After a long day of standing, all you want to do is get off your feet and get some relief. Standing can be an excellent alternative to sitting all day, but it doesn’t come without consequences. To reduce foot pain, we must first identify the pain’s cause and location to determine the proper treatment.
If we find ourselves standing all day, this can be the cause of that uncomfortable foot pain. What effects can it have on our foot health?
Common Consequences of Standing All Day
- Plantar Fasciitis: The plantar fascia becomes inflamed or shortened and causes pain on the foot’s bottom and heel when walking or standing on your feet.
- Bunions: Hard bumps form on the inside base of the big toe, causing pain and gait deviations that could lead to other pains in the legs and back.
- Capsulitis of the second toe: The second toe is connected to the MTP joint that, with continuous pressure, can cause tension, inflammation, and pinpoint pain like a rock in your shoe.
- Flat feet: Some people are born with flat feet others develop flat feet as time goes on when the posterior tibial tendon has acute or chronic trauma. Flat feet can be the cause of plantar fasciitis and bunions.
- Hallux limitus: Big toe joint becomes stiff from having a limited range of motion when in a shoe that puts extra pressure on the big toe.
- Morton’s neuroma: Prevention explains that when the nerve between the third and fourth toe is compressed from bones after long-standing in narrow shoes, Morton’s neuroma will occur. Morton’s neuroma feels like a sharp pebble in your shoe. It’s common among people with hammertoes, high arches, and flat feet.
- Nerve pain: Occurs often after standing for hours at a time. Nerve pain involves a swollen portion of the nerve causing:
- Tingling
- Numbness
- Burning sensations that radiate throughout the foot
The culprit could come from some abnormalities, as discussed above, or other conditions.
How to Achieve Foot Relief
The first thing many want to do is get off their feet to relieve pain. Resting your feet can be a temporary solution, but if pain persists, other treatments that can help are:
- Stretches: Stretching the calf and hips is a great way to improve the weight distribution in your feet, improving conditions such as plantar fasciitis, bunions, and capsulitis of the second toe.
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- Calf stretches: Against the wall or from the stair step.
- Piriformis stretch: Reduces outward rotation of the flatfoot and bunions.
- Exercises: Increasing core and hip strength will improve the weight distribution down into your feet. Ankle stability is a great way to decrease foot pain through exercises.
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- Bridges and clams: Increase glute strength in standing and walking.
- Toe and heel raise: Increase ankle stability and reduce foot drop of toe walkers.
- Toe Curls: Grabbing a towel with your toes will increase the strength in the bottom of your foot, improving your arch support.
- Proper Footwear and Orthotics: Shoes can be the foundation for our feet. The proper foundation will support your feet and body when a poor foundation will only cause further damage.
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- Arch supports: This will improve weight distribution and reduce flat foot.
- Costume footwear: Custom shoes and insoles provide support to areas that your everyday footwear can’t.
Consult
If you think you have one or more of these conditions, you can contact a Fresno Podiatrist. At Canyon Oaks Foot and Ankle, we look at the pain and determine what is causing the pain to customize treatment to your specific needs. Schedule an appointment today!
