Areas Of Imbalance And Risk Of Injury
Key areas of imbalance, are the: lower back muscles , abdominals , hip muscles and the hamstrings .
If you can imagine that the muscles from behind you are tightening while those in front are extending, then you can visualize the lumbar discs and facet joints being pinched, causing a bulge out in front. You can develop an anterior pelvic tilt which is worsened by excess weight.
When this occurs over an extended period, the facet joints become worn and inflamed leading the facet joint inflammation, wear, and discomfort.
Chronic imbalance also leads to advanced disc degeneration, especially to the L5-S1 disc. The L5-S1 is the most important yet abused disc, crucial for your lumbar flexibility and protection.
Talk To A Podiatric Physician If Pain Persists
Prolonged sitting has been a major concern in the workplace for many years however, it has been overshadowed by prolonged standing. It is important to know and understand the effects of prolonged standing and how to manage or prevent likely resultant conditions.
As explained above, there are numerous remedies to prolonged standing. If pain persists, talk to a podiatric physician to diagnose and treat severe conditions that might affect your lower extremities, including ankles. Seek medical attention if none of the strategies discussed above seem to help.
Apply Ice After A Shift
You may be familiar with the old RICE acronym after a workout?
Rest, ice, compression and elevation
If we look specifically at the ice component, it is brilliant for decreasing inflammation not just after an injury but also after a long shift.
If youre looking for a cheaper option, see our Pro Tip below. But if you can spare a few $$$s, then you should check out these NatraCure Cold Therapy Socks. Wed never seen anything like it and thought what a great idea!
Pro Tip
Fill a water bottle ¾ full of water and put it in the freezer. Then when youre ready to use it, fill up the remainder of the bottle with water at room temperature and place under the arch of your foot. The running water stops the ice burn on your foot. Its magnificent! .
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Why Does Your Back Hurt After Standing
Did you know?
Your pain doesnt necessarily have to do with your age, your weight, or the strength of your back muscles.
Here are the possible causes:
1. Tensed Muscles muscles have to constantly work to keep you upright. Standing in one position requires some kind of rest, otherwise, the joints from your neck to your feet can become temporarily stuck.
The muscles get tired and their tendons and ligaments can get damaged, which means inflammation and pain.
2. Circulation standing still for long periods reduces blood flow to your muscles. The lack of movement reduces the blood returning to the heart.
This causes the veins to become inflamed and the muscles, which dont get enough blood supply, start to ache.
3. Footwear if you stand on hard surfaces and you dont have the proper footwear , it can make your pain much worse.
4. Poor fitness and excess weight obviously, these will aggravate lower back pain while and after standing.
5. Bad posture standing often leads to poor posture. As a result, the shoulders slouch forward, the hip flexors are tight, and you have too much arch in your lower back.
6. Overly Tight Hamstrings this is a little known cause, but it happens. Overly tight hamstrings can pull on muscles of your lower back and cause muscle pain.
Stretch & Mobilise Your Body
I’ve already gone over this one briefly in the microbreaks section.
But it’s so important that I think it deserves it’s own section.
Because regularly stretching your body is one of the best things you can do to prevent and reduce your back pain.
Especially when you have to stand for long periods.
Because when you’re standing in the same position for so long your muscles can shorten and weaken, which makes them tight and sore.
And this can cause you many problems such muscle imbalances and developing a poor posture which puts your back under increasing strain.
However, if you stretch your body out at regular intervals throughout the day your muscles become lengthened and strengthened instead.
Which is great for your back as it gives you:
- Increased flexibility throughout your body.
- A greater range of movement.
- An improved posture.
- Increased circulation.
- And a lower chance of picking up muscle strains and injuries on the job.
All of which will help to reduce the strain on your back as you stand and get rid of any back pain you are feeling.
Just make sure you stretch out your whole body and not just your lower back area when you do this.
As your body is all part of a connected whole and this will prevent any muscle imbalances from developing.
I’ve included the video above from Fitness Blender to give you some ideas of what kinds of stretches you can do.
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Summary: How To Relieve Foot And Leg Pain From Standing All Day
Say no to throbbing, aching legs and feet after a shift once and for all.
Remember, if your feet are happy, youre happy!
Lets all start being a little kinder to our legs and feet by buying high-quality shoes that fit correctly, incorporating stretching and massage into our daily routine and dont be afraid to use ice or elevation for your feet once you get home.
