Many people who suffer from foot pain experience a worsening of symptoms at night, making it difficult to fall asleep or stay asleep. Once you are asleep, foot pain can be disruptive – and it’s not uncommon for a sufferer to wake up in the middle of the night from the pain.

Getting daily restorative sleep is vital to your well-being, so chronic foot pain should be remedied. Having a nighttime routine to help relieve your painful feet is instrumental in helping you achieve restorative sleep and reduced pain in the feet.

Stretch Your Feet in Bed

Stretching in the late hours might seem counterintuitive and unnatural, but there are easy stretches that you can do in bed with the lights off and your eyes closed:

First, sit up in bed. With your legs together and out straight, extend your feet by pointing your toes. Do this 10 times.

Second, wrap a pillowcase around the ball of your foot, holding both ends of the pillowcase with both hands. Pull the pillowcase gently toward your torso to help you bend your knee while simultaneously flexing your foot. Hold this position for at least 30 seconds.

Third, while sitting on the bed with your legs crisscrossed, use one hand to gently pull your toes back. Use the other hand to hold the ball of your foot to keep it comfortable while doing this exercise.

Doing any or all of these exercises will help to loosen tight ligaments and improve circulation, which is effective in preventing and relieving foot pain.

Elevate Your Legs

Using a thick pillow, prop up your legs and feet to keep them elevated while you sleep. You can also use a bed wedge for legs, which will help them stay elevated all night long.

Aim for at least six inches of elevation above the heart. This effectively reduces inflammation and improves circulation by facilitating blood flow from the legs throughout the body.

Massage Your Feet with a Tennis Ball

It helps to always keep a tennis ball by your bedside so that when foot pain wakes you up in the middle of the night, the tennis ball is within easy reach. You should be able to do this exercise with minimal lighting.

First, sit on the edge of your bed with your feet toward the floor, and place the ball on the floor. Next, roll the ball along your foot, from the heel to the arch to the ball of your foot.

Do this for at least a minute, focusing on specific pain points. Then proceed to do the same exercise with the other foot.

Massaging your feet with a tennis ball will help to ease foot pain by increasing blood flow and disrupting nerve pain signals.

Foot Pain Doctors in Cincinnati

If foot pain affects your quality of sleep and your daily life, our podiatrists at Cincinnati Foot & Ankle Care can help you live a life that is not restricted by the pain.

At any of our locations throughout Greater Cincinnati, we utilize state-of-the-art technology to diagnose the root cause of your foot pain and create a personalized treatment plan for you.

To schedule a consultation, call us today at the office nearest you or request an appointment online. We look forward to helping you feel like yourself again.