5 Tips for People Who Stand All Day Long

Posted on December 4, 2018 | Categories: Foot Care, Foot Pain | Tags: , ,

Teachers, nurses, and cashiers could tell you all about their aching feet. So could hairdressers, pastry chefs, and mail carriers. These are people who spend a lot of time standing up on the job. If you spend the bulk of your day vertical as these folks do, it’s normal for your feet to feel tired. Maybe even a bit swollen at the end of the day.

Podiatrists Chanda L. Day-Houts, DPM and Heidi M. Christie, DPM of Montgomery Foot Care Specialists offer this advice: if you stand a lot for a living, expect your feet to feel it, and take these 5 steps to help prevent pain and suffering:

  • Take a good, hard look at your shoes.
    When you’re on your feet all day, you simply must pay attention to the shoes that support them. Do they offer any support at all? Do they have the proper cushioning? Is there a shoe that would work better for your high arches?
  • Visit a podiatrist
    If you’ve never given your arches a second thought, now’s the time to make an appointment with our expert podiatrists to have your feet examined. It’ll be easier to find the right shoes when you have a podiatrist’s evaluation of your foot. Dr. Christie and Dr. Day-Houts can recommend the best type of shoe for your foot that will move you toward a pain-free work day.
  • Take frequent breaks.
    Get off your feet whenever possible. Alternate between standing and sitting. Get your blood moving by leaving the cash register and stocking shelves for a time.
  • Stretch, lunge, or squat.
    A corollary to taking frequent breaks is to briefly change the position of your lower body.
  • Pamper your feet when you can.
    Once you’re home and off your feet, treat them like kings. Take the time to keep them clean, moisturize them, massage them, soak them in healing Epsom salt, and perform deliberate foot and toe stretching exercises.

If you follow these tips but find you’ve got constant pain or swelling in your feet, there may be something more serious going on. Contact our office in Montgomery, Alabama at (334) 396-3668) or make an appointment online to schedule a complete evaluation.