Foot Pain Facts and Tips

Author: Back Rx

Feet in the human beings are subject to physical stress and pressure, be it walking on bad roads, climbing steps, standing in Ques, running, exercising or playing sports. This can render the tendons and muscles in the foot vulnerable to injuries. If you only deal with the signs and symptoms but not the underlying problems, your feet will eventually keep getting worse. The pain caused by foot injuries is often recurrent if not treated properly.

Usually, the problem in question is that your shoes don't fit right or that you were born with certain foot problems. Other factors have also come into play, for instance putting on extra weight as you age can add a tremendous amount of pressure to your feet. Regardless of why your feet are hurt, here are some ways that you can adopt to prevent foot pain.

1. Measure Your Feet

Shoes that are too tight can make your feet hurt even more. Measure your feet for you when you are standing. It would be great if you do this every time you want to buy a new pair of shoes. Some other ways that you get the right fit are for instance, try on the shoes when your feet are at their largest - swelling, fit shoes to your largest foot if you have one foot bigger than the other, and make sure that there is at least a half-inch between your longest toe and the end of the shoe.

2. Make Your Exercise Interesting

If your feet hurts because you give them a regular pounding every time you take a brisk walk, change your routine. For instance, alternate between weight-bearing activities such as running and non-weight-bearing activities such as cycling.

3. Modify Your Stretch Times

The Achilles tendon stretches can help alleviate heel pain when it strikes, but you should also do them routinely. Be sure to stretch before and after exercising. Also, stretch before going to sleep and before getting out of bed in the morning. Though you might think your legs and feet are relaxed at night, most people sleep with their feet pointed keeping the Achilles tight all night long. Therefore, just by stretching before you rise, you can get your feet off to a good start.

4. Switch To Running Or Walking Shoes

If your foot's natural padding has eroded over time, wear sneakers. They have extra cushioning in the heel, which will make up for your reduced, natural fat pads.

5.If you find your joints are stiff or inflamed, then be sure to take necessary rest and stay off your feet until they feel better.

Periods of regular rest are essential to your feet's well being.

6. Lose some weight if you are carrying extra poundage.

Any extra weight adds both stress to weight-bearing joints and can also initiate the development of future foot problems. Think of this as being a longer term project i.e. that you don`t have to lose all the weight at once. Any excess weight you can lose will have a corresponding benefit for your long suffering feet!

7. Remember to exercise on a regular basis.

Aim to stay active and flexible. Walking, swimming and yoga are excellent activities and will assist in promoting superb foot health.

8. Concentrate on developing and maintaining a good posture.

This will keep your body weight even distributed over each foot.

  1. Maintain a healthy diet - this will assist enormously in promoting long term foot health and a sense of general well being
  2. Avoid a stressful lifestyle - stress can sometimes exacerbate an existing arthritic condition.
  3. Avoid smoking, and excesses of caffeine and alcohol, protein and fat.
  4. Above all, maintain regular communication with your doctor and notify of any changes in the condition of your feet.

Tips to Protect Your Feet When Wearing High Heels

It's ok to wear high heels. In fact, shoes with at least an inch heel are recommended for individuals with flatfeet, tight calves and arch pain. But, once the height of the heel exceeds 1.5", the amount of force transferred to the ball of the foot increases substantially.

  1. For everyday wear, wear 1- 1.5 inch heels. Higher heels can be worn occasionally for events.
  2. Wear different heel heights each day. Alternating heel heights helps reduce problems with the Achilles tendon.
  3. Choose wider heels. A wider heel distributes the weight on your foot more evenly, thus will give you better balance and helps relieve some pressure.
  4. High heeled sandals with back straps, preferably thicker ones. The more support you have, the better the balance.
  5. Make sure the shoe fits well.If you have to over-tighten a strap because your foot is sliding out of the shoe, then the shoes are too big. If your toes are cramped in the shoe before standing and walking, the shoes are too small.
  6. Make sure the foot fits well in the heel area. In high heels, the foot will slide forward. The greater the heel height, the greater chance for the foot to slide forward. A shoe with a more narrow heel will offer a better fit at the heel. This adds stability and helps to prevent the foot from sliding forward.
  7. Avoid high heeled shoes with a steep slope. Some high heels have a sharp drop from the heel to the toe area. The steeper this slope, the less contact with the arch and the less stability and support. The more gradual the slope, the better the fit.
  8. Massage your foot after a day or evening in high heels. For arch pain, roll your foot over a frozen sports water bottle.
  9. Stretch both your foot and your calf after wearing high heels. To stretch the arch, rest your foot on the opposite knee and pull the toes back.
  10. Wear low heeled shoes around the house. Change shoes when you arrive home and spend the evening without heels on. This will allow your foot to adapt to the flat surface and help keep your calf stretched out.
  11. Try insoles in your high heels. Research has shown that shoe inserts designed for high heeled shoes improve comfort and decrease force and pressure on the ball of the foot. While a full-shoe insert can help, if you have pain in the ball of the foot -- or you'll be standing in your heels a long time -- invest in silicone metatarsal pads. They do a super job of shock absorption

12. Footrest is designed to keep your feet supported and comfortable. Footrests acts as a gentle reminder to sit all the way back in your chair.

  1. Use metatarsal pads under the ball of the foot. Place a thin pad in the shoe, at the area under the ball of the foot to add cushion and shock absorption.
  2. Don't ignore foot problems. If foot pain starts to develop, seek medical attention immediately.
  3. Don't ignore pain. Painful feet are not normal. Many foot conditions can be cured if you visit a Physiotherapist as early as possible.

Common Foot Injuries: Let us look at some of the most common foot injuries a foot develops that leads to pain.

  • Plantar Fasciitis
  • Heel Spurs
  • Metatarsalgia
  • Achilles Tendinitis

The aching pain caused in the foot due to the above disorders can be intolerable and can affect your routines pretty severely. First and foremost, see your physiotherapist and explain your case to him. A physiotherapist would help in diagnosing the pain’s cause and suggest the apt treatment and rehabilitation procedure.