Ice is the best treatment for heel pain. It is one of the most common questions I get, and the misunderstood concept; whether to use ice or heat on heel pain and other injuries. Many people automatically apply heat to the injury. Warmth is soothing to injuries, so it makes sense on the surface. The only issue is that it can aggravate inflammation.
Ice has anti-inflammatory properties and can help reduce inflammation when applied to an injury, such as plantar fasciitis or Achilles tendinitis. Ice can be applied throughout the day, but it should not be applied for more than 20 minutes at a time and should be left on for the remainder of the hour. Unfortunately, ice is not easily transportable, especially in Houston’s heat. In place of ice, topical analgesics such as Biofreeze can be used. Unlike other topicals, it contains no heat and only an icing effect. It reduces inflammation and has an immediate analgesic effect.
If you have heel discomfort, you should start icing immediately away. Make an appointment with Houston podiatrist Dr. Shobowale. We’ll figure out what’s causing your heel pain and devise a plan to get rid of it and keep it away.
