Heel Pain-Icing and Stretching with a frozen water bottle

Often, people complain about pain in the heel when they get up in the morning. This condition is typically called plantar fasciitis. This is an inflammation of the band on the bottom of the foot (the plantar fascia). This condition can be aggravated by weight changes (especially weight gain) and activity changes.

Plantar fasciitis requires icing and stretching (usually three times per day). Without this, it often does not improve. A good way of stretching and icing together is to freeze a water bottle and roll it along the bottom of the foot. If you are diabetic or have other serious health issues like peripheral vascular disease, you can only ice for 5-10 minutes at a time.

Happy Walking!
Dr. Bender