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Foot Arthritis Exercises to Help Relieve Pain
Body Part:
Foot & Leg
Equipment:
The Knee Hero & Mini Foam Roller
Level:
Beginner
Foot Arthritis Exercises to Help You Relieve the Pain
We rely on our feet for almost all of our physical activity. Thanks to these ticklish, supportive appendages, we can stand, walk, run, and jump. If you have arthritic feet, you are all too familiar with how the disease limits a healthy, active lifestyle. Some people with foot arthritis even find that the simple act of walking causes excruciating pain.
Arthritis can develop anywhere in your foot, from the heel to the toes. We’ve developed an exercise program that targets each area of your foot so you can relieve any joint pain you may have and increase your foot’s range of motion. All you need to perform our foot exercises for arthritis are our Knee Hero and Mini Foam Roller. If you don’t have our tools, use a stack of books and a tennis ball. Jump to our routine to start exercising, or keep reading to learn more about types of foot arthritis, causes, and symptoms.
More About Foot Arthritis
Arthritis is inflammation in and around the joints. The condition causes pain, stiffness, and swelling. Although there are over one hundred different types of arthritis, the most common that develop in our feet are:
- Osteoarthritis (also known as wear-and-tear arthritis and degenerative arthritis) causes the cartilage at the ends of the bones in our feet to wear down. If there is no cartilage to act as a cushion between the bones, they rub against each other; the friction causes foot and ankle pain. You may be at risk of developing osteoarthritis if you are overweight or members of your family suffer from the condition. Osteoarthritis may appear only in one foot.
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Rheumatoid arthritis is an autoimmune disease. If you have rheumatoid arthritis, your immune system attacks the synovial membrane lining your joints. The synovial membrane becomes swollen and damages your foot’s bones, cartilage, tendons, and ligaments. According to a study, more than 70% of individuals suffering from rheumatoid arthritis experience moderate to severe foot pain 1). You may develop hammer toe. In most cases, rheumatoid arthritis simultaneously affects the same joints in each foot. The cause of rheumatoid arthritis is unknown.
- Post-traumatic arthritis results from a foot injury like a fracture, dislocation, or sprain. Trauma to the foot can cause the joint cartilage to wear down. Symptoms of post-traumatic arthritis can take anywhere from a few years to decades to appear.
Symptoms of Foot Arthritis Are:
- foot pain,
- stiff, swollen, or inflamed joints,
- pain that’s caused by movement,
- your foot feels warm or tender to the touch,
- pain that’s worse after a period of not moving (sleeping or sitting),
- difficulty walking.
Get Your Knee Hero & Mini Foam Roller
Buy the Knee Hero and Mini Foam Roller in our online shop. We’ve got lots of pain-relieving tools waiting to be added to your shopping cart.
Take me to the shop.Foot Arthritis Exercises for Pain Relief
To maximize the benefits of our routine, exercise intensely and intelligently. Challenge yourself to stretch and massage at a high intensity that may produce an uncomfortable sensation. (This is a sign that the exercises are working.) However, do not stretch or massage to the point that your breaths become short and shallow or you find that you’re holding your breath or clenching your teeth.
Exercise 1: Calf Stretch
For this exercise and the next, you’ll need our Knee Hero. We recommend exercising near a wall in case you need to support yourself.
- Stack your Knee Hero. If you are new to stretching, we recommend using only the large wedge for a low intensity, gentle stretch. If you stretch regularly, you’re probably ready for a challenge. Stack a small wedge on top of the large. For a maximum intensity stretch, stack all three wedges.
- Stand on the Knee Hero with your affected foot.
- Lock your knee and lean your hips forward until you feel a stretch in your calf muscles.
- Hold for about 1 minute.
- Press the ball of your foot against the Knee Hero and hold for about 10 seconds. Release and lean further forward.
- Repeat for about 1 minute.
- Slowly come out of the stretch and finish.
- Switch feet if necessary.
Exercise 2: Achilles’ Stretch
- Choose one Knee Hero wedge.
- Stand on the Knee Hero with your affected foot and bend your knee. You’ll feel a stretch in your Achilles’.
- Hold for about 1 minute.
- Press the ball of your foot into the Knee Hero and hold for about 10 seconds. Release and lean further forward.
- Repeat for about 1 minute.
- Slowly straighten your leg and finish.
- Repeat with the other foot if necessary.
Exercise 3: Toe Pull
- Sit back on your heels.
- Reach back and grab the toes of your affected foot.
- Pull your toes upwards. You’ll feel a stretch along the top of your foot. Continue pulling for about 1 minute.
- Create resistance by pressing the top of your foot against the floor as you continue to pull your toes.
- Hold for about 10 seconds, release, and pull your toes higher.
- Repeat for about 1 minute.
- Slowly let go of your toes and finish.
- Repeat on the other foot if necessary.
Exercise 4: Toe Stretch
- Crouch down into a runner’s starting position with your affected foot at the front.
- Bring yourself forward until your upper body is over your affected foot. The ball of your foot should be bearing your weight. If you are ready for a more intense stretch, curl your other foot around your heel.
- You’ll feel a stretch in your toes. Hold for about 1 minute.
- Bring yourself further forward until your toes almost lift off the floor.
- Hold for about 1.5 minutes.
- Slowly come out of the position.
- Repeat on the other foot if necessary.
Exercise 5: Toe Flexion & Extension
- Sit on the floor. Lay your affected foot on your other leg, just above the knee.
- Grab your toes and pull them toward your heel. You’ll feel a stretch along the top of your foot.
- Hold for about 1 minute.
- Create resistance by pressing your toes against the pull of your hand. Hold for about 10 seconds, release, and pull your toes closer to your heel.
- Repeat twice and finish.
- Reach your hand under your toes so that your big toe is against the base of your thumb. Pull your toes as far back as you can and hold for about 1 minute.
- Create resistance by pressing your toes against the pull of your hand. Hold for 10 seconds, release, and pull your toes back further.
- Repeat twice.
- Finish and repeat on the other foot if necessary.
Exercise 6: Sole Foam Roll Massage
For this exercise, you’ll need the Mini Foam Roller or a tennis ball.
- Place the mini foam roller in front of your affected foot and grab it with your toes.
- Apply as much pressure as you can and slowly roll your foot forward.
- Stop when you reach the centre. Bring your knee in slightly to press the inside edge of your foot.
- Continue rolling slowly until you reach the edge of your heel.
- Finish, and repeat on the other foot if necessary.
How Often Should I Exercise?
To relieve your foot arthritis pain, perform our exercises 6 days a week with 1 day of rest.
Sources & Studies
- ↑1 Rao S. (2013). Quantifying foot function in individuals with rheumatoid arthritis: recent advances and clinical implications. Arthritis care & research, 65(4), 493–494. https://doi.org/10.1002/acr.21855
Get more Exercises For Foot Pain
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