I started suffering from heel pain around the last trimester of my pregnancy. It was also then that crack lines started to show around my heels. Little did I expect that the pain would only get worse after giving birth. Somehow, even after losing all the weight I gained during pregnancy, the pain persisted. It is usually worst in the morning when I get off bed. As I start walking, the pain subsides for a while but returns if I continue to be on my feet.
I finally decided to seek help when a friend recommended her TCM practitioner. The doctor immediately diagnosed it as a heel spur (although only an x-ray can prove it), and used an infrared lamp on my heels for around 10 minutes. I felt excruciating pain during that 10 minutes. It felt like my heels were on fire!
The doctor then explained that heel spurs are caused by a high level of ‘acidity’ in the body and said I should avoid cold, sweet food. I did not really understand the relation but I know I will have great difficulty adhering to it because I love cold and sweet stuff! Besides this, he recommended that I wear bedroom slippers at home and high-heel shoes when I’m out. The bedroom slippers was supposed to keep the heels soft and warm because cold hard floor will only make the pain worse. But I was really surprised about the high heels – something I’ve avoided since I was pregnant. Anyway, it is supposed to bring forward my centre of gravity and relive pressure on the heels. Finally, he said a daily foot bath will improve blood circulation around the heel area which will help ease the pain.
The bedroom slippers was the easiest and most effective thing I did. Wearing high-heels when I’m out is a big challenge as I’m usually with M and I still need to carry her a fair bit so I do not want to risk losing my balance. The foot bath was nice and relieves pain but I found it quite a hassle.
So I was really excited when I came across the Philips Infrared Lamp ($50+) when we were shopping at Best Denki some time back. It worked just like the lamp at the doctor’s and sure saved me a lot of trouble and money (around $30 per consultation). And the best part is I can use it for relieving my back ache too!
Definitely a good buy
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