After a good night’s sleep, waking up should be a pleasure. But for many people with heel pain, first steps out of bed in the morning can be excruciating. If you’ve been recently diagnosed with one of the most common types of heel pain—plantar fasciitis or Achilles tendonitis, this may be your new reality.
Why is that you wonder?
The plantar fascia is a ligament that runs along the bottom of your foot. It helps support your feet when you walk or run. While you sleep this structure tightens up. The act of putting your feet on the floor stretches it out, causing pain.
As you walk and go about your day the plantar fascia loosens up, and the pain usually lessens. If you sit for long hours, the plantar fascia can shrink up again causing pain when you stand and move.
How can you prevent morning heel pain?
First, if you’ve already tried treating your heel pain on your own and it’s still painful, it will be important to see a podiatrist.
What To Expect When Seeing A Podiatrist for Heel Pain
Your podiatrist will need to do many of the following exams and tests to determine an effective treatment plan.
1. Exam and Assessment
Your podiatrist will examine your feet and watch you walk. They may also perform a gait analysis as we do in our office. These will help determine any structural foot problems and tightness of your calf muscles.
2. Imaging
Your doctor may also perform an X-ray and/or ultrasound of your feet to determine the level of inflammation. This is what causes the pain you feel.
3. Footwear Check
Your podiatrist will check your current footwear and ask what other types of shoes you wear. Poor workwear can cause heel pain.
4. Activity Level
Your doctor will ask about your level of activity. More active people are more likely to develop heel pain.
5. Goals for Healing
Your treatment plan should also reflect your goals for healing. Often very active people want to get back to their activity as quickly as possible. Your podiatrist will use modalities that will help you reach your goals.
Treatment for Heel Pain You Can Do At Home
Resolving heel pain usually takes a comprehensive treatment plan. While occasionally a change of shoes is all you need, people with moderate to severe pain in the morning and at other times of day will need to follow a more thorough plan. Here are some things you can do at home to start the healing process.
1. Stretching
If you have tight calf muscles it will be essential to stretch them regularly. If they’re very tight we recommend using an Achilles splint daily during your treatment period. Check out the video below.
To help with the pain first thing in the morning, stretch before you get out of bed. Check out the video below.
2. Icing
Icing and taking an anti-inflammatory medication can help reduce your inflammation and pain. You can use a frozen water bottle or fill a dixie cup with water, freeze it, and peel down the sides.
3. Reduce Your Activity
To heal your plantar fascia, you will need to reduce your activity. With severe pain, your podiatrist may recommend a walking boot.
4. Change of Footwear
Supportive footwear is key to helping resolve heel pain. You can download my eBook, “How to Buy Shoes to Prevent Plantar Fasciitis” and review my video, “7 Shoes to Avoid to Prevent Plantar Fasciitis” below.
5. Avoid Going Barefoot
When you go barefoot you add stress to your plantar fascia. Be sure to wear shoes or slippers with arch support at all times outside or when you're at home.
Treatments At Your Podiatrist’s Office
At your initial visit, the goal is to reduce your pain. Some of the treatment modalities you can expect may include:
- Cortisone – a cortisone shot can help reduce your inflammation quickly.
- Airheel – will reduce pressure on your heel when you walk
- Heel lift – will raise your heel in your shoe to relieve calf tightness and stress on the plantar fascia.
- Taping – your podiatrist may tape your feet to prevent the arch from collapsing to help reduce your pain. Our office also sells a self-taping product you can use at home.
Subsequent Visits
Your podiatrist will focus on the biomechanics of your feet and help reduce your pain further.
- Custom Orthotics – people with flat feet and high arches are more prone to developing plantar fasciitis and Achilles tendonitis. If you have either of these foot types or you pronate or roll your feet inwards when you walk, you’ll need to get casted for custom orthotics to correct these biomechanical issues. Orthotics will also help prevent a reoccurrence of heel pain, so it’s important to keep wearing them even after the pain is gone.
- MLS Laser Therapy – we use a cold laser called MLS to heal your pain more rapidly. It also works well for heel pain that’s more resistant to treatment.
