Find out what you can do to make sure you never have to deal with heel pain again.
No matter whether you are an athlete training for a marathon or you are someone who has dealt with occasional bouts of plantar fasciitis-related heel pain, you probably have the same goal in mind: to prevent heel pain. From the office of our Williamsburg, VA, podiatrists Dr. Sara Bouraee, Dr. Jon Houseworth, and Dr. Jeremy Walters, here are some simple strategies to help reduce your risk for plantar fasciitis.
Lose Excess Weight
If you are overweight or obese, the extra weight can put a lot of extra pressure and strain on your feet and lead to heel pain and other problems. Luckily, even just losing 10 to 15 pounds can improve the health of your feet. If you want to get active it’s a good idea to start with more low-impact activities such as cycling or swimming, which are kinder on the joints, ligaments and tendons.
Increase Activity Levels Gradually
If you suddenly amp up the intensity or duration of a run or high-impact activity you may also find yourself more likely to deal with a nasty case of heel pain. It’s important to slowly increase your activity levels over several weeks, taking on a mile at a time. You also need to be careful when changing your running environment. Remember, running on uneven surfaces is going to be a lot tougher on your feet than a treadmill.
Stretch Your Feet Everyday
Most of the time, heel pain occurs because a person has tight or weak muscles and tendons in the feet or even calves. The good news is that there are a variety of exercises that you can do daily from the comfort of your own home to prevent heel pain from happening to you.
Consider Custom Orthotics
Has our Williamsburg, VA, foot doctor told you that you have fallen arches? If so, then you’re going to be prone to problems like plantar fasciitis, which leads to heel and arch pain. While wearing proper, supportive footwear will help you immensely, you may also want to talk to us about whether your feet could benefit from prescription orthotics, or shoe inserts. Inserts can provide you with additional cushioning, support and shock absorption when standing, walking, or running.
Hampton Roads Foot and Ankle Specialists has offices in Williamsburg and Hampton, VA, to make getting treatment for plantar fasciitis, sprained ankles and other problems easy and convenient. Call our office today at (757) 220-3311 to schedule an appointment.