Tips For Happy Feet

When we do have problems, just “getting off our feet” would not necessarily lead to permanent relief. For one thing, foot pain does not always begin in the foot. Even though you are feeling the pain there, a tight Achilles’ tendon or calf music may be the actual source of your problem, may restrict ankle motion, causing you to put painful stress on the front of your foot.

Rest may help, but what’s often needed is a change in the way you care for your feet. The following is a guide to some common foot problems, along with tips on how you can help yourself:
♥ If feet are exhausted
If your job requires you to be on your feet in one spot all day-in front of a sales counter, for example-changes are you have complained that your feet are tired and achy. Standing in one place all the time is one of the worst things you can do to your feet. The muscles do not flex or contract, they are just static.
Tip-1
Step on and off a raised surface, such as a telephone book, to give your muscles some work. Or simply flex your feet rolling up onto the ball of your foot, then back to your heel. Take your shoes off and roll a golf ball behind the ball of each foot for a minute or two. A great message, it can also help with cramps or strains in your arch.
♥ Heels are giving trouble
Pain in the heel is repetitive stress of tissue where it attaches to the heel bone. You get microscopic tears on a daily basis and eventually you have severe pain in your heel.
The tears are in the plantar fascia, a springy tissue that runs from your heel bone to your toes. Bend your toes up and you shall recognize it as the tight hand running through your arch. This stretch will help loosen your calf muscles and stretch your Achilles’ tendon, reducing tightness in the muscles leading to the foot.
Two other low-cost measures: a short course of an anti-inflammatory drug, such as ibuprofen and soaking your feet in warm water at night. Over the counter shoe inserts may provide relief. In more severe cases, inserts available through orthopedists, podiatrists or physical therapists can be helpful.
♥ Foot pain
Problems in this area go by the name metatarsalgia. Causes range from damaged nerves to simply wearing a shoe that is too tight in the toe box or too high in the heel. Switch to flat shoes that have wider toe box. To relieve pain, place a pad just behind the weight bearing ball of the foot. If you can not stop wearing high heels altogether, limit them to special occasions.
♥ Foot suffering
 Corns, areas of thickened skin about the size of corn kernels, are caused by excess pressure on one point on the foot. They typically form on the top of or between toes and often result from wearing shoes that are too tight. For quick relief, putting a thin gauze pad, corn pad, corn pad or bandage between the affected toes to keep them from rubbing against each other. Softening the corn with oil and then sanding it with a pumice stone can also be beneficial.