If you regularly get bad headaches, then you'll have tried various ways to get rid of them. You'll have seen your GP to check that there isn't anything sinister going on, and you'll have tried to work out what triggers the pain in the first place.

Before you give up and accept that you have to live with your headaches, consider seeing a podiatrist. While seeing a specialist who deals with the other end of your body may not seem an obvious way to deal with headaches, you may be surprised.

Can your feet be the cause of your headaches?

How Your Feet Affect Your Head

Foot problems don't always just affect your feet. People with foot problems often find that they also have pain or discomfort somewhere else in their bodies. While this most commonly happens in the legs and back, it can also spread higher up.

For example, if you have flat feet, then your posture and gait are affected. Your feet roll when you walk to compensate for their shape; your muscles have to work harder in unnatural positions. Plus, your body weight isn't evenly distributed. This puts a lot of pressure on your body as a whole.

This may start off by affecting your legs and lower back, making your muscles tight and your back sore. When this happens, your brain gets lots of signals from different parts of your body at the same time.

If your brain gets too many conflicting signals, its blood vessels may expand. This is a common cause of bad headaches.

How a Podiatrist Can Help

A podiatrist can take a look at your feet to see if you have any obvious problems. They also assess your posture and gait. If they identify a problem, they can help you fix it.

For example, if you do have flat feet, then your podiatrist can get you some orthotic insoles or inserts. These devices fit in your shoes and give your arches some support. This aligns your feet into a more natural position and helps distribute your body weight more comfortably when you walk.

In some cases, your podiatrist may also recommend exercises that help improve your arches and relieve tightness and stiffness in your leg muscles. If your headaches are related to your feet, these solutions may well reduce their frequency or even get rid of them.

If you've tried everything else to get rid of your headaches, then you have nothing to lose by having your feet checked out. Contact local podiatrists, explain your problem and see if they can help.

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