Thanks for reading this post on how to relieve foot and leg pain. What else do you do to relieve the pain? Let us know in the comment section below.
Cheers,
Disclosure: This page may contain affiliate links, meaning we receive a commission if you decide to make a purchase through our links, but this is at no additional cost to you. Please read our disclosure and privacy statement for more info.
Improved Posture For A Healthy Back
Good posture is the position at which you hold your body against gravity. With good posture, there is less strain on supporting muscles and ligaments, which in turn reduce pressure on your foot while standing. The right body posture reduces your chance of developing back pain and leg problems associated with prolonged standing.
Before lifting any heavy object, make sure your feet are firm on the ground. Bend your knees and lift the object without leaning forward. Sit straight upwards without bending your shoulders. Your office desk and chair should be at the right level and proportion to each other to help you maintain a good working posture.
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Benefits Your Physical Health
Just doing your job can help you meet the recommended target for exercise . This exercise can be broken down to 10 or 15 minute chunks if more suitable to you.
Benefits your mental health
Being physically active promotes your body to release chemicals that help improve your mood and make you feel more relaxed.
What Are The Best Shoe Inserts For Standing All Day Our Verdict And Recommendation For 2021
Shoes and shoe inserts are undoubtedly the most important things for maintaining a good condition of feet. Who would think that something so little, that generally seems irrelevant can improve the quality of your life so much? But the reality is that it plays an essential role in determining how well you feel while walking or running! As you can see, there are plenty of insoles, and depending on your needs, if you choose some of them, you will see they will be a real game-changer. We decided to give the title of best shoe inserts 2021 to Dr. Scholls Daily Shock Absorption. In the end, we would like to remind you to revisit the gym-expert.com as we are preparing a lot of new and exciting texts for you, such as the one about shoes for bed knees.
If you bought new best shoe inserts and realized that they are too big, you will need to cut them. To do this, you need to do the following:
- Take the marker and a cutting tool
- Compare the size of the insoles that came with your shoes with those that you bought
- Cut along the marked line
- Et voila! You have perfectly fitted new best shoe inserts.
This depends on the quality of shoe inserts, how often you wear them, and how well you take care of them. If you want them to last longer, you have to make sure that you clean them regularly. On average, if everything is okay, they should last at least three months.
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How To Reduce Pain While Standing
Here are a few tips on how you can help your feet to feel better while youre standing on them:
- Choose Comfortable and Supportive Shoes
This is the #1 thing you can do to improve your foot health and reduce foot pain from standing. Comfortable, supportive shoes will do a lot to help keep your aches and pains to a minimum. Dont go too cheap on your shoes, or else they may not be padded enough or sturdy enough for your needs.
Also, its recommended that you change shoes every 6 8 months if you are consistently on your feet for 8 hours a day Monday through Friday or more often.
- Place Standing Mats Around Work Stations
If possible, ask your boss about placing fatigue mats around the workplace that can help to make standing a bit less of a pain for your feet. These mats are best for anyone who doesnt need to move around a lot and will be spending a significant amount of time in the same place.
- Orthotic Inserts & Heel Pads
Insole inserts and heel pads are not a perfect solution on their own, but when paired with a great set of shoes they can do wonders for your comfort levels. Ideally, you should get a pair of custom made orthotics that match exactly what your specific feet need. The more tailored the support is for your specific feet, the better you will feel throughout the day.
- Compression Socks
- Pain Relief Pills
What Causes Foot Pain From Standing For Long Hours
Just like exercising, standing causes small damage to the muscles and tissue in your feet. For every minute that you stand, a tiny amount of micro-damage happens to the feet that must heal. Beyond this natural tissue damage, foot pain is also caused by the constant work of muscles in the legs, ankles, and feet.
Unlike when youre sitting or walking, standing takes consistent, steady work from a lot of muscles at once. These muscles dont get to rest, because your weight is distributed between the two feet and never sits on any other muscles. This causes swelling, sore muscles, tired feet, and general pain in the affected areas.
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Make Sure You Have Proper Support In Every Place You Sit
If you sit at work, your chair should encourage you to have good posture. The American Chiropractor Association recommends the following:
If any of the chairs you use don’t have good support, you can put a small pillow or rolled up towel just above your hips between you and your chair, giving your spine a slight curve.
When driving, make sure your lower back is supported. If it’s not, you can buy a McKenzie Lumbar Roll or even a rolled up towel. It might take a little bit of searching to find something that puts your spine in a good position.
