There are 26 bones in each foot, all of which can lose their healthy alignment and lead to painful foot conditions. Most people don’t realize they can help their feet by getting them adjusted. At our office, we focus on helping patients who suffer from foot pain. A gentle foot adjustment can realign the foot bones and correct the underlying cause of many musculoskeletal foot problems.

Here are three different foot exercises that you can do to help reduce foot tension, tightness, and discomfort.

Calf Raises: This exercise is best executed wearing a comfortable pair of tennis shoes. You should stand behind a chair or in front of a wall to support yourself. Begin by raising yourself completely up onto the balls of your feet then lower yourself back down. Repeat for 5-10 repetitions depending on your tolerance. Calf raises are a great way to strengthen the legs, arches of the feet, and increase circulation in the lower extremities. 

Arch Massage: This should be done in a seated position with socks or bare feet. You can massage the plantar muscles using tennis or racquetball. Sit back in your chair and relax your body and legs. You can also place both hands under your thighs in order to stabilize your legs and reduce stress, as you roll the ball under one foot, then rotate and do the other foot.

Start with the ball underneath the 2nd toe and roll it in a circular fashion under the forefoot region. Do this for about one minute. Then move your foot back and forth to massage the arch from your heel to your toe across the entire plantar surface. There’s no need to push down on the ball as the natural weight of your leg will provide enough pressure to massage the plantar fascia and muscles of the foot.

Toe Curls: While seated in a chair, place a bath towel on the floor and smooth it out so it lays flat. You can do this exercise with either one or both feet. Place your heels near the edge of the towel with your toes pointing toward the center. Using your toes, grasp the towel and pull it toward your heels. Lift your toes and repeat several times. Toe curls exercise the muscles on the bottom of the foot that supports your arches.

By doing these exercises each day, you can temporarily alleviate minor foot pain. These exercises are also a great way to prevent future foot discomfort. Simply exercising your feet on a regular basis might not correct the underlying cause of a foot condition. However, a chiropractic adjustment often will. If these exercises don’t seem to do the trick for your foot pain, then you may need to get your feet adjusted.