If you are overweight and suffer from pain in your feet that radiates
from your heel, you are not alone. Almost one quarter of overweight
people suffer from plantar fasciitis, a debilitating condition that
causes heel pain and can limit a person's ability to walk or exercise.
It is estimated that one out of every ten people will suffer from heel
pain at some point in his or her life.
Being
overweight and suffering from heel pain can create a vicious cycle. We
all know that exercise is a key component to losing weight. The
problem is that heel pain often strikes when you put more stress on your
feet by increasing your physical activity. If heel pain then forces
you to limit exercise, it becomes challenging to lose weight and can
actually cause an increase in weight. Increasing weight and a sedentary
lifestyle can cause more heel pain and other common health problems,
such as depression and heart disease.
The good news is that when
properly treated, most heel pain improves in 6 to 8 weeks. The bad
news is that most people do not have the information to properly treat
it. The American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeons estimates that 2
million people seek treatment for plantar fasciitis every year in the
United States, and several million more go untreated. Those who don't
seek treatment often hope that plantar fasciitis will just go away on
its own - which it usually doesn't.
Daniel Marein-Efrón, founder
of a new company called Heeling Solutions, suffered from heel pain and
weight gain for over a year. He became frustrated with his lack of
improvement after investing thousands of dollars in special foot devices
and visits to the podiatrist. He sought out the nation's experts on
the subject of heel pain and found that the solution did not involve
surgery or a magic pill, but several months of special stretches, icing,
extra support for his feet and modifications to his lifestyle. After
several months of sticking to this regimen, he was free of plantar
fasciitis and training for a marathon.
"The first steps to
relieving heel pain can be as simple as stretching your foot before
getting out of bed in the morning, icing your foot regularly and wearing
proper footwear," says Jeffrey S. Peterson, M.A., M.D Northern
California Institute of Sports Medicine. "Many people also require
additional steps such as using orthotics in their shoes or wearing a
supportive foot device at night called a night splint."
How do you
know if you have plantar fasciitis? Only a licensed medical
professional can confirm your diagnosis. Seek out a practitioner who
specializes in conditions of the foot and ankle, such as a podiatrist or
orthopedist. The most common symptom of plantar fasciitis is intense
pain with the first few steps in the morning.