If you feel severe pain in your heel when you step out of bed in the morning, you are suffering from one of two serious foot conditions: Plantar Fasciitis or Achilles Tendonitis. Plantar fasciitis is the inflammation of the plantar fascia ligament where it attaches to the bottom of the heel bone. Similarly, Achilles tendonitis is when the Achilles tendon is inflamed at its attachment on the back of the heel bone.
While there are many treatments for both types of heel pain, one that works well for both types is the use of a night splint. While there are many types of night splints for heel pain, I have found the most effective and comfortable type to be when the support is in the front of the foot and ankle. This type of night splint is light and the most comfortable to wear and sleep in.
Night splints work by providing a constant stretch to the plantar fascia ligament and Achilles tendon overnight. This has been proven to be an effective way to treat heel pain. You will especially notice the relief of pain that you feel when you first step out of bed in the morning. This relief will carry over throughout your day and you will notice a progressive relief of heel pain as you continue to wear the night splint each night.
At Tanglewood Foot Specialists, we stock this type of night splint. The good news is that this night splint is covered by health insurance in most cases. Regardless, if you have heel pain it is important to visit your Houston podiatrist to have your heel pain evaluated and treated to get you out of pain as efficiently as possible.