Plantar Fasciitis, also known as plantar fasciitis, is a common foot condition that is often characterized by pain. It mainly affects individuals who have to stand for long periods of time. This condition can be quite distressing and can significantly impact the quality of life for those who are required to stand for extended periods.
According to the Canadian Centre for Occupational Health and Safety, prolonged periods of standing can lead to various physical discomforts. These include sore feet, leg swelling, the development of varicose veins, muscle fatigue, lower back pain, and stiffness in the neck and shoulders. It is important to be aware of the potential negative effects of excessive standing on the body’s well-being.
Increased Comfort
Standing for long periods of time can lead to a common condition known as plantar fasciitis. This condition causes inflammation and pain in the connective tissues located on the underside of the foot. However, it’s not just standing that can contribute to the development of plantar fasciitis. When workers sit, the constant weight placed on their heel bone can also put added strain on these already stressed areas, exacerbating the symptoms of plantar fasciitis.
Plantar fasciitis and workplace standing mats can help combat these issues by protecting feet while increasing blood flow to legs.
Anti-fatigue floor mats can provide great relief for workers whose jobs involve frequent exposure to environments in which swollen feet, ankles and Achilles Tendonis can occur. Available for various environments including hair salons, healthcare and industrial offices – these anti-fatigue mats provide comfort.
Comparable to prolonged standing on hard ground, COP amplitude, peak plantar pressure and AI in the middle, forefoot and heel were significantly decreased when standing on a mat, as was instep height reduction and ball of foot length decrease, AI changes less and instep length decreased less – all factors which reached statistical significance.
Reduced Pressure
Standing for long hours can be extremely taxing on feet, heels and leg muscles, potentially leading to health issues like plantar fasciitis or varicose veins.
Workplace standing mats help alleviate foot pressure by offering a cushioned surface to each toe, relieving stress on legs and lower back by decreasing bodyweight impact, helping prevent fatigue and pain associated with working on concrete or other hard surfaces for extended periods.
Not only did we compare thickness measurements of plantar fasciae, we also conducted pressure algometry measurements on 20 patients suffering from plantar fasciopathy to assess localised pressure pain thresholds – these thresholds are determined by applying pressure until patients experience their initial pain sensation – in both stretched and relaxed positions of plantar fascia on either symptomatic sides.
Increased Blood Flow
Standing for extended periods on hard surfaces can decrease blood flow to muscles, leading to physical fatigue as leg muscles become totally constricted and force the heart to work harder in order to deliver blood throughout these tightened spots.
Employers can address this problem by adding anti-fatigue mats to their workplaces. Pharmacists, security guards, manufacturing line workers, and others who spend extensive amounts of time standing will find this kind of mat incredibly beneficial.
Increased Durability
Workers spending long hours on their feet without rest can experience health issues such as swollen feet and ankles, heel spurs, and Achilles Tendonitis. Anti-fatigue comfort mats will help your workers reduce these issues while simultaneously increasing productivity.
Studies show that those using anti-fatigue mats for their standing desks are able to reduce fatigue by 50-75% and reduce the risk of joint pain, heart disease, varicose veins and pregnancy issues. They’ll spend less time slipping or falling on their mats which saves your company money in terms of reduced work leave costs as well as treatment costs.
Wiggermann and Keyserling conducted an experiment to compare four commercially available anti-fatigue mats on perceived discomfort and weight shift during four hours of standing, concluding that hard standing surfaces resulted in significantly higher discomfort ratings compared to their softer counterparts.
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