1. Give Your Heel an Ice Massage
Ice massages several times a day numb the nerve endings and constrict the blood vessels to reduce pain in your heel. The cold from the ice will also reduce inflammation and swelling. Fill up a soda bottle, either glass or plastic, with water and freeze it with the cap off. (Put the cap back on once the water in the bottle is frozen.) Two to three times a day, put the bottle on the floor and roll your heel back and forth across it for 10 to 15 minutes. When you're done, put the bottle back in the freezer so the water stays frozen for the next use.
2. Wear Low Heels
If you always wear flats, wearing shoes with low heels will relax your heel ligaments, which can reduce heel pain. Start out with a 1/2-inch heel, then gradually increase to 1 to 2 inches, whichever is more comfortable for you. Don't wear heels more than 2 inches high, as these can lead to other foot problems. Men can wear heeled boots to get the same pain-relieving benefits.
3. Stretch, Stretch and Stretch Again
Place a book on the floor, making sure it's no more than 6 inches thick. Put the ball of your foot on top of the book, then gently lower your heel to the floor. Hold this position for 30 seconds, then repeat the stretch two more times. Repeat with the other foot. Next, do three more repetitions, this time with your knee slightly bent. These stretches will help tone and relax the muscles and tendons around your heel, gradually relieving pain over time. Do these repetitions once a day, every day, until you feel a reduction in pain.
4. Put Heel Cups in Your Shoes
Some heel pain results from the loss of padding in the heel with age. To soothe this kind of pain, buy a pair of heel cups and put them inside your shoes. The heel cups will cushion your heels and provide shock absorption that will help them to heal and reduce pain over time. Wear your heel cups every day. Once the pain is gone, continue to wear them as a preventive measure to keep it from coming back.
