People experiencing back, hip and knee pain have no clue that those types of pain come directly from the feet. We often neglect our feet and it’s even more common to forget not to stand on our feet for so long and have a few long rests, especially the ones whose jobs involve standing on their feet for longer periods.
Back pain occurs mainly because of improper body postures or standing up for far too long. Many factors can affect back pain, but it’s mainly because we forget to rest our feet or treat ourselves with a little foot massage every once in a while.
Luckily for us, there’s a way which can be truly beneficial for your pain and that way comes directly from the feet. Massaging your feet or taking some time to take care of your feet can help you immensely in fighting your battles with back, hip and knee pain. Here’re some helpful massaging steps in order to ease back, hip and knee pain:
1. Put some pressure on the toes
If you enjoy some light exercises at home, then starting with the toes will be the best way to go. It improves the blood flow, relaxes your toes and you’ll prevent pain in the feet from the first exercise. Stand up and take big breaths, bend your knees and put some pressure on your toes by lifting your body on your toes up and down 10 times and hold on in that position for at least 3 seconds.
2. The Ballerina Walk
Have you seen a ballerina who has a poor body posture? Probably the answer to this question is NO and this is mainly due to their intensive work out which mainly focuses on the feet. The ballerina walk will improve your posture and will be a great foot exercise. Walk on your feet at least twice a day, five times within a session and with longer breaks to rest the feet. This exercise is also perfect for the balance of the body. You may find this walk difficult at first, but it’ll all get better in time.
3. Circling the Ankles
In order to relieve the pressure in the body and prevent imbalance of the body, this exercise will do wonders for you. Lie down on a mat and bend the legs upwards. Stretch each leg above your body and rotate the ankles by doing small circles clockwise and then repeating the action in the opposite direction for approximately 10 seconds.
4. Exercising the Top of the Foot
Using an exercise band is important at this point, because you’ll need to feel the tension in the band in order to relax it. Sit on the floor and lie down stretching your legs straight. Use a chair or a bedpost in order to wrap the exercise band and the other side should go on the top of your foot. Slide back until you feel a slight tension. This flexing of the foot will help you restore your balance and ease the pain in your back.
5. The Pencil Exercise
This is a useful as well as entertaining exercise because you should hold a pencil with your foot the same as you do with your hand. First, try to take the pen or pencil from the ground, using only your toes and then, try to keep it there for 10 seconds. A very beneficial and fun-to-do exercise which you can do almost anytime and anywhere.
6. The Tennis Ball Massage
A tennis ball can be quite handy when it comes to foot massages. Place the tennis ball under the second toe and move it around with each foot for about 2-3 minutes. This is a rather pleasant experience and it’s a DIY foot massage.
7. The Heel Tendons Stretch
Stand up and turn towards a wall by slightly bending the right knee. Move the hips towards the wall and remember to keep the heels steadily on the ground. Hold in this position for approximately half a minute and rest for another minute. Do the same with the other leg.
8. Stretch the Toes
Sit on a chair with left leg on the right thigh and grab the toes with the right hand. Shake the toes in the same manner as shaking your hands with somebody. Finish by stretching the toes to the side for 10 seconds, three times and then change the other foot.
9. Double Stretching
This exercise will help you stretch your legs as well as your toes. Lie on your back with legs being straight in front of you. Start lifting one of the legs by using a tower and start pulling the towel towards your head. Repeat with each leg and stay in this position for about 30 seconds.
However, if you are facing with persistent pain in the back, hip or knee, the best call is to inform your doctor and decide on a proper therapy. These exercises are extremely beneficial, but if you don’t make them properly or exaggerate in any way, you may cause an even bigger damage to your body.