6 Ways to Soothe Your Arthritic Foot Pain

If you live with arthritis, chances are you feel the painful effects in your feet. And, because May is Arthritis Awareness Month, today Dr. Hubert Lee at CarePlus Foot & Ankle Specialists in Bellevue, WA is sharing a way to heal your foot pain from arthritis. 

Once it’s been determined that your foot pain is due to arthritis, consider these strategies for easing the stiffness, swelling, and pain that arthritis patients often suffer:

1. Wear proper footwear. Proper fit is a determining factor in how foot-friendly shoes are when you’re living with arthritis. In addition to accommodating an arthritic joint that creates swelling, contracture, and stiffness, shoes need to fit the bunions and hammertoes that often develop along with arthritis. 
2. Take pain meds. Anti-inflammatory drugs such as ibuprofen, naproxen, and aspirin are great options for reducing the swelling, redness, and pain associated with arthritis.
3. Get up and get moving. Studies show that moderate exercise helps maintain joint function while reducing fatigue, stiffness, and pain. And of course, it can help you lose weight. Heavier people are typically diagnosed with arthritis at an earlier age and have a more severe form of the disease.  
4. Apply heat or ice. Cold therapy contracts the blood vessels in the surrounding muscles, thereby decreasing blood flow to the joints to reduce inflammation. Heat therapy loosens the muscles to reduce joint stiffness and decrease spasms. 
5. Consider orthotics. Custom-made orthotics have been shown to soothe arthritic foot pain and there are numerous ways they can be customized to change the mechanics of your foot 
6. Pamper your feet. Clipping your nails and smoothing down calluses regularly is important if you have arthritis. If your joints are painful, you don’t want to intensify the problem with long toenails that can cause painful pressure when wearing shoes. Think about treating yourself to a salon pedicure every four to six weeks. 

If you want to know if the foot pain you’re experiencing is being caused by arthritis, contact the office of  Dr. Hubert Lee at CarePlus Foot & Ankle Specialists in Bellevue, WA today at (425) 455-0936 to schedule a consultation at your earliest convenience.