Are you having heel pain upon waking up and walking first thing in the morning? Or maybe after standing up for quite a long period of time? You might just be suffering from plantar fasciitis.
Plantar fascia is the ligaments that support the arch of your foot and if it gets weak, swollen, or inflamed, then you get heel pain. Common age groups that get affected by this condition are ages 19-40.
Plantar fasciitis are caused by many factors. It could be that you have high arches on your feet or if you’re flat-footed, you walk, run or stand for long periods of time, you are overweight, your calf muscles are tight or you do not wear fit well shoes or they’re worn out already.
One of the best and most effective feet remedies for plantar fasciitis is getting the right footwear. Get the right support for your feet.
What The Shoe Must Have If You Are Looking To Reduce Heel Pain ?
Always keep in mind when buying shoes that the cheaper the shoe is, the cheaper its materials. In order to cure your heel pain, you must wear shoes that is designed well and provides the flexibility that you need.
Make sure that the heel area of the shoes does not twist so it can provide support for your foot and heel so you can balance your weight and will help you walk properly. The heel should be firm and with minimal midsole torquing and have more flex at the toe end.
The ideal shoe for people suffering of plantar fasciitis is that it should provide “closure” to your feet, meaning you need to ditch slip-ons and go for shoes with laces that will ensure a tight fit around your foot. Using slip-ons will make your feet move sideways and most likely does not held it right for walking.
This one also goes out to stilettos. If you are a woman who suffers from frequent heel pain, try to avoid wearing stilettos as much as possible. Stilettos put so much pressure on the balls of your feet, tightening the calf muscles and plantar fascia, causing such pain in your heels. If you need to wear one, put on gel pads to reduce the pressure on your heels.
Wearing flats, like stilettos, are also bad to your feet. They also add stress to your plantar fascia as your foot has to work doubly hard to lift itself up on the ground when you walk. Try avoiding flats as much as possible for it can lead to heel spurs, which is extremely painful and can often lead to surgery.
Must Read: 5 Mistakes to Avoid During Walking Exercises
Go For The Doctors Recommendations On Shoe Brand
Ask for a medical professional’s advice when dealing with plantar fasciitis, especially if it gets worse every day. They’ll check your feet first and watch you stand and walk. They might also need to know your past medical condition, like what illnesses and injuries you’ve had before.
The time when you feel heel pain the most is also an essential requirement to them as pain in the morning is plantar fasciitis but pain at night might be caused by arthritis or some nerve problem. Telling your doctor the physical activities that you do will also help them determine what shoe recommendations they can give you.
Shoes Are The Cause – And The Answer!
But as shoes help you relieve heel pain, wearing the wrong ones can be pretty much the reason why you’re having pain in the first place. Wearing the wrong shoes, especially if you are doing physical activities like running or exercising, can result to extreme pain in your heels.
Choose the best walking shoes that offer support around the heel and forefoot areas. Putting stress on the plantar fascia tissue will result to heel pain that is most likely to occur every morning.
What to Look for In Plantar Fasciitis Shoes?
Plantar fasciitis shoes are available now that can greatly help reduce the pain and risk of getting injury. These types of footwear are built with support and cushioned areas to aid you foot.
There are motion-controlled shoes that help those people who have problems with the way they walk. Commonly, they are not pretty to the eyes for they have thicker soles and dual-density areas but they provide help in correcting the way the person walks.
Also Read: Making The Difference Between Corns And Calluses On Foot
Stability shoes, on the other hand, provide a more flexible sole than motion-controlled shoes. They are designed to offer good support and stability when walking, but are flexible enough not to be bulky.
Generally, in looking for the right shoes, plantar fasciitis sufferers should make sure that the shoe must not have a high heel and that the heel of the walking shoe should like upwards from the ground. There should also be adequate arch support, with good padding and cushioning at the heel and mid-sole. Try to buy shoes that bends with your every step as it helps in getting the right balance.
Do note that finding the right feet remedies and getting the right footwear is different for everybody. What may work for others may not work on you so try to reach out for professional help and try to always be on the lookout for signs if a shoe or not is working for you.
