Don’t Wait Another Day to Get Relief for Your Ball Of Foot Pain

Posted by admin

November 29, 2009

Avoiding foot pain before it begins is the best way to not have painful foot surgeries later. Even though many people ignore foot pain for long periods, pretending that the pain isn’t there or hoping it would just disappear are inadequate reactions to the foot pain situation. Painful feet can be a thing of the past and strong, healthy feet can take their place with only a few minor lifestyle changes. Here are a few reasons why metatarsalgia occurs, how to cure foot conditions such as Achilles tendonitis, and how minor changes, for instance using high heel insoles, can help.

How Foot Stretching Can Help Achilles Tendonitis

Achilles heel tendonitis can really put a damper on anyone’s day. The constricton of this vital tendon can cause cramping 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 affected part. Sit on the floor with both legs extended in a seated position. Then, gently lean the upper body forward and feel the stretch on the hamstring. Now that the legs are warmed up, softly coax the feet towards the head to focus on the Achilles tendon. Hold the stretch for about 30 seconds, rest for about 60-90 seconds, and repeat 5 times.

How Massage, Stretching and High Heel Insoles Work Together

In today’s world where shoes must look good (not feel good), lack of willingness to get rid of the painful shoes is unfortunate. However, with the use of high heel insoles, 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 ball-of-foot pain. If the end of the day brings foot discomfort, consider changing to flat dress shoes for a few days per week to allow the feet to receive maximum blood flow which will help feet heal in between wearing higher heels. Be sure to rub feet and stretch them to encourage utmost blood flow to the feet.

High Heels Can Spell Trouble for Feet

Shoes with high heels can create much trouble for your feet. From the very narrow toe box (the area surrounding 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 it does in a high heeled shoe, the mid-foot and toe portions of the foot are forced into an unnatural position. The muscles, tendons, and ligaments are strained into a narrow space that doesn’t allow the foot to function properly. Over time, nerves become compressed, blood flow is decreased to areas of the foot (particularly in the toes) and painful foot issues develop.

Ball Of Foot Pain and How to Treat It

Foot pain and soreness can be rubbed away with a gentle massage. The gentle movement of the muscle fibers increases blood flow to the area. Massage also carries healing, oxygen-rich blood into the entire foot. Once muscles are relaxed, nerve endings can begin to decrease how often they are firing and pain relief results. If nerve endings and muscles are especially aggravated by a certain pair of shoes or an activity, swelling will be present. In that case, applying ice to the foot for 15 minutes on and 15 minutes off for several hours should help. Elevation of the feet above the heart during this time is also very useful in allowing the excess fluids to be taken away by the lymph system from the foot.

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