It is widely known that being overweight is detrimental to your overall health, increasing your risk for heart disease, high blood pressure and diabetes. What I bet you didn’t know is that being overweight is the number one cause of foot problems and can lead to painful feet.

Overweight people have a tendency to take shorter steps, have a wider stance when walking and move more slowly. These small changes in the biomechanics of walking effects the rotation of the feet, changing the weight distribution on the hips, knees, and ankles. The small change in the biomechanics can lead to joint problems of the hips, knees and ankles with joint, tendon and muscle damage in the feet.

It is estimated that when walking the force exerted on the feet is 50 percent greater than the persons body weight. That means if you weigh 200 pounds, the force on your foot when you step is 300 pounds. When walking up an incline or stairs it is estimated that the foot carries 6 times the body’s weight. And women who wear high heels increase the load on their toes by 75%.

Recent studies have shown that even a small increase in weight, as little as 10 pounds, can create foot problems. These foot problems can range from collapsed arches to plantar fasciitis, all resulting in painful feet and hundreds of dollars in medical costs and solutions.

But you can prevent many of the most common foot problems by watching what you eat and exercising moderately each day. Excessive exercise can be hard on the feet, so light exercise with a nutrition program to lose weight is your best option. The relief that your feet will feel after a 10, 20, or even 30 pound loss is tremendous, not to mention that you will feel better about yourself and have more confidence.

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I just wanted to let you know that after planning my daughter’s wedding I had such bad problems with my feet that I couldn’t walk without hobbling. I would sit down and when I would try to walk the pain in my heel and feet were so bad I was walking like I was 80 yrs old. My daughter who is in the Air Force told me about Heel That Pain and I ordered a pair. I can not believe that little insert has done what doctors could not: let me walk pain free. I have told everyone at my work about your inserts. Thank you! Sheryl

Thank you for those kind words Sheryl and I’m looking forward to hearing back from you after some more time in our product. Wishing you all the best! Heel-That-Pain

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Do you worry about taking your shoes off for fear that everyone around you is going to get a whiff of your stinky feet? Here are so helpful tips on how to manage stinky feet and keep them smelling not so smelly.

Clean and dry feet are the first step to eliminating stinky feet. Always wearing clean socks is a great way to keep your feet from being smelly. If you have a work out, make sure to shower and change into clean, dry socks before putting your shoes back on.

When showering, using an anti-bacterial soap can reduce odor-causing bacterial on the feet and stop a lot of odor before it starts. The soap will also get rid of the smell by killing the odor causing bacteria, so at the end of the day, hop in the shower and clean your feet before asking your loved one for a foot massage.

Change your shoes and socks often. Rotating your shoes, especially athletic shoes, can help reduce odor so the shoes have time to dry out and air out. Disinfecting shoes with special shoe sprays can also help to reduce odor. If you do not want to purchase any, washing the shoes in the washing machine with hot water and a strong detergent often eliminates the smell in shoes.

Using foot powders or sprays are also a good way to keep feet dry and avoid smelly feet. Available in your local drug store, these powders absorb much of the wetness that creates the moist climate for odor causing bacterial to develop in.

If you wear insoles, washing them or changing them on a regular basis will help to reduce stinky feet and eliminate the stinky bacteria on/in the insoles.

Wearing sandals during warmer weather allows the feet to breathe and stops a lot of wetness from gathering. Odor bacterial cannot breed in a dry climate so your feet should be relatively stink free.

Stinky feet are a combination of wetness, bacteria and the bacterial breeding in the moist climate of your shoes. If not taken care of, stinky feet can sometimes lead to athlete’s foot, which is a fungus, that breed in moist, warm climates like your stinky feet.

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The best thing for happy feet is following a few tips for overall foot health. If you have problems with your feet, it is important to integrate certain guidelines into your everyday routine.

Buying comfortable shoes is the best thing you can do for your feet. Ill-fitting shoes that are not comfortable can lead to conditions such as bunions, corns and calluses and can irritate sensitive or swollen feet. If you are diabetic it is especially important to find shoes that fit with lots of room to accommodate all 5 toes. If you have bunions, purchasing shoes that have spandex stretch uppers will reduce the pinching and friction that can irritate the bunion. For people who suffer from heel pain, the best thing to do is have comfortable shoes and put over the counter arch support or heel cups in them to relieve pain.

There are many types of orthotics available for all types of foot pain including arch pain, heel pain and general foot pain. Inserts or orthotics are the next step after comfortable shoes for happy feet. Wearing inserts can help to absorb the shock from walking and running, keeping the strain on your foot ligaments and tendons light. This can help with plantar fasciitis, arch pain and toe pain because your feet have less pressure on them and can function normally.

Stretching your feet, just a few times a week, can strengthen and relieve pressure on all of your joints, ligaments, tendons and tissues. Stretching is so simple and relaxing, it should never hurt. When stretching your feet, it is important to reach a threshold where you feel a good stretch but it is not hurting. Hold the stretch for 20 to 30 seconds and push just a little further for the next 5 seconds. On our home page there are tons of exercises and stretches designed for your specific foot pain.

Foot health is very important and we do care about you! You can always email us at CARE(at)HEEL-THAT-PAIN.com with health questions or submit your inquires at the bottom of each page. We want to make your feet happy and we strive everyday to fight foot pain.

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Extracorporeal shock wave therapy, also known as ESWT, is emerging as a treatment for patients with chronic plantar fasciitis that have exhausted all other traditional treatment options.  ESWT targets the heel and delivers focused shock waves, both high-energy waves and low-energy forms, can be used for treatment.

Shockwave therapy is thought to work by causing microtrauma to the plantar fascia and surrounding tissues, which initiates the healing response by the body. This response by the body increases blood vessel formation and delivery of nutrients to the damaged tissues. The microtrauma caused by shockwave therapy is thought to stimulate the repair process and relieve symptoms of plantar fasciitis.

Low-energy shock wave treatments are given in a few sessions, most commonly three. The low-energy shock waves are not painful, or even mildly painful. They are felt very little by the patient and are at such a low frequency, multiple treatments are needed for results.

High-energy shock wave treatment can be quite painful. A single session is all that is needed for high-energy shock wave treatment, since such a high dose of energy is being focused into a single area it is painful and usually requires some type of general anesthesia or a regional block is recommended.

The FDA has approved shock wave treatment for plantar fasciitis since 2000, with numerous trials being performed with good results from randomized studies with shock wave treatment for plantar fasciitis. The patients were treated with three sessions of low-energy shock waves with most patients finding relief that did not with more traditional methods.

Shock wave therapy is a less invasive alternative to plantar fasciitis surgery, which is a last resort for those who suffer from chronic plantar fasciitis.  Surgery to correct plantar fasciitis is not always predictable and has potentially complicating side effects, as well as a low success rate. Shock wave therapy is looking to be a great alternative to surgery with less side effects and more predictable results.

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Glucosamine and Chondroitin Sulfate: Dietary Supplements for Ankle Joint Pain and Foot Arthritis

Glucosamine and Chondroitin Sulfate are two dietary supplements that you can get at any health food store, but what are they for and why would you take them? Glucosamine and Chondroitin Sulfate are substances found naturally in your bod; Glucosamine is an amino sugar that plays a large part in cartilage formation and cartilage repair. Chondroitin sulfate is part of a larger protein molecule that gives your cartilage its elasticity and resiliency. So, if you are experiencing joint pain or have arthritis, taking these two supplements can actually reduce pain and help to slow cartilage damage and even repair cartilage from all those years of wear.

Studies have shown that people with arthritis who take Glucosamine and Chondroitin sulfate experienced pain relief similar to that of nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory medications (NSAIDs), like aspirin or ibuprofen. Research has shown these two supplements slow and can reverse the cartilage damage from arthritis.

