Check Your Shoes – They Could Cause Heel Pain

In the right place, you may find history, science, and art come alive for you to enjoy. The Reading Public Museum has a variety of permanent and rotating exhibits packed with fossils, statues, and relics of ages past. Just be sure to plan a couple hours to wander the halls and enjoy everything the museum has to offer. Anyone suffering with heel pain may concerned about spending so long on aching feet—and rightly so! However, the solution may be simpler than you think: check your shoes.

Your shoes have an enormous impact on your lower limbs. They are supposed to support and cushion your foot structures, helping you absorb the shock and impacts your feet are subjected to daily. Your footwear is also supposed to protect your feet from foreign objects and other things that might injure you when you’re active. Unfortunately, not all shoes do this. In fact, some can actually contribute to discomfort and injuries, including heel pain.

Unsupportive shoes with insufficient padding can strain the plantar fascia band, irritating it, especially if you wear bad shoes while being active. Super flat soles and high heels in particular stress all the tissues in your lower limbs and worsen any biomechanical issues you may have. Your plantar fascia ends up overstretched and aggravated.

Sometimes changing your shoes is all it takes to find real relief and avoid chronic pain in your heel. Make sure you choose shoes that have plenty of padding through the sole, particularly under the heel. Avoid models that are completely flat—make sure your midfoot has support for your arch. How much cushioning you need here will vary with your arch type. Keep heels below two inches if you can, too. Higher than this and the strain can aggravate your arch and Achilles tendon.

Shoes are a simple solution to what can turn into a complex problem. You don’t have to suffer from painful heels. Make sure your lower limbs are sufficiently supported. Our team at West Lawn Podiatry Associates in Reading, PA, can help you fit and find footwear so you can be sure it fits correctly. If shoe changes are not enough and you continue to struggle with uncomfortable heels, we can also help you find a treatment to resolve the problem. Just call (610) 678-4581 or use our website to reach us.

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