Merced Chiropractor

Avoiding foot pain in advance is the ideal way to prevent expensive surgeries later on. Though many people ignore foot pain for weeks, pretending that the pain doesn’t exist or hoping it would resolve itself are inadequate reactions to the foot pain situation. 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 treat foot problems such as Achilles heel tendonitis, and how minor changes, like using high heel insoles, can help.

Foot Mechanics: The Evils of High-Heeled Shoes and Metatarsalgia

High-heeled shoes can wreak havoc on feet when worn regularly. From the very narrow toe box (the part enclosing 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 happens in a high heeled shoe, the mid-foot and toe areas are forced into a tiny space where they cannot function properly. The ligaments, tendons and muscles are strained into a narrow space that doesn’t allow the foot to function properly. Over time, nerves become packed together, blood flow is decreased to areas of the foot (particularly in the toes) and foot conditions ensue.

Metatarsalgia and How to Treat It

An ideal way of relieving tired and achy feet is to massage them. The soft movement of the muscle fibers opens up the flow of blood to the region. Massage also delivers healing, oxygen-rich blood into the entire foot. Once muscles are relaxed, nerve endings can begin to stop firing so that pain can be relieved. If nerve endings and muscles are especially aggravated by a certain pair of shoes or an activity, swollen feet will occur. In that case, applying ice to the foot for 15 minutes on and 15 minutes off for several hours should help. Raising the feet above heart level during this time is also very useful in allowing the surplus fluids to be drained from the foot.

How Foot Stretching Can Help Achilles Heel Tendonitis

Achilles tendonitis can really put a damper on anyone’s day. The constricton of this vital tendon can cause extreme pain in the lower leg. It can also be a major contributor to shrinking enough to rip during activity such as running. The way to lessen the tendon’s tightening in order to lessen pain is to direct 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 the hamstring will begin to stretch out. Now that your leg muscles have increased blood flow, softly coax the feet towards the head to focus the stretch onto your Achilles tendon. Hold the stretch for about 30 seconds, rest for 60 seconds, and repeat 5 times.

Massage, Stretch and Insoles For High Heels Can Prevent Painful Foot Conditions

In today’s world where fashion rules, lack of willingness to get rid of the painful shoes is unfortunate. However, with the use of insoles for high heels, metatarsalgia can be significantly reduced or eliminated altogether. 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 metatarsalgia. If feet are sore at day’s end, consider switching to flat dress shoes for several days per week to allow the feet some rest from tight shoes which will help feet heal in between wearing higher heels. Be sure to elongate foot muscles with a stretch and have them massaged to encourage utmost blood flow to the feet.