Heal Your Heel Pain

The Dynamic Duo of lower leg misery: Achilles tendonitis and plantar fasciitis. I’ve had them both. And based on my experience, Achilles tendonitis is child’s play when compared to plantar fasciitis.

But that opinion could be influenced by the order in which I had the two conditions. I acquired plantar fasciitis first. It was pretty much healed up once I felt the Achilles tendonitis symptoms creep in – a nagging soreness and tightness in the band of tissue which attaches at the heel and travels upward into the calf region, often called the heel cord. And being a veteran plantar fasciitis sufferer, I knew what to do immediately: back off. I stretched the area a little more than I had been, but other than that, my course of action was to ease off on the things that were causing it, mainly uphill sprinting in this case. I had not been doing much of that type of training, and after deciding to embark on it regularly, I went ahead and overdid it. Going from zero to full-tilt will almost always have deleterious effects, regardless of the activity. Sound familiar?

So my particular case of Achilles tendonitis healed in short order, thanks to NOT doing what I did upon first feeling plantar fasciitis’ soreness approaching: keep doing the same thing and hoping it would disappear. It doesn’t work, trust me.

So what if you acquire Achilles tendonitis, and keep on keeping on with whatever is aggravating it? Well, if you make that choice, the initial soreness is going to end up feeling pretty mild compared to what may be awaiting you. Continuing with the straining activity, be it training on risky surfaces, activities with plenty of jumps or stops and starts, uphill walking, walking or hiking longer than you’re prepared for, etc. may in fact result in a rupture of the Achilles tendon…yes, a complete tearing of the tissue. Often the procedure to rectify it at that point is surgical reattachment. Ouch.

Sound worth the risk of continuing on with the aggravation? I don’t think so. I’m glad I made the right choice and readjusted my activities to accommodate the blossoming Achilles injury. You should do the same, if you sense Achilles tendonitis may be starting. And remember, prevention is always easier than a cure. To see a description of stretching and strengthening motions which will head off both plantar fasciitis and Achilles tendonitis, take a look at my book Injury Afoot: 30 Things You Can Do To Relieve Heel Pain And Speed Healing of Plantar Fasciitis. The exercises are compiled into one brief, easy-to-read source.  They’re easy, they work, and they don’t take long to learn or do.

Beauty of cumulative damage? Am I crazy?? Well, maybe, but not in this case.

The plantar fasciitis condition is one which results from long-term, repeated wear and tear where you accumulate micro-injuries. In other words, cumulative damage. Not sounding too beautiful so far. So, what’s my point?

My point is, you have a fair amount of leeway when experimenting with recovery methods and the altering of your routine as you allow your feet to recover and heal. It’s hard to recuperate from plantar fasciitis while being largely inactive. Conversely, it will be far more beneficial to you and your feet if you are active, engaging regularly in strengthening, stretching, and endurance-building motions. But…you can’t overdo it either. And that’s where the beauty of cumulative damage comes in. You actually can do some trial and error, push your limits here and there, and ease back on efforts which prove to be too much. It took a long time to get to the injured state called plantar fasciitis; the body will adjust if you do a little too much now and then according to your individual physical makeup and injury severity. For example, you won’t undo months of recovery if you applied too much enthusiasm to one extra long walk or one arch strengthening session. Back off, let the soreness recede, and do a little less the next time. Make your recovery journey a learning experience as well as a comeback to a healthy state. When it comes to active recovery, proceed with confidence, not fear. Adjust as you go.

For a complete listing and description of every stretching and strengthening motion you will ever need to vanquish plantar fasciitis, consider my book Injury Afoot: 30 Things You Can Do To Relieve Heel Pain And Speed Healing of Plantar Fasciitis. The exercises are easy, painless, don’t take long, and can actually be relaxing. They are all consolidated into one brief, easy-to-read resource.  And they work.