There is no question that the kitchen is the center point of the household. How many times do our kids utter the words "I'm hungry" each day (usually right after the dinner that they didn't have enough of, right?) When we have company over, whether it be a couple for a casual get-together, or tons of guests
for a full dinner party, it seems like we always congregate in the kitchen. It's inevitable!
Yet, more and more often, we're seeing patients coming into the office with foot pain after cooking or spending too long in the kitchen. In fact, as slate, stone, and tile floors have become more popular, more and more people are finding that extended periods of standing in the kitchen are causing foot pain. So what's the connection, and what can we do to keep your meals tasting delicious and your feet feeling happy? Here's what you need to know!
Key Takeaways
- Foot pain after cooking is often the result of standing for extended periods on hard wood or tile flooring
- Wearing supportive sneakers, or adding custom orthotics to your footwear, can help prevent foot pain from extended time in the kitchen
- Gel pads for kitchen floors can also help prevent foot pain when you're spending lots of time cooking
Table of Contents
What Causes Foot Pain After Cooking
Foot pain after cooking is a common complaint among patients with modern kitchens. And it's not just foot pain: it's also ankle, knee, and hip pain. Now, it's hard to think that something as simple as a hard floor could make a difference in your comfort levels, but it really does.
Here's the deal: when you stand, there are two main forces that impact your feet. First, there are the forces coming down into our feet from our body weight. Second, there are also the reactive forces that come up from the ground and into our feet. As such, the harder the surface that you're standing on, the greater the force that's hitting your feet when you stand on it. And, if you spend a long time in one spot, as you do in the kitchen, the combined impact of both forces could lead to discomfort.
Preventing Discomfort in the Kitchen
Remember the old days, when you'd see those rubber mats in Sears behind the registers? Thinking back on those days, I think they were intended for this exact reason: to prevent foot pain after cooking. In fact, a few years ago, many employees of a high-end store in Houston came to our Tanglewood podiatry office, complaining of terrible pain. As it turned out, management had replaced the store's wooded floors with ones made from marble. And, while they looked great, the employees' feet were paying the price: you won't find anything harder than marble, meaning it exerts a lot of force on your body!
So, what's the solution? It turns out that Sears had it right, although those black rubber mats weren't the greatest-looking items to add to your beautiful kitchen. Even the high-end store added a solution for their employees, after they saw one employee after another heading to our Houston foot doctor for help. Luckily, today you can find similar mats available for home use in the kitchen, and they are a lot more attractive, not to mention more effective at preventing foot pain after cooking.
Today's cushioned mats are better looking, and they're even more cushioned than they used to be. There are plenty of great options to choose from, but one we particularly like is the NewLife Mat with BioFoam, which molds to the feet as you stand on it. Another popular solution is the Gelpro which, as it's name suggests, has a gel inside that provides excellent cushioning for your feet.
Advanced Solutions for Foot Pain After Cooking...and Beyond
Having a stylish cushioned mat in your kitchen will help save you from foot, ankle, knee, and back pain the next time you're preparing for a big dinner party. You'll be amazed at the difference it can make! But what if your foot pain is an ongoing problem, causing discomfort even when you haven't been standing by the stove for hours.
That's when we may need to look beyond your kitchen floor to discover the source of your discomfort. In the office, we can evaluate your foot shape and gait to see how the mechanics of your body may be contributing to foot pain. After a thorough exam and analysis, we can recommend a plan of action: from shoe changes to the addition of custom orthotics, that will help keep you walking comfortably, in and out of the kitchen.
Dealing with foot pain after cooking, or at anytime throughout the course of your normal daily activities? We're here to help. Reach out to our team by calling 713-785-7881 or by following this link to request an appointment.
