What does heel pain do to you?

Every mile you walk puts tons of stress on each foot. Your feet can handle a heavy load, but too much stress pushes them  over their limits. When you pound your feet on hard surfaces playing sports or wear shoes that irritate sensitive tissues, you may develop heel pain, the most common problem affecting the foot and ankle.

A sore heel will usually get better on its own without surgery if you give it enough rest. However, many people ignore the early signs of heel pain and keep on doing the activities that caused it. When you continue to walk on a sore heel, it will only get worse and could become a chronic condition leading to more problems.

Based on the common problems or symptoms presented when someone develops a painful heel, it starts with very minimal pain and discomfort but worsens when not taken cared of immediately. Below is a simple yet effective guide to take care of your feet daily. Yet, if the pain gets distracting and much more affecting your activities of daily living, we are here to help. Call us on 07 494 25016 or do an online booking through our easy and real time booking system. 

SORE AFTER THE BEACH HOLIDAYS???

It's just so tempting! Beautiful long summer afternoons, and so many amazing beaches to choose from. Who doesn't love a nice long walk to feel the sand between your toes? Or maybe you're making the long trek at low tide to catch yourself a flathead or two! 

But what do you do when you find yourself suffering with pain when walking, or perhaps the next day? Is the pleasure worth the pain!? Many people complain of painful heels and sore aching feet after spending a relaxing weekend at the beach, so you are not alone.

The foot is an amazing machine, and one that is supported by a multitude of muscles, tendons, and ligaments. When walking barefoot on a soft surface like sand, some of these tissues can take on more stress than they can handle, and they start to tear and then inflame. This inflammation is what you are feeling as pain.

The most common culprit on the under side of the foot is a broad flat structure called the plantar fascia. Inflammation in this is referred to as the dreaded plantar fasciitis (plan-ta fa-cee-i-tis). This is a condition we see in clinic at least half a dozen times every day! A telltale sign of this condition is when you suffer bad pain on the first few steps getting our of bed in the morning.

The Solution

If you haven't been to the beach for some time, it's a good idea to gradually transition to barefoot walking. You should wear supportive thongs on your feet when you're not wearing shoes and in the first few days, limit your bare foot exposure on the soft sand, and then each day gradually increase your walking time on the soft sand. If you are going to go for a very long walk along the beach, it might be worth considering wearing your joggers for the first half of the walk, and go barefoot on the home straight.

What if the pain doesn't go away?

If your foot and heel pain improves each day with a bit of rest and some good footwear choices, then you are probably out of the woods. If it doesn't go away, you have two options. Either walk around in pain for weeks or months (or years). Or you could come and see us for some professional treatment and advice. 

Depending on how long you have had your pain, the severity of your pain, which structures are injured, and your daily activities, your treatment could range from some basic strengthening, stretching and taping techniques, all the way through to custom orthotic therapy, and more specialised therapies. One word of advice- the longer you leave it, the longer it will take to get better. The sooner we can fix it, the sooner you can get back to normal walking without pain. Sounds good? I bet!

Children's Foot Health

Children develop at different rates.  As a guide, children will start to crawl from about 9 months old and walk from about 11 months old.  Between 10-18 months old, many children will be taking their first steps.  At this time they will often appear to have bow legs, with feet spread wide apart and a characteristic wobble when they walk.  You should always let your child develop walking skills and confidence at their own pace.

However, when a child feels pain while walking or running and doesn't go away after resting or a few days, we worry. We worry about our children's teeth, eyes, and other parts of the body. We teach washing, brushing, and grooming, but what do we do about our child's feet--those still-developing feet which have to carry the entire weight of the body through a lifetime?

It is never normal for children to have pain in their feet or legs. Growing pains are not a part of normal development. They are often the result of poor foot structure such as flat feet, or poor joint alignment.

If you are concerned about your children's foot health, we, at Pioneer Podiatry are here to help. We can diagnose and help in giving advice and treatment that suits their age and condition to prevent long term defects or injuries.