Heel pain is often felt throughout the bottom of your foot, often throughout the arch. You'll likely experience more pronounced symptoms in the mornings, symptoms that sometimes dissipate as you walk, but they usually return. There are steps you can take to relieve your heel pain, but you don't have to do it on your own, learn more about everything you can do to prevent the discomfort by contacting Ankle & Foot Center of Fox Valley, with Dr. Nancy Jagodzinski, in Naperville, IL.

Plantar Fasciitis

The ligament that runs beneath your foot, that connects the heel to the front is called the plantar fascia. It acts as a support for the arch of your foot, almost like a shock absorber. So when you feel heel pain this is the ligament that is typically affected, it's why the condition is called plantar fasciitis.

Exercise and Stretch

To prevent heel pain, one of the first things your doctor may recommend if you're carrying a few extra pounds is to lose weight. Routine exercise and better food choices can reduce your weight and relieve some of the undue stress from your heel.

To relieve the pain, if it's already present, at-home stretching exercises can also help, especially those that target your calf muscles. These exercises can assist with pain relief and recovery.

Your doctor can also prescribe physical therapy to go along with your at-home exercise, for which they can also give guidance to make sure these levels of activity will do more good than harm.

On the opposite side, they may also recommend rest if you're dealing with severe pain and you spend long hours on your feet.

Orthotic Devices

Another way to relieve stress is by using orthotic devices that your podiatrist can prescribe.

They can guide you on the right type of shoe to wear, as well as recommend devices that will support the arch of your foot. These can correct the underlying structural problems of your foot as you walk to help you relieve heel pain.

A night splint is a device you wear at night that stretches your heel as you sleep to help ease discomfort in the morning.

Heel Pain Treatment in Naperville, IL

The above recommendations can help you alleviate heel pain in a typically non-invasive way. Only when other strategies are exhausted, or your condition is severe, could your doctor recommend surgery to help with your heel pain.

Find help in managing your heel pain in Naperville, IL, with Dr. Jagodzinski of Ankle & Foot Center of Fox Valley by scheduling a consultation today. Make an appointment by dialing 630-778-7670.