What is the Effect of Pregnancy on the Feet?
A lot of changes take place in your body when you become pregnant; these changes affect you physically, mentally and emotionally in the form of weight gains, hormonal imbalances and sleepless nights.
The body also undergoes changes due to the excess weight carried during the different stages of pregnancy; you can expect a number of postural changes such as an increased curve in the spine, flattening of the foot arch and improper movement of the hips and knees.
What happens during pregnancy
The feet flatten due to the extra weight carried during pregnancy.
Weight gain, especially in the belly region, is one of the most prominent changes that takes place in your body during pregnancy. As a result, you may find your back looking increasingly curved.
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These postural changes cause an uneven distribution of weight which ends up taking a toll on your hips, legs, ankles and feet. This is why it is common for pregnant women to experience pain and discomfort in the muscles and joints, especially in the lower back, hips, legs, ankles and the feet.
Hormonal changes are also to be expected throughout the three trimesters. For instance, relaxin is a hormone that is released during pregnancy, especially during the last trimester, to increase flexibility of the ligaments.
This helps in the delivery process because of the effect on the pelvis, which relaxes to make the process a smooth one. One drawback of the hormone, however, is that it causes the ligaments in the body and foot to relax as well.
For example, the added weight on the feet flattens the arches over time, which leads to excessive inward rolling of the foot while walking or standing. This sets off a chain reaction on the rest of the body causing postural misalignments that chiefly disturb the lower back, feet and hips.
There are also changes in the way you walk as observed by a group of researchers studying walking patterns in pregnant women.
The authors observed that due to weight gain particularly in the torso region, pregnant women showed altered movements in their lower bodies especially in the lower part of the abdomen and the hip.
There were also reports of increased stiffness in the ankle joints.
It is important to note since pregnant women have a higher risk of falling, ankle stiffness is commonly adopted as a way to enhance posture control and maintain stability while walking.
There is also a redistribution of pressure in the foot which is often responsible for foot pain and other foot complaints in pregnant women.
This could be due to a possible drop in the level of the foot arch combined with foot stiffness that modifies the way pressure is distributed in the feet during pregnancy.
The difference in foot posture becomes more noticeable as the pregnancy progresses towards the last trimester. You may find your feet looking swollen and painful because of flat arches and excess body weight.
If the foot pain becomes unbearable, then try visiting a specialist who can recommend a good pair of insoles to provide support to your feet and reduce any pain that you may be experiencing.
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Body and foot changes after pregnancy
Changes continue to take place in your body and feet, long after the pregnancy is over and you hold your little one in your arms.
You’ll feel much lighter on your feet, without the additional weight to slow you down. You can expect any foot swelling to gradually disappear, but you might still find yourself wearing shoes that are bigger than your normal size.
It is highly advisable to avoid wearing tight or high-heeled shoes that can increase stress on your feet as they recover.
The increase in heel height can impact the mobility and function of the feet in multiple ways. As there is greater distribution of weight on the forefoot, the pressure on the ball of the foot increases.
At the same time, the range of motion in the ankle is limited because of the heel height which reduces support from the heels. This creates instability and increases the risk of ankle injuries.
Most high-heeled shoes have a narrow toe box, which compresses the toes.
As there is already excessive pressure on the toes and the ball of the foot, women who regularly wear narrow, high-heeled shoes are more likely to develop foot structure problems like bunions than women who wear flat shoes.
They are also exposed to conditions like metatarsalgia, Morton’s Neuroma, and hammertoes.
Comfortable shoes with plenty of space for the toes should work better to help in the even distribution of weight and reduce any inflammation in the feet.
Most people are unaware of the long-term effect of flat arches developed during pregnancy. With feet acting as the main foundation for the whole body, any changes in foot structure start showing up in different parts of your body.
You may observe a misalignment of the shoulders, back, torso, hips, and/or knees. This can create tension in the muscles, tendons and ligaments, followed by imbalance in the weight loading patterns. This affects range of motion in joints of the lower and upper body.
What appears as poor posture, unlevelled shoulders and hips, is clinically caused by shifts in the way the legs are positioned. For example, the shin and thigh bones of one leg can rotate inward, creating a change in weight distribution which stresses the joints abnormally.
Unless treated, flat arches will continue to cause problems in your body because of improper foot and lower body movement. This is why it is necessary to manage flat feet even after pregnancy.
MASS4D® Insoles can help pregnant women
One good way of treating structural imbalances is to invest in a pair of MASS4D® Insoles that support your feet and promote proper foot movement.
An advantage of using MASS4D® Insoles is that optimal support is provided to the feet. For example, you’ll find yourself being able to move easily without much foot pain, as the insoles work to even out the distribution of pressure from the ground up.
This is why MASS4D® Insoles are often recommended for the treatment of pain in the arch, heel or toes – the most common types of foot pain experienced by people with foot posture problems.Pain relief is achieved because of equal weight distribution in the feet; the insoles help to reduce any excess stress on the painful regions of the foot, promoting healing and recovery.
Your MASS4D® Insoles are designed to provide support to the foot arch in order to prevent it from flattening on to the ground. This is beneficial in the treatment of flat feet which should ideally involve a combination of arch strengthening exercises and insoles.
By supporting the foot in its most optimal position, your insoles will help to enhance the strength of your arch muscles which are then able to function efficiently.
A research conducted by Seo et al. for the Journal of Physical Therapy Science proved the effectiveness of insoles in relieving tension in the sole muscles while maintaining a normal arch level.
The authors found that the use of insoles for people with flat feet helped in restoring near-normal motion in the feet during walking. This can prevent the development of a number of painful foot conditions such as plantar fasciitis and bunions.
MASS4D® Insoles have a therapeutic effect on the ligaments in the foot that have been damaged by improper foot movement and need healing.
With MASS4D® in your shoes, the plantar fascia has a better chance of healing as the arch is held in position and does not collapse during movement.
Even if your flat arches are not causing you any difficulties at the moment, you may experience problems such as knee pain or low back pain later on in life.
MASS4D® Insoles serve as a protective measure against these common health complaints by treating foot posture problems and minimising the root cause of these issues.
With the regular use of MASS4D®, you begin to notice visual changes in your body starting from the feet up. Your posture will improve greatly to reduce any excess stress on the lower back – this should provide you with relief from back pain.
Moreover, MASS4D® Insoles will help in regulating your walking patterns to protect you from common conditions that are associated with foot posture problems.
MASS4D® Insoles are the answer to your foot problems. Simply click the 'buy button' below and get your pair of ready-to-wear insoles today.
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