Many martial artists have heel pain at some point, but with a little training, you can minimize injuries. If you have heel soreness, you may be losing your center of balance during transitions between stances or when performing kicks. Heel pain has many causes, but most can be corrected with proper balance and technique. Keep these issues in mind and you can continue to practice martial arts well into your golden years.
Are You Stretching Enough?
Stretching before class and after your warm-up can help minimize heel pain. You are more prone to injuries when exercising with cold muscles than you are with loose, hot muscles. Stretching your legs and feet can help prevent soft-tissue problems like strains, sprains and tendon injuries. While most sports rely primarily on large muscle groups for speed and power, martial artists use all their body's muscles as part of the kinetic chain to channel power.
Check Your Stance
Some martial arts instructors spend years training students how to transition gracefully from one stance to another; however, they often want to see you "pop" the stance into place at the last second. If you're placing a lot of your weight on your heel and dropping it forcefully onto the floor, you can injure soft tissues that help cushion your heel bone. Note whether you're landing with a large percentage of your body weight on your heel. A rule of thumb is you should have a minimum of 70 percent of your weight on the ball of your foot and only 30 percent on your heel.
Kicking Technique
For performing kicks, many martial arts schools want you to pivot your supporting foot so that the heel of your supporting foot points at your target. Failing to pivot properly can cause repetitive-strain injuries to your heel including sprains and strains. Check to see where your heel points the next time you throw a kick. If it's not pointing at your target, ask your instructor whether your technique needs to be tweaked. Be aware of how hard you kick and focus on using proper control.
Jumping
Many martial arts include jumping and throwing techniques in their arsenals. Learn to land properly when performing jumping kicks and falls -- especially if you're the person doing the falling. As with stances, never land flat-footed. Always land on the balls of your feet to help prevent bruising and other heel injuries.
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