There are countless reasons why your feet may hurt after walking and while it's really great you are getting out and about more, foot pain is very real and can cause lots of problems so here are some common foot pains and some solutions. The main thing is make sure you wear correctly fitting shoes and listen to your feet if you feel any pain and make sure you act upon it.
"This is by far the most common problem I see in my middle-aged patients," says Jeffrey A. Oster, DPM, a podiatrist in Newark, OH. Plantar fasciitis is an overuse syndrome that causes painful inflammation of the band of fibrous tissue that runs along the bottom of your foot (called the plantar fascia).
The fix: Massage and stretch your feet and calves. Not only can this help relieve inflammation by prompting a fresh supply of oxygenated blood to rush to the area, but massaging and stretching may also lengthen the plantar flexor muscles, helping them move more freely and with less pain, says Rachel Scott, a medical massage therapist in Lynnwood, WA. "People tend to focus solely on the bottom of the foot and forget that the plantar fascia is part of a system that starts with the calf muscles and continues through the Achilles tendon," says Scott.
Problem No. 2: Bunions and Hammertoes
These painful deformities of the great toe (bunions) and smaller toes (hammertoes) can be genetic, but they get worse if you consistently wear too-tight shoes, says Suzanne C. Fuchs, DPM, a holistic podiatrist and fitness specialist in New Hyde Park, NY. "These joints commonly become painful when shoes rub against them and cause inflammation, swelling, and redness," she says. With bunions, a firm, painful bump develops at the base of the big toe, sometimes causing that toe to veer diagonally toward the second toe. Hammertoes happen when one of the toe muscles becomes weak and, as a result, puts pressure on the tendons and joints in one or more toes, causing the toe to stick up at the joint. The fix: Choose the right shoes. To help prevent bunions and hammertoes in the first place, make sure you're wearing shoes with a wider toe box, says Fuchs. There should be about a half-inch of space between the tip of your longest toe and the end of the shoe. "Your shoes shouldn't cause too much pressure on your feet and toes or cause them to crunch up," she says. You might also add specific padding to help alleviate calluses (caused when these enlarged toe joints rub against your shoes), or add orthotics to your shoes, says Fuchs. "These can improve the biomechanics of the foot, helping to balance the muscles and tendons and stop bunions and hammertoes from worsening."
While most of us think of these areas of thick skin as simply unsightly, calluses are pressure spots that can be painful when you walk, says Oster. Interestingly, they're actually the body's way of preventing painful blisters from developing.
The fix: Soak, then soften. To treat calluses at home, soak your feet in warm water and then apply a moisturizing lotion that's loaded with glycolic acid, lactic acid, or urea. These ingredients can help soften the skin and minimize the callus.
Problem No. 4: Achilles Tendonitis
Your Achilles tendon, which attaches to your heel bone at the back of your foot, can become irritated and inflamed when it's overused, says Fuchs. The result is tendonitis, and runners are particularly susceptible, she says, as are those who regularly wear high heels. Other potential, though not as common, causes include inflammatory illnesses such as rheumatoid arthritis or gout.
The fix: Rest, ice, repeat. The sooner you nip this problem in the bud, the better, says Fuchs, which is why she recommends avoiding any activity that aggravates your pain for a week to a month. When you feel even a little twinge, ice the area ASAP. Your doc may also suggest you take a nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory to ease your discomfort and quiet the inflammation.
Problem No. 5: Morton's Neuroma
This condition causes pain in the ball of your foot that commonly radiates toward your third and fourth toes, says Fuchs. "It can feel as if you're standing on a pebble that's stuck in your shoe," she says. As if you needed another reason to curse the creation of high heels: They can be a trigger for this painful condition. So can high-impact sports like tennis, running, or, yes, walking.
The fix: New shoes, custom orthotics, and possibly cortisone injections. First, your doc will order x-rays to rule out other problems, and may follow up with an ultrasound or MRI, which are better diagnostic tools for revealing soft tissue abnormalities. Then, you may be in for a new-shoe shopping spree, as ill-fitting shoes contribute to your problem and make the pain worse, says Fuchs. "You might be able to try arch supports, foot pads, or custom orthotics, which will help contour and cushion your foot while you walk," she says. If these more conservative tactics don't work, cortisone injections or even surgery to relieve the compression on the nerve could be options.
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