Stopping foot pain before it begins is the ideal way to avoid costly and painful surgical procedures down the road. Though many people ignore foot pain for weeks, pretending that the pain isn’t serious or hoping it would just disappear are inappropriate solutions to the foot pain dilemma. There are plenty of ways to help your feet stay strong, healthy, and pain-free with only a few changes to your daily routine. Here are a few reasons why metatarsalgia occurs, how to cure foot conditions such as Achilles tendonitis, and how minor changes, like using high heel insoles, can help.
High Heels Can Spell Trouble for Feet
Shoes with high heels can create much trouble for your feet. From the tight toe box (the region around the front of the foot) to the angle of incline, this type of footwear can do quite a bit of internal damage to feet. First, when feet are squeezed into tight shoes, as occurs in a high heeled shoe, the mid-foot and toe portions of the foot are forced into an extremely narrow space. The tendons, muscles, and ligaments are strained into a much smaller space than what the foot requires. Over time, nerves become squashed, blood flow is lessened to areas of the foot (particularly in the toes) and foot conditions ensue.
Massage Can Aid Feet in More Than One Way
Foot pain and soreness can be rubbed away with a gentle massage. The soothing movement of the muscle fibers opens up the flow of blood to the region. Massage also carries healing, oxygen-rich blood into the entire foot. Once muscles are relaxed, irritated nervous tissue can begin to stop firing so that pain can be relieved. If nerve endings and muscles are particularly irritated by a certain pair of shoes or an activity, inflammation will occur. In that case, it is advised to use ice packs or frozen vegetables to decrease inflammation. Elevation of the feet above the heart during this time is also very useful in allowing the extra fluids to be taken away by the lymph system from the foot.
Achilles Heel Pain Can Be Eased with This Stretch
Achilles tendinitis can really put a damper on anyone’s day. The tightening of this vital tendon can cause contracting in the lower leg. It can also be a major contributor to a tear or rip during activity. The way to help the tendon relax and elongate in order to lessen pain is to administer gentle stretching to the area. In a seated position on the floor, extend both legs in front. Then, slowly lean the upper body forward and your hamstring will be engaged in a stretch. Now that the muscles in your legs have sufficiently been warmed up, softly coax the feet towards the head to target the Achilles tendon. Hold the stretch for about half a minute, rest for 60 seconds, and repeat 5 times.
How Massage, Stretching and Insoles For High Heels Work Together
In today’s world where fashion rules, lack of willingness to give up these types of shoes is regrettable. However, with the use of insoles for high heel shoes, metatarsalgia can be relieved with consistent wear. It is advisable to choose shoes that have a heel with a less than 2″ heel and with a wider-profile heel such as a wedge to avoid future ball of foot pain. If feet are sore at day’s end, consider changing to flat dress shoes for 3 days out of the week to allow the feet to receive maximum blood flow which will help feet heal in between wearing higher heels. Be sure to massage and stretch to encourage utmost blood flow to the feet.