HealthGuide

Easy home remedies to get rid of heel pain

What we do as a daily regimen might turn out to have painful repercussions for our feet. Improper exercising or walking might cause a lot of pain in the heel. Improper shoes, excess weight, bad body posture or an injury could also be some reasons for your heel pain. Having a heel pain does not pose as a major threat most of the times. Heel pain could be mild and disappear on its own. But, sometimes the pain becomes chronic. When you have pain for more than a week, it is advised to see a doctor. If your pain is mild, you can try some home remedies that would heal your heel pain. Read on to know about the 9 easy home remedies for heel pain.

Take as much rest as possible

Take as much rest as possibleThough it might sound impossible, resting your heel when in pain helps to recover faster. If you are susceptible to heel pain, then try not to be on your heels for a longer time. Avoid prolonged exercises, walking and standing. If you are walking, avoid hard surfaces. Avoid activities that you feel may aggravate your heel pain. Giving rest to your feet will allow your pain and inflammation to cool down. It is also advised that when taking rest, try to keep your feet in an elevated position. This considerably reduces further swelling that may take place and gives much-needed relief from the pain.

Massage your heel with something cold

Massage your heel with something coldYou could use some ice, frozen juice tin or a frozen beverage container for your aching heel. When using ice, do not place it on the bare skin. Wrap the ice in a cloth and then place it on the heel for about 15 minutes every 6 hours a day. By giving this kind of cold treatment, there could be instant relief from the heel pain. Ice is a very helpful remedy especially when your heel pain symptoms have intensified. Ice foot massage gives you a well-needed relief from your heel pain. This is one of the most effective home remedies for heel pain that can be opted anywhere and is very effective.

Try accupressure or acupuncture therapy

accupressureAcupressure therapy is one of the most effective ways of relieving heel pain. This therapy can be carried out by self. You need to get acquainted with the various pressure points in your body first, to find out the exact pressure points that relieve pain on your heels. Initially, you could use some professional help and once you have finished your course with your therapist and under his/her guidance, you can work on your pressure points. If this too is not of much help, then try the acupuncture therapy where needles are pierced through the pressure points of your body to start the healing process. Though you might find instant relief in both these therapies, for a permanent solution you need to have patience and continue practicing these methods for quite some time.

Keep control of your weight

Keep control of your weightHeel pain is more common in people who are overweight. It is an obvious fact that more the weight, more the strain on your feet when you walk or exercise. Losing weight might be a good long term remedy for your heels. Keep in mind that when you are young it is far easy to keep your weight under control than when you are older. Think and analyze your body type and figure out a perfect way to lose weight. Not only for your heels, losing weight would be good for your legs and knees too in the long run.

Include vitamin D and calcium rich food in your daily diet

Consumption of a good amount of milk and dairy productsYour diet too plays a major role in relieving you of your heel pain. To give enough strength to your heel, it is important that you consume foods rich in calcium and vitamin D. Consumption of a good amount of milk and dairy products will help in strengthening your muscular system. This, in turn, helps in curing your heel pain. To help you with the absorption of calcium in your body, it is vital that there is a sufficient amount of vitamin D. One of the major sources of vitamin D is sunlight. By exposing yourself to the sun, ergosterol in your body gets converted to vitamin D. You can also include various foods that are rich in vitamin D in your daily diet. In this way, you would ensure that you are taking appropriate steps to quicken the pain relief process.

Stretches and exercises – one of the best home remedies for heel pain

Perform especially designed heel exercises if you have pain. These exercises help relax and stretch the tissues around the heel. The exercises are simple and upon practicing them morning and evening, you will feel a lot better. Bear in mind that if you strain your calf muscles while exercising, you may end up hurting your heel more. Exercises like walking and jogging tend to involve a lot of pressure on the heel. Switch to swimming or other simple exercises to save your heel from unwanted pain. You might want to reduce the miles that you cover either jogging or walking. If needed, take time off completely till you feel fit enough to stand on your heels again. You can try the following simple exercises at home to get relief from your heel pain.

Stretch and circle:

Stretch and circle

Sit on a chair and raise a foot in front of you. Slowly, make four small circles in the air in both directions. Repeat with your other foot as well. While doing this exercise, make your heel a focus point and ensure that while circling there is a good amount of stress on the heel.

Natural herbal remedies

There are ways like herbal remedies that can decrease your heel pain. These herbal remedies are very effective and help relieve pain to a large extent. For beginners, use oil packs of linseed. This works best if the linseed oil is heated. Heat the oil, dip a piece of cloth in the hot oil carefully without burning your fingers. Now slowly place the cloth on your heel. To keep the cloth continuously warm, place a heating pad over it. Repeat this process whenever you have pain in your heel.

You can also opt for chamomile and arnica in the bath. It will be totally refreshing to have a warm bath with oils. But chamomile and arnica can be used with the cloth as well just like linseed oil. There is no harm to try out these remedies as they are completely natural and show very good results.

Soak and massage your heels

massage your heelsThere is nothing as refreshing as soaking your aching heels and relaxing at the end of the day. Sit on the edge of a bathtub and run cold water for a minute on your feet. Now run hot water (make sure that you are comfortable with the temperature). End the process by running cold water again for a minute.

In a basin, add 2 tablespoons of Epsom salts and soak your heels for about 15 minutes. Pat them dry and moisturize with a cream.

If you are in a mood to relax, make arrangements for someone to massage your heels, else you can do it by yourself by applying some oil and use gentle strokes, with special concentration on the aching area of your heels. By using your thumb, make deep and long strokes along the heel and move towards the toes. Gently rotate, squeeze and pull each toe. End the massage by cupping your heel between both your hands and squeezing gentle up and down the entire length of the heel. Your heel pain will definitely reduce with this massage.

Golf ball roll:

Remove your shoes and sit on a chair. Place a golf ball on the floor. By applying little pressure, roll the golf ball with your heel. Concentrate more on the area of the heel pain. Repeat with the other foot\’s heel as well.

Try this homemade herbal mix

fenugreek

If you still have not got rid of your heel pain, try this homemade mixture: mix equal amounts of onion seeds, carom seeds, fenugreek seeds, and saboot isabgol. Grind them together. Have one full tablespoon of this mixture every morning. This is one of the most effective home remedies for heel pain. Though you may not have instant results, in a few months your heel pain will vanish.

Scroll to Top