Do not wear shoes without a good arch support, i.e., flip-flops.
Apply ice (20 min.) to bottom of heel 2 times every evening.
Stretch calf muscle morning and evening. An easy way to stretch the calf muscle is to stand backwards on a stair edge with the balls of your feet on the edge and your heels hanging off the step (much like a diver standing backwards on the edge of a diving board). Then shift most of your body’s weight onto the calf you are stretching and relax that calf while keeping the knee straight until the heel moves downward toward the step below. Hold for 10 seconds and repeat 3 times for each leg.
In the evening while you are sitting watching TV roll a golf ball under your bare foot to massage the bottom of the arch (plantar fascia).
Avoid prolonged standing or walking until heel pain abates.
1. Heel pain during the first few steps out of bed in the morning (This is the hallmark sign of plantar fasciitis and/or heel spurs). 2. Heel pain at the end of a long day of being on the feet, especially when trying to stand and walk after the evening meal. 3. The location of the heel pain is on the underside of the heel, usually where the heel meets the arch, and often closer to the inside of the heel. 4. An x-ray shows evidence of heel spurs, bony outgrowths under the calcaneal bone of the heel that project towards the front of the foot. 5. Heel pain that increases the longer you are on your feet. 6. Heel pain that developed after an unusually stressful event such a running a marathon or prolonged period of standing or walking that you are not accustomed to. 7. Heel pain that has been present for weeks or months. Plantar fasciitis and heel spurs can take months or years to resolve. 8. No treatment has been successful in eliminating the heel pain. 9. The symptoms of plantar fasciitis and heel spurs can include the entire arch of the foot and even the back of the heel and lower leg. 10. Getting off the foot is the only thing that seems to help the heel pain.
The terms plantar fasciitis and heel spurs are often used interchangeably but they are actually two different conditions.
Plantar fasciitis is an inflammation at the insertion point of the plantar fascia into the calcaneal bone of the heel. The plantar fascia is made up of tendon like cords that attach the forefoot to the heel and is responsible for maintaining the arch of the foot. The forward portion of the plantar fascia is spread out over each of the digits of the foot while the rearward portion connects into a single spot on the heel. Overuse injuries, collapsing arches and even loss of elasticity of the plantar fascia itself are the most common causes of plantar fasciitis. Classically, sufferers will have significant pain and even difficulty walking for the first few steps out of bed in the morning. Usually as the weight bearing activity progresses the pain will lessen. Plantar fasciitis is always associated with pain.
Even though the terms plantar fasciitis and heel spurs are often used interchangeably, they are not the same condition. Heel spurs are little bony outgrowths that project forward from the calcaneal bone of the heel. An x-ray is necessary to detect the presence of heel spurs. While the bony outgrowth will usually develop because of chronic stress to the plantar fascia, heel spurs do not necessarily cause pain. An estimated 20-25% of Americans with heel spurs are not aware of it because of the absence of any symptoms. Heel spurs will often develop as a result of chronic plantar fasciitis due to the continual stress at the point of insertion of the plantar fascia into the calcaneal bone of the heel. This is due to the fact that the body's chronic inflammatory response includes the laying down of calcium deposits in areas of stress.
There are two primary causes for plantar fasciitis / heel spurs.
An overuse injury causing an inflammation at the intersection point of the plantar fascia into the calcaneal bone of the heel. Long distance runners, soldiers, and those who are on their feet an inordinate amount of time are more prone to developing plantar fasciitis / heel spurs. A hard impact to the heel can also cause injury and inflammation to the plantar fascia.
A slow and gradual collapse of the arch of the foot caused by aging, obesity, and sedentary lifestyle causes the plantar fascia to become more slowly stretched over time and increasing the tension at its insertion point into the calcaneal bone of the heel.
In either case, once plantar fasciitis develops, it can become a very stubborn problem. Doctors tell their patients to expect up to two years for the condition to resolve, with some people suffering much longer.
So what makes Heel-Right so different and effective for treating this aggravating and persistent problem? The two most common products available for the treatment of plantar fasciitis / heel spurs are night splints and arch supports (or heel pads). Night splints provide a stretch to the calf muscle during sleep but as soon as the sufferer stands in the morning the plantar fascia is immediately stressed and the pain returns. Arch supports and heel pads are designed to provide a passive support to the underside of the foot to dissipate the pressure at the site of pain. They are helpful in reshaping the arch over long periods of time which can be helpful, but they do not provide the active support needed to relieve tension on the plantar fascia when the sufferer needs it most.
Heel-Right is the only product available that provides an active support at the site of injury. Heel-Right is designed to actively lift the arch at the point of pain and relieve tension immediately. Using the principle of the "block and tackle pulley system", the patented strapping mechanism generates sufficient force upon the plantar fascia to actually lift the arch and relieve pain immediately. At the same time Heel-Right is actively supporting the plantar fascia it is applying pressure at the sight of pain. This is necessary to provide immediate pain relief so that the sufferer can function at the same time healing is occuring.
A scientific study measuring the effectiveness of Heel-Right for the treatment of heel pain caused by plantar fasciitis / heel spurs. This study was administered by Dr. Kerry Johnson, developer of Heel-Right. Subjects were first screened for an accurate diagnosis of plantar fasciitis / heel spurs. Dr. Johnson tested two groups: Ten consecutive subjects who were current or previous patients at his clinic - and six consecutive subjects who had never met Dr. Johnson prior to the study. This was done to remove any bias or loyalty toward the examiner.
The McGill Pain Questionnaire - Short Form (MPQ-SF), a widely used and well known pain report measure was utilized in the study. Subjects were instructed on the proper completion of the MPQ-SF and were asked to complete the form on their first visit. They were then fitted with the support, instructed on its use and asked to return in one week for a recheck and then again in three weeks. At the three week visit they were asked to complete the MPQ-SF a second time. The results of the study are as follows:
% Improvement of Consecutive Subjects that were Previous Patients - 75% % Improvement of Consecutive Subjects that were not Previous Patients - 77.5%
The results of this study demonstrate that Heel-Right is a very effective treatment option for those who suffer with plantar fasciitis / heel spurs. The fact that non-patients rated the effectiveness higher than patients of Dr. Johnson's clinic, helps to remove any bias or loyalty towards the examiner.
Considering that roughly half of the estimated 40 million sufferers of plantar fasciitis / heel spurs have had their problem for more than one year, the results of this study would indicate that Heel-Right is a very attractive solution.
Plantar fasciitis is a painful condition that affects millions of people. Plantar fasciitis is more commonly known as heel spurs but also referred to as heel pain syndrome. The pain caused by plantar fasciitis / heel pain syndrome is usually located under the heel but can include the ball of the foot, the arch or sometimes even the entire foot. This painful condition can be very debilitating, making it difficult to even walk.
