Keeping You On the Track: Dealing with
Chronic Heel Pain
The day after a long, strenuous, off
trail tramp, you return to your job. At the end of long day you notice
that your heel hurts. The next day on the trail you find this quite
uncomfortable and decide to cut the walk short. Another day passes and
you feel fine in bed when you wake but notice the pain as soon as you
get up and walk around, only it’s worse now.
Has something similar happened to you?
You may be suffering from plantar fasciitis. Plantar what? Along the
bottom of your foot is a thick tissue called the plantar fascia. When
it becomes inflamed due to overuse or walking on uneven surfaces or
standing for long periods on cement floors, especially in old shoes,
then it becomes inflamed = plantar fasciitis. This annoying problem can
keep you off the trail. There are many self help techniques to help you
recover.
At home try the following remedies:
1. Roll a tennis ball under you foot daily. This stretches the fascia
and can help the scar tissue line up correctly.
2. At the beginning and end of the day, take the time to stretch out
your calf muscles (soleus and gastrocnemius). Hold stretch for about 30
seconds but don’t hold your breath. Breath is vital to the healing
process.
3. Assess your shoes to determine if you need to change your footwear.
No bare feet!
Editors
Note: Some great
asanas for releasing the tight fascia of your calf muscles are:
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