You might think it's just a passing pain that decided to stop by, thanks to the long day you've just had, but your feet could be hurting for more reasons than just that. Here are some reasons that pain won't go away. If any of these situations sound like yours, it's time to do something.
1. Plantar Fasciitis
The plantar fascia is a band of tissue or ligament that connects your heel bone to your toes. It supports the arch of your foot. If you strain it, it gets weak and inflamed, leading to the heel or the bottom of your foot to hurt when you stand or walk.
Plantar fasciitis is the most common cause of heel pain. It is occurs mostly in middle-aged people, but can also occur sometimes in younger people who are on their feet a lot. Plantar fasciitis doesn't necessarily need to happen on both feet. It could happen on only one foot.
Plantar fasciitis is most likely to happen if:
- Your body weight stays on the inner edge of the sole rather than landing on the outside first.
- You have high arches or flat feet.
- You walk, stand, or run for long periods of time, especially on hard surfaces.
- You are overweight.
- You wear shoes that don't fit well, are too small or are worn out.
2. You're haven't measured your shoes size in years
If you've been squeezing your feet into the same shoe size since college, you might need to stop. Your feet can change shape and size over the years for many reasons, such as pregnancy or just age. When you're buying a pair of shoes you want to wear and use on a daily basis, get measured by a professional in store. Those 2 minutes extra in store will help you in the long run and save you a lot of pain.
It is also wise to go shoe shopping at the end of the day rather than right in the morning. Not only do your feet swell or change shape over the years, but they also swell through the day. So a pair that might fit perfectly in the morning could well be tight at the end of a long tiring day.
3. You're choosing fashion over comfort
Quite a no-brainer, but you'd be surprised at how many of us just ignore this. While it's great to feel fashionable, wearing shoes that are comfortable at least 95% of the time is very important. So not only should you ditch those heels if you're planning to step out for long hours, but you should also avoid flats that have a very thin and hard sole, or those that are pointed in the front. The pointed end makes your toes crowd and can lead to callus formation, bone spurs, inflamed nerves, or even promote toe deformities.
4. You've gained a few extra kilos
While we understand that it is really hard to keep away from food and easy to keep away from the gym, especially around holiday time, this can prove to be hard on your feet. Your feet bear your entire body weight and more. So staying within the weight that is healthy for you will not only save you from throwing away all those nice clothes you bought, but it'll be a bigger boon to your feet.
5. You're not changing your workout shoes
Let me guess, you wear the same shoes for every kind of workout. Here's the thing, each workout shoe is designed differently and for a different purpose. So while you may think that selling all those different kinds of shoes is just cheap marketing gimmick brands employ, there's actually a good reason behind why they have different shoes for running, walking, weight training, cross training, etc. Pick the shoe right for your workout and you could avoid a lot of injuries.
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