Ready, Set, Walk! The Secret to Strong, Pain-Free Feet

By Lauren Sok, PT, MPT | Owner, Functionize Health and Physical Therapy

New Year’s Resolutions usually call for some form of exercise; and for many, walking may be just what the doctor ordered! So you set aside time to hit the treadmill or take to the beautiful Dunwoody neighborhoods on foot. Sure, this is a welcome change yet as with anything new, our feet are not used to this new demand on them resulting in increased complaints of foot pain. You may be asking yourself, “my feet are made to walk, move and exercise, so why am I now getting foot pain?”

Let me explain: your feet are the foundation of all your movement. They not only support your weight, but allow you to stand, walk, run, or simply carry out your daily activities. They must constantly change to the ground conditions and adapt quickly to avoid injury on uneven surfaces. Each foot is a complex system of 28 bones and 30 joints, in addition to more than 100 muscles, tendons, and ligaments that provide support, balance, and stability.

Modern shoes tend to be too narrow for us to properly use our feet and toes, so these muscles get weak and lead to all kinds of foot pain. Imagine that your feet were blocks of wood – every time you stepped on an uneven surface, your entire body would topple over because your foot muscles cannot work to balance you. This is also comparable to wearing a cast on your foot; your toes cannot work, so the muscles get weak, atrophy, and become useless, flattened flippers.

Why is this a big deal? Weakened feet lead to all sorts of pain – neuromas, neuropathy, plantar fasciitis, hammer toes, bunions, and just generally sore, achy feet. The pain is a signal that tissues are not healthy and need some attention. The good news is that there are some easy changes you can make in addition to a few exercises that can reverse the pain and re-balance your feet.

Add more barefoot time to your life.
That’s right, simply take off your shoes and socks more often and walk around…in the park, in the house, playing with the kids, etc. Maybe commit to a Barefoot Sunday in which everyone agrees to put their shoes away and go barefoot when possible.

Use toe separating devices to help spread your toes after being squished in your shoes all day.
We like Sole Insole Toe Separators or Injinji toe socks. Try wearing them daily for an hour or more anytime you relax with your shoes off. For example, sitting at your desk, watching TV, or while sleeping at night.

Do Toe Yoga.
Start sitting down, then progress to standing as it gets easier. Begin with your whole foot flat on the ground. Try lifting just the big toes off the ground while the little toes stay flat. Repeat 10 times. Then try to lift the little toes while keeping the big toes down. Repeat 10 times. Then try to make a wave motion with your toes by lifting one toe up at a time, followed by the next, then the next. Repeat each direction 10 times. Practice this for 3 minutes a day. It takes patience and practice to master this one!

Roll the bottom of your foot with a lacrosse ball or tennis ball.
This mobilizes the soft tissues on the bottom of the foot (aka. Plantar fascia). This can be done in sitting or standing with the goal of applying body weight pressure to the bottom of the foot in search of hot tender spots. Roll the ball from the heel all the way to the ball of the foot. Spend a few minutes working up and down the arch and around the foot releasing the tension in these tender areas. You will find that the pain and tightness subside with time and pressure. Once one area is worked out, move to the next.

Strengthen your foot muscles.
As we said earlier, the muscles on the bottom of the foot (the foot intrinsics) can easily get weak and lead to pain so it’s super important to re-strengthen them. This exercise essentially works the core muscles of your foot, helping with stability and structure. When done correctly, it can also help strengthen the arch muscles. The best part of this exercise is that it can be done while sitting at a desk or watching TV. First, crunch up your toes to lift your arch up. Practice this about 10 times to get the rhythm. Then add a small hand towel or marbles. Try picking them up with your toes. Or lift the marbles from the floor to a bowl next to it. Repeat this for 1 minute, 3 times per day, 3 days a week.

Come in for a video analysis of your walking form.
That’s right! As our practice, we can do a video analysis of your walking form to help you identify potential movement patterns that can be causing your pain. This one hour assessment helps you not only walk with better efficiency, but we can give you individualized exercises so you can continue walking faster, farther, and injury free. In addition, we carry a selection of shoes from Big Peach Running Company that you can try on in our clinic. We guide you in finding a shoe that’s both comfortable and best fitted for your walking style.

If you’re ready to get rid of your foot pain for good, the team at Functionze Health can help. Reach out today at info@functionizehealth or 404-907-4196.