Standing for long hours at a job can put a significant strain on your feet. From sore muscles to blisters and ingrown toenails, foot pain can be debilitating. However, there are simple ways you can prevent or treat foot discomfort. Here are some tips for taking care of your feet and some important steps toward less pain. What to do about tired feet

Keep Your Feet Feeling Fresh and Energized

While it might sound counterintuitive, continued movement can sometimes reduce foot discomfort overall. The importance of stretching your feet, ankles, and legs can be helpful if you spend long hours standing for work. Stretching can help stop soreness, and regular exercise can help improve your overall foot health and reduce pain.

How Stretching Can Help

  • It builds up foot endurance
  • It increases blood circulation (which reduces healing time)
  • It strengthens the arch of your foot
  • It tones the muscles in your feet and ankles

Ways to Help Painful Foot Conditions

It’s important to look for signs of foot and ankle problems before they become bigger issues or create complications. This is especially true for diabetic patients. Because those with diabetes often suffer from neuropathy, they can’t always feel cuts or ulcers on their feet, and those sores can eventually become infected.

But if you’re already experiencing a problem that’s exacerbating your foot pain while standing all day, there are steps you can take to relieve that pain.

Use the RICE Method

  • Rest. Staying off your feet after work as much as possible will aid in decreasing overall fatigue and pain
  • Ice. The old freezer vegetable bag will often help, or you could use frozen metal rollers specifically intended for aching body parts such as feet.
  • Compression. Wrapping an injured part of your foot can help prevent swelling, so long as the compression isn’t too tight.
  • Elevation. Keeping your foot raised above the level of your heart by using pillows offers a simple way to help reduce swelling and discomfort while resting.

Pamper Your Feet

Soaking your feet in warm water and Epsom salt is a time-honored tradition, and it can help relieve aches and pains, as well as reduce inflammation. A damp, warm towel or heat pack can also offer temporary relief after standing for long hours. Soaking in Epsom salt may also improve circulation and help with the pain of foot cramps.

Although soaking your feet frequently offers relief, it may be harmful to diabetic patients. In general, soaking in Epsom salt is not recommended for those with diabetes because it can dry out your feet. When your skin is dry, it becomes more susceptible to cracking and irritation, and that can lead to skin wounds and abrasions. If these aren’t treated, they can turn into ulcers.

If you’re concerned about potential issues, be sure to talk to your podiatrist first before soaking a sore foot.

Spend Time Sole Searching to Find the Right Footwear

Sometimes, you can help aching feet by changing the kind of shoes you wear. That may mean simply trying out different kinds and sizes of shoes, or it could instead mean using custom orthotics.

Shoes that are mass-produced are meant for one standardized foot shape, and that shape may not actually fit your foot’s natural curvature. Relief may be available without any medical treatment at all by having a shoe custom-made to your foot shape.

While these tips are a great start in your quest for happy feet, they won’t always solve every problem. That’s why it is important to visit a skilled Magic Valley podiatrist if you continue to experience pain or suffer from other symptoms. It’s time for a diagnosis, so your podiatry team can help you formulate a customized care plan for your aching feet.

Providing the Highest Standard of Podiatric Care for Magic Valley Families

If you're dealing with a foot, ankle, or toenail issue that affects your ability to work and makes it difficult to do what you love, Canyon Foot + Ankle is your first choice for skilled, experienced podiatric care. Our knowledgeable and well-trained podiatrists, Dr. Cory Pilling and Dr. DeVries, understand that a podiatric problem can disrupt your life and limit your mobility. They use the latest research and cutting-edge technology to give you the necessary treatment and therapy for your individual condition to get you back on your feet.

Whether you’re suffering from an athletic injury, dealing with a diabetic foot wound, or worried about a condition that hasn’t resolved with conservative measures, come to Canyon Foot + Ankle. We have everything you need at two convenient locations. Complete our contact form, or call our Twin Falls office at 208-733-0436 or our Burley location at 208-678-2727 to schedule an appointment to discuss your podiatric issue and treatment options.