Monday, November 2, 2009

Stretching for Heel Pain

Stretching Exercises

Lets talk a minute on some of the stretching exercises for heel pain. This is one of the most important things that needs to be done on a consistent basis to feel better. We tell our patients that its a lifestyle change. One of our favorite stretching exercises is to take a water bottle, put it in a freezer so you have a frozen water bottle. Now, while you are sitting down, watching TV or reading a book, roll it under your heel and arch area for 10-15 minutes. Try and do this at least twice a day. Another easy exercise is to to have a towel on the floor and practice curling your toes to pick up the towel. Still have that pain first thing in the morning when getting out of bed? Try this one, the towel stretch. The key with this is to make sure that your knees are straight so that you can feel the stretch in your calf muscle. Hold this stretch for 10 seconds and repeat it 5 times. Another one to do as much as you can is the wall stretch. The key with this one is to make sure that both heels are on the ground and your toes are pointing to the wall. Hold this for 10 seconds and repeat it 5 times. Its ALWAYS a good idea to stretch out both calf muscles. What may happen with one side hurting, the other limb gets more pressure with walking and the weight shifts to your other side. This can actually cause foot pain to begin. So start with these to try and help relieve some of that heel pain. Remember, 90% of heel pain can be treated conservatively.
For more information please visit the following website:

www.shreveportfootdoctor.com