How to Treat Night Foot Pain
Foot pain comes with discomfort. It ranges from mild to really serious and can also be a symptom or pointer to a particular major illness like stroke or arthritis.
Some people experience foot pain all through the day, while surprisingly, some people experience it only at night. Night foot pain can disrupt your sleep and make you wake up tired.
Do you experience foot pain at night? Proceed into this article to see those factors that cause you to experience this pain and why the pain is always coming at night. In addition, this article elaborates on the possible self-treatments and home remedies that can be adopted to eliminate the pain. Although as effective as these remedies may be, it is important to still visit the doctor for further check-ups.
Causes of Night Foot Pain
Plantar Fasciitis
There is a tissue that runs from your forefoot to your heels. This tissue is known as plantar fasciitis. When excess pressure is placed on this tissue, it gets stretched and stressed such that you begin to feel pains in that area. The foot pain that comes from this tissue is named after the tissue itself-planter fasciitis.
Causes of Plantar Fasciitis
- Flat feet
- High arches
- Tight calf muscle
- Obesity and overweight
- Standing for a long time without support
Though plantar fasciitis pain usually comes at night, it’s more painful in the early hours of the morning.
Morton’s Neuroma
This is caused by an inflamed nerve in the toes. From this foot ache, you get a pinching kind of sensation that comes in handy with burning sensations. The pain runs through the day and gets worse at night in some people, while in other people, the reverse is the case. Most times, when the pain gets worse in the day, it may be as a result of the exertion of excess pressure on the toes or feet.
Most people who have Morton’s neuroma have the following feet defects;
- Hammertoe
- High arches
- Flat feet
- Bunions
Pregnancy
The processing of calcium takes a new dimension during pregnancy, which can lead to some tenderness or pains of some sort in the feet of pregnant women. This is why pregnant women are advised to consume vitamin D-rich foods and supplements as much as they can in order to enhance the absorption and correct processing of calcium in their bodies.
Diabetes
Studies found that the consumption of excess sugar can tamper with your nerves, which include the nerves in the feet. As the diabetes symptoms increase, you may experience tingling and pinching in your feet, and these sensations can get worse over time if left untreated.
Fibromyalgia
Fibromyalgia is a severe condition that causes stiffness of bones. This stiffness can impede mobility as well as induce discomfort and pain. Fibromyalgia occurs mostly in the parts of the body that are mostly used, as well as parts of the body that takes in the most frequent pressure. Fibromyalgia gets worse at night as a result of the low secretion of the anti-inflammatory cortisol hormone that masks pain. When this hormone’s secretion level drops, the pain gets worse. Recent studies found that this hormone is usually produced in tiny amounts at night. Amounts that are not sufficient enough to help reduce the pain at night. This is why fibromyalgia gets worse at night.
Pinched Nerves
Tarsal tunnel syndrome is a health condition that occurs when some nerves in your ankle receive excess pressure. Also, a nerve known as the sciatic nerve gets inflamed when it is compressed.
Pinched nerves get worse at night because more pressure is placed on those nerves at night while you sleep.
Lifestyle Factor
Other foot pain causes can be traced to certain lifestyle factors like wrong walking or standing positions. Also, the kind of shoes you wear can also lead to foot pain. These shoes may be too tight and place pressure on some nerves in your foot, while other kinds of shoes may be too high that they stretch out strenuously, the tissues and muscles in your leg.
Lifestyle factors that may lead to foot pain include;
- Standing or walking for a long period of time
- Poor shoe support
- Weight
- Certain sleeping position
- Sitting for a long period of time
Foot Anatomy
The structure of certain people’s feet is the cause of their foot pain at night. People who have feet with high arches, as well as those who have flat feet, may experience more foot pain at night than those with normal feet structure.
Types of Foot Pain
Heels Pain
This pain occurs at the bottom of your heel, which may cause you so much pain when you try standing or walking.
Sometimes pain in the heels comes as a result of bad shoe support-too high or too tight.
Big Toe Pain
This occurs when the bones and the joints in the big toe pound against each other as a result of running, standing or walking. This pounding can cause your big toe to swell in the joint area.
Pain in Other Toes
When excess pressure is placed on your two middle toes, you begin to feel cramps in them while you sleep. Also, pains from the two middle toes can cause toe numbness as well as cramps in the tie.
Pain When Lying Down
Some pains occur naturally when you are lying down. This could be a result of your lying position. You may feel more of this pain in your thigh.
Peripheral Neuropathy
This pain comes from nerve damage in the feet and can be quite severe both day and night. It comes with a burning sensation and soreness of the inner part of the feet. People with peripheral neuropathy experience numbness in their feet.
Night foot pain is related. They cause burning, tingling, and other painful sensations that bring discomfort at night and prevent you from having a quality sleep.
Home Remedies for Night-time Foot Pain
Not all foot pains require medical attention. Some can be treated at home but under the supervision and monitoring of a professional medical practitioner. Some of the remedies for night-time foot pain include;
Hydration
Drinking plenty of healthy fluids like water throughout the day can keep you hydrated and also prevent muscle cramping at night. In addition, when there is enough water in the body, other fluids within the body travel easier and with great speed, thus reducing the risk of swelling of any part of the body, including the legs.
Stretches
Gentle stretching of the toes and feet can help relieve stiff muscles and tendons within and around your feet.
Exercises
As much as walking, jogging, and running can cause foot pain, so also can sitting cause foot pain, especially when it is done the wrong way and when it is done for a long period of time. Engaging in moderate exercises would help relieve foot pains caused by the above-mentioned actions.
Ice
Place an ice pack carefully wrapped in a cloth behind your feet if you feel a burning or tingling sensation. The ice would bring relief and reduce the pains that come with the tingling. Continue the ice pack treatment for about 10 minutes and repeat again after one hour.
Massage
Massaging your feet can aid circulation that would help relieve the pains in your feet. It also eases the pressure and tension placed on tissues and muscles. Add healthy oils to the massage process for better results.
Prevention
How Do You Prevent Foot Pain?
- Wear good shoes; do not wear too tight or too high shoes, as wearing these could place pressure on the muscles, tendons, and nerves in your feet.
- Massage your feet after a long day of standing, walking, and sitting for a long time.
- Engage in mild exercises to enhance the smooth function of your joints and muscles.
In conclusion, night-time foot pains are caused by various factors. Some of these factors include natural factors and lifestyle factors. In order to prevent quality sleep from being snatched from you, it is best to follow the prevention measures of night foot pain. If you feel any severe pain, it is important to speak with your doctor, so that immediate treatment will be administered for the treatable ones and drugs will be recommended to manage the untreatable ones. On the other hand, if your night-time feet pain is mild, you can adopt any home remedy that best suits you.
