Aching Feet at Night? These can be the Causes
Many things may cause your feet to ache, particularly at night. From lifestyle factors to some medical conditions, the reasons may vary. You may feel dull pain that doesn’t go away.
If you experience throbbing pain in various parts of your feet, from heels, toes to ankles, consulting an expert physician such as Dr.Elizabeth Pensler is the best possible solution. A qualified doctor can help you find plenty of accessible treatments to help you relieve the pain.
Know that aching feet at night often interferes with your restful sleep. Poor or disturbed sleep can debilitate the pain. If you can relate to the situation, reading this article can help you find the main factors that cause you aching or painful feet at night.
Causes of Aching Feet at Night
Lifestyle Factors
If your job requires you to stand for a long time, it adds stress to your feet. After a prolonged day, you may feel pain in your feet at night. It happens due to tiredness or fatigue in your muscles.
Note that your muscle fibers expand and contract with use. However, when you overuse them, they become fatigued. The fatigued or tired muscles mean your body has less oxygen or buildup of different waste products. This may result in spasms and cramps at night and affect your feet.
Muscle cramps may also occur because of;
- Sitting for longer periods during the day
- Sleeping in the same positions
- Wearing uncomfortable footwear
Exercises and stretches can help you ease pain in the feet due to these issues.
Pregnancy
During pregnancy, your body experiences certain changes, such as low calcium production. This can often cause your feet to ache during the night. Some gentle stretches, foot flexing, mild exercises, and increasing amounts of calcium can help you reduce the cramps.
Morton’s Neuroma
Morton’s neuroma refers to a condition in which tissues around the nerves leading to the toes become thickened. This occurs if your toes bone becomes pinched and puts pressure on a nerve. This causes you pain that often worsens at night.
To ease this discomfort, you can
- Wear soft-soled shoes
- Use massage to reduce pain
- Use orthopedic shoe pads
- Take steroid injections to decrease inflammation
- Avoid tight shoes
- Avoid high heels
- Avoid shoes with narrow tips
Plantar Fasciitis
If you have plantar fasciitis, the bottom of your heel aches when you walk. More than 2 million people suffer from plantar fasciitis in the USA every year, according to the American Academy of Orthopedic Surgeons.
The condition develops when the plantar fascia (tissue supporting foot arch) becomes inflamed. You may feel pain near the heel while:
- Getting out of your bed
- After exercise
Some options to relieve the pain include;
- Resting
- Icing the heels of the foot
- Taking anti-inflammatory medicines
- Stretching or pressing the calf
- Taking steroid injections
- Wearing comfortable footwear
- Trying physical therapy
Summing Up
All in all, aching feet can be the reason for discomfort and poor sleep and may lead to further medical issues if left untreated. In addition to trying physical therapy, massage and, stretching, make sure you visit your doctor for a long-term solution.
Call Dr.Pensler or visit us online to find more about your aching feet and possible causes.
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