Foot and or Ankle pain is very common during and after pregnancy. During pregnancy there are lots of changes happening, to accommodate your little one that occur throughout your body. One of the key hormones blamed for increased foot size is Relaxin. Relaxin causes ligaments and joints in your feet to stretch and lengthen leading to decrease arch height and therefore longer and wider feet. These structural changes cause how you bare weight on your feet to change and can lead to knee, hip or back pain.  Another common seen commonly during and shortly after pregnancy is arch and/or heel pain- the loss in arch height causes stretch and strain on your plantar fascia which can lead to heel pain and plantar fasciitis.

Other complaints during pregnancy are swelling of the ankles, tired/heavy legs or feet, varicose veins and tingling pain or numbness in the feet. Swelling in the feet and ankles is an almost universal complaint. This occurs because your body is going through so many changes chemically that you begin to retain fluid and you have increased blood volume circulating in your body.  Since your feet are the farthest thing from your heart and they are usually not elevated, they are likely to become swollen. During the latter half of your pregnancy, as your uterus becomes larger it can compress the large veins in the pelvis and abdomen, reducing the blood return from your legs back to the heart. The increased weight baring can cause neuroma symptoms.

Almost all foot and ankle issues that are caused during and after pregnancy can be prevented by a singular trip to the podiatrist. It is important that you see us so that we can get your started on the best treatment plan before things come about or get worse. Being pregnant is hard enough, don’t let your feet add to it!

Sincerely,

Advanced Foot and Ankle

972.542.2155