How to Avoid Achilles Tendonitis with Proper Foot Care
Thursday, September 24th, 2009 Subscribe To Our Feed
Avoiding foot pain as soon as it begins is the most effective way to avoid costly and painful surgical procedures down the road. Though many people pay no attention to foot pain for months, pretending that the pain isn’t serious or wishing it would resolve itself are inadequate responses to the foot pain conundrum. 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 ball of foot pain occurs, how to resolve issues with feet such as Achilles tendonitis, and how minor changes, for instance using high heel insoles, can help.
Why Some Shoes Can Be the Source of Ball Of Foot Pain
High heels can cause an array of problems for feet. From the tight toe box (the part enclosing the front of the foot) to the angle of incline, these shoes can cause permanent damage to feet. First, when narrowing of the feet is forced, as occurs in a high heeled shoe, the mid-foot and toe regions are forced into an unnatural position. The muscles, tendons, and ligaments are strained into a tight area for what the foot needs. Over time, nerves become packed together, blood flow is restricted to areas of the foot (particularly in the toes) and problems with the feet occur.
How a Foot Massage Can Ease Chronic Achilles Tendonitis
Foot pain and soreness can be rubbed away with a gentle massage. The mild movement of the muscle fibers brings vital blood to the affected areas. Massage also brings healing, oxygen-rich blood into the affected foot. Once muscles are relaxed, irritated nervous tissue can begin to stop firing so that pain can be relieved. If muscles and nerve endings are particularly irritated by a certain pair of shoes or an activity, swelling will be present. In that case, it is advised to use ice packs or frozen vegetables to decrease inflammation. Elevating the feet higher than the heart during this time is also very effective in allowing the extra fluids to be carried away from the foot.
How Foot Stretching Can Help Chronic Achilles Tendonitis
Achilles tendonitis 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 becoming so short that it eventually tears. The way to elongate the tendon’s structure in order to lessen pain is to direct gentle stretching to the area. Sit on the floor with both legs extended in a seated position. Then, slowly lean the upper body forward and the hamstring will begin to stretch out. Now that the muscles in your legs have sufficiently been warmed up, gently coax the feet towards the head to focus the stretch onto your Achilles tendon. Hold the stretch for about half a minute, rest for one minute, and repeat 5 times.
How Massage, Stretching and High Heel Insoles Work Together
In today’s high-fashion world, lack of willingness to get rid of the painful shoes is unfortunate. However, with the use of high heel insoles, ball of foot pain can be significantly reduced or eliminated altogether. It is advisable to wear shoes with heels no higher than 2″ and with a wider-profile heel such as a wedge to avoid future metatarsalgia. If the end of the day brings foot discomfort, consider adjusting to flat dress shoes for 3 days out of the week to allow the feet some time for increased blood flow which will help feet heal in between wearing higher heels. Be sure to rub feet and stretch them to encourage maximum blood flow to the feet.
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