Bad Habits That Make Your Foot Pain Worse

When you're on your feet every day, foot pain is bound to occur. Did you know, though, that certain bad habits can make your pain even worse? Although it won't cut your pain out completely, breaking some of these habits may significantly reduce your discomfort.

At Peninsula Orthopedic Associates in Daly City and Atherton, California, our team is ready to help you kick your foot pain to the curb for good. Our team consists of a group of skilled orthopedic surgeons who not only offer treatment options for your feet, but also lifestyle changes to decrease your daily discomfort.

Common causes of foot pain

Pain in your feet isn’t always due to injury or illness — sometimes it’s just from overuse or standing for too long. However, in some cases, your discomfort is caused by one of several conditions that affects your feet. 

Either way, because you rely so heavily on your feet, figuring out the root of the problem is key to long-term relief.

Your foot is made up of bones, ligaments, and tendons — much like every other area in your body. However, your feet have to carry just about all of your body’s weight all day every day, which is a job all in itself. This makes them more prone to painful conditions, which include:

• Bone spurs
• Bunions
• Fractures
• Plantar fasciitis
• Hammertoe
• Bursitis
• Tendinitis

Osteoarthritis is another common condition that may affect the joints in your foot, due to wear and tear. No matter the reason for your discomfort, understanding what’s making your pain worse is the first step to successful treatment and less pain.

Lifestyle habits that make pain worse

Although painful feet may be inevitable, certain lifestyle choices certainly make your feet even more painful. One of the most common reasons for increased foot pain is shoes that don’t fit you properly. This puts pressure on certain areas of your foot, leading to deformities and discomfort. 

This is especially for women who wear high heels on a regular basis. Heels put an intense amount of pressure on your toes, leading to conditions like hammertoe and bunions. These conditions make it hard to enjoy a leisurely walk or run due to pain.

Another habit that’s detrimental to your feet is not stretching before activities like running, or performing a lot of high-impact exercise. 

Stretching helps the muscles and ligaments in your foot get warm and supple, making them less likely to become injured. High-impact exercise puts increased pressure on the balls of your feet, leaving you more vulnerable to discomfort.

It may seem odd, but walking barefoot is another reason your feet may be aching more than normal. The soles on shoes help to protect your feet from things that could injure you, but they also provide a decent amount of support to the bone structure of your feet. 

Without shoes, you’re less likely to use proper mechanics, which may result in injury or exacerbation of a foot disorder. And remember: Getting shoes that fit properly is one of the most important steps you can take. 

While breaking some of these habits helps you relieve foot pain, lifestyle changes don’t always relieve your discomfort, so our team offers other treatment suggestions as well.

Treatments that help

You can usually manage foot pain conservatively — meaning that invasive surgical procedures are the last resort when all other treatment avenues fail to give you relief. Many treatments are even performed in the comfort of your own home, making life so much easier. 

Some of these home remedies include:

• Icing your foot
• Taking anti-inflammatory medications
• Elevating your feet 
• Resting your feet 
• Using foot pads to prevent rubbing

When home treatments aren’t enough help, our team also recommends foot orthotics to evenly distribute your weight throughout your foot. Physical therapy is another option for certain conditions, providing exercises that help to ease your discomfort. 

If you’re ready to kick your bad habits and ease your foot pain, contact our clinic at 455 Hickey Blvd., Suite 205, in Daly City at 650-746-3299. You may also call our other location in Daly City at 650-756-5630 or our office in Atherton at 650-756-5630 to schedule an appointment today, or you can book your consultation online.