What many people don’t realize is that there are 4 different arches on the bottom of your feet. Primarily responsible for distributing the body’s weight across your entire sole, the arch works to ensure the stability and strength of your entire body. As they absorb most of the strain and force directed towards your feet, they are the most common reason to experience foot pain over time.
What is Arch Pain?
As the arches are delegated with the important task of absorbing the tension and bouncing it back to the body, impairment in the arch can compromise your every step.
As the name suggests, arch pain primarily describes the nagging aches that occur at the base of the foot. Under poor foot mechanics and weight transfer, the foot’s arch can easily get inflamed and irritated leading to painful steps that can upset your range of movements.
What Causes Arch Pain?
Arch pain can be triggered by a number of different factors such as:
- Injury to the Plantar Fascia – situated on the base of the foot is a band of sinewy fibers known as the plantar fascia region which lends additional support to the arch. As such, any traumatic blow to this area can become a source of intense pain for the arch itself.
- Repetitive Trauma – high impact activities such as running, biking or hiking at considerable speeds and distances can take its toll on your foot, especially on your arch. Under continuous stress, the bones and tissues supporting your arch can give in to injury inciting pain, tenderness and inflammation.
- Blunt Force Injury – sudden trauma to the foot such as banging your toe on a post or stepping on a rough object can lead to contusions in your arch which can adversely affect its function.
What are the Symptoms of Arch Pain?
Arch pain is commonly accompanied by tenderness and pain particularly on the base of the foot where the plantar fascia is located. While the troubling aches may differ in severity, they often occur before, during, and after engaging in a high impact activity.
How to Treat Arch Pain?
Self-Care Treatments
At the first sign of arch pain, it would be best to take a few days off your regular activities to take some of the weight off your foot. Applying ice and elevating the foot can also help minimize inflammation. If pain ensues, consider taking over the counter pain relievers to alleviate the discomfort and aches.
Advanced Treatments
If needed, your podiatrist will also recommend physical rehabilitation to help restore your sole’s natural strength and agility. Additionally, orthopedic devices such as foot inserts and pads may also be prescribed to help give you some arch pain relief.
Once your arches have reached a certain point of collapse and chronic pain, they need to be supported in their correct position, so they can heal properly. This is where customized orthotics becomes essential for full recovery.
Ideal Feet Offers Arch Pain Treatment That Works!
To prevent and help relieve pain in the arch of your foot it is important to realign the bones, joints and the arches of the feet to provide balance. Ideal Feet products are designed to help the feet find their ideal alignment and provide support and balance to the four arches of the feet allowing the arches to rebuild.