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Foot and arch pain when you wake up can make you hobble in the morning

Do you hobble in the morning, when you first get up, due to pain in the soles or arches of your feet?

This is most likely caused by tension that has built up in the soft tissues and muscles of the feet. It can be extremely debilitating and can stop you enjoying some of your activities e.g. golf, tennis running.

It is often due to wearing foot wear with rigid soles, particularly walking, climbing or work boots.

The human foot is the most miraculous thing. Most people do not notice their feet until they have a problem. When they do they know about it. Our feet are our primary contact with the floor and constantly feed vital information to our brains about where we are in space and how stay upright.

When they stop working it can be catastrophic to how our bodies function, leading to other problems such as knee and low back pain.

Believe it or not the mechanics and function of feet are still poorly understood which is why there is so much conflicting information out there about footwear and what is best. Until recently the evidence behind the myriad trainers on the market was scanty and poor at best.

Have you ever asked yourself, when looking at a wall of flashy shoes in Nike or Adidas, how come at one end they are advocating 'free' running and shoes with very little support and cushioning and at the others hoes with every conceivable variation of foam and and angular support? The answer is because nobody really knows. One thing is for sure, studies which have compared all of the top trainers on the market at the time with the barefoot, have shown that the human foot outstrips all of the other trainers, which produce almost identical results as their competitors.

Most evidence suggests that flexibility in the shoe is the key. As far as possible always wear shoes with rubber soles, particularly men, who traditionally like wearing the stout soled city or walking shoe. Most brands have picked up on this recently and offer a wide variety of options. Only wear ankle boots if climbing or walking on undulating rough ground limitation of ankle movements makes them stiff, shuts down your balance and makes the feet lazy. Wear normal shoes for daily activities. Unless you have feet that are flat or heels which really dramatically roll inwards (pronation) you probably do not need any special support.If you have a job which either requires you to sit or stand very static for long periods (desk worker, chef, hairdresser) then follow these tips.

Always try to stretch your calf muscles regularly as well as massage the soles of your feet before going to bed (the bakpro stimball is ideal for this and feels amazing). Use the bakpro foam roller to massage the calves and shins as well as the sides of your upper thighs regularly.

Do not suffer unnecessarily, a little love and attention to your body goes a long way and feels great!