Bombshell Antics: feet

Hi bombshell's and gents.

This month will include as series of guest posts. I'm really busy this month but I want you all to still be able to get quality content in my absence! So I got in touch with some blogger buddies and well.. the rest is history! This week Ashley is back and this time she's enlightening us on heel spurs! Check out her other guest post here if you missed it! Please show her some love my dear readers and take notes!

.
.
.

Think you have a heel spur? Think again.

Have you ever thought you had a heel spur? Maybe it starts as a sharp pain along the bottom of your heel, kind of suddenly. Maybe it was a gradual discomfort that increasingly got worse over the course of a few days. Or maybe you had another path to debilitating heel pain leading up to your desperate Google search for “heel spur symptoms.”

Because something called a “heel spur” sounds like it would be a sharp pain in the heel, it’s completely understandable why having this kind of pain might lead you to think you’ve got a heel spur. In fact, lots of people self-diagnose a heel spur and seek remedies for that condition.

The thing is, heel spurs are actually very rarely painful. The heel spur is a calcium deposit on the very bottom of the heel, coming out like a hook toward the toe. Many times people can have these deposits without experiencing any pain, but when they do flare up and cause trouble, they can be found via x-ray.

So what causes a heel spur to flare up? It’s commonly thought that plantar fasciitis is the real culprit. Plantar fasciitis, which is the medical name for inflammation of the plantar fasciia (the connective tissue going from the heel, along the bottom of the foot, to the base of the toes), has long been thought to be caused by weak or collapsed arches. The more flattened the arch gets, the more strain is placed on the plantar fascia, and therefore the more likely it is to become inflamed and cause pain at its main connection point, the base of the heel.

While the medical community’s understanding of plantar fasciitis is changing, there does still seem to be a connection between heel spurs and plantar fasciitis. Quite often the treatment for heel spur pain takes the same form as treatment for plantar fasciitis, too – stretches in the morning, arch supports, anti-inflammatory measures including medication and ice therapy, and sometimes cortisone shots or even botox injections (say what?!).

So! If you ever have that sharp pain along the bottom of your heel, don’t think heel spur. Think plantar fasciitis! And act accordingly. There’s plenty of information about self-treatments for plantar fasciitis, including a few posts I’ve written across the internet about plantar fasciitis stretches and other plantar fasciitis remedies.

Ashley Gainer is a freelance writer and editor living in Chapel Hill, NC. When she’s not busy chasing the toddler or accommodating the ornery papillon, she writes about health and wellness, both as a freelancer and for the family biz (selling plantar fasciitis insoles and splints, among other things).

xoxo, Preshii

Want to share this post? It's easy! Just use the buttons below!

Hi bombshell's and gents.
This is the 1st post in a series of guest posts I will be having in the month of March!
I have an awesome guest post for you this week. I'm really excited about this because as a runner, my feet takes a lot of hits - literally and I want to take care of them well. My feet is usually the most sore after a long run like my Princess Half Marathon a few days ago so I definitely will be following these great tips provided by Ashley! Please show her some love my dear readers and take notes!

A Mini-Guide to Post-Run Foot Care

With these tips you can keep your feet strong and looking nice :)!

One quirky thing about many runners is that they often place a huge emphasis on taking care of every part of their bodies except their feet. This habit of overlooking doesn’t make a ton of sense when you really think about it, because the feet are the star of the running show (and the frequent site of running injuries). It doesn’t require a lot of effort to learn how to keep your feet in great shape even after a long run or race, and the payoff is real. These are just a few easy ways you can begin to take care of those little appendages down there on the floor.

Ice. Application of ice packs shortly following your long run will reduce any inflammation that you’re getting, whether from blisters or more sub-skin issues like plantar fasciitis and inflammation of the muscles in the foot.

Foot massage. The benefits of a foot massage are two-fold: 1. the massage itself is beneficial, and 2. the lotion or oil used for the massage relieves dry or uncomfortable skin and may even provide some aromatherapy. There are two basic approaches to giving yourself a foot massage. One is to do the “tennis ball trick, “which involves placing a tennis ball on the floor and rolling it around under your foot. There are alternative methods of this – my personal favorite is to get two or three golf balls under there. There are also wooden foot rollers, which can be more convenient and less likely to be snatched up by a curious toddler or ball-obsessed dog. The other approach to foot massage is more of a traditional “massage” with an over-all rub and some special reflexology. A few of my favorite tricks are to sort of “pinch” or press together the top and bottom of the foot in between each toe joint, and to “inch worm” my thumb from the base of the heel along the bottom-center of the foot up to the base of the toes, and then inch back down.

Scrub down in the shower with a pumice stone or a rasp. Follow up with lotion or oils. This can be therapeutic in itself – the rubbing and repetitive pressure motion is nice. It’s also got the benefit of removing potentially bothersome issues like callouses and dry heels, which will make future runs more comfortable. It’s especially helpful to follow this up with a foot massage, as detailed earlier. Lotions, including specially designed

Foot soak (or full-body bath). I highly recommend soaking with Epsom salts. Epsom salts are good for relaxing, restoring magnesium depletion, and rejuvenating the muscles, as well as drying up blisters. Add a cup of Epsom salts to the bath and soak for at least 15 minutes in the warmest water you can tolerate. Special note on blisters: don’t pop any that haven’t popped on their own, unless they’re painfully swollen. If you can handle it, do a 30-minute Epsom salt soak daily and the blister will dry up on its own, resolving much more quickly than if you pop it.

Pedicure. Maybe you love them and have them regularly, or maybe you don’t. If you “don’t do” pedicures, try thinking them as therapy instead. They involve nearly all of the special treatments listed above, plus the benefit of groomed nails.

Insoles. The best way to relieve foot fatigue is to strengthen the foot, but sometimes it’s just too painful to do anything. When this happens, whether your feet feel especially fatigued, or sore, or just a little “weak,” one thing you can do is wear an arch support insole. Some insoles are built for support with a plush layer of cushioning, which can be great for easing the foot back into gear after a long run. Replacement insoles are also helpful for alleviating plantar fasciitis pain in many runners, which makes them an on-going part of foot care. The great thing about insoles is that they can make just about any pair of shoes into comfortable, well-fitting shoes (which is nice when you want to wear something other than your memory foam slippers).

All in all, it makes good sense to take care of your feet especially after they’ve put in many miles on your long run. Adding just one or two of the above to your post-run routines could mean the difference between hobbling for a week and returning to your normal self relatively quickly. All the best to you and your running!

Ashley Gainer is a freelance writer and editor living in Chapel Hill, North Carolina. When she’s not serving the Internet as a wellness blogger or being Mama to her favorite toddler, she works for www.insolesandbeyond.com, the family business. Insoles and Beyond is a small, family-owned health and wellness company committed to offering the best in premium arch support insoles for plantar fasciitis and inserts for running shoes, boots, and everyday wear.

xoxo, Preshii

Want to share this post? It's easy! Just use the buttons below!