Do you suffer from painful foot arch pain?
Our feet are figuratively the furthest things from our minds and we don't pay attention to them as much as we should be.
Unfortunately, studies show that 83% of adults suffer from chronic foot pain.
Here are our top 10 tips to improve your pain associated with your feet right now.
1. First, Identify Where The Foot Arch Pain Comes From
Having a low arch causes flat feet pain. One way to identify if you have a low arch is to complete a simple test.
Wet your feet and take an imprint on the sidewalk to identify where the pain affects your feet. A low arch will show your entire foot on the sidewalk.
Normal arch prints remove some of the print you make in the centre of the foot, as some arch takes place there.
High arches do not show up on the print you make because you will only see the toes and the heel portion of your feet. Arch pain can be felt if you have high arches as most of your weight falls to the front of your feet and on your heels.
2. Use Foot Inserts
Conquer your foot arch pain by purchasing inserts to place in your favourite pairs of shoes.
Since you walk around on your feet every single day, you should invest in a high-quality pair of foot inserts. The inserts are designed to stabilise your heels.
The posterior tibias tendon is important for supporting the arch of the foot. This tendon assists in stretching the plantar flexion. Wearing comfortable shoes with foot inserts can alieviate the pain associated with high arches.
You can find shoe inserts at your local drugstore, or customise your own pair to meet your needs. Orthotics will help realign your feet if you choose to create a custom pair with a podiatrist.
3. Stretch Your Feet
It's also a good idea to stretch out your foot muscles every night before bed. This habit can provide you with extra strength in your aching heels and toes to prepare you for a long day of walking ahead.
One technique to help increase blood flow down to your feet is to stretch out your toes, slowly pulling them toward your shin. This move will stretch out the arch of your foot if done correctly over a period of time.
Another move is to apply pressure to your entire foot while standing still. Press your toes into the floor and repeat this exercise up to three times per day.
Your Achilles tendon is also a crucial component of a healthy foot. Make sure to concentrate on stretch this part of your body as much as possible to alleviate your foot arch pain.
4. Help Plantar Fasciitis With Physical Therapy
Do you have significant pain in your heels?
This could be a sign of plantar fasciitis, a common health problem for people who have inflammation between the bones and tissue that connects the toes to the heel.
A visit to a licensed foot and ankle doctor will be beneficial to help reduce your pain level from waking up to sore feet each day.
The physical therapy techniques performed on your feet can send you home feeling a lot better in a matter of weeks.
A physical therapist will work on your feet to restore motion, improve flexibility and regain normal movement. Heal your feet by visiting a physical therapist as yet another method to fix your foot arch pain.
5. Soak Your Feet
Salt baths are great for reducing inflammation that comes from foot arch pain.
Take a large bowl and add in some Epsom salts to a few cups of warm water.
The salts will penetrate into your feet and soothe away any tension you are feeling.
6. Rest Your Feet
Take some ice and apply it to your foot arch pain at night for an easy solution to reduce your pain symptoms.
Even though you need to constantly use your feet during the day, take the time at night to focus on restoring your energy and resting your hardworking feet.
Curl up on the sofa and stay off your feet for as long as you can for optimal pain reduction. Just like with a cold, resting up does wonder for your tired feet. When lying on the couch, keep your feet elevated at an angle, too.
An angle will encourage blood flow down to the tips of your toes and get the circulation moving again.
Rest will not only allow your brain to feel calmer, but it will give your feet a chance to recover and reduce swelling.
7. Massage Your Feet With Baby Oil
A foot massage can also reduce foot arch pain.
Apply a few drops of baby oil into your hands and begin gently rubbing it into each foot.
Squeeze each part of your foot for a few seconds and rub your sore heels in a circular motion.
If you don't want to use baby oil to massage your feet, try rolling a tennis ball over them. This easy method is another tip for stretching out your feet.
8. Invest in High-Quality Shoes
This may not be surprising to hear, but investing in shoes that are manufactured with high-quality materials is another simple way to conquer foot arch pain.
By wearing the right kind of shoe, you can further aid in helping your feet feel back to normal.
The shoes you start to wear on a daily basis may initially be expensive. However, you will save yourself hundreds of dollars down the line if you never need to go through with foot surgery because you wore the best shoes on the market.
9. Wear Ankle Braces
Ankle braces are widely available to buy online. Most of them cost under $30.
These braces feature adjustable designs to fit any shoe you need to wear. The design will make sure that air and moisture will stay out of your way, too.
The compression portion of the brace stabilises your foot to feel less pain.
10. Take Over-the-Counter Medication
When things get bad, take some over-the-counter pain meds to instantly relieve your aches.
Ibuprofen or Acetaminophen are two options to choose from at the drugstore.
Pain meds are just a temporary fix, so be sure to take our advice and apply some other methods in addition to swallowing pills.
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