Plantar fasciitis and heel pain are one of the worst types of pain to have. The reason is that if your pain is bad enough, you can have a hard time getting around. Every time you put your foot down, it hurts.
The difference between heel pain and plantar fasciitis is that if your heel hurts worse in the morning than in the evening, you might have fasciitis. The reason it hurts worse in the morning is that the tissue relaxes overnight and when you get up in the morning, you are stretching it back out when you stand up. You not only have an inflammation, but now you are stretching the inflamed tissue and standing on it.
Natural remedies are an effective option to treat heel problems. The good thing about using natural remedies is that it is highly unlikely you will have side effects. Natural remedies do not stop the normal healing process of your body. In fact, they work with your body and help it to heal itself. If you use natural remedies, you are working with your body to heal it and are far more likely to have long term success.
One of the most effective remedies to treat any type of inflammation is Bromelain. Bromelain is an enzyme that is derived from pineapples. Enzymes are used to dissolve things. Your body makes its own enzymes. If you do not have enough of your own enzymes, your body cannot heal itself. You can take enzymes in pill form to make up for this deficit.
If you have heel pain or plantar fasciitis, you might be wearing shoes that do not give you enough arch support or do not protect the bottom of your foot. Every time you put your foot down, you are putting pressure on your heel. This continual pressure can cause inflammation if your heel is not protected. You can buy arch supports that can be used in your regular shoes.
At night, the tissue on your foot is able to relax and tighten up. When you first get up in the morning and stand up, the tissue has to be stretched out again. If you have an inflammation of the fascia on the bottom of your foot, standing on the inflamed tissue and stretching it out in the morning is going to be very painful. A way to avoid this is to use a night splint.
Night splints keep your foot in the correct position to prevent the fascia from relaxing overnight. Night splints can be bought at many drugstores and online. Anything that keeps your foot in the right position to walk can prevent the worst part of plantar fasciitis. In a pinch, you can wear your shoes to bed at night. That will keep your feet from relaxing.
There are a variety of topical pain relief creams that are very effective. The most effective cream I have found is Boswellin cream. Boswellin is an herb that has been used to treat pain and inflammation for thousands of years. It is a natural anti-inflammatory and can be taken internally as a supplement and used as a cream externally. In many cases, you will have pain relief in 5 minutes.
To get complete relief from heel pain, you will need to be patient. The inflammation in connective tissue takes longer to heal than other types of inflammation. There is less circulation and less blood flow, so healing will take longer.
Using a combination of enzymes, shoes with a good arch support, night splints and topical pain relieving cream will give you a good chance at a permanent relief.
About the author: Deborah Neil has a Master’s degree in Oriental Medicine and has been treating pain for over 16 years.
Credits: Photo courtesy of Elvis Santana.