Table of ContentsView AllTable of ContentsFoot Pain CausesTips for ReliefPrevent Foot PainWhen to See a Healthcare Provider

Table of ContentsView All

View All

Table of Contents

Foot Pain Causes

Tips for Relief

Prevent Foot Pain

When to See a Healthcare Provider

Working on your feet all day often causesfoot pain. People in any profession can be affected, but foot pain from standing all day is common for people working in healthcare, construction, retail sales, salons, and factories. While you might not be able to change your job situation, there are things you can do at home to help relieve your foot pain.

This article discusses foot pain from standing all day—what can cause it, how to relieve it, and ways to help prevent it from occurring.

Self-Care Tips to Soothe Aching Feet at Home

Why Do My Feet Hurt From Standing?

Many factors can contribute tofoot painfrom standing all day. These can include:

Prolonged standing also causes tightness in the calf muscles and increased stress on the ligaments in thebottom of the feet, leading to conditions such asplantar fasciitis.

Prolonged Standing and Heart DiseaseOne study published in 2018 followed 7,320 people for 12 years. Researchers categorized the study participants as those with jobs requiring sitting or standing all day. After 12 years, they found that people with jobs requiring prolonged standing had twice the risk of developing heart disease compared to those who sit most of the day.

Prolonged Standing and Heart Disease

One study published in 2018 followed 7,320 people for 12 years. Researchers categorized the study participants as those with jobs requiring sitting or standing all day. After 12 years, they found that people with jobs requiring prolonged standing had twice the risk of developing heart disease compared to those who sit most of the day.

Does Standing Burn Calories?

Tips to Relieve Foot Pain

Regardless of the cause of your foot pain after standing all day, there are many different treatments you can try at home to help relieve your symptoms.

Give Yourself a Massage

Rubbing your sore feet can help increase blood flow and reduce pain.

You can also give yourself a foot massage using a tennis ball or golf ball.

For added pain relief, put the golf ball in the freezer before you massage your foot, or use a frozen water bottle.

You could also try afoot massager, which allows you to sit back and relax while treating your foot pain.

Apply Heat or Cold

Heat and cold can help reduce foot pain after standing all day.If your foot is red and warm to the touch, apply cold; your foot might be inflamed, and symptoms can worsen with heat.

Use commercial cold packs or a bag filled with ice cubes to reduce pain and swelling. Place a towel or another cloth barrier between your skin and the ice to preventice burn.

You can use microwaveable hot packs or heating pads to help increase blood flow and decrease muscle tightness in your feet after standing all day.

Apply heat or ice for 15 to 20 minutes at a time, no more than once per hour.

Soak Your Feet

Soaking your feet in warm water can help decrease soreness and increase blood flow after standing all day.Epsom saltscan be added to the water to enhance your treatment.

Commercial foot bathscan also be used. Some come with water jets, rollers or bumps for a built-in massage, and a heater to warm your water.

Stretch It Out

Stretches can relieve muscle tightness in the foot and calves and decrease pain after standing all day.

Try a Night Splint

Wearing a night splint can help relieve foot pain from standing during the day.These splints can take some getting used to, but they keep the calf muscles and arches of the feet in a stretched position while you rest.

Use Orthotics

Off-the-shelf shoe inserts—calledorthotics—can provide additional support to help disperse the pressure on your feet while you’re standing all day. If you’re unsure which ones to try or want to see if custom orthotics—specifically made to fit your feet—would be better for you, consult aphysical therapistorpodiatrist.

Elevate Your Feet

If your feet are prone to swelling from standing all day, try working against gravity. Elevating your feet above the level of your heart can help decrease swelling in your feet and ankles.Prop them up on a pillow while you relax in the evening or at night while you sleep.

How to Prevent Foot Pain from Standing All Day

Several treatment tips for foot pain after standing all day can also help prevent symptoms. Try the following to treat and to avoid foot pain:

Consider making changes to your work environment if it’s feasible. If you stand on a concrete floor, talk to your employer about a standing floor cushion for your feet or ask about using a tall stool to sit down intermittently rather than standing all day.

Importance of Foot HealthIf you work on your feet all day, it’s normal to experience pain. However, prolonged stiffness, numbness, or tingling could indicate a more serious underlying condition. The following diseases are associated with foot symptoms:Joint stiffness may indicate osteoarthritisTingling or numbness is often associated with diabetesSwelling could be a sign of kidney or heart disease or high blood pressure

Importance of Foot Health

If you work on your feet all day, it’s normal to experience pain. However, prolonged stiffness, numbness, or tingling could indicate a more serious underlying condition. The following diseases are associated with foot symptoms:Joint stiffness may indicate osteoarthritisTingling or numbness is often associated with diabetesSwelling could be a sign of kidney or heart disease or high blood pressure

If you work on your feet all day, it’s normal to experience pain. However, prolonged stiffness, numbness, or tingling could indicate a more serious underlying condition. The following diseases are associated with foot symptoms:

Why Does My Foot Hurt?

Summary

It’s common to have foot pain after standing all day for work. However, home remedies can help improve your symptoms. Using ice can help decrease pain and swelling. Applying heat or soaking your feet can increase blood flow and help relax tight muscles. Stretches, night splints, and orthotics can also helWorkplace modifications can sometimescan be made to reduce strain on your feet during the workday.

7 SourcesVerywell Health uses only high-quality sources, including peer-reviewed studies, to support the facts within our articles. Read oureditorial processto learn more about how we fact-check and keep our content accurate, reliable, and trustworthy.Rao S, Riskowski JL, Hannan MT.Musculoskeletal conditions of the foot and ankle: assessments and treatment options.Best Pract Res Clin Rheumatol. 2012;26(3):345-368. doi:10.1016/j.berh.2012.05.009Jo H, Lim O bin, Ahn YS, Chang S jin, Koh SB.Negative impacts of prolonged standing at work on musculoskeletal symptoms and physical fatigue: the fifth korean working conditions survey.Yonsei Med J. 2021;62(6):510-519. doi:10.3349%2Fymj.2021.62.6.510Smith P, Ma H, Glazier RH, Gilbert-Ouimet M, Mustard C.The relationship between occupational standing and sitting and incident heart disease over a 12-year period in ontario, canada.Am J Epidemiol. 2018;187(1):27-33. doi:10.1093/aje/kwx298Wang Y, Lu H, Li S, et al.Effect of cold and heat therapies on pain relief in patients with delayed onset muscle soreness: A network meta-analysis.J Rehabil Med. 2022;54:jrm00258. Published 2022 Feb 8. doi:10.2340/jrm.v53.331American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeons.Plantar fasciitis and bone spurs.MedlinePlus.Foot, leg, and ankle swelling.MedlinePlus.Foot health.

7 Sources

Verywell Health uses only high-quality sources, including peer-reviewed studies, to support the facts within our articles. Read oureditorial processto learn more about how we fact-check and keep our content accurate, reliable, and trustworthy.Rao S, Riskowski JL, Hannan MT.Musculoskeletal conditions of the foot and ankle: assessments and treatment options.Best Pract Res Clin Rheumatol. 2012;26(3):345-368. doi:10.1016/j.berh.2012.05.009Jo H, Lim O bin, Ahn YS, Chang S jin, Koh SB.Negative impacts of prolonged standing at work on musculoskeletal symptoms and physical fatigue: the fifth korean working conditions survey.Yonsei Med J. 2021;62(6):510-519. doi:10.3349%2Fymj.2021.62.6.510Smith P, Ma H, Glazier RH, Gilbert-Ouimet M, Mustard C.The relationship between occupational standing and sitting and incident heart disease over a 12-year period in ontario, canada.Am J Epidemiol. 2018;187(1):27-33. doi:10.1093/aje/kwx298Wang Y, Lu H, Li S, et al.Effect of cold and heat therapies on pain relief in patients with delayed onset muscle soreness: A network meta-analysis.J Rehabil Med. 2022;54:jrm00258. Published 2022 Feb 8. doi:10.2340/jrm.v53.331American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeons.Plantar fasciitis and bone spurs.MedlinePlus.Foot, leg, and ankle swelling.MedlinePlus.Foot health.

Verywell Health uses only high-quality sources, including peer-reviewed studies, to support the facts within our articles. Read oureditorial processto learn more about how we fact-check and keep our content accurate, reliable, and trustworthy.

Rao S, Riskowski JL, Hannan MT.Musculoskeletal conditions of the foot and ankle: assessments and treatment options.Best Pract Res Clin Rheumatol. 2012;26(3):345-368. doi:10.1016/j.berh.2012.05.009Jo H, Lim O bin, Ahn YS, Chang S jin, Koh SB.Negative impacts of prolonged standing at work on musculoskeletal symptoms and physical fatigue: the fifth korean working conditions survey.Yonsei Med J. 2021;62(6):510-519. doi:10.3349%2Fymj.2021.62.6.510Smith P, Ma H, Glazier RH, Gilbert-Ouimet M, Mustard C.The relationship between occupational standing and sitting and incident heart disease over a 12-year period in ontario, canada.Am J Epidemiol. 2018;187(1):27-33. doi:10.1093/aje/kwx298Wang Y, Lu H, Li S, et al.Effect of cold and heat therapies on pain relief in patients with delayed onset muscle soreness: A network meta-analysis.J Rehabil Med. 2022;54:jrm00258. Published 2022 Feb 8. doi:10.2340/jrm.v53.331American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeons.Plantar fasciitis and bone spurs.MedlinePlus.Foot, leg, and ankle swelling.MedlinePlus.Foot health.

Rao S, Riskowski JL, Hannan MT.Musculoskeletal conditions of the foot and ankle: assessments and treatment options.Best Pract Res Clin Rheumatol. 2012;26(3):345-368. doi:10.1016/j.berh.2012.05.009

Jo H, Lim O bin, Ahn YS, Chang S jin, Koh SB.Negative impacts of prolonged standing at work on musculoskeletal symptoms and physical fatigue: the fifth korean working conditions survey.Yonsei Med J. 2021;62(6):510-519. doi:10.3349%2Fymj.2021.62.6.510

Smith P, Ma H, Glazier RH, Gilbert-Ouimet M, Mustard C.The relationship between occupational standing and sitting and incident heart disease over a 12-year period in ontario, canada.Am J Epidemiol. 2018;187(1):27-33. doi:10.1093/aje/kwx298

Wang Y, Lu H, Li S, et al.Effect of cold and heat therapies on pain relief in patients with delayed onset muscle soreness: A network meta-analysis.J Rehabil Med. 2022;54:jrm00258. Published 2022 Feb 8. doi:10.2340/jrm.v53.331

American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeons.Plantar fasciitis and bone spurs.

MedlinePlus.Foot, leg, and ankle swelling.

MedlinePlus.Foot health.

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