Zombies, Witches, and Heel Pain—Oh My!

The scariest night of the year is quickly approaching—Halloween is right around the corner. This year, Halloween has come with a great opportunity for runners: the Q50 Halloween 6 mile Night Race that took place on Saturday, October 26th. It was a dusky run along six miles of trails at the Fontainebleau State Park in Mandeville, LA. Costumes were encouraged—even the scary ones. Perhaps one of the scariest things that a runner can face, however, even outside of Halloween, is plantar fasciitis.

Heel pain from this common foot condition is one of those uncomfortable problems that can hold a runner back from a race. Your plantar fascia is the main tendon that runs along the bottom of your foot and connects to your heel. Sometimes it becomes strained or inflamed, causing your heel to hurt. Resting and stretching out the connective tissues can help it relax and relieve pain. Reducing any inflammation also helps. Here at Gulf South Foot & Ankle, LLC we often recommend putting a round, cold object under your foot and rolling it around to massage the tendon.

Though you can use any sort of round object for these rolls, we do offer a simple tool specially developed by ProNiche Medical, LLC to treat heel pain. It’s called the Heeler, and it is designed to fit the contours of your feet. Because it matches the basic foot shape, it is able to isolate and stretch the tissues along the sole. You simply freeze the tool and use it two or three times a day. The rolling motion massages, the cold soothes irritation, and the relief you feel is worth it. Visit our online store to purchase your Heeler, or ask about it when you visit our office.

This Halloween, you don’t have to let heel pain interrupt your plans. Contact us at Gulf South Foot & Ankle LLC for an appointment or more information by calling our Metairie, LA office at (504)-708-4810, or by visiting the contact page online.