Do you wear high heels? Even just the low 2″ heels? Lifting your heel up off the floor and staying there for hours at a time causes your calf muscles to shorten. You don’t feel it in your calf, but when you take off your shoes and walk barefoot you may definitely feel it in your heel, your arch, and even the back of your knee.
Some people think they have Achilles tendonitis, other people think they have plantar fasciitis, and yet others just find that their calf muscle feels tight, and in fact, it is. Plus the tight calf muscles are pulling your heel bone backward and up so you may feel pain or discomfort in your heel when you are walking. When your calf muscles are tight you may limp around for a few minutes when you first get out of bed. Fortunately it’s really easy to eliminate this situation and keep it from returning.
All you need to do is apply direct pressure into the belly of your calf, pressing directly onto your gastrocnemius and soleus muscles. If you move further down your posterior leg, going to your Achilles tendon, you’ll be pressing into two muscles that curl your toes under — a big problem especially for people who run.
There are so many techniques for treating these muscles. I’ve put pictures of them into my book, Treat Yourself to Pain-Free Living to make it easier for you to find the one(s) that you like the best.
Have a great day,
Julie