Foot and Heel Pain

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Foot and Heel Pain

Feel-Good Strategies for Aching Feet

With every step that she takes, the average woman, going about her daily business, puts 500 pounds of pressure on her feet. Multiply that times 10,000 steps a day--more or less--and it's no wonder that feet hurt sometimes. As a matter of fact, it's a wonder that your feet don't hurt all the time.

What Women Doctors Do Running Shoes Save Her Feet Kathleen Stone, D.P.M. Hairdressers, waitresses, nurses and yes, even women podiatrists have benefited from relaxed dress codes that make cushy running shoes acceptable attire in many workplaces, says Kathleen Stone, D.P.M., a podiatrist in private practice in Glendale, Arizona. "I always wear running shoes, not dress shoes, on days when I am going to be on my feet a lot," she says. The doctors's take-home lesson: Think comfort and save the pumps for all-day sit-down meetings. When shopping for running shoes, your best bet is an athletic shoe store. A skilled salesperson can size up your feet and help you select the right shoe. Look for a fixed heel counter at the back of the shoe and flexibility at the ball of the foot.

Women podiatrists report that women tend to have more foot pain than men, or at least they tend to consult doctors for the problem more than men do, says Kathleen Stone, D.P.M., a podiatrist in private practice in Glendale, Arizona. "That's because traditionally, women's shoes have been designed for fashion, not comfort," she says. "Once women switch to better-designed footwear--which many have done--they have fewer foot problems."

AT-HOME FOOT THERAPY

Here's what women podiatrists and other "foot therapists" tell women bothered by sore heels, aching arches, cramped toes and other everyday foot and heel complaints.

By performing these simple exercise, you may minimize or prevent continued progression of stiffness, says Phyllis Ragley, D.P.M., vice president of the American Academy of Podiatric Sports Medicine who practices in Lawrence, Kansas.

Play footsie with an orange juice can. If the arch of your foot hurts, you may have a touch of plantar fasciitis, or inflammation in the plantar fascia--the tough, gristly sheet of connective tissue that stretches from your heel to your toes. To soothe it, take a seat and--barefooted--roll your arch over a can of frozen juice concentrate for five to ten minutes, suggests Marika Molnar, P.T., director of West Side Dance Physical Therapy in New York City. "The cold helps reduce inflammation, while the massage helps loosen the tense tissues." Mark the juice can, keep it separate from juice that you plan to drink and reuse it as needed.

Stretch like a dancer. For a super-duper stretch, give this dancer's technique a try, suggests Helen Drusine, a massage therapist who works with professional ballet and Broadway dancers in New York City. Kneel on the floor or on a rug, with the balls of your feet on the floor, tucking your spread-out toes under to stretch the arches of your feet. Sit back on your heels so that most of your body weight presses your toes against the floor. Do this for a few seconds, slowly increasing your time as it becomes more comfortable.

"Tucking the toes this way helps people who use their feet a lot, because it keeps the plantar fascia and the tendons stretched," says Drusine.

Do not do this stretch, however, if you have sore tendons, says Dr. Ragley. Try a light massage of your feet and toes instead.

Do the follow-up stretch. Next, says Drusine, perform the same exercise with the tops of your feet flat on the floor. Again, do not do this exercise if you have sore tendons.

Loosen up your calf muscles. Tight calf muscles can hobble your feet, interfering with their ability to properly strike the ground and roll forward, says Dr. Ragley. That, in turn, can cause heel or arch pain as tissues in your feet are unduly stretched to make up for tight calves.

To stretch your calf muscles, stand barefoot facing a wall, with your arms straight out in front of you and your palms flat against the wall. (Hint: To maximize the stretch, says Dr. Ragley, point your feet inward slightly.) Keep your heels on the ground, tuck your buttocks so that your body remains straight (do not bend forward at your waist), bend your elbows and lean into the wall until your cheek touches the wall.

"You should feel the stretch in your calves," she says. "If you don't, you are either standing too far from the wall and bending at the waist to lean into it, or too close." How far you need to be from the wall depends on your height and how flexible your calf muscles already are. "I'm about five feet six inches. For a good stretch, I stand about 1½ feet from the wall when I do this."

Hold the stretch for as long as you feel comfortable. Then repeat (five times to start), this time with your knees slightly bent. "This helps stretch the soleus--the small muscle that leads directly into the Achilles tendon," Dr. Ragley explains.

When To See A Doctor If you change footwear and try home remedies for a week or two and your feet still hurt, see a podiatrist for diagnosis. If there is some swelling, drainage, discoloration or history of injury, you should go sooner. Certain problems, such as broken bones, inflamed tendons, pinched nerves or gait problems, can only be corrected with medical attention. Tip: Take broken-in shoes with you when you go the podiatrist, says Phyllis Ragley, D.P.M., vice-president of the American Acadamy of Podiatric Sports Medicine who practices in Lawrence, Kansas. She may be able to determine what's causing your foot or heel pain by looking at wear patterns on your shoes.

It's best to stretch after you've warmed up a bit from easy walking or after a warm shower or bath.

EXERCISE YOUR "FOOT FINGERS"

"Normal walking does not do much to strengthen or stretch the small muscles in the feet," says Carol Frey, M.D., of the Orthopedic Hospital in Los Angeles.

To keep your toes loose and flexible and to isolate and strengthen the small muscles in your feet, Dr. Frey suggests the following exercises.

Play pickup. Use your toes to pick up marbles from the floor and drop them into a bowl. Or place small corks or pencils between your toes and squeeze them for five seconds.

Stretch and release. Wrap a thick, taut rubber band around all the toes on one foot, then spread your toes and hold the stretch for five seconds. Repeat ten times.

Try a golf-ball massage. Roll a golf ball under the ball and arch of your foot for two minutes.

MORE HELP FOR THE HURTING

It should be no big surprise that changing the kind of shoes you wear--or how you wear them--is a big part of foot comfort. Here's some additional advice from experts who counsel women with foot pain.

Buy running shoes, even if you don't run. If your feet hurt, they need all the support they can get, says Dr. Ragley. So forget flimsy canvas shoes, flip-flops, moccasins and slippers. Instead, wear running shoes whenever you can, everywhere but in the bed and bath. "These provide the cushioning, arch support and proper heel that reduce stretch on the plantar fascia."

Cup your heel. If your plantar fascia is tight, you can develop heel spurs--bony deposits where the tissue connects to the heel bones. "That area can become inflamed, causing acute pain in the middle and inside rear of the heel first thing in the morning and after prolonged sitting," says Pamela Colman, D.P.M., a podiatrist in private practice in Bethesda, Maryland.

A heel cup, available at most drugstores, will stabilize your heel and slightly control the rolling-in of the foot (pronation) that can contribute to the pain.