Replied by Veronica (Melbourne, Usa) on 08/10/2012
I've had foot pain since I was a kid (I'm 20) and I haven't been able to fix it.
When I was younger it would start out as my arches and heels hurting and the longer I was on my feet, the worse it got and I'd have to sit down for a while. I did get arch supports once but they didn't help and if I remember correctly it made my heel pain worse and my arches would cramp up too.
As of now, the pain starts in my heels and then spreads to the rest of the bottoms of my feet. It's hard to explain what it feels like, it's as of my bones are bruised, like I had stomped on a rock.
The longer I'm on my feet the longer it takes for my feet to stop being sore in the days after. If I was out shopping all day and the next morning I get out of bed, my feet are stiff and sore and I sometimes get shooting pains throughout my feet.
I go barefoot 99% of the time (before & now) and that doesn't help. I finally found a pair of sneakers that help keep down the pain somewhat but I haven't found out how to make it go away completely.
Any ideas?
Replied by Tamara (Fort Collins, Colorado) on 08/11/2012
Hi Veronica, I suggest a book by biomechanist Katy Bowman called Every Woman's Guide to Foot Pain Relief. Or you can check out her blog Katysays.com. She's the director of the Restorative Exercise Institute in which she teaches practitioners and everyday peeps how to correct their movement so as to live without pain. Most of the whole body exercises are kind of like a cross between gentle yoga and Pilates. I highly recommend her book but you can gain a ton of info for free from her blog. I have to admit though, it takes work and mindfulness to overcome a lifetime of misuse (and I'm only 27). Just search the blog for feet :)Replied by V (Some City, Some State, Usa) on 08/14/2012
I'll check those out, thank you!
