Heel pain isn't a problem that's easy to ignore -- especially if you're on your feet most of the day. You’ll be happy to learn that your pain could go away after just one visit with a podiatrist at Family Foot and Ankle Associates of Maryland in Olney, Clinton, Silver Spring and Kensington, MD. Learn about treatments, solutions and ways that you can prevent heel pain from reoccurring.
Causes of Heel Pain
Think of how often you walk in the course of a day -- especially if you have a job that requires you to stay on your feet or you're an athlete. The average person does about 10,000 steps each day. Now consider how much stress that much walking can put on your heel and foot every time you take a step. Heel pain is most often caused by wear and tear from repetitive pressure on the heel due to walking or running. Wearing poorly designed shoes like cheap flip flops for long distances also cause heel pain.
How Your Podiatrist Can Help
Heel pain should be caught in its early stages to avoid advanced problems like plantar fasciitis and heel spurs. Your Olney, Clinton, Silver Spring and Kensington podiatrist can recommend treatments to relieve heel pain and keep your feet on the right “track”:
- Stretching exercises
- Custom orthotics for your shoes
- Extracorporeal Shock Wave Treatment (ESWT)
- Ice therapy
- Medications
Preventing Future Heel Pain
The best way to deal with heel pain is to prevent it altogether. This advice is extremely important if you're an athlete or have a heavy lifting job:
- Always wear high-quality shoes and any orthotic device prescribed by your podiatrist—even if you’re just taking a short walk.
- Learn how to walk properly (gently roll forward from heel to toe).
- When lifting heavy objects, avoid putting all of your weight on your heels.
- If you’re overweight, start a weight loss plan because excess weight can put too much pressure on the heel and make walking more difficult.
A Future Free from Heel Pain
If you maintain regular visits with your Olney, Clinton, Silver Spring and Kensington, MD podiatrist and utilize these tips, look forward a future free from heel pain. Call today for an appointment.