Painful Working Feet
Whether you are a hair dresser, teacher, carpenter, mechanic or nurse, you all have one thing in common. Painful feet. In fact, anyone who stands a good portion of the day is more prone to foot problems and pain. The feet take more pressure from your body than any other joints in your body.
Overuse syndrome is typically the culprit of painful feet after being on them for hours at a time. It is a generalized term describing achiness of the feet. Sometimes, however, overuse syndrome can develop into a bigger problem such as plantar fasciitis or injuries due to compensating for tired, painful feet. A few pre-cautionary measures can be taken to avoid and or help soothe achy feet.
1. Compression stockings. Compression stockings are not just for expecting moms or people with varicose veins. Compression stockings help improve circulation of the legs and driving fluid back to the heart. Your legs and feet do not feel as tired at the end of the day as a result of wearing stockings.
2. Padded mats. Anti-fatigue mats can be beneficial if you stand in one place all day. These mats help encourage redistribution of pressure causing contraction and relaxation of muscles.
3. Comfortable shoes. Business women often wear heels to work. A heel of 2 ½ inches can increase the weight on the front of the foot by 75%. Regardless of career, shoes should have good arch support. If the shoe isn’t comfortable in the store, it will not be comfortable at work.
4. Stretch. Stretching helps re-distribute blood flow to muscles and can help take away the tension and achiness.
5. Inserts. Adding an insert in your shoe for added padding, shock absorption & arch support may be beneficial and help with fatigue of the feet.
They often say that you should love what you do when it comes to your job, but that can be hard when at the end of the day you can no longer tolerate being on your feet. Take these few preventative measures and stay one step ahead of pain, fatigue and injury!
If you are still having pain Contact Us at Our Bismarck Office to schedule an appointment with Dr. Kayla Emter, DPM or Dr. Brian Gale, DPM, FACFAS.