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.
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Your energy account
We all know that we aim to have a good nights sleep to wake up full of energy. But as I have said before, sleep is only one way to boost your energy. Think of yourself as having an energy account, and energy raising activities e.g. sleep, credit your energy account and energy draining activities e.g. frustration, debit your energy account. You may find it helpful to work out the balance on your energy account. Use the table below to identify what in your life drains your energy and what raises your energy.
Now you have worked out what is happening to your energy account. If you are unhappy with how much energy your have then I recommend you go back through the energy raising activities and consider what you can easily incorporate into your life. Once you had done this and implemented them, then you can go through your energy draining activities and see what you can give up. It is important to boost your energy first as it put you in to a positive state of mind before tacking what in your life drains your energy.Energy Debits - Energy Draining Activites Energy Credits - Energy Raising Activities Unhealthy eating with heavy, rich, fatty, sugary good Health diet with give excellent nutrition supported by vitamin and mineral supplements Alcohol Cigarettes Drug abuse Over-stimulation (including over work) Natural highs from nature, dance, relaxation, music, physical achievement, humour and creativity. Sedentary lifestyle Exercise Fear Worries Anxiety Stress Frustration Depression Feeling things are out of control Security Peace of mind Rest Joy Happiness Isolation and loneliness Lack of love or support Being dominated Being stuck in the past Close personal relationships Sense of belonging Healthy boundaries Ability to forgive including yourself No self-expression Boredom Underachievement Creative self-expression Excitement Achieving Lack of purpose and meaning Clarity about your true values, purpose and meaning Difficult relationships Good relationships Lack of spiritual nourishment No sources of uplift Good sources of spiritual uplift What can help period pain – Part 3?
While taking nutritional supplements suits some women, I know others don’t like taking tablets. So here are a couple of other ideas to assist you with your period pain. There is scientific evidence that from a trail of women who suffer from period pain that certain yoga poses e.g. cobra, cat and fish reduce both the intensity and duration of period pain. The cobra pose is where you lie on your front, with your hand underneath your shoulders and gently push yourself up bending your back as you come up. The cat pose is when you are on all fours and then round your spine like a cat. The fish pose is when you lie on your back, keep your pelvis and head on the floor and an arch your spine towards the ceiling. As an aromatherapist there are a variety of essential oils that you can use to help reduce the severity of period pain. Aromatherapists split period pain into two categories:
- Congestive dysmenorrhoea – where the pain starts a few days before the period and can cover the whole abdominal area.
- Spasmodic dysmenorrhoea which comes in spams of pain in the pelvis and/or lower back.
