OMG--so painful. Any remedies I can try at home? Plan on go to doctor. How long did it take for the heel to heal? Any help will be greatly appreciated. Thank you.
Runner here.....had this happen to me before. Stretching helps; rolling a tennis ball on the bottom of the foot helps; rolling the foot on a frozen water bottle helps; wearing shoes with good supports (or inserts) helps. Try them all because not one thing works for everyone and you may need a combination of the two.
What worked for me was long, static stretches of the foot using a stair. I do these every day and especially before I go for a walk/run (using the curb). Stand on a stair with both feet. Take the toes of ONE foot to the edge of the stair and lower your heel to about a 45 degree angle....hold for 30 seconds. Repeat with other foot. Do this many times a day. It will hurt like the dickens but tendons need long holds to release the tension. If possible, build up to hold for a minute for each foot.
Alternatively, you can sit on the floor and stretch both feet using a towel. This is not as effective as your body weight provides more resistance than using your arms but it is a decent alternative.
dees_1