What is one of the most sensitive, defense-raising topics of conversation in America today? The issue of obesity. Weight is a sensitive issue. Maintaining healthy weight can be challenging, especially in today’s culture of fast food and unhealthy snacks. It’s also hard to face the idea that you might be obese and the significant lifestyle changes you would have to make to alter that. Being overweight can drastically affect your body in more ways than just your appearance. The problems of obesity and your feet can cause distress and pain that limit your mobility and quality of life.
Supporting the Pounds
Your feet are responsible for carrying your whole body around. They must absorb the impact of striking the ground, and the strain of your body bearing down on them, at the same time. The more weight they must support, the harder they must work—and the more stress the tissues are under. Being obese, or even overweight, stresses your lower limbs and wears down your foot structures over time. Connective tissues stretch out, natural fat pads in your soles compress down, and muscles must work harder to do their jobs.
All the extra pressure on your lower limbs can make spending time on your feet very uncomfortable. You’re more prone to overuse injuries and problems like tendonitis, plantar fasciitis, and arthritis. More serious issues like peripheral artery disease and diabetes are also more common among those who are obese. Since walking, and even standing, often becomes painful and unpleasant, someone who is overweight is less likely to exercise so they can avoid the discomfort. This, in turn, makes them more likely to gain additional weight, compounding the pain and becoming a negative cycle of discomfort.
Reducing the Effect
Although treating foot pain from obesity may involve some challenging lifestyle changes, you can manage your discomfort conservatively. You need your feet to keep you mobile. You can work with your general health providers and with the foot pain experts here at Absolute Foot Care Specialists to accommodate your lower limbs and make the changes you need to relieve the stress on your feet and ankles.
Adjusting your footwear to models with sufficient cushioning and support can help brace your foot structures and relieve some of the pressure on them. Make sure your shoes are wide enough for your feet, too. Since extra weight can stretch out the connective tissues holding your bones together, your feet may have widened somewhat with time. Custom orthotics may help add any extra stabilization or padding you need if your shoes are not enough.
Losing weight and increasing your activities, as hard as they are, will be the most important parts of relieving your foot pain. Dr. Noah Levine will work with you to determine a foot-friendly program that can help you exercise more comfortably. He may recommend low-impact exercises, especially at first, to take the strain off your lower limbs. Then you can condition your feet to handle other or more intense activity.
If you’re overweight and struggle with foot pain, don’t let it keep you sitting down. With a little help from Absolute Foot Care Specialists in Las Vegas, you can relieve the pressure on your lower limbs and improve your activities. Don’t just accept that weight can cause foot pain—do something about it. Contact our offices by visiting the online contact page or by calling (702) 839-2010.