How To Care For And Prevent Feet Pain?
Almost everyone experiences feet pain at some point. However, most of these ailments are preventable. We tell you about how to exercise your feet and take care of them .
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LatinAmerican Post | María Fernanda Ramírez Ramos
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Although high-level athletes often have foot, ankle, or leg muscle injuries from their activity, people who do not compete or are not professional athletes can experience foot pain for a variety of reasons, including who are sedentary Plantar fasciitis, an inflammation of the plantar fascia that causes pain in the heel and arch of the foot, is one of the most common ailments. In fact, it is estimated that it affects around 20% of the population and manifests with pain of varying intensity on the sole of the foot.
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Another common ailment is a heel spur, a bony protrusion on the heel that can cause pain when walking. Bunions, deformities in the big toe, are also common, as are calluses on the fingers or blisters. These ailments have in common that they can be caused by wearing the wrong shoes, exercising with an inadequate intensity or being overweight.
It should be noted that it is important to see a health professional, such as an orthopedist or physical therapist, for proper diagnosis and treatment. Although the feet tend to be neglected when thinking about health, foot problems tend to intensify over the years and excessive wear or overload of the tendons can have serious consequences. That is why it is relevant to treat foot pain in time.
"Risk factors for this shortening include a sedentary lifestyle, jobs that require sitting, very high or low arches, and chronic use of high-heeled shoes," notes the MDS medical manual . Likewise, it can be suffered by people who have to walk for long periods of time, are dancers or must be on their feet for many hours a day.
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Exercises to prevent plantar fasciitis
Although when thinking about exercise, the feet are not a part that usually comes to mind, they are parts of the body that need to be strengthened. In fact, it is possible to consult a podiatrist or physiotherapist to tell us what is the best way to do it according to our activities. However, we will tell you about some common exercises that help prevent and relieve pain from plantar fasciitis.
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Calf stretches: stretching the legs, also extending the feet is essential. Especially after exercise routines.
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Ankle rotation: Before and after exercising or walking, rotate your ankles clockwise.
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Toe Raises: Sit in a chair with your bare feet flat on the floor. Keep your heels on the ground and slowly lift your toes up. Then lower your toes back to the ground. Perform 10 to 15 repetitions of this exercise, because it will help you strengthen the tendons.
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Towel Toe Pickup: Place a small towel on the floor and sit on a chair. Using only your toes, grab the towel and bring it towards you. Then, let go of the towel and repeat the movement. Perform 10 to 15 repetitions with each foot.
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Plantar fascia stretches: Sit on the edge of a chair and cross one leg over the other. With one hand, gently pull your toes toward you, feeling a stretch in the bottom of your foot. Hold the position for 15-30 seconds and repeat with the other foot.
Make a homemade foot spa
When you are very tired, soaking your feet in warm water is a good way to relax. If to this you add putting some essence that you like with music that makes you feel good, you can have a moment of special self-care. Likewise, you can take the opportunity to file and cut the nails, and file the rough edges or calluses that are usually created on the feet. This way you will keep them soft. Take the opportunity to put a cream or oil that keeps the skin of the feet hydrated, which tends to dry out easily.