Do you wake up each morning with a stabbing pain in your heels or the arch of your foot? Does the pain tend to reduce once you start walking around? Odds are that you are suffering from Plantar Fasciitis, a common foot problem.
It is caused when the plantar fascia, a thick ligament-like band on the bottom of the foot, gets irritated and swollen. There are several reasons that can cause Plantar Fasciitis, primary among them being:
- Wearing shoes that do not offer adequate arch support or have too little cushioning
- A sudden injury
- Walking barefoot excessively
- Excessive pronation
- Standing for long hours
- Being overweight, and more
The good news, however, is that there are a number of home remedies for Plantar Fasciitis that can offer a lot of relief from that debilitating pain.
Plantar Fasciitis Home Remedies
1. Frequent Stretching
The one thing your doctor will suggest to you if you are suffering from Plantar Fasciitis is frequent stretching. A seemingly simple trick, it can go a long way in increasing blood flow and relieving chronic pain.
Here’re a few foot stretching exercises:
- Sit down and cross your inflamed heel over the other knee. Now hold your toes with your opposite hand. Pull your toes toward your body, hold for a moment, and then release.
- Sit on a chair and place a ball under the arch of your foot. Roll your foot on the ball for a minute or two.
2. Use an Ice Pack
Ensure you apply an ice pack on your heels, feet and calves for 10-30 minutes at a time. You could repeat this several times a day for that pain relief. You could also run an ice cube directly on your heel or the arch of your foot for a couple of minutes and feel the relief.
3. Tender Loving Care
Your foot can benefit from a massage. All you need to do is to apply pressure to the underside of your foot. Begin at the ball of the foot, work through the arches and onto the heel, and feel the pain easing away.
Using lavender oil for massaging your feet is also known to be an effective Plantar Fasciitis home remedy.
4. Take Time to Rest
Not staying on your feet for long hours is a great antidote for Plantar Fasciitis since one of its causes is overuse. In fact, a diagnosis of Plantar Fasciitis is often a sign that you need to give your foot some rest. Slowing down for a couple of weeks is known to alleviate pain and discomfort.
5. Effective Weight Management
Bodyweight tends to add pressure on your heels, calves and arches. It could cause Plantar Fasciitis or could make your condition worse if you are already suffering from it. Maintaining a healthy weight, on the other hand, can help you keep inflammation and pain at bay.
6. Supportive Footwear
Last but definitely not the least, one of the biggest Plantar Fasciitis remedies is to wear supportive footwear. Shoes that support the arch of the foot, cushioned insoles and slightly raised heels are features to look for. You could also benefit from shoe inserts that provide additional cushioning and distribute the pressure on the foot. Wrong footwear, on the other hand, can put pressure on the plantar fascia, thereby aggravating the pain. In fact, if your work involves being on your feet for long hours, supportive footwear is something you cannot do without to keep foot problems like Plantar Fasciitis at bay.
At Snibbs, we have shoes with deep structured heel cups that help to stabilize your foot and limit excessive pronation. In addition, our custom-formulated Ortholite insoles provide the supportive foundation your foot needs to keep pain at bay. All of this without compromising on the style quotient and keeping you looking and feeling great!
Here’s to ensuring that heel pain doesn’t come in the way of living an active life, you so desire!