4 At-Home Ways To Deal With Heel Pain Caused By Plantar Fasciitis
Plantar fasciitis is a condition where the sole of your foot swells up, resulting in a great deal of pain that is centered around your heel. Plantar fasciitis can be very debilitating condition that can prevent you from living your best life. Luckily, if you take some time to pamper your feet, you can reduce and manage the pain from your condition.
#1 Treat the Pain
It can be hard to function, let alone pamper yourself, when you are in pain. Treat the pain with some over-the-counter pain relievers. Pain relievers such as acetaminophen or ibuprofen will help treat the pain that you are experiencing, which will allow you to take better care of your feet. These pain relievers may also help reduce some of the inflammation that you are experiencing in your feet.
#2 Stay Off Your Feet & Ice Them
Next, to reduce the swelling, you need to treat it directly. Get off your feet and put your feet up. Try to move around as little as possible for about three days. Enlist the help of family and friends with taking care of your house and your personal needs so you can spend as much time off your feet as possible.
Really allow your feet to relax by icing your feet. Make sure to wrap the ice pack up with a towel; pure ice on your feet can be a bit of a shock. Put the ice on and keep it on for fifteen minutes, then take it off for an equal amount of time. Frequent icing over a couple of days while you keep off your feet can help reduce the inflammation and the pain that you are experiencing.
#3 Stretch Out Your Feet
Exercising and stretching out your feet can help you fight back against your plantar fascia and can help your feet feel better. It is easy to exercise your feet, and you can do it while sitting.
Taking your foot, rolling it downwards and pointing your toes towards the ground while flexing your foot can help stretch out the muscles on the bottom of your foot.
Squeezing your toes together tightly and then relaxing them in sets of ten can help strengthen your toes. Rolling a tennis ball or golf pall with your foot can be a great way to provide your foot with pressure that will help alleviate the pain you are feeling.
A nice foot message can also help exercise your feet. Start by massaging your toes in a circular motion, then apply pressure to your arch, working your way to the heel.
#4 Soak Your Feet
Soaking your feet can also provide a high degree of pain relief as well. You can buy a foot bath, or you can make your own foot bath out of a tray or large bowl. Fill it up with warm water and add some Epsom salts. The warm water will help relieve the pain in your feet and improve circulation. The Epsom salt can actually help reduce pain and relax your muscles as well.
If you are experiencing heel pain from planter fasciitis, take a few days to rest and allow your feet to get better. Put your feet up, ice them, treat your pain with over-the-counter pain relievers, and soak your feet in lots of nice warm Epsom salt baths. Once your feet recover, be sure continue to exercise and build up your foot strength and wear supportive shoes that will cushion your feet and help prevent further inflammation. Speak to a professional for more heel pain services.