Nothing looks sexier or completes an outfit nicely than stunning pair of high heels. We are willing to put up with lots of pain and discomfort to look and feel pretty, and wearing high heels is one example because it puts a lot of pressure on the ball of the feet when wearing heels. In the article, you will find a guide on relieving foot pain from wearing high heels and how to prevent the pain.
Here are ten tips on how to recover your feet after wearing heels:
- Massage your feet
- Stretch your feet
- Soak them in Epsom salt
- Cold Therapy
- Take pain reliever
- Wear night splints
- Apply foot pain reliever topical medication
- Treat blisters
- Walk barefoot
- Elevate legs
Massage Your Feet
Foot massage stimulates muscles, improves circulation, reduces tension, and eases pain from wearing heels. Massaging feet allows you to inspect your feet for any blisters, cons, bunions, or toenail problems.
As soon as you get home from a long day or a night wearing heels, take the matter into your hands, literally. Start massaging your feet gently in circular motions and pay special attention to areas where it hurts the most. If you have someone to massage your feet for you, it is even better 😉
Stretch Your Feet
There are a few stretching techniques you could apply every time you take your heels off, and they will help you relieve pain from wearing high heels.
- Role your ankles
Rolling your ankles will help you reduce muscle shortening and cramping. Rotate each ankle clockwise and counter-clockwise a couple of times to relieve discomfort.
- Soda can technique
Roll the bottom of your feet over a soda can or any other bottle. It will help prevent plantar fascia and relieve tension. You can easily do this while watching TV when you get home from work or after a night out.
- Stretch your calves
To stretch your calves after wearing heels, step forward and push your hands against the wall and step forward and push against the wall until you feel the stretch in your calves. Do this exercise for 30 seconds and then switch the legs.
Please check out this Youtube video for detailed instructions on stretching your calves.
- Flex your toes
Flexing your toes helps counteract the cramped position your feet endeavor while wearing heels.
Soak Your Feet In Epsom Salt
Epsom salt will take out the toxins to minimize inflammation and swelling of your feet. Epsom salt is very effective for relaxation because it contains Magnesium.
Add two tablespoons of Epsom salt to warm water and soak your feet for 15 minutes, and you will feel much better in no time!
Here is my recommendation for Epsom salt you should use for your feet:
Ice Your Feet Or Cold Therapy
Icing your feet may seem brutal and unbearable, but trust me, it will help you! Cold therapy is used for foot pain because ice constricts blood vessels and swelling, whereas heat has the opposite effect.
Cold therapy numbs sensory fibers that relieve the pain. Put ice cubicles in a plastic bag and apply them to your feet for about 15 minutes.
I know what you might be thinking by now.. this is too much work and hustle for wearing heels but trust me, it is worth it!
Pain Killers
Many over counter pain relievers can help reduce pain and discomfort. For example, ibuprofen targets pain and inflammation.
Wear Night Splints
Night splints can help with your foot pain because night splints hold your feet in a place during your sleep. Night splints help with inflammation in your feet as well.
To check out night splints on Amazon, click here.
Foot Pain Topical Pain Medication
There are a few over-the-counter options for medication that you can apply to your foot to help with the pain. These medications have a cooling effect and pain-relieving properties.
Blister Treatment
Blisters are very common when wearing heels, and they can be very painful. Blisters are painful and bothersome but heel on their own in a week or two.
There are a few options to treat blisters:
- Cover the blisters with a bandage. It is crucial to cover the blisters loosely so they have room to breathe and heal properly.
- Do not pop or drain blisters because this may lead to infection. Just allow time to heal your blisters.
- Keep the blister area clean, dry, and covered.
- Prevent blisters by putting bandages on the problem areas where you are prone to getting blisters.
Walk Barefoot
Walking barefoot is a great option to relieve the pain from wearing high heels considering you don’t have any open wounds such as blisters. If you don’t have any blisters, walk barefoot as much as possible because it will help your foot relax and “breathe” after being constrained in the heels.
Elevate Your Legs
There is nothing more satisfying than kicking back and relaxing after a long day of wearing heels. Swelling is very common when wearing heels, and it happens due to the accumulation of excess fluid or inflammation.
Elevating your legs above your heart level helps drain excess fluid and helps improve blood flow in your lower extremities.
Why Do My Feet Hurt So Much After Wearing Heels?
Feet hurt after wearing high heels because high heels put lots of pressure on the ball of your foot. Your foot is used to balance its back and front, so it is natural that when you put on your favorite pair of heels, your forefoot starts to feel lots of pressure.
The pain in the joints in the ball of the foot caused by wearing heels can lead to a stress fracture over time. This problem can be easily solved by decreasing your heel height, and I wouldn’t recommend wearing heels higher than two inches.
Can You Damage Your Feet Wearing Heels?
Wearing high heels can damage your feet. Heels create excess pressure on the ball of your feet. Wearing heels higher than three inches can lead to a stress fracture. A stress fracture is a small crack in the bones of your feet that occurs without an injury.
This is why I always recommend wearing heels no higher than two inches for beginners and even those who have been wearing heels for a longer time.
Feet are a very complex body part. Due to their complexity, even a minor injury can significantly impact the entire foot structure. For example, when you get a blister on one of your toes, you will attempt to alleviate pain on that toe by changing the way you walk. This will put pressure on other areas and may lead to discomfort and pain in those other areas by just walking differently for one hour.
Now imagine what wearing heels do to your feet. High heels are by far more destructive than the scenario I just mentioned.
Feet are designed to hit the ground heel first and then roll up to your feet’ balls to move forward while walking. High heels change the way your feet push away from the ground.
What Happens When You Stop Wearing Heels?
High heels can cause numerous issues, such as discomfort, muscle fatigue, knee problems, and even changes in ankle functions.
Luckily, damage caused by wearing high heels isn’t permanent and can be reversed.
Here is what happens if you stop wearing high heels:
- Reduced back pain. When you wear high heels, your pelvis tilts back, putting more pressure on your lumbar spine and the surrounding muscles. So not only can that cause your pelvis to go out of alignment, but it can also give you some pretty irritating back pain. It causes your pelvis to go out of alignment and gives you some annoying back pain. Once you stop wearing high heels, your pelvis will align again, which will end your back pain.
- Calf muscles will lengthen. When you wear high heels regularly, you shorten calf muscles. When you stop wearing heels or wear them sometimes, your calf muscles will get back to normal length. This will make your strides less painful.
- Decreased toe numbness. After wearing high heels, you must be familiar with tingly sensations or no sensation in your toes. High heels can pinch nerves in your toes, causing a tingle sensation, burning, and numbness. You will feel your toes again once you stop wearing heels.
- Decreased risk of fungal infections. Prolonged high heel use may lead to certain types of unappealing infections. High heels and pointed shoes can cause pressure on the big toe that damages the toenail. Deformed and damaged toenail is more exposed to fungal infection. You will decrease pressure on your toenail when you stop wearing heels, which will result in fungal infection not developing.
- Less likely to develop deformities. Prolonged high heel use can develop hammertoes or bunions, which are hard to reverse. If you still haven’t developed these, you might want to opt for flats on occasion or two.
- It reduces knee pain. Wearing high heels can contribute to osteoarthritis in women. When you stop or reduce wearing high heels, you will avoid knee wear, tear, or damage.
Final Words
I know that it is too much to expect to kick the heels curbside, even with all of these adverse side effects. I know that I won’t stop wearing heels because they look and make me feel so good, haha. However, I hope that these tips on recovering your feet after wearing heels have helped and will help you in the future. It would be beneficial to reduce how often you wear heels to avoid more adverse health risks that come from wearing heels.
