Is your foot pain keeping you from getting around or doing your daily activities? If so, it is important to consider if treatment by your podiatrist is needed immediately. If not, there are some helpful tips and techniques that may be worth trying, including the following:
Treat with cold packs. If your feet are swollen and painful due to arthritis, then the use of a cold pack can be helpful in numbing the painful in the joints and reduce your swelling. Cold packs can also be helpful in reducing swelling and inflammation due to other joint injuries.
Treat with heat. If you are suffering from aching feet without acute inflammation, then heat may provide you with some relief. Heat can be especially effective in treating Raynaud’s phenomenon, in which keeping the feet warm is extremely helpful.
Wear the proper footwear. The use of improper foot wear can cause a variety of issues. Shoes that cramp the toes, like high heels, thrust the foot forward, which often leads to foot problems and foot pain. This is why selecting shoes with a wide toe box is important, which provides the toes with ample room, correct arch support, helping to ease pain.
Use custom orthotics. Orthotic devices are foot pads and heel inserts that are custom-designed by your podiatrist to provide you with the support your foot specifically needs. This can be extremely useful in eliminating unnecessary foot pain.
Orthotic devices are often used for a variety of foot problems, including:
- heel pain
- bunions
- hammer toe or claw toe
- Morton’s neuroma
- plantar fasciitis
Get a massage. Massage has long been an effective way to improve circulation, reduce tension and relieve pain. Even if you can’t get to a massage therapist, you can massage your own feet at home with the use of lotion or massage oil, kneading your feet with your knuckles and thumbs, or with rollers, massagers, or even a tennis ball, which can all be bought at the store.
If you have tried to the above methods to relieve your foot pain, and you are still suffering, then it is best to consult with your podiatrist right away. Contact the Foot and Ankle Specialists of Illinois today!
