How to Avoid Heel Pain

Discover the best ways to prevent heel pain from happening to you.

Heel pain can happen to anyone. Find out the best ways to prevent it so that you won’t find yourself frequently seeing our Boise podiatrists for treatment.

Wear the right shoes

While this bit of advice might not come as much of a shock, you would be surprised how many people don’t head it. It’s important that when you choose shoes that you find ones that actually fit well all around. This means only wearing shoes that have solid heels and full support.

Also, only look for shoes that contain shanks. While this supportive strip that runs the bottom of the shoe isn’t visible you can often tell whether shoes have shanks by checking the firmness of the shoes. If it bends in the middle then chances are good the shoes have no shank.

Throw out old shoes

Once shoes start to present with worn soles it’s time to part ways with them. Shoes that have started to wear away won’t offer the proper support, which can increase your chances of developing plantar fasciitis-related heel pain. This advice is particularly important for those who are runners or physically active since shoes that are too old won’t offer the proper athletic support necessary to protect feet and ankles.

Warm-up beforehand

Issues such as having tight calves can contribute to heel pain. By stretching out the Achilles tendon and your calf muscles before any physical activity you can improve flexibility of the ligaments in your feet and prevent heel pain. Talk to your Boise, ID foot doctor about the best stretches to perform before your regular exercise regime.

Maintain an ideal weight

If you are overweight or obese then you are at a greater risk of developing heel pain. In order to prevent this condition from happening to you take healthy steps to lose that excess weight. By maintaining a healthier weight you can take some of that unnecessary pressure off your feet and legs.

Make steady changes to your exercise regime

By suddenly increasing either the intensity or duration of your regular exercise routine you put your feet at serious risk of developing heel pain. This is why it’s very important that any changes made to your physical activity happen gradually. Pace yourself to prevent pain.

If you are currently dealing with heel pain and you aren’t finding relief from at-home measures then it’s time to turn to the pros. Call your Boise podiatrists at Idaho Foot & Ankle Associates.