PODIATRIST DISCUSSES ACHY HEELS

A variety of factors can cause achy heels. For instance, over time, the fat pad on the bottom of your feet may thin, which can make walking hurt. Most often, it’s plantar fasciitis, an inflammation of the band of tissue that connects the front of your foot to the back. This can cause midfoot and heel pain, especially when you first wake up. “The most common scenario [in plantar fasciitis] is no shoes at home or the wrong shoes,” says Alex Kor, DPM, an APMA spokesman and fellow and past president of the American Academy of Podiatric Sports Medicine.

 

Dr. Alex Kor

 

So choose comfortable, supportive shoes; keep heels and flip-flops in the back of your closet; and maintain a healthy weight to reduce pressure on your feet. If you suspect a thin foot pad is at fault, consider using an ­orthotic. Over-the-counter (OTC) orthotics may work just as well as custom products.

 

Source: Consumer Reports via the Washington Post [9/21/20]

Courtesy of Barry Block, editor of PM News