With the recent COVID-19 pandemic we are seeing a lot more people working from home and subsequently more foot pain related issues.

This is because it is easy to fall into bad habits, such as rocking your trackies with your slippers, or slip on shoes around the house all day! Why does it matter… no one sees you on Zoom from the waist down right?

What you may not realise is that this sudden change in your usual footwear choices, leaves your feet unstable and unsupported.

On top of this people are walking a lot more (dogs have never been happier) and suddenly starting to jog or run for the first time in 5 years!

This sudden increase in repetitive exercise is leading to excessive load on the joints in your feet and strain on the lower limb muscles.

So, what can you do to prevent or treat your foot pain;

1. Wear more supportive footwear around the house, such as runners.
2. If you wear orthotics make sure you have these in your runners at home and when walking outside.
3. Minimise barefoot walking.
4. Have arch support thongs by the side of your bed. Slip these on if getting up during the night or first thing in the morning before putting on your runners.
5. Use a spiky ball to massage under the soles of your feet and foam roll your calf muscles to release tension (you may want to use a heat cream directly after).
6. Try to include a range of different exercises to give your feet a break, such a cycling.
7. Avoid high load exercises such as skipping, jumping, running, as this will put too much stress on your feet if the muscles are not strong enough to deal with this load.
8. Do not ignore foot pain, as it will start to affect your mobility. It can also change the way you are walking, which can result in knee, hip and lower back pain.
9. See a podiatrist if your foot pain is not improving or getting worse. Well Heeled Podiatry is very experienced in treating foot pain. We have unique and effective treatments to provide foot pain relief.

By Monique Milne – Podiatrist