There can be many causes of foot pain, ranging from plantar fasciitis, to referred pain, to a fracture. This post will discuss a few simple exercises you can try for your foot pain. Please keep in mind that these exercises should be non-painful and are very generalized. If they do not help or you are unable to attempt them due to pain, please see a clinician for a proper evaluation.
One commonly prescribed exercise for foot pain is toe yoga.
“Toe yoga” is frequently used to improve mobility and muscle activation in the foot. To perform “toe yoga” simply press your outer toes into the floor while lifting your big toes into the air. Then switch and press your big toes into the floor while lifting the outer toes into the air. Continue in this manner for 3 sets of 10-15 repetitions (depending on how many you’re able to do) once a day.
Another strategy for reducing foot pain is massage.
There are many different ways to massage the foot. I am going to focus on massaging the plantar aspect (bottom) of the foot as this is the most common. My two favorite ways to do this are:
- Roll a golf ball on the floor under your foot
- Roll a frozen water bottle under your foot
In addition to massage, make sure you have adequate range of motion of your big toes and ankles. If you’re having pain with walking which resolves when walking in a shoe that has a heel, you may have excessive ankle stiffness (or conversely, you may have a high ankle sprain). This is because a heel lift reduces the range of motion your ankle moves through, which compensates for the stiffness. Two ways to address this are:
- Stretching your calf with both your knee straight and your knee bent
- Ankle self mobilization, which you can view here
A simple exercise to strengthen the intrinsic foot muscles is to balance on one foot.
Evidence shows that balancing on one leg produces the highest amount of intrinsic foot activation. This doesn’t mean that you have to JUST balance on one foot. You can add variations like an unstable surface, eyes closed or moving your opposite leg in different directions while remaining upright (this is a “single leg clock”, demonstrated here).
Simple! Performing tasks like lifting marbles with your toes and towel scrunches can be beneficial as well. However, those exercises work the more superficial muscles of the foot. That is fine! Just be sure to hit the intrinsic muscles as well. It’s important to work both types of muscles in order to fully support the functioning of your feet.
If you’re having mild foot pain, give these exercises a try.
Some people have minor irritations which can resolve quickly. If these movements are painful or your foot pain is chronic and worsening, please see a physical therapist for an evaluation. Again, these exercises are very generalized and may be a good starting point for some people
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