Have suffered for few years. What do suffereers recommend?

Dear Guest

Stretch your calves like crazy. Right before you get out of bed specifically.

There is a direct relationship between calf tightness and heel pain!

Your calves are what allows your body to pass over your foot after your foot hits the ground. Your foot hits the ground, your body is behind your foot. Your body passes over, your calf muscles get pulled upon.

When your calves are tight, or have become tightER, that limits how far your ankle joint can allow your body to pass over your foot. Your muscle tightness can restrict how far your ankle can take you. Your foot compensates for this by collapsing at a joint in front of your ankle (The Mid Tarsal Joint), right over the arch. This mechanism tears at your Plantar Fascia (a fibrous band of tissue on the bottom of your foot) right at its insertion point, your heel.

This is the reason heel pain is usually worse in the morning. Your calves are at their tightest. This is a muscular tightness problem most of the time. The Achilles tendon does not stretch.
Plantar Faciitis and heel spurs are different. A heel spur is a growth at the insertion point of the fascia which is an advanced form of faciitis and is only visible on an X-ray.

Surgery is a bad option as it is NOT the cure. if you don't address the muscular tightness, it most always returns.

Stretch your calves like crazy and get some good arch supports. Start with over the counter. You can buy them on this site I imagine. If you dont get results, you may want to up the ante and spring for some custom orthotics.

If you dont get better, it can mean that you aren't stretching enough or properly. Get yourself to Physical therapy or, get yourself a "night splint" at this website. It is a booty that you wear at night while you sleep that will prevent your calves from shortening at night. In the morning you will have less pain.

Best,
Spencer Weisbond, C.Ped.

Thank you very much for your comprehensive reply. I know someone who has had surgery and it is not for the squeamish. 2 years on from that the pain is coming back.

I will follow yr advice and will do stretches.

Regards
Coco