Getting Help With Foot Troubles

4 Heel Pain Relief Treatments That Might Help Your Pain and Stiffness

19 January 2022

Ashley Stewart

Heel pain is a common complaint because the pain can have many different causes. Your pain might be sudden from an injury and go away as you heal. However, heel pain can become chronic and cause you a lot of problems with walking and sleeping. Finding the cause of your pain is the first step in obtaining heel pain relief. These treatments from Atlantic Foot & Ankle Specialists might help with your pain.

1. Wear Orthotics

You might buy shoe inserts made for heel pain relief from a drugstore. If those don't help, talk to a podiatrist about the right type of insert or orthotics to use for your condition. You might even need custom orthotics made if your pain is caused by a gait problem. Orthotics for heel pain might be mostly for cushioning of the heel and support of your arch.

Your podiatrist might even recommend wearing a soft foot brace at night while you sleep for certain types of heel pain. A brace keeps your foot stretched so the tissues don't get tight and painful. If your feet get tight while you sleep, your first steps in the morning might be painful until you've loosened up your feet and heels.

2. Kinesiology Tape

Kinesiology tape can be used to support your heel in a way that doesn't limit mobility. However, the tape has to be applied appropriately. You'll need a physical therapist or podiatrist to show you how to apply the tape and then you can apply it yourself when you need it.

3. Ultrasound Therapy

Your podiatrist might recommend ultrasound treatments for your heel pain relief, depending on the cause of your pain. These treatments are fairly quick and easy to take. Sound waves are directed at the source of your pain to break apart scar tissue. Plus, the treatments increase circulation so the increased blood flow can help with healing injured tissues.

4. Platelet-Rich Plasma Treatments

PRP treatments are another possibility to consider when you have chronic heel pain. For this treatment, the podiatrist draws blood from you and then processes it to concentrate the platelets. The concentrated solution is then injected into your heel. Platelets contain growth factors, so the goal is for the PRP injections to stimulate tissue repair to stop your heel pain.

If your heel pain isn't too serious or if it doesn't last long, then you may not need treatment for it. Applying ice at home and stretching might be all the help your heel needs. One thing to keep in mind is that injured tissues take time to heal. You don't want to stress them during the healing phase, or healing could take longer. If you're uncertain about what to do to get heel pain relief, then see a podiatrist for help. 

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