Pregnancy triggers many different changes in a woman’s body. Many women have common complaints about their feet throughout their pregnancy. Due to natural weight gain, a woman’s center of gravity is completely altered. This causes added pressure to the hips, knees, and feet.
Common Pregnancy-related Issues
Some of the most common complaints of pregnant women are leg cramping, varicose veins, edema or water retention, and overall foot pain. It’s important for women to learn all they can about foot health during their pregnancy to help make this nine-month period as comfortable as possible.
Overpronation and edema are both very common foot problems during pregnancy. Overpronation can create extreme stress and inflammation of the plantar fascia. Many of the ligaments and tendons of the foot are often stressed and strained as well, resulting in overall foot pain. Edema, or swelling of the feet, is normal and occurs as the enlarging uterus puts pressure on the blood vessels in the pelvis and legs, causing circulation to slow down and fluids to pool in the lower extremities.
If swelling of the feet is severe, or it extends to the upper body as well, a call to your doctor is warranted.
Treatment
It’s important that pregnant woman eat a healthy diet rich in vital nutrients for the development of a healthy baby, get plenty of rest, and regularly visit her doctor during her nine-month term.
The use of a custom-fitted ezWalker® Custom Performance Orthotic provides support and stability for the foot, creating better balance and posture while reducing stress on the entire body. For the pregnant woman, ezWalker® Custom Orthotics coupled with properly fitted footwear are important to reduce the effects of edema conditions and provide better stability while lessening any risks of falls. The ezWalker® Custom Orthotic fits well in all shoes and transfers from shoe to shoe with ease. HTP heel seats also will cushion the heel while adding anti-shock protection to every step.
Make sure you fit your shoes properly. Have your fit checked regularly. And remember, the size on the measuring device is only a reference. Mass-manufactured shoes are NOT all created equal. Refer to the Shoe Fitting Reference Guide for proper guidelines on how to best fit your shoes.
If you follow these guidelines and your foot pain persists, you must seek the counsel of a physician for proper diagnosis and treatment.
