3 Ways to Prevent Feet Pain

1. Identify the Source of the Pain

Most causes of pain can be attributed to one of three areas--the toes and the area around them, the arch or the heel. Common problems include bunions, calluses, sesamoiditis, metatarsalgia and hammer toes (for the toe area), heel pain or heel spurs (heel area) and plantar fasciitis or arch pain (for the mid-foot). Understanding what causes the pain will help you determine what needs to be done to prevent recurrence and to avoid complications.

Once you have identified the source of the pain, you will need to examine your lifestyle for activities that may be causing the pain. For example, sesamoiditis is a throbbing pain in the ball of the foot, right under the big toe, which often affects runners and dancers. Heel pain, on the other hand, is usually caused by worn out or low-quality footwear that increases impact on the heel area.

2. Make Your Feet Comfy

The right type of footwear can do wonders when it comes to preventing and stopping foot pain. Shoes should not be too loose or too tight to prevent problems such as ingrown nails and toe issues (such as calluses and bunions) and to avoid contraction of the tendons and especially of the arch. For shoes that are starting to wear thin, you can always choose gel heel cups or metatarsal pads to prevent pressure and rubbing. Good, fluffy socks can also do the trick. You should also avoid using shoes for a different purpose than what they were originally designed for. For example, you shouldn't run in dress shoes or use flip-flops for hiking.

3. Add Some Support

Lots of shoe inserts can be bought over-the-counter at pharmacies, health food shops and shoe stores. Most of them are designed to prevent, not treat, foot pain, so it's important that you use them on an everyday basis to avoid the problem from getting worse. Gel heel cups are used to reduce pressure on the heels, thus decreasing pain on both the heel and the arch of the foot. Metatarsal pads work the same way, except that they provide a higher support and are designed to be worn for longer periods of time or by people who spend lots of hours standing up. Callus cushions, metatarsal sleeves and forefoot pads are also common choices to help alleviate discomfort and pain.