Besides standing all day, if your dogs are barking, there are some common causes of foot pain that could be causing your discomfort. If your pain is persistent and doesn’t go away after rest, it might be a good idea to explore these causes, learn how to alleviate the pain, and learn the common causes so you can avoid them in the future.
Common Causes of Foot Pain:
Plantar Fasciitis and Foot Pain
Plantar Fasciitis is one of the most common foot ailments in America. It’s so common that many of us don’t even know that we have it. The plantar fascia is located along the bottom of the foot and is what gives and contracts as you walk to absorb impact and give you a little spring. When extra or sudden stress is placed on the plantar fascia it can stretch, tear, or become inflamed. This can cause burning pain or soreness in the heel or forefoot and arches.
Alleviate pain:
To alleviate the pain of plantar fasciitis, you want to avoid the activity that caused the pain and stay off your feet when possible. Avoid high impact activities and make sure to stretch your feet properly. Don’t forget that calf muscle! As you go about your activities or just your everyday, make sure you have proper support in your shoes. Adding an insole can always help avoid discomfort and protect your feet.
Flat Feet or Fallen Arches and Foot Pain
Flat feet, or fallen arches, occur when the arches of the feet collapse. This can occur over time or be present from birth. When you have flat feet, the tendons in the foot do not pull tightly enough to create that arch that many have in the middle of the foot. Without this arch, your foot doesn’t have any way to absorb the impact of the ground against our feet as we walk or run. While many don’t experience any discomfort, some may have soreness not only in the feet but in the hops, knees, and lower back.
Alleviate Pain:
Flat feet are not curable but you can help alleviate pain and discomfort by using supportive insoles to absorb shock for your feet, wear extra supportive shoes (avoid flip flops and heels) and try physical therapy.
Arthritis and Foot Pain
Arthritis is a joint disease, inflammation caused by a wearing down of the cartilage that cushions the joints. While it’s not quite as common, arthritis might cause pain in the wrists and around the feet since the cartilage protecting those joints is no longer doing its job.
Alleviate pain
To prevent pain from arthritis, make sure you’re wearing well-fitting and supportive shoes, maintaining a healthy weight to keep extra pressure off the joints, and replacing your shoes when they start to wear down. Wearing an insole can also correct any misalignment that may have occurred by favoring one side over the other.
Misalignment and Foot Pain
When our bodies are out of alignment, we will probably feel it from our necks down to our feet. The connection of our muscles and joints are like a chain and once a piece of that chain is out of place, the rest of the chain will be impacted. If your hips are out of alignment, you might lean to one side or the other, placing more impact and weight on one foot than the other. This could cause pain and discomfort not just in the foot but up through the leg and into the back.
Alleviate pain:
Proper stretching, yoga, and trips to the chiropractor can help get our bodies back in alignment. But once we’re in alignment, strength training might be needed to build up the muscles we were ignoring. Practicing proper walking and running form, wearing insoles to help us hit the ground evenly, and wearing the right shoes, can help maintain proper alignment in our bodies and prevent pain in the future.