Stick Your Legs Up On The Wall
After a long, busy shift I generally look forward to taking off my shoes and socks and elevating my legs against a wall for a few minutes.
The draining of blood releases pressure and reduces pain and swelling like nothing else.
Place your butt as close to the wall as possible with a rolled-up, small towel on your lower back for support.
Remain in this position, bending your knees out for a break if you need, for a few minutes. The instant relief is wonderful and Dan loves it too!
If you need a bit more information about this pose, check out the video below.
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Can You Prevent Knee Problems
Not all knee problems are avoidable, but you can lessen your chance of problems by participating in regular strength training. To protect your knees, its important to have a very strong core and strong legs, says Dr. Rebecca Breslow, an instructor in orthopedic surgery at Harvard Medical School. Make an effort to perform strength training at least twice a week. In addition, work on increasing joint flexibility, which can also help you head off an injury.
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How Prolonged Standing Can Lead To Feet & Leg Problems
Prolonged standing puts stress on the lower part of the body, hence straining bones, tendons, ligaments, and muscles in your body. It can also cause low blood supply to the lower part of the body, leading to soreness. Blood accumulation in your leg may also result from prolonged standing, increasing your risk of developing edema, varicose veins, and flat feet.
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What Causes Knee Pain At Night
Our knees are complex joints responsible for bearing the weight of our bodies as it travels to our feet. They literally help us move through the world smoothly, connecting four bonesthe femur, the tibia, the fibula, and the patellaand two major muscles groups .
Connecting and stabilizing these bones and muscles are ligaments and tendons, including:
- The anterior cruciate ligament : Located on the front of the knee, the ACL prevents the femur from moving backwards onto the tibia
- The posterior cruciate ligament : The PCL keeps the femur nestled back where it belongs
- Medial ligaments: Stabilize the inside of the knee
- Lateral ligaments: Stabilizs the outside of the knee
In addition to this, articular cartilage lines the patella to smooth movement, as does the meniscus tissue that allows the femur and tibia to glide together. Bursa are fluid-filled sacs inside the joint. They further cushion movement, preventing painful bone against bone rubbing.
Any part of this structure can develop painful conditions or suffer from issues that could cause knee pain at night. In general, the five main causes of knee pain at night are:
Exercises To Relieve Low Back Pain From Standing All Day
Here are some exercises and stretches you can use to help relieve lower back pain from standing too long. These exercises focus on strengthening the back muscles, and stretching the lower back to decrease tightness.
If youre like me, and spend most of your day on your feet, youre going to put some strain on the lower back. Eventually, this might start to show up as a nagging ache, and the next thing you know its full-blown low back pain.
Its no secret that standing for long periods of time has been proven to be associated with an increase of lower back pain. Standing all day places significant strain on the muscles and joints of the back, and may cause long-term issues.
In this blog post I want to go over some of my personal favorite stretches and exercises to help relieve low back pain from standing all day. Theyre straight forward and can be done at home or the office. Lets take a look.
If youre starting out as a beginner, go slowly and lightly. You should not feel pain while doing them.
Toe-Touch Stretch
Stand upright with your feet together. Reach your arms up above your head and lock your hands.
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As An Educator You Probably Stand A Lot You Can Reduce Pain With These Simple Expert
Its not uncommon to feel pain, strain and muscle weakness when youre on your feet all day. Your back aches, your dogs are barking and all you want to do is sit down. These symptoms are telling you that your body is weak and off balancebut the good news is when you strengthen weak areas, you can say goodbye to foot pain.
To get started, try these four strategies:
1. Choose proper footwear.High heels, flip-flops, strappy sandals and even unsupportive flats wreak havoc on the body. When you wear shoes that force you to transfer weight toward the toe and away from the heel , your gait dramatically shifts. Similarly, if you wear shoes with only of a thin strap of plastic, you alter the way you walk, shortening your stride and scrunching your toes, which increases the angle of the ankle. Your best bet is to choose comfortable footwear that supports your feet, says Karen Jacobs, Ed.D., OTR/L, program director of Distance Education Post-Professional Occupational Therapy Programs and clinical professor at Boston University College of Health and Rehabilitation Sciences. For added comfort, Jacob recommends wearing insoles to provide extra cushioning.
Ultimately you have to strengthen the muscles that help you stand upright. The result: less strain and less pain.
Yass recommends performing the following two exercises, twice a week for 15 minutes to strengthen your target musclesand thus minimize the toll standing takes on the body.
