Your feet subtly influence your day, silently supporting you even when you're not aware of it. Foot discomfort is sometimes ignored, yet it might point to a variety of underlying health issues and lifestyle choices that may be negatively affecting you every day. Dr Garima Gupta, Senior Consultant at Nivaan Care, spoke with an Lifestyle publication about how chronic foot pain in women may have an impact on everything from posture and pelvic health to hormonal balance, emphasizing the importance of addressing it.

Not only is foot pain a local problem, but it also has an impact on many other aspects of your life. "Women frequently suffer silently with foot pain, attributing it to 'normal'," Dr. Garima Gupta said. "Chronic foot pain is often a silent disruptor of everyday routine. Hormonal changes during periods, pregnancy, or menopause, as well as discomforts such as aching heels or stiffness in the soles of the feet (particularly in the morning or after extended time in the kitchen), are common annoyances for women's feet. The way the entire body feels—including posture, movement, and hormones—is more important than the specific location of foot pain.

Dr. Garima Gupta provided us with a comprehensive tutorial outlining the causes and effects of foot discomfort.

Causes of foot discomfort

1. Hormonal changes

Increased hormone levels, such as relaxin and oestrogen, during menstruation, pregnancy, and the perimenopause, cause greater ligament laxity.

The feet's little ligaments as well as the pelvis are affected by the softening. This laxity manifests as flatfoot or plantar fasciitis, which changes posture and gait.

Answers:

• During hormonal fluctuations, pay attention to the arches of your feet. During the pregnancy or menopausal stage, think about changing your footwear and think about using custom orthotics or arch-supportive shoes.
• Women in their 30s and 40s might benefit from yoga postures that activate foot muscles, such as Tadasana and standing on one foot, to help them maintain an active arch.

2. Standing for extended periods of time while performing household duties

• In India, there are contributing factors such as prolonged standing because of housework, ill-fitting, narrow-soled footwear, or walking barefoot on hard marble floors inside.
• These cultural variables all contribute to persistent foot stress. This has an effect on the alignment of the spine, pelvic posture, and mobility.

Answers:

• Use intentional foot breaks: consistently massage your feet with a textured foot roller in the kitchen or at your workstation.
• Use silicone heel cups or other gel inserts if you must stand for extended periods.
• Daily barefoot walking on grass for 10 minutes can help reset the body's biomechanics and reduce foot stress.

3. Polycystic ovarian syndrome

• Pain in the feet, tissue healing, burning sensations, and symptoms resulting from insulin resistance and systemic inflammation are common in women with PCOS.
• Inflammation raises the likelihood of plantar fasciitis and stiffness in the Achilles' tendons by limiting physical activity and compromising metabolic indicators.

Solutions:

• For women with foot pain who have PCOS or metabolic syndrome, create an integrated elevation level that includes both metabolic and orthopedic aspects.
• Magnesium supplements, an anti-inflammatory diet, and gentle exercise, such as aqua therapy or rebounding, can reduce the strain on joints and enhance insulin sensitivity under supervision.

The effects of foot discomfort

1. Bad posture

• Over time, persistent foot discomfort may cause postural changes, such as the head lowering, the shoulders moving forward, and the stride length shortening.
• Over time, all of this may begin to alter how a woman portrays herself to the world, which can then affect her self-perception and self-esteem. Research has revealed a strong correlation between cortisol levels and posture, which can have an impact on hormone levels, mood, and body weight.

Answers:

• While also enhancing mental health, you may maintain your Pilates practice or seek out any kind of posture-alignment treatment.
• For women who are juggling a lot of plates, 10-minute posture resets such as wall angels, neck lengthening stretches, or laying flat with their feet on the wall can make a big difference in their body language and mood regulation.

2. Insufficient pelvic floor health

• The change in motion brought about by foot discomfort will cause your body to stabilize by utilizing muscles (such as the glutes and pelvic floor) in an unhealthy way.
• Depending on whether you have painful periods or urinary incontinence, this can result in either pelvic floor tightness or weakness.

Answers:

• Work with a physiotherapist to evaluate your foot posture and pelvic alignment under expert supervision.
• Foot-to-core integration exercises (such as toe-scrunching while deep breathing) and diaphragmatic breathing are excellent methods for reconnecting pelvic floor function with posture.

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