As we age complications from arthritis can begin to affect mobility and make foot pain a daily occurrence. Arthritic foot care is essential to preserving mobility and will help you get back to doing what you love without the burden of pain. By incorporating natural remedies, strengthening exercises, and pain-relieving medications you will feel some relief. 

In this blog, our team of podiatrists shares several tips that can be added to your daily routine to help relieve pain. If you feel that the pain caused by arthritis is affecting your mobility and quality of life consult with your local podiatrist. Your pain is manageable, take the steps to preserve and preserve your mobility today.  

Strengthening Exercises

A simple way to manage your pain is through incorporating daily exercise to help strengthen and stretch the muscles around your joints. Increasing flexibility and strengthening the area is proven to reduce pain throughout the body, we suggest the following exercises. 

• Toe salutes: This exercise targets the muscles in your feet, while sitting in a chair, lift your big toe and hold for a few seconds, relax your toe, and repeat. 
• Toe splaying: To target the muscles in your foot, spread your toes apart as far as you can comfortably, then relax your toes and repeat the motion. 
• Calf stretch: This exercise will target the calf, heel, and bottom of the foot. Simply face a wall with your feet flat on the floor, then place your hands on the wall and lean into the stretch. 

For other forms of exercise, low-impact workouts are key to preserving mobility and preventing pain for individuals with arthritis. Walking, biking, swimming, and water aerobics are all great low-impact exercises allowing you to protect your joints and get your body moving. Experts suggest incorporating around 150 minutes of exercise into your week, if that seems too challenging try starting with ten minutes per day. 

Natural Remedies

Several natural and alternative remedies also help manage arthritis and foot pain. These remedies are most helpful in relieving stiffness, increase flexibility, and decrease swelling in the affected area. To relieve foot and heel pain we recommend using the following remedies. 

• Cold therapy: This will help to target pain in your joints, swelling, and inflammation, and will also work to numb the area. Use a cold compress or an ice pack and apply it to the skin. 
• Heat therapy: Heat will work to loosen your joints and release stiffness. We suggest taking a warm shower or bath in the morning and using a heating pad or electric blanket at night. 
• Acupuncture: This Chinese medical treatment uses thin needles to redirect and relieve pain in the body. Consult with a licensed practitioner to learn more about how the practice and see if acupuncture is right for you. 

All three of these practices are known to help manage arthritis pain and preserve mobility. As always be sure to consult with your doctor before starting any treatments to your arthritic foot care routine. 

Pain medication 

Several over-the-counter and prescribed pain medications help to manage the symptoms of arthritis and promote mobility. We have put together a list of medications that may help to alleviate your pain. As always, consult your podiatrist or healthcare provider before starting any new medications. 

• For pain and inflammation relief Doctors suggest Aleve (Naproxen), Motrin or Advil (Ibuprofen), and Aspirin.
• Topical creams and ointments will provide localized pain relief.
• Steroid injections can help to provide joint pain relief. 
• Disease-modifying antirheumatic drugs (DMARDs), are a class of medications used to treat forms of arthritis. 

Preserve Your Mobility With Self-Care

Staying vigilant and protecting your joints from further damage is one of the most important parts of arthritic foot care. There are several techniques and additions to your daily routine to maintain and increase your mobility. Lifestyle changes and self-care are an important part of pain management, try out the following tips. 

• Protect your joints with assistive devices and vigilance during daily activities to reduce pain and prevent further joint damage. 
• Custom foot orthotics can be used to redistribute weight and release pressure on the more sensitive areas of your feet. Orthotic inserts are known to decrease foot pain that has spread to other areas of the body. 
• Professional or self-massage will also work to reduce pain caused by arthritis. The key to an effective massage in this case is moderate pressure to relax the muscles surrounding the affected joints. 
• An effective foot care routine can help with the pain of arthritis as well. As always, remember to clean your feet daily, trim your toenails, fully dry, and moisturize your feet. Proper maintenance and care can make all the difference. 

The Importance of Arthritic Foot Care

Arthritis affects your mobility, causing pain and stiffness in your joints, altering your daily life. With a strong and effective care routine, you can manage pain caused by arthritis and preserve mobility in your joints. Arthritis can be treated with strengthening exercises, natural remedies, pain medication, and lifestyle changes. 

The key is to work with your healthcare provider to see what methods are best for you and to stay on top of your routine. The podiatrists at Physicians Footcare are here to help manage your arthritis pain and preserve your mobility. We have several offices throughout Georgia and South Carolina, schedule an appointment with us to get back on your feet today.