Plantar Fasciitis is a common cause of pain by the heel and sometimes along the entire bottom of your foot.
Causes
It occurs when you have a tightness/irritation of the muscles and tissues that form the "suspension bridge" on the bottom of your foot.
Check for Heel Spurs
If the pain is from a small tender area over your heel, it may come from a tender thin bony “spur.” Start with an adhesive “doughnut shaped” pad (the “doughnut hole” goes over the tender area).
Gently massaging the heel area while bathing can break up the heel spur over time.
Often pain diagnosed as heel spurs is actually coming from a tender muscle knot at the bottom of your calf muscle (which can be massaged to release).
Treatment
Recommended Supplements
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Calcium and Magnesium
Begin by taking 1,000 to 1,500 mg of calcium and 200 mg of magnesium at bedtime. Give it 6 weeks to start working.
Other Therapies & Advice
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Wear a Boot or Brace
Wearing a boot or brace at night that keeps your foot at a right angle while you sleep (easy to find online) helps.
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Medical Tape
A podiatrist or chiropractor familiar with the technique can tape the bottom of your foot.
This was a wonderful trick that an excellent Dallas chiropractor, Dr. Ron Huse, taught me.
This tape then takes over the role of the suspension support and may ease the pain immediately.