Will Your Heel Pain Result in Shoe-icide?
posted: Aug. 21, 2015.
Will Your Heel Pain Result in Shoe-icide?
When you reach the point where the pain in your heels is so bad you’re considering shoe-icide, it may also be time to get professional help from a podiatrist like Sheldon H. Nadal, D.P.M. Meanwhile, you will be battling with your emotions because you probably know already that your beloved flip-flops, sandals or ballet pumps are to blame.
Heel pain is a common condition seen in podiatry offices, particularly toward the end of a long, hot summer, because we tend to wear lighter, less supportive footwear during warm weather. Your flimsy flip-flops and slip-on pumps offer little or no support through the arch of your feet so the plantar fascia, which runs along the sole from the heel toward the front of each foot is subject to a great amount of stress. Poor arch support often leads to a condition called plantar fasciitis.
When the plantar fascia becomes inflamed, it causes a stabbing pain in the heel that is worse when you first put your feet to the floor in the morning. It can also become more painful throughout the day if you are wearing unsuitable footwear. Other causes include being overweight or suddenly increasing the intensity or duration of exercise. Structural or mechanical imbalances can also increase the likelihood of getting plantar fasciitis.
Common treatments include anti-inflammatory medication, physiotherapy, cortisone injections, night-splints and orthotics. Other more specialised treatments like laser therapy or extracorporeal shock wave therapy (ESWT) are available from experts like Toronto based podiatrist, Sheldon H. Nadal. Therapeutic laser treatment reduces pain and inflammation through a combination of super pulsed laser with a radial wave, pressure wave or radial shock wave. ESWT uses direct and indirect shock waves to reduce pain and promote healing of soft tissues. For more severe cases that do not respond to these treatments, he may recommend minimally invasive foot surgery.
Left untreated, your plantar fasciitis may become a chronic problem. So unfortunately, you will most likely have to commit shoe-icide. Those flimsy flip-flops, thin-soled sandals or ballet pumps will have to go!
Resources:
http://articles.latimes.com/2013/mar/09/health/la-he-feet-20130309
http://www.webmd.com/pain-management/ss/slideshow-worst-shoes-for-your-feet