Why Your Feet and Ankles Hurt
There are some obvious reasons why your feet and ankles hurt: they support your body's weight throughout your daily routine. This may be true, but the common causes for foot and ankle pain are not that simple. Your feet and ankles are designed to carry you around all day, regardless of whether you work in an office or wait tables.
If your feet and ankles are hurting you when you wake up in the morning, there is a reason why. There is also a solution available you can utilize to correct the cause of your pain and wake up with feet and ankles ready to face the day.
The 5 Common Causes of Foot and Ankle Pain
Plantar Fasciitis: This is a very common foot condition caused by excessive stretching of the plantar fasciitis muscle. This muscle runs the length of the bottom of your foot and if overworked or seated improperly in shoes, will become inflamed causing pain.
Video: Planta Fasciitis
Ligament Sprain: A sprain in your foot or ankle is usually caused by some sort of trauma, either during exercise or even simply walking and taking a misstep. While the actual trauma may have gone unnoticed, the resulting pain may take a day or two to show up.
Stress Fracture: A stress facture occurs over time with repeated use and trauma to your foot. It is not a single event that usually causes the facture, rather the overall accumulation of stress placed on the bones within the foot.
Poor Circulation: Your blood always will have the most trouble circulating, or refreshing itself, in your extremities such as your feet and hands. When these poor circulation areas become pronounced due to diet, age, genetics, or a medical condition such as diabetes, there will be resulting pain and discomfort. This pain will be especially notable when you awake as your feet have been in a resting position for several hours without the proper aid of blood flow movement.
Gout: Once referred to as the “rich man's disease” due to it's prevalence in persons with a diet rich in alcohol and fatty foods. Gout is actually more common than most people think, affecting 5 million people annually. It is one of the most famously and frequently recorded diseases over time, dating back to famous cases such as Thomas Edison. Gout has to do with an excess amount of uric acid in the body that settles in the feet. This acid then attaches itself to your joints, building up like plaque on your teeth. This build up can cause extreme discomfort and pain when it progresses without treatment.
10 Tips and Tricks to Cure Your Morning Foot and Ankle Pain
#1 Change Shoes: Many shoes these days are built for fashion, and not for support. Look for a shoe style that accomplishes both for you. Make sure there is ample support for your arch and that your shoes fit your feet properly. If you change shoes and your feet start to hurt, get rid of the shoes immediately.
#2 Stop Wearing High Heels and Boots: If you are experiencing foot or ankle pain and are wearing boots or high heels, stop. You don't have to get rid of them forever, but limit their use and the hours you spend standing on them.
#3 Aspirin: Try taking an aspirin before you sleep every night while you are experiencing foot or ankle pain. It may help with your circulation during the night, and will help reduce swelling while you sleep.
#4 Anti-Inflammatory Medicines: If your foot pain does not subside, ask your doctor for an over-the-counter anti-inflammatory foot cream or pill. If this is not effective consider injections from your doctor right where the pain starts.
#5 Elevate Your Feet: While sleeping, try elevating your feet for a few nights. This will reduce swelling in your feet and ankles.
Video: Gout
#6 Have Your Back Checked: Due to the complex system of nerves and muscles which work together to keep you moving, your pain you feel in your feet may have origins somewhere else in your body. Many types of back disk injuries will actually manifest themselves in the form of foot pain.
#7 Ice: Like most injuries that involve stress or inflammation, ice packs or frozen vegetable bags will provide the most immediate form of relief. Put the pack right where the pain is, but don't forget to use a towel or rag to protect your skin from direct contact with the ice surface.
#8 Shoe Inserts: If your shoes cannot offer you the protection you need, look for gel inserts for them. These gel insoles support your heel, arch, and toe area in one easy step.
#9 Go Barefoot: When in the house, remove socks and shoes to give your feet some breathing room. Even the best shoes place restrictions on your feet from expanding and contracting as they should during a normal course of the day. If you don't need to be in shoes and socks, simply take them off now and then.
#10 Find a Specialist: If your feet and ankles are still bothering you, seek a Podiatrist, a foot doctor. Ask your normal primary care physician for a referral to a foot specialist who can pinpoint your pain and pain solution.