What? You still have heel pain??? You need to read on and see what "2 Pods and a Microphone" have to say!

So, we have hit this subject matter on  more than  on one occasion.  As foot and ankle surgeons, it is not uncommon in a typical day to see at least 15 patients that have heel pain or plantar fasciitis.  These people often present with the same core set of symptoms in general. First and foremost, they always describe first step in the morning pain or pain after they have been resting and get up pain.  Some people describe pain in their feet after being up and standing for more than a couple hours, with their pain being concentrated basically at their heel on the bottom.

People find it hard to believe that stretching, icing and support can be the perfect combo to relieve and help get rid of their heel pain, but it's true!!!!The plantar fascia is a tight band on the bottom of the foot that connects the heel bone, the calcaneus, to the long flexor tendons to the toes. What I always tell patients when they come into the office with heel pain or plantar fasciitis, is that even though it hurts so darn bad the cure really does revolve around stretching believe or not, in most cases.  Sure it can require a medicine by mouth or even a shot with some extra support in shoe gear but it is usually a simple fix.

The fix is simple but, depending in how long it takes you to seek help to get better, could be the deciding factor on how long it actually takes you to get better.  The sooner you seek care, start the stretching exercises and put good support in you shoes, the sooner you are on the road to recovery.

Steps to getting rid of your heel pain:

1.  No barefoot for the next 6-8 weeks
2.  Static calf stretches (if you do not know what that means check out our Pinterest Page Heel Pain          Helpers http://www.pinterest.com/cafcdpm/heel-pain-helpers/

3.  Get a 16-20oz bottle of water, freeze it and take it out of the freezer at least 2x's a day and roll it           back and forth under your foot with a thin sock on or barefoot(I tell patients all of the time that           this is like physical therapy with out a copay)
4.  Look at your shoes, if they have no arch support ditch them or get a really good arch support like our over the counter arch supports for heel pain(shameless plug, but they are really good:) They retail for $63 and go by shoes size you can order your pair on our website   at http://centeranklefootcare.com/
5.  Of course, if you can take an anti-inflammatory and you have no drug interactions that will also help this feel better for you.



Stretching Exercises Stick Figure Illustrations below
(by Dr, McGowan, she's a podiatrist not an artist, don't judge people)

If you have heel pain or plantar fasciitis, and it has been longer than two weeks you should see a podiatrist.  If you live in Central Florida, of course the podiatrist you should see is Dr. McGowan or Dr, Henne! Our webpage is http://centeranklefootcare.com/index.html where you can explore more about all the different services we offer at all 3 of our locations.

Our doctors also have a weekly podcast that is called "2 Pods and a Microphone" where they discuss all different topics about foot and ankle health.  You can actually subscribe to their podcast on iTunes at https://itunes.apple.com/us/podcast/2-pods-a-microphone/id909176500?mt=2    or listen here to the first podcast of "2 Pods and a Microphone" below:


Listen above to the first Podcast of "2 Pods and a Microphone" this is our first podcast ever, before we figured out how to reduce noise or really edit, but still some really great information to help you differentiate true heel pain from a pinch nerve in the back causing symptoms in the feet.  Enjoy!

If you have questions about a foot or ankle problem, we would be happy to answer it in one of our podcasts or blog.  You can leave a comment on our blog or a go to our webpage at http://centeranklefootcare.com/id78.html fill out the questionnaire and  we will answer your question on the air!