Heel pain, a common foot complaint among most of us now a days. It may occur for a variety of reasons, including heel spurs.

Here are few scenarios where your  heel pain  becomes unbearable :

* First in the morning when you get out of bed.
* After sitting at your desk or in your car for a long time.
* When you exercise without warm -up activity.

In few cases if a person is diagnosed with flat feet, then  heel pain may be caused by heel spurs or an inflamed plantar fascia.  Heel spurs can only be seen on an X-ray, so consult with your foot and ankle specialist for a definitive diagnosis.

If you are getting heel pain with the first few steps you take after getting out of bed in the morning or when you resume back  to another activity  after  walking   for long or  after sitting / standing for a long period, then its adivised to consult your doctor immediately.

If this problem is ignored and  untreated, your heel pain will likely  to grow worse over time. It can even become disabling and might  prevent  you from enjoying your regular chores of work.

However, below mentioned are few tips help you to get some relief from pain till the time you visit your mediacal expert:

* Rest your feet as much as possible for a few days. Try to refrain yourself  from activities, like running and standing or walking for long hours as this might aggravate your pain.

* Use ice-pack on  your heels to reduce inflammation and pain.

* Give your feet extra support with supportive shoes,  heel pads or cushions or arch supports that help relieve pressure on your plantar fascia and heel.

* Stretch your calf muscles to reduce the muscle tightness that inflames your plantar fascia. Keep your calf muscles and plantar fascia stretched out overnight by using a night splint.

Bhavana