Wednesday, April 28, 2010

Enjoy Pregnancy Without Foot Pain: Foot and Ankle Surgeon Offers Guidelines

Physician offers mothers-to-be remedies for aching feet

San Antonio, TX (PRWEB) April 29, 2010 -- “Oh my aching feet” is a phrase you hear often from pregnant women. But, are sore feet a symptom they just must deal with during pregnancy? According to foot and ankle surgeon Ed Davis, DPM, FACFAS the answer is “no.” Dr. Davis recommends the following guidelines to help reduce foot pain during pregnancy.

Dr. Ed Davis
Dr. Ed Davis

Dr. Davis states women often experience foot pain during pregnancy because of increased weight, foot instability and swelling. The hormone, relaxin, is secreted during pregnancy and is responsible for relaxing the ligaments in the pelvis, allowing the birth canal to widen in anticipation of birth. It can also be a factor in loosening ligaments in the foot, allowing the foot to spread. It is not unusual to gain up to a shoe size during pregnancy. Many podiatric physicians have noted, in the last five years, an increase in pregnant women with foot pain because more women than ever before are physically active during their pregnancies. There are many remedies available to help alleviate foot pain.

Painful, Swollen Feet—Pregnant women often experience throbbing, swollen feet due to excess fluid build up (edema) in the feet from the weight and position of the baby. To reduce swelling, put feet up whenever possible, stretch legs frequently, wear wide comfortable shoes and don’t cross legs when sitting. Support hose can also be helpful.

Arch Pain—Pain in the arch can be due to both arch fatigue or over pronation (or the flattening of the arch). Over pronation causes extreme stress to the ligament (the plantar fascia) that holds up the arch of the foot. The best way to prevent arch pain is to stretch daily in the morning and before and after any exercise, don’t go barefoot and wear supportive low-heeled shoes.

Ingrown Toenails—Excessive stress from tightly-fitting shoes causes painful ingrown toenails. Give your feet a break: wear wider shoes during the last trimester of pregnancy to avoid ingrown toenails. If you do experience an ingrown toenail, avoid attempting “bathroom surgery.” Repeated cutting of the nail can cause the condition to worsen over time. It is best to seek treatment with a foot and ankle surgeon.

Pregnancy and pending motherhood should be a joy. If foot pain persists, call Dr. Davis's office at 210-490-3668. He can provide relief with conservative treatments such as physical therapy, foot orthotics, supportive shoes and minor toenail procedures.

For more information on foot and ankle conditions, visit http://www.southtexaspodiatrist.com/ or the American College of Foot and Ankle Surgeons’ Web site FootHealthFacts.org.


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