Foot and knee pain frequently stem from a common cause. Your choice of footwear can cause imbalances in the musculature and posture of your legs, causing pain in both your feet and knees. Your choice of physical activity can contribute to pain in your knees and feet. Fortunately, remedies that alleviate the pain in either your feet or your knees typically alleviate the pain you are experiencing in the other.
Footwear
The type of shoes you wear could be the cause of your foot or knee pain. Shoes with tall heels or shoes with little to no arch support may cause the plantar fascia ligaments in the bottom of your feet to shorten, a condition called plantar fasciitis, which causes pain in the bottom of your feet and heels. If left untreated, plantar fasciitis can result in knee pain, because it is likely that you will alter the way you walk to avoid increased pain in your feet.
Exercise
Active people tend to develop pain in their feet and knees as a result of the impact involved in athletics or exercise. The Plantar Fasciitis Organization, which provides extensive information on heel and foot pain to the public, has suggested that heel spurs--tiny bony projections--are a common cause of foot pain. Heel spurs result from the plantar fascia ligament pulling away from the bone due to constant pounding or pressure. This is often caused by an awkward gait because of pain in your knees caused by physical activity.
Leg Posture
Dr. Jolie Bookspan, director of the Academy of Functional Exercise Medicine at Temple University, says that your legs have a posture just the way that your back has posture. Bad leg posture can cause foot and knee pain. For example, if you have a knock-kneed posture because of flat feet, your cartilage is put under stress, which causes pain on the inside of your knees. A duck-footed posture can cause the muscles and tendons in the bottom of your feet to tighten and cause pain in your knees and feet.
Muscle Imbalances
Muscular imbalances can result in pain in your knees and feet. For example, if the outside of your lower leg--the peroneal muscle--is stronger and tighter than the inside, the muscles will pull on and cause pain at the attachment sites on both the outside of your knee and ankle. Also, tight Achilles tendons paired with weak tibialis anterior muscles can cause pulling at the back of your heel and uneven pressure on your knee joint, both of which may become rather painful over time.
Remedies
Relieving pain in your feet and knees may be as simple as using rest, ice and anti-inflammatory medications. Stretching the tissues in the bottom of your feet and calves can also help to correct foot and knee positioning and relieve a surprising amount of pain in your feet and knees. One remedy that is universally effective for most foot and knee issues is a good shoe insert or orthotic to provide extra support and correct positioning. If these at-home remedies do not help, you should see your doctor as soon as possible. You may have a more severe condition than you realize, which should be treated immediately.
