Foot Pain and Plantar Fasciitis in Pregnancy
Why It Happens & How to Treat It
Pregnancy is a time of immense change for your body, and one area that often needs extra attention is your pelvic floor. It plays a crucial role in supporting your body during pregnancy and delivery. Let’s explore how you can better understand and care for this important area as you prepare for childbirth and postpartum recovery.
At Foundations Pelvic Health, we are a team of perinatal and pelvic floor therapy specialists in Boston. We are dedicated to helping women feel empowered and strong throughout their pregnancy and postpartum recovery.
Why Your Feet Might Hurt During Pregnancy (and What You Can Do About It)
A pregnant mama doing her foot and ankle strengthening exercises.
Pregnancy brings so many changes: some exciting, some surprising, and some just plain uncomfortable or painful. One symptom we hear about often in our Boston clinic? Foot pain, especially arch pain (a.k.a. plantar fasciitis). For Boston moms-to-be who are used to walking everywhere, this can be extra frustrating.
Most often, we see this start popping up towards the end of the second trimester. Here’s why it happens:
Extra weight + swelling put more pressure on the bottoms of your feet.
Changes in walking patterns during pregnancy shift how your arches absorb impact.
Hormonal changes can relax connective tissues, which may even make your shoe size go up temporarily!
The good news: there’s a lot you can do to manage foot pain during pregnancy!
Compression socks help with swelling.
Supportive shoes (think running sneakers, Birkenstocks, or cushioned slides at home) can make a huge difference.
Ice, elevation, and limiting long walks/standing give your feet a much-needed break.
But the real game-changer? Specific stretches, exercises, and hands-on techniques that target your arches, calves, and hips. At Foundations Pelvic Health, our physical therapists use a combination of manual therapy, soft tissue work, and mobility drills to calm irritation and improve circulation. We’ll also teach you strengthening and stretching exercises you can safely do at home to support your feet as your body changes.
Why Foundations Pelvic Health is Different
At our Boston South End clinic, we treat pregnant and postpartum women every single day, and while pelvic floor health is at the heart of what we do, it’s never the only thing we focus on. Pregnancy and postpartum bring whole-body changes (from feet and hips to posture and breathing) and our approach reflects that. We look at the bigger picture so you can move, walk, and exercise with confidence at every stage of your journey.
That’s what sets Foundations Pelvic Health apart: whole-body, evidence-based care that meets you where you are in pregnancy and beyond.
Ready to Feel Better?
If foot pain is slowing you down, you don’t have to push through it. Our team of doctors of physical therapy at Foundations Pelvic Health can help you relieve pain, keep moving comfortably, and feel supported throughout your pregnancy and postpartum journey. Book your appointment today and take the first step toward moving with confidence again.