5 tips to help you beat your heel pain !

5 tips to help you beat your heel pain !

DeFEET your HEEL PAIN!

1. If it HURTS, stop doing it! Pain is actually your body’s way of telling you that something is wrong – listen to it! Putting pressure on a (painful) damaged muscle/tissue/bone = further damage = no improvement = ongoing pain. It’s as simple as that.

5 tips to help you beat your heel pain - 1

2. Nothing will change unless YOU change it. You’ve been wearing the same shoes and trying the same stretches and whatever else google has advised you since your pain started and you’re still in pain. Consult a practitioner that specialises in heel pain – not all podiatrists and practitioners do! Look for a practice with a proven track record with heel pain – different practitioners do things very differently and get very different results!

3. STICK to the plan! “It’s only when people venture off the main path in the forest that they get lost and chased through the forest in the night.” As practitioners we don’t tell you things to try and make your life difficult and play ‘let’s test if anyone will actually do this’. We do this because we KNOW it works and see it working all day every day, for those who stick to it. If we could make it easier, we would! But taking shortcuts hasn’t produced good results for our patients, and you came to us to get you pain-free.

4. Understand what is happening! Make sure you completely understand: what your condition is, what causes it, what aggravates it, WHY you are having the treatment you are and what the treatment is actually doing to and for your feet. If you don’t see a purpose to doing something, you are a lot less likely to stick to it. Not being fully informed about your condition can create uncertainty about your treatment. Ask all the questions, ask them as many times as you need, and let your practitioner help you to understand. If you get a generic answer along the lines of “It’s plantar fasciitis and you need these very hard orthotics” – Our number will be at the bottom!

5. Finally, DON’T give up! Whether you’ve just started your journey to being pain-free or have tried multiple options from different practitioners with no success, very seriously, don’t give up! We are often people 3 or 4th opinion – some have been to physiotherapists, specialists, GP’s and other podiatrists – if they haven’t had success with you, sadly you’re not alone! I have the privilege of seeing the pain levels of my patients decreasing every week until the pain is gone. Every foot is different, the causes of heel pain are different, and when this is correctly analysed, diagnosed and treated, amazing things can happen. Our treatment is VERY different!

These are my top 5 because I see these so often! It’s actually fairly unusual to see anyone who isn’t struggling with at least one of these points. But rest assured – heel pain can be defeated, you don’t have to keep battling it and letting it limit your activity and you can be completely pain-free. We have patients who regularly travel from all across Sydney NSW and even interstate to see us! Its not unusual for us to be the last of a long line of other practitioners you may have seen. Come and join our ever-growing team of pain-free patients – we’d love to help you too!

5 tips to help you beat your heel pain - 2

Dr Nina to the right and Shendi on the left with our patient Kimberley who beat heel pain!

A Step Ahead Foot + Ankle care
Penrith, St Marys
and soon to come to a suburb near you!

A new treatment for Heel pain.

A new treatment for Heel pain.

Heel pain treatment cuts down recovery time

Heel pain treatment cuts down recovery time

Shock wave therapy is a relatively new treatment option used for musculoskeletal conditions. This treatment was initially seen in hospitals for “breaking down” kidney stones that were too large to pass. A Step Ahead Foot and Ankle care has found it particularly helpful for HEEL PAIN.

Now the technology has been modified so that the high pressured acoustic shockwaves travel through the skin to stimulate blood flow to the injured area which speeds up our own healing processes within our body for tissue repair.

A Step Ahead Foot and Ankle care were one of the first clinics in Sydney to try this effective new technology and have found it to be highly successful.

What conditions is it suitable for?

Shock wave is commonly used for musculoskeletal conditions, some examples include:

  • Heel pain / plantar fasciitis.
  • Achilles tendonitis / tendonosis
  • Patella tendonopathy.
  • Shin pain / Shin splints.

The Podiatrist at A Step Ahead Foot and Ankle care will be able to tell you if your problem is suitable for this treatment.

 

What does it feel like?

Pressure is pushed on the injured area with the probe. The shockwave treatment will feel a little uncomfortable like short bursts of throbbing sensations through the probe. Almost 100% of our patients while first a little hesitant have found this to be much better than first thought.

 

How can A Step Ahead Help you?Shockwave_Unit_HI

A Step Ahead Foot + Ankle care have had many years of experience using this technology and have become a leader in this field. With years of experience with this technology combined with almost 20 years of clinical practice experience you are in good hands

Resolution of pain is most often achieved through a combination of treatments this may include:

  • Assessment of foot and leg mechanics
  • Activity modification
  • Footwear advice
  • Orthotic therapy
  • Stretching exercises
  • Taping

Please call our helpful reception staff to make an appointment and be sure to mention your interest in the exciting new technology. 9673 2987 or 43322007