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Heel,
ankle and arch pain can affect your health and comfort.
Feet that hurt may make it difficult to perform daily
tasks and to exercise regularly.
There
are many causes of heel, ankle and arch pain but fortunately,
there are also highly effective ways to treat them.
The most common cause of heel pain is incorrect foot
movement while walking or running. This motion is usually
an eversion, turning the foot outward or pronation.
This can place too much stress on the heel bone and
the soft tissue surrounding it. An example of incorrect
foot movement is excessive pronation: leaning inward
as each step is completed. Incorrect foot movement can
also be caused by inherited muscle and bone problems
as well as external causes such as heel injury or bruising,
poorly fitted or worn-out shoes and excessive weight.
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Heel pain can be associated with specific medical disorders
such as arthritis, bursitis (formation of small fluid
sacs), neuroma (a growth resulting from pinched nerves),
or stress fractures.
A common cause of heel pain is plantar fasciitis,
an inflammation of the plantar fascia. The plantar fascia
is the band of connective tissue that runs from the heel
to the ball of the foot and supports the arch of the foot.
Continued foot stress can flatten, lengthen and may eventually
cause small tears in the plantar fascia. When the plantar
fascia tears near the heel bone, a heel spur may develop.
The
pain of plantar fasciitis may occur only during your
first few steps in the morning or getting up after sitting
for a long period of time. This occurs because when
you are off your feet, the plantar fascia is given a
chance to rest. Consequently, your first steps may cause
a sudden strain to that band of tissue. Although the
pain may subside as you walk, plantar fasciitis can
be serious and should be treated by a podiatrist.
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Plantar
fasciitis is often accompanied by a bony growth
on the underside of the heel called a heel spur.
While some heel spurs are painless, others can be
a source of chronic pain. If necessary, your podiatrist
can recommend medical treatment to get rid of the
pain.
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Treatment
options include:
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Insoles
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Oral
or injected anti-inflammatory medication |
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Physical
therapy |
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Foot
taping |
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Foot
exercises such as muscle strengthening and
stretching |
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Orthotics |
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Stretching
Exercises for Treating Common, Painful Heel Complaints
& Plantar Fasciitis
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Exercise No. 1 Wall Stretch
Lean forward against a wall, keeping one knee straight
while you bend the other knee. If both of your heels
hurt, then you need to reverse this position after
you have exercised one side. If only one of your
heels hurts, the painful heel is placed further
away from the wall. As you bend forward, the leg
that remains straight is the one that you will be
exercising. As you lean forward, you can feel your
heel cord and the arch of your foot stretch. (Try
to keep your heel on the ground, although as you
stretch, it will gradually lift off the ground).
STRETCH AND HOLD FOR 10 SECONDS. Then relax and
straighten up - THEN STRETCH AGAIN. Repeat this
10 to 20 times. If your other heel bothers you,
then you should stretch this side as well by reversing
your position.
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Exercise
No. 2 Water Bottle Stretch
Using a plastic water bottle filled with water, place
in freezer until frozen. Then place water bottle on hard
floor and put pressure on your foot as you sit and roll
heel to toe over the bottle for 15 minutes everyday. If
the other foot is bothering you too, switch the bottle
to the other side. This will help decrease inflammation
and relieve tightness in the plantar fascia.
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Exercise
No. 3 Towel Stretch
Using a normal-sized bath towel, roll towel into thin
roll horizontally. While sitting down, place towel under
one foot's toes. Then straighten knee while holding onto
towel with both hands. Stretch toes back and hold for
1 minute. Then switch feet and hold for 1 minute. This
will eliminate tightness in the Achilles tendon and plantar
fascia.
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