If you’re experiencing foot pain after pregnancy, it could be any one of these issues.
Pregnancy triggers a lot of changes in your body. Your hair grows, your body changes, and your hormones go through some pretty severe shifts. Thankfully, most things return to normal once you give birth, but it can take your body a bit of time to recover from the pregnancy. If you’re noticing foot pain after pregnancy, there are a few things that could be causing it:
- Plantar Fasciitis – This is a condition that involves inflammation of the plantar fascia, the band of tissue that connects your toe bones to your heel bones. It’s a problem common among those who are overweight—or, in your case, those who have been carrying around a few more pounds than they normally do, courtesy of their pregnancy. If you’ve been walking a lot during your pregnancy, it’s not uncommon to develop this sharp, stabbing pain.
- Edema – Edema is a swelling that is caused by water retention, fluid trapped in the tissues in your body. It’s a very common problem among pregnant women, but one that will usually disappear within a few weeks of giving birth. Pregnancy is just one of the things that can cause edemas, though. If the swelling persists for weeks after childbirth, it may be the result of a medication or the symptom of an underlying health condition.
- Pulled Ligaments – Ligaments are the fibrous connective tissue that connect the bones of your feet together. While it’s somewhat uncommon, it’s not completely unheard of for a very strenuous delivery to result in connective tissue injuries. You may also have injured your ligaments while walking during the final days of your pregnancy.
- Overpronation – When you walk, you pronate (place your foot) a certain way according to your weight, height, stride, and center of gravity. However, when you get pregnant, your center of gravity is shifted by the size and weight of your growing belly. Your pronation changes, which is why you see so many pregnant women waddling or walking differently. Many pregnant women have problems with overpronation, which can lead to pain in the ball of your foot, heel, or the arch of your foot. This can often go hand in hand with plantar fasciitis. A bit of bed rest can help to reduce the swelling and speed up healing. Once you’re back on your feet post-delivery, you can correct your stride to walk correctly and reduce the strain on your feet.
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The good news is that foot pain after pregnancy usually isn’t as serious as you’d think. There are a lot of serious injuries you will encounter during sports—such as stress fractures, tendinitis, or bone fractures—that can cause a lot more long-lasting pain than the things that cause foot pain during and after your pregnancy. After childbirth, you can take a few days to get good rest in bed, and stay off your feet. The pain should usually diminish within a few days of giving birth.
If, however, the pain continues for more than a week or two, it may be a sign that you a) did more serious damage to your feet during the pregnancy, or b) there is something else non-pregnancy-related wrong with your feet. Either way, it’s a good idea to visit your doctor and get your feet checked out. Foot pain can be a sign of structural problems. Given how much time we spend on our feet all day, it’s vital that you diagnose the problem and take steps to treat or correct it!
