When your foot loses stability—especