08 May Experiencing Heel pain when getting out of bed?

Three Questions you need to ask yourself?

You might have heard it referred to before as “plantar fasciitis” or a “heel spur”.

These things are very general terms, and the heel area actually has many structures in close proximity to each other such as bone, ligament, tendon, fatty tissue, nerves and connective tissue. There are in fact well into the double digits worth of different things that your heel pain may be!

But before you seek out some expert advice from a Podiatrist, there are THREE main questions you should ask yourself which might answer why your heel pain has occurred.

1. Have you increased your workload?
This may include standing on your feet for longer, or for more days at work. Going for a longer walk/run than usual, or more days per week. Exercising on different terrains such as switching from grass to concrete, or from flat ground to hills? Changing your footwear may also cause your body to work harder.

2. Are your shoes appropriate for you?
Footwear is a big factor in heel pain prevention and rehab. Often upgrading your shoes to either a new pair if they are worn out, or a more supportive pair all together is the quickest way to resolve heel pain. If you are in active pain at the moment, limiting time spent barefoot is a good idea. Custom foot orthotics may also be needed depending on the individual person.

3. Are you strong enough?
Strength of the lower limbs is vital in the prevention of pain and injury, including heel pain. There are a number of calf and foot muscle exercises, as well as hip and core strength routines that you can perform at home or in the gym to either prevent or rehab your heel pain. If this is something you haven’t been working on. Get the advise of a professional such as a Podiatrist.

Interested in learning more? more information, do not hesitate to contact us as we are more than happy to help! Keen to work on addressing these things? Reach out and book an appointment here.