overstretched or inflamed, you will feel a sharp pain in your heel. This is most prevalent when you get out of bed in the morning. Or if you have been resting for an extended period of time, you will feel heel pain when you get up. There are certain stretching exercises you can do to alleviate the tension. You can do exercises for the Achilles tendon and calf muscles. Then there is also supportive footwear to give relief. Your podiatrist will be able to prescribe orthotics inserts to alleviate pain.
Sometimes you will experience heel pain when you are engaged in physical activities.
For example, you will feel heel pan when you are running. This is due to Achilles tendinitis. Your calf muscles are connected to the heel bone by the Achilles tendon. And heel pain is experienced when this tendon is inflamed. To prevent this from happening, you need to gradually increase the intensity of the exercise without starting an intense exercise immediately. You can also start with a small duration for the exercise and then build up from there. If you have heel spurs which are bony growths on the underside of the heel bone, it can irritate the tissue surrounding it and you will feel some discomfort. To prevent heel spurs from developing, you need to wear the right footwear. This should have proper cushioning and arch support. Also, if you are engaged in high impact activities, you need to prevent putting a lot of pressure on the heels.
Sometimes heel pain can be caused by overuse or strain.
If you stand on your feet for an extended period of time, you may experience this. This is quite common in jobs where you need to stay on your feet for a long time along with jobs where you need to carry out repetitive activities such as walking or running a long distance. You will feel soreness in the heel area or a dull ache as a result of these activities. This is why it is important to take breaks so your feet have some rest. You can also do some foot stretches. If you have structural issues with your feet, this can cause heel pain. For example, if you have flat feet or high arches, how weight is distributed in your feet can vary and this can affect the way your feet absorb shock. You can consult a podiatrist regarding this so you can obtain custom orthotics to support your feet adequately.
