Over the last couple of months, weeks, or days you have noticed that your foot or feet are feeling numb and/or cramping and locking up while driving. It’s not necessarily experienced throughout an entire drive, but enough that it has you taking notice. It’s why you have arrived at this article after searching for insight into why you’re experiencing foot cramps while driving. You also recognize the potential dangers of leaving it unchecked. The slightest impediment to reaction time on the road can lead to a motor vehicle accident (MVA). To ensure that you’re feeling comfortable and performing at your best behind the wheel you need to address the issue right away. It’s important to note than in addressing the sensation you’re experiencing, we’re removing underlying medical conditions from the equation to focus on the most common causes of driver side foot cramps – musculoskeletal problems. The latter is a good thing (where applicable) because it can be directly corrected through physiotherapy. Read ahead to learn more.
Why You’re Experiencing Foot Cramps While Driving Lately and What You Can Do About It
What Causes Foot Cramps While Driving?
The common causes include the following:
- Nutritional issues such as dehydration, electrolyte imbalances, and Vitamin D deficiency
- Extrinsic (anterior, posterior, lateral, and deep posterior compartments) and intrinsic (dorsum and plantar) muscle fatigue that comes from constantly using the pedals which can lead to cramping.
- Poor circulation in the legs and feet that may come from excessively long periods of time driving which can lead to cramping. This is common to those who do long commutes each day.
- Flat feet (aka pes planus) which is a condition where the foot has a very low or no arch, meaning the entire sole of the foot makes contact with the pedal when driving. This lack of arch can affect alignment and potentially lead to foot cramps.
How Do I Stop My Foot from Cramping Up While Driving?
In each and every case above, aside from nutritional issues (which you can directly address via dietary adjustments, physiotherapy intervention will help. Services such as manual therapy, trigger point therapy (focusing on the feet), and even acupuncture will have a direct and positive impact on the sensation that you’ve been experiencing while driving. A full-service clinic will also provide a gait assessment to determine if you need footwear inserts – custom orthotics – which can also have a quick and positive impact on the function of your feet on the pedals of your vehicle.
Let’s get you back on your feet (behind the wheel) by scheduling an assessment at our Burnaby BC clinic today!
Free Your Feet and Feel Great!
(Burnaby and Vancouver drivers)