Natural Relief for Heel Pain.

A heel, as you probably know all too well, is someone who has betrayed you in dictionary terms, an "untrustworthy person."
When it comes to feet, a lot of heels are heels: You depend on them for constant support, and suddenly, they cause you pain.

How can you make a treacherous heel behave in a more trustworthy manner? In most cases, you'll need to seek medical help, but alternative foot specialists suggest a few home remedies to lessen the pain while your heel is healing or while you're waiting for your custom-made orthotic.

TURMERIC: For Herbal Relief
Turmeric can help relieve the stiffness and aching of heel pain, says Steven Subotnick, D.P.M., a podiatrist and naturopathic doctor in Berkeley and San Leandro, California. Take the capsules according to the dosage recommendations on the label, he says.

BOSWELLIA: An Ayurvedic Cure
This herb from Ayurveda, the ancient system of natural healing from India, can help relieve inflammation and pain, Dr. Subotnick says.
He recommends a product called Inflavonoid Intensive Care, manufactured by Metagenics, that contains boswellia, turmeric, and other anti-inflammatory nutrients and herbs. Or look for any other product that contains turmeric and boswellia and is meant to lessen pain in the joints, he says. Follow the directions on the label for the correct dosage.

HOMEOPATHY: Putting Your Best Foot Forward
Homeopathic remedies can provide pain relief and speed healing of plantar fasciitis, the most common cause of heel pain, says Dr. Subotnick. Here are his recommendations for choosing the best remedy for you.

• If the bottom of your foot is very stiff after rest in the morning, if it's better with continued movement and worse when you're sitting, and if you feel restless, try Rhus toxicodendron or Valerian
• If movement makes you tired and cranky, if you're depressed, and if the pain is worse when you take a step, try Rula graveolens.
• If you feel better sitting with your foot up and worse when your foot is hanging down, if the pain feels like an electric shock, and if it feels better when you're warm and resting and when you move, try Phytolacca decandra.
• If it's hard to tell whether your pain is better or worse when you move, if the pain is shooting and darling, and il your toot feels better when it's warm and worse when it's cold, try Stellaria media.
• If an approaching storm makes the pain worse, try Rhododendron chrysanthum.
• If the pain is worse during a storm, try Phosphorus.
• If the pain on the bottoms of your feet is pulsating, try Natrum carbonicum.
• If the pain is better on a rainy day, and you're "a rebellious type of person," try Causticum.
• For each of the remedies, take two tablets a day of the 6X or 12X potency, Dr. Subotnick suggests. Take only one homeopathic remedy at a time unless directed otherwise by your homeopath, and take it only for as long as you have the pain.

STRETCHING: To Prevent Pain
Tight calf muscles can be a hidden cause of heel pain. If the muscles can't absorb the constant pounding of running or other types of impact exercises, the shock goes to the heels.
Here's an easy exercise that can keep your calf muscles stretched and help prevent even cure heel pain, says Stephanie L. Tourles, a licensed esthetician, reflexologist, and herbalist in West Hyannisport, Massachusetts. It's best to do this exercise after taking a short walk or a warm bath or after doing a bit of gardening. The calf muscles need to be warmed up before stretching to prevent injury.

Stand on a bottom stair step or an exercise bench step and hold on to the railing or another stationary object for support. Step back and lower your heels over the edge of the step as far as you comfortably can to give your calves (and heels) a good stretch (a). Next, rise up onto your toes (b), then lower your heels again; repeat 20 or 30 times.
Do this exercise once a day. If you have weak calf muscles, start with 5 repetitions and gradually build up to 10,20, and 30

.