If your foot pain is not subsiding at all, and it’s been more than a few weeks or even months, you may be suffering from chronic foot pain. As most of your everyday tasks are completed with the assistance of your feet, having chronic pain can drastically affect your daily life. It can be caused due to an underlying disease, foot injury, unhealthy lifestyle, or improper footwear.
Although investing in a premium quality shiatsu foot massager can significantly help with the pain as it targets your deep foot muscles, there are several other ways as well to help you deal with chronic foot pain more effectively for a better lifestyle. Keep reading this article to learn!
1. Wear Comfortable Shoes
Most chronic foot pain is related to wearing inappropriate shoes in your daily life. Your feet need the right kind of support and comfort in order to keep the muscles in optimal condition. Adding orthotic insoles to your shoes can help with foot comfort by supporting and cushioning your feet. This allows them to rest and heal while continuing to walk.
You should also avoid wearing high heels or ill-fitting shoes, as they can exacerbate your condition. Moreover, flat feet can be a significant problem for some.
Therefore, your podiatrist may prescribe custom-made orthotics to alleviate your foot pain associated with flat feet and other conditions like arthritis, bursitis, plantar fasciitis, etc.
2. Incorporate Healthy Changes in Your Lifestyle
If your chronic foot pain is associated with your poor or unhealthy lifestyle, it is time to make some essential changes for your own betterment.
Although your doctor may diagnose the underlying reason and prescribe some healthy lifestyle changes accordingly, most of the common ones will be to:
- Get massages consistently to allow smooth blood circulation
- Lose weight to prevent stress on your feet
- Take multivitamins to strengthen your muscles
- Soak your feet in hot water to relax stiff muscles
3. Visit a Physical Therapist
Your podiatrist may ask you to visit a physical therapist in order to help you deal with the symptoms of chronic foot pain in a more manageable way.
A physiotherapist will look at your medical history and ask you about your current condition and then come up with a tailored solution, i.e., suitable exercises for you.
As strenuous workouts will put more pressure on your feet and will aggravate your symptoms, you will be asked to exercise accordingly to make your muscles flexible and minimize the risk of future injuries.
4. Medications
Over-the-counter painkillers like ibuprofen and aspirin can ease your severe foot pain, and they are readily available as you don’t need a prescription for them.
Still, it’s imperative that you consult with your doctor first. In addition to the OTC painkillers, they may also prescribe you other stronger pills to diminish your symptoms such as gout drugs, corticosteroids, disease-modifying anti-rheumatic drugs, etc.
5. Surgery
It’s better to give your body some time to return to its “normal” condition before paying a visit to your podiatrist. They may also modify your medications accordingly, or your physiotherapist may alter your treatment plan.
Still, if all the ways absolutely fail to work, and you don’t see any improvement in your condition, your doctor may advise surgery. It may be minimally invasive or intense, depending on your issue.