So, how do Glucosamine and Chondroitin sulfate work?
Glucosamine and chondroitin sulfate are two of the main molecules that make up the cartilage in your joints. Arthritis is the constant breakdown of the cartilage, without the normal repair process. The idea behind these two supplements is that in order to have the body repair the cartilage in your joints, it needs the building blocks, which are Glucosamine and chondroitin sulfate. Glucosamine and Chondroitin sulfate have very little side effects and show the same pain reduction that anti-inflammatory medications, without the side effects.

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Women, on average, experience more foot pain and foot problems than
men, mainly from all of those years wearing attractive high-heels that
cramp the forefoot and pose risks for ankle and arch problems. As well
as those cute narrow fitting point toed boots that squeeze the toes
into unfathomable shapes.
But what does wearing high-heels and narrow-fitting shoes pose for
women? The most common foot problems for women are neuromas, plantar
fasciitis, and bunions.

Neuromas are the thickening of nerve tissue, usually this occurs at
the base of the third and fourth toes. This condition is also known as
Morton’s Neuroma or intermetatarsal neuroma.
The major factor in the development of neuromas is wearing shoes with
a tight fitting toe box or wearing high heels that push the toes into
the toe box. Active women, such as those that run, play tennis or
racket ball, or play sports that exert repetitive stress on the feet
can cause neuromas.
Treatment for neuromas includes padding or insoles which lessens the
pain on the nerve, icing to reduce swelling, anti-inflammatory to
decrease pain and inflammation, and wearing shoes that have a wide
open toe box.

Heel pain or plantar fasciitis, occurs when the plantar fascia
ligament, that runs the entire length of your foot, develops tears and
inflammation. This can cause a dull to a sharp pain when standing for
a long time or getting out of bed in the morning.
Plantar fasciitis is most common in women, researchers have yet to
determine why this is, but the most common theme with plantar
fasciitis is obesity and wearing non-supportive shoes.
Oddly enough, treatment for plantar fasciitis includes not wearing
flat shoes, but wearing slightly heeled shoes. If you have plantar
fasciitis and feel that wearing heeled shoes will help you, choose a
heeled shoe with a wide toe box to prevent other foot problems.
Walking barefoot is not recommended for those who have plantar
fasciitis, with other treatment options including stretching the calf
muscles regularly, wearing orthotics, like out HTP Heel Seats, and
limiting physical activity.

Bunions, which are often described as a large bump on the side of the
big toe, is an actual change in the bones of the foot. The big toe
joint starts to move over towards the second toe, throwing your foot
out of alignment and causing pain. While tight shoes do not cause
bunions, they are only aggravated by tight high-heeled shoes, which
can continue to move the big toe over.  Bunions are caused by faulty
foot mechanics, but seen more often in women. Also, the number of
bunion surgeries performed on women greatly out numbers those of men.
Treatment for bunions consists of wearing wide toed shoes, padding on
the bunion to prevent irritation, and avoiding high heels can slow the
progression of the deformity. Bunions are a progressive disorder,
starting with the big toe leaning over, gradually the angle of the
bone will change, which produces the bunion “bump”.

So, ladies, how do we keep your feet stylish but happy? Whenever you
can, wear comfortable shoes with a wide toe box. Try as much as
possible to stretch your feet and if you feel pain, ice the area to
keep inflammation at bay. Wearing shoe inserts with cushion or
orthotics can help with your foot problems. Don’t worry though, you
can still put on that sexy and stylish pair of shoes for your big
night out, just make sure that you take care of your feet afterwards.

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We just received this letter from one of our customers and would like to share it with you.

Norma writes:

Yes I first purchased a treatment for myself about 2 years ago then another for me about a year ago. Now I have in the last week purchased two more. One for each of my sisters.

The youngest called complaining about her feet, said the doctor wanted her to go the a specialist. I said not until you try HeelThatPain. So I purchased her a pair. Then my older sister called within 36 hours and said almost the same thing. So I purchased her a set of them.

I had tried to talk to them both about trying them over the last two years and they refused to talk. But now that they might have to face hundreds of dollars for something they are listening.

Two years ago I was almost crippled. I was in so much pain that I could barely stand up without aid. I had been to several doctors and been treated with man