Tips to Relieve Tired and Aching Feet, According to a Podiatrist

Tips to Relieve Tired and Aching Feet

Written by: Dr. Irene N. Evuleocha, DPM, FACFAS, DABPM. Dr. Evuleocha is a double board-certified foot and ankle surgeon, an educator, motivator and leader in the health care industry. She's on a mission to inspire others to be the best version of themselves and provides ways to improve foot health and alleviate foot pain and disorders. She is a wife, mother and boss, in all forms. Find Dr. Evuleocha on Instagram: @dr.evfootdoc.


We have all experienced tired and aching feet. With the increased demand in labor intensive jobs, and the growing rate of obesity in the US, painful feet are one of the most common reasons patients seek care from a podiatrist. Foot pain, often described as throbbing, achy, pain along the bottom of the feet typically on the arches or radiating from the heel bone, can be extremely debilitating. Some experience pain after wearing ill-fitting shoes (the remedy, of course, is to remove the shoes to relieve the pain). But what about the nagging and generalized achy pain that fails to go away?

The first thing is to determine what could be the possible cause of the nagging pain:

Have you had a sudden increase in activities?
Have you experienced weight gain?
Have you placed a lot of stress or strain on your feet recently? (Example: changes you may not think about, like a recent move to a new house where you are walking more than usual in a short period of time, can result in foot pain.)

Typically, increased demand and stress on your feet equates to more pain. Identifying the cause can help you identify solutions, and help you prevent foot pain from occurring in the future.

Here are some strategies to help relieve those tired and aching feet and get you back to performing daily activities with ease:

Tips to relieve tired and aching feet: Wear the right shoes

First, make sure you are wearing the right athletic shoes for you. People often wear shoes that are not the proper fit for their feet. Everyone has a unique foot type that requires a specific shoe for optimal support and comfort, and shoes are not one-size-fits-all. Determine your foot type and shoe size by going to a local athletic shoe store to get measured. You might even find that your right foot and left foot are different sizes. 

Tips to relieve tired and aching feet: Consider orthotic insoles

You might benefit from the comfort and support of an orthotic insert, depending on your foot type and the style of shoe you are wearing. Orthotic inserts are devices used to help provide additional support to someone’s feet that are placed inside shoes. Superfeet has a variety of orthotic inserts made to fit different types of shoes. 

Tips to relieve tired and aching feet: Start a stretching routine

Most of the time, the ligaments and tendons in your feet and legs are not stretched often enough, which can result in foot pain. The Achilles tendon is the largest tendon in the body, and frequently it is shortened or contracted due to not being adequately stretched.


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Tips to relieve tired and aching feet: Bring on the ice

Icing your feet at the end of the day can help tremendously in reducing inflammation, pain and swelling. You can get a bottle of water and freeze it and then roll it under your feet to help provide relief.

Tips to relieve tired and aching feet: Epsom salt soak

Soak your feet in a mixture of warm water and Epsom salt. Epsom salt soak foot baths have been found to be an effective foot stress reliever. The mixture of magnesium and heat helps increase blood circulation to help improve mobility and relax tense muscle fibers.

I hope you found these tips helpful and that you are able to get back on your feet pain free.

About the Author: Dr. Irene N. Evuleocha About the Author: Dr. Irene N. Evuleocha
August 9, 2021
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