Heel Pain Part 1 – Plantar Fasciitis
Recently a client asked me “is having heel pain first thing in the morning, just one of those things you have to put up with as you get older”?.
What are the causes of Heel Pain?
There are two major causes of heel pain, firstly a grumbling Achilles Tendon and secondly Plantar Fasciitis. This week I am going to focus on Plantar Fasciitis. Plantar Fasciitis is inflammation of the Plantar Fascia or the strong band of tissue on the sole of your foot that stretches from your heel to your toes that supports the arch of your foot and acts as a shock absorber when you walk. The usual site of the pain with Plantar Fasciitis is on the sole of the foot, see diagram below.
How can I tell if my heel pain is Plantar Fasciitis?
Plantar Fasciitis is characterised by the gradual onset of soreness and aching under the heel at its mid-point, which spreads forward along the inner side of the arch of the foot. The ache or pain is often for the first few steps when you get out of bed every morning or after sitting at your desk for a long period of time.
What causes Plantar Fasciitis
- Sedentary Lifestyles
- Being overweight
- Wearing shoes with too little arch support or cushioning
- Vigorous take off’s, landings are fast turns during weight bearing sports.
- Wearing high heels too much.
- Excessive foot eversion (your weight is too much on the outside of your foot).
What can I do to help myself?
If you are in pain, then simply rest and ice. A simple solution is to freeze a plastic water bottle which is about 75% full of water – when it is frozen wrap it in a tea towel, so you don’t burn your skin and roll it under the sole of your feet to provide pain relief.
The following exercises, done either with or without shoes on, can be used to help treat Plantar Fasciitis:
- Stand about 40 cm away from a wall and put both hands on the wall at shoulder height, feet slightly apart, with one foot in front of the other. Bend your front knee but keep your back knee straight and lean in towards the wall to stretch. You should feel your calf muscle tighten. Keep this position for several seconds, then relax. Do this about 10 times then switch to the other leg. Now repeat the same exercise for both legs but this time, bring your back foot forward slightly so that your back knee is also slightly bent. Lean against the wall as before, keep the position, relax and then repeat 10 times before switching to the other leg. Repeat this routine twice a day.
- Stand on the bottom step of some stairs with your legs slightly apart and with your heels just off the end of the step. Hold the stair rails for support. Lower your heels, keeping your knees straight. Again you should feel the stretch in your calves. Keep the position for 20-60 seconds, then relax. Repeat six times. Try to do this exercise twice a day.
- Sit on the floor with your legs out in front of you. Loop a towel around the ball of one of your feet. With your knee straight, pull your toes towards your nose. Hold the position for 30 seconds and repeat three times. Repeat the same exercise for the other foot. Try to do this once a day.
- Sit on a chair with your knees bent at right angles and your feet and heels flat on the floor. Lift your foot upwards, keeping your heel on the floor. Hold the position for a few seconds and then relax. Repeat about 10 times. Try to do this exercise five to six times a day.
- For this exercise you need an object such as a rolling pin or a drinks can. Whilst sitting in a chair, put the object under the arch of your foot. Roll the arch of your foot over the object in different directions. Perform this exercise for a few minutes for each foot at least twice a day. This exercise is best done without shoes on.
Finally, a deep tissue massage to the calf muscles, achilles tendon and foot will help too.
Related Posts
Power Poses
Like most people I am interested in body language. Like most people I noticed awkward social interactions in day to day life. Until recently I considered that body language is about
- what you are communicating others
- what they are communicating to you
By adopting the Wonder Woman pose for 2 minutes, social scientists have proven that it will increase your confidence, assertiveness and help you feel more comfortable in a situation. This is due to the impact holding this "high power" pose for two minutes has on your body, its reduces your cortisol levels and increases your testosterone levels. Meaning you are less reactive to stressful situations.
So can you apply this in real life. Last weekend I was on my sports massage course and each weekend we have a written test we need to pass. For some reason I had misunderstood what the test was on and forgot to review the whole subject. I discovered this about 30 minutes before the test. So I was in a highly stressful situation. So I decided to give this power pose a try and did it during the next 30 minutes while revising. The science says 2 minutes but I felt I needed all the help I could get. It turns out that I passed. While this isn't irrevocable proof, I would recommend people try it.
As Amy Cuddy says "our body's change our minds, our minds change our behavior and our behavior changes our outcomes." For a more detailed understanding of power poses, the science behind them, watch Amy Cuddy's Your body language shapes who you are.
Mundane superfoods – part 3
Continue my series (see part 1 and part 2) on swapping exotic superfoods for more readily available and cheaper but just as nutritious alternatives, this week I turn my attention to Wheatgrass.
Chickweed: The New Wheatgrass
As green as any grass you've ever seen, wheatgrass has been a main event in health food circles for decades. People will line up to pay big bucks for a small shot of the stuff, which tastes pretty much like you'd imagine, similar to the aroma of new-mown hay; as one company describes it, "unfamiliar, but not unpleasant." Several of this commodity's features include fighting aging by revitalizing skin cells, cleansing the blood and fighting tumors. Clinical studies show that it contains 90 minerals, 20 essential amino acids, 13 vitamins and 80 enzymes. But it's the 70 percent ratio of chlorophyll, structurally similar to red blood cells (hemoglobin), that makes it a superfood. World Lifestyle notes that once it's absorbed, it converts to hemoglobin, mimicking red blood cells and carrying oxygen to vital areas of your body, and may even kill off cancer cells because "cancer cells can't survive and thrive in oxygen-rich environments." But get this: Chickweed (Stellaria media) is a wild, edible plant growing prolifically in every area of the world other than those that are coldest, like Antarctica. Besides decreasing insect damage to other plants, it's chockfull of many vitamins, minerals and, like wheatgrass, chlorophyll. Chickweed stems and flowers can be used raw in salads and sandwiches, tossed into soups and stews or added to cooked dishes (but at the end as the stems and leaves are delicate). Frontier foragers learned that when they gathered chickweed, almost exclusively in the spring, it was useful as both food and medicine. As a food, Foraged Foodie observes, the raw form is covered with a fine layer of fibers, which are minimized when they're gently chopped and sautéed or wilted. Natural medicine expert Dr. Josh Axe notes:"Chickweed is taken by mouth to treat stomach problems, intestinal complaints such as constipation, disorders of the blood, arthritis, lung diseases including asthma, kidney disorders, inflammatory conditions of the urinary tract, rabies, and scurvy or vitamin C deficiency. It is also used to relieve extreme exhaustion. Chickweed is applied on the skin relieve various skin conditions such as skin wounds, ulcers, burns, arthritis pain and symptoms of eczema."
References Dynamic Greens 2017 World Lifestyle Foraged Foodie March 3, 2016 Dr. Axe February 10, 2014
