Foot pain after pregnancy?

[MarisaSF]

Mine is not horrible, but it is persistent. Looking for BTDT tips.
I'm 3+ months post-partum. My feet ache as soon as I take a step after getting out of bed or after sitting for a while. Ouch! The first steps are like walking across hot coals!

My OB has seen this with other patients (I didn't have it after DD's birth, so it's new for me). She says it's related to the relaxin of pregnancy and will often go away by 4-6 months PP. If not, she can refer me to either a podiatrist or an orthopedist who specializes in this type of pain.

I flex and point my feet before getting out of bed. Any other stretches to try? Maybe massaging them would help? Any strengthening tips?

[brittone2]

nak-
sounds like it could be plantar fasciitis. Physical therapy can help. Stretching ("calf" types of stretches), rolling foot on a tennis ball, not sleeping w/ feet tucked into sheets (pointing them all night will make it worse). If you pronate, possibly orthotics. Personally, I'd start w/ PT. They can use therapeutic ultrasound, etc to get the major inflammation calmed down, and then the stretching, etc. will be more effective. Sleeping baby in lap or I could give you more info...

eta: night splints can also help

edited again now that DD is awake:
The thing w/ waiting too long is that you don't want it to start affecting your other joints...knee, hip, sacroiliac joint, low back, etc. due the pain. PT is very effective for plantar fasciitis (assuming that is what you are dealing w/, which I can't say definitively without being there to do an eval in person, so check with your doctor and all those disclaimers LOL).

The increased ligamentous laxity from pregnancy combined with the weight gain of pregnancy definitely could have contributed to things. That said, I am not sure I'd be willing to wait very long having that kind of pain. You definitely don't want it to start impacting other body parts or getting worse. If you can swing it, I'd try to get to PT for a few visits and have them start you on a home program.

[MarisaSF]

Thanks, Beth. I should add that I can run and walk at other parts of the day just fine. It's just those first few steps out of bed or off of chairs that have me wincing. Since it goes away, I feel bad complaining about it. At the same time, I don't want it to get worse. My running shoes and inserts correct my over-pronation for running. I am guilty of usually wearing unsupportive flip flops during the day though... even with carrying baby. I should probably change that.

I have a rolling foot ball somewhere. I think it's in DD's ball collection; off to find it!

[brittone2]

Wear your orthotics woman!! How old are they? Step away from the flip flops and wear supportive shoes and your orthotics (assuming they aren't old and are still effective for you). When your feet pronate they put a lot of tension on the plantar fascia, which really gets things irritated in there. Getting your foot in better alignment will ease some of that tension off of the fascia.

Having the most intense pain when you wake up in the a.m. is classic presentation for Plantar Fasciitis. Since most people sleep w/ their feet pretty "pointed" all night, the fascia (tough connective tissue on the bottom of your foot) gets really tight overnight as a result. When you step out of bed in the morning, you are putting a sudden stretch on it, and the result is some pretty significant pain!

It is going away now once you are up and going, but over time that may not be the case, and it could impact your other joints.

PTs are very, very used to what you are describing and won't think you are complaining unnecessarily or anything. Believe me :) I know getting to PT with two kids is a challenge, but if you can swing it, it will likely help a lot and it might save you having to do some more unpleasant measures to ease the pain down the road.

[MarisaSF]

Okay. Points taken!!! ;) Thanks!
I only wear inserts with running shoes and I only use those to run (2-3x/week).
I will avoid wearing my unsupportive flip flops. My Tevas seem to have good arch support. Do you think that's sufficient for daily use. Any other casual sandals (I'd prefer not to wear socks in this weather) that have good arch support?

I'll try to pay attention to how my feet are when I'm sleeping.

[brittone2]

Probably not what you want to hear, but hands-down, your best bet is to wear your sneaks w/ your orthotics as much as possible (I have this discussion w/ my mom pretty often as she has heel spurs which are pretty closely related, and PF can progress to causing heel spur issues over time). IMO the arch support on the Tevas is unlikely to be enough to keep you in good alignment. You really should wear the orthotics (I know, I know...I hear the booing from you already ;) )

Definitely try not to have your feet tightly tucked under the sheets. Even if you avoid that, you probably will still end up with your toes "pointed" while you sleep. It is pretty hard to do anything else. Tight sheets over top of your feet will make it way worse though. That's why the night splints might be helpful or even necessary. It gets your feet into a better position for a prolonged period of time. It can be hard to get the PF to go away since most of us spend several hours a night (with two kiddos probably not as many hours a night as you'd like though!!) in a position that aggravates the condition.

I hope you can get some relief!

[o_mom]

Definately what Beth said. Sounds like plantar fasciitis and unsupportive shoes just make it worse. I have had it for years and I am pretty resigned to wearing tennis shoes all the time with the little gel inserts. Crocs seem to be OK, but any kind of dress shoes or sandals and I will pay for it the next day. It is extremely hard to get rid of completely, but stretching exercises can help as well as the other stuff mentioned. I found mine actually gets better in pregnancy, but not everyone does.

[Tondi G]

what about a pair of birkenstock sandals or Dansko sandals????

[ha98ed14]

Me too!!! Me too!!! Me too!!!!!!

I am also exactly 3 mos post pardum (baby born May 30) and I am STILL in pain. In fact, I went yesterday to have x rays of my feel taken and I am going to a podiatrist on Sept 11.

I have the feeling it is plantar fa****is (sp?) That is what my good friend, who is a podiatrist in Chicago, said when I described my sympotoms to her over the phone. (We live in CA). I found a good dose of motrin or advil will help. If you are taking the over the counter brand, try taking 1 and a half times the recommended dose.

Why wait another 3 months to see if it will go away- get a referral from your OB or your family doctor NOW!

HTH, Liz

[bubbaray]

It does sound like PF to me, though that condition is usually found in runners who ramp up their milege too quickly.

FWIW, my feet hurt for 6m post partum with DD#1. I didn't have it with DD#2.

HTH

Melissa

DD#1: 04/2004

DD#2: 01/2007

[nicoleandjackson]

My sister and I are both suffering from intermittent plantar fascitis. Here are some suggestions:

Never, never go barefoot (flip-flops are just as bad)
Stretch the arches of your feet before you get out of bed by gently pulling your toes back
Rolling the sole of your foot on a frozen water bottle feels great!

We've also found that wearing Crocs helps. The clog ones are too hot for me to wear in the summer, so I've been wearing the Cleo style. However, they make a clog style just for plantar pain:

http://shop.crocs.com/pc-46-4-relief.aspx?reqid=46&reqProdTypeId=411p&subsectionname=footwear§ion=products

HTH and that you get some relief soon!

Nicole, Mommy to Jackson 4/30/02