3 Tips for Identifying Foot Pain

May 15, 2022

The summer just flew by and we’re already in the grips of what is promising to be an early winter. If you’re like most people, winter tends to be a time of the year where we slow down and adopt a more sedentary lifestyle. When you couple a gradual or sudden decrease in activity level with harsher temperatures and weather patterns, this can easily spell trouble for our feet and ankles. Less activity can mean a decrease in muscle volume and flexibility, which can lead to becoming more susceptible to injury. Taking out the trash in the dark and walking on an icy driveway? That’s exactly what we’re talking about.

Finding easy ways to get active and stay moving throughout the colder months can be tough, but your body will thank you later. A lot of foot and ankle issues go unaddressed because they only seem to bother a person during the warmer, more active months. When winter comes, we move less often, meaning that our foot and ankle problems aren’t regularly triggered. Yet, as is apparent when the warmer months come back around, we still have the same foot and ankle pain as we did before! Check out our 3 tips to identify foot pain:

  • Sit in a chair and stretch your leg forward. Roll one ankle at a time. Point up and down, left to right, and in a circle. Do it again while curling your toes. If this brings up any discomfort or pain, be sure to note when and where.
  • While seated, place a standard tennis ball under your foot. Gently roll the tennis ball along the bottoms of your feet. From your heels, to your arches, to the balls of your feet, notice when and where any discomfort or odd sensations pop up.
  • Use a short flight of stairs (i.e., 3-5 steps) to walk up slowly. For added benefit, do this while barefoot, and be sure to hold onto something if you’re feeling unsteady. Walking barefoot isn’t supposed to be painful or uncomfortable, so pay close attention to what hurts and when.

Don’t let the next year be a repeat of this year – put you and your feet first by scheduling an appointment with us at Foot and Ankle Specialists of Central PA. Our doctors Terry H. Clarke and Karen M. Leonard will diagnose you and treat you appropriately.  Our office serves patients in Mechanicsburg, Camp Hill, Harrisburg and surrounding communities in Cumberland County. We are located at 4 Flowers Drive, Suite 2, Mechanicsburg, PA, 17050. Visit the Foot Docs by calling 1-717-FOOTDOC!