Cairns Podiatry Foot Maintenance Program

Feet are the foundation of our bodies and play an important part of a happy, healthy lifestyle. The foot is an engineering masterpiece consisting of 26 bones, 33 joints, and over 100 muscles, tendons, and ligaments. Its unique design allows the foot to handle hundreds of tons of force every day. Foot pain treatment Cairns is available at FNQ Podiatry and Orthotics

The average adult takes 4,000 to 6,000 steps per day. That’s enough steps to walk around the earth four times during your life. When you consider the weight and stress, we place on our feet each day, it’s easy to see how approximately 80% of people will experience a foot related problem at some point during their life.

Most people forget (not us!) about the feet and that it must be strengthened and maintained just like any other structure in the human body. 

Here are our Cairns Podiatrists 4 steps to remaining pain free and with happy feet:

Step 1: Tennis Ball Massage 

1. Using a tennis ball or golf ball
2. Begin seated, with the ball positioned underneath the heel of your foot
3. Roll the ball from the heel towards the ball of your foot and back, in a slow repetitive movement
4. Apply a moderate amount of force from your foot onto the surface of the ball so that it creates a mild discomfort

Note: If you experience a sharp shooting pain you may be applying too much pressure, and will need to reduce how hard you are pushing on the ball

Frequency:

• Perform for 5 minutes at a time
• Repeat 3 x day

Progression:

• Perform the exercise whilst standing 
• Same action and repeat repetitions
• Increase to 4-5 x day as well as before and after exercise

Step 2: Toe raise, point, and curl

There are three stages to the toe raise, point, and curl.

This exercise has three stages and will help to strengthen all parts of the feet and toes.

To do this exercise:

• Sit up straight in a chair, with the feet flat on the floor.
• Keeping the toes on the floor, raise the heels. Stop when only the balls of the feet remain on the ground.
• Hold this position for 5 seconds before lowering the heels.
• For the second stage, raise the heel and point the toes so that only the tips of the big and second toes are touching the floor.
• Hold for 5 seconds before lowering.
• For the third stage, raise the heel and curl the toes inward, so that only the tips of the toes are touching the floor. Hold this position for 5 seconds.
• Build flexibility and mobility by repeating each stage 10 times.

Step 3: Toe extension

To do this exercise:

• Sit up straight in a chair, with the feet flat on the floor.
• Place the left foot on the right thigh.
• Pull the toes up, toward the ankle. A stretching feeling should be felt along the bottom of the foot and heel cord.
• Hold for 10 seconds.
• Massaging the arch of the foot while stretching will help ease tension and pain.
• Repeat this exercise 10 times on each foot.

Step 4: Calf stretches

The Achilles tendon connects the heel to the calf muscles. It can strain easily, and keeping it flexible may help with foot, ankle, or leg pains.

To do this exercise:

• Face a wall and raise the arms, so that the palms rest flat against the wall.
• Place one foot back, keeping the knee straight. Then bend the knee of the opposite leg.
• Keep both heels flat on the floor.
• Push the hips forward, until the Achilles tendon and calf muscles can be felt stretching.
• Hold for 30 seconds before switching sides. Repeat three times on each side.
• For a slightly different stretch, bend the back knee and push the hips forward.

Our clinics provide effective Cairns foot pain treatment, for a range of patients. So, if you or any of your friends or family are suffering from pain, whether it be your back, knees, legs or feet, contact our clinic today and we will get you on the road to recovery.