Why Do My Feet Hurt After Teaching?

On average, classroom teachers spend 4 to 6 hours on their feet during the day if not more. Now a few months into the school year, you might notice a dull, aching pain in your heels, toes, or your lower back. Pain from spending long hours on your feet can make your job harder than it needs to be. Prevent and relieve pain with PowerStep® orthotic insoles for standing all day and the following foot care tips.

How Working on Your Feet All Day Causes Foot Pain

Whether lecturing in front of a class or monitoring recess, teachers spend a lot of time on their feet. Standing for long hours on repeat can put excess stress on the muscles, tendons, and ligaments in your feet. This pressure from overuse accumulates over time and can cause inflammation and pain from conditions like plantar fasciitis.

Other reasons teachers’ feet hurt from standing all day can include:

• Hard Floors: Standing on hard surfaces like linoleum classroom floors can increase the impact on your feet.
• Unsupportive Shoes: Dress shoes that lack support or cushion increase strain on your feet, though insoles for dress shoes can help absorb the extra impact and prevent and relieve pain.
• Abnormal Foot Structure: If you have high arches or flat feet, wearing shoes that do not properly support your arch type can cause problems with alignment of the feet and lower body, leading to back, knee, and hip pain.
• Change in Activity Levels: Transitioning from reduced activity over summer break to being on your feet for several hours can put too much stress on your feet too soon, causing pain.

Common Foot Problems for Teachers

If you have heel pain when standing or an aching feeling in the balls of your feet, the discomfort could be a sign of a foot condition like plantar fasciitis or metatarsalgia. Due to the nature of the job, teachers are at an increased risk of developing common foot problems like:

• Plantar fasciitis: The plantar fascia is the ligament that connects your heel to your toes, supporting your arch. Standing all day creates tension on the plantar fascia, causing inflammation, tearing, and arch or heel pain. Plantar fasciitis is the most common foot problem in teachers.
• Achilles tendonitis: Walking, pacing, or standing on hard surfaces puts repetitive stress on the feet and lower legs. The Achilles tendon becomes inflamed and causes heel pain, stiffness, or swelling characteristic of Achilles tendonitis.
• Posterior tibial tendon dysfunction: PTTD happens when the tendon that holds up your foot arch weakens and becomes inflamed due to overuse. A common cause of flat feet or fallen arches, PTTD can show up as swelling at the back of your ankle and may cause overpronation.
• Sesamoiditis: Prolonged standing can aggravate the two small sesamoid bones under your big toe joint. Too much pressure in this area can cause inflammation, or sesamoiditis, and ball of foot pain especially if you have high or low arches.

Though you might experience general arch or heel pain that goes away with rest, foot pain that doesn’t go away or interferes with your daily routine should be addressed by a podiatrist. Many podiatrists recommend PowerStep as the #1 brand of orthotics for plantar fasciitis and other foot conditions.

How to Treat Foot Pain from Teaching

When your feet hurt from standing all day, using orthotic insoles can provide the relief you need and prevent future foot problems. PowerStep insoles provide anatomically correct support to promote healthy alignment and alleviate pain from conditions like plantar fasciitis, heel pain, and other aches from prolonged standing. Some of the best insoles for standing all day are:

• PowerStep bridge®: Our innovative bridge® insoles offer a customized fit with adaptable arch support and cushioning that returns energy at each step for continuous relief.
• PowerStep Pinnacle®: The top plantar fasciitis insoles recommended by podiatrists, our PowerStep Pinnacle® series features insoles for all arch types to relieve pain and improve alignment.
• PowerStep ComfortLast®: A gel insole for heel pain, ComfortLast® molds to your foot for custom relief while the gel heel relief zone absorbs shock and softens impact.
• PowerStep Pinnacle Dress: Available as full length and ¾ insoles for dress shoes, Pinnacle Dress insoles deliver arch pain relief throughout the day in a low-profile design suited for flats, loafers, high heels, and other dress shoes.
• PowerStep Pinnacle Breeze® Maxx Support: For overpronating feet, a breathable insole that alleviates tired, achy soles and improves stability like Pinnacle Breeze® Maxx Support aligns the feet to relieve and prevent pain.

Teachers Save with PowerStep! ID.me Discount for Teachers

Because we appreciate your dedication to serving others, PowerStep partners with ID.me to offer a special discount as a thank you to teachers and school administrators. Find your insole and take advantage of our exclusive teacher discount on orthotic insoles when you shop PowerStep on the site.

Other Foot Care Tips for Teachers

In addition to wearing shoe insoles, there are a few other changes you can make to mitigate your pain. Frequent rest is important along with healthy habits like staying active on your days off and investing in a quality pair of teaching shoes. The best shoes for teaching should have adequate support, cushion, and be wide enough to accommodate your foot shape.

Other foot care tips include:

• Use an anti-fatigue mat in your classroom at the white board.
• Alternate between standing and sitting more regularly.
• Wear shoes with a wide toe box to prevent them from bunching up and causing bunions or blisters.
• Break in your teaching shoes before wearing them for a full school day.
• Stretch your feet with the PowerStep UltraFlexx Foot Rocker to keep your muscles and ligaments flexible and strong.
• Opt for athletic shoes or walking shoes instead of dress shoes when possible.

Prevent & Relieve Foot Pain with PowerStep Insoles

The reason teachers get plantar fasciitis, heel pain, and other foot problems is because of the strain on their feet from long hours of standing or walking. PowerStep orthotics are the best insoles for plantar fasciitis and other types of foot pain, giving you the support you need to get through every lesson plan pain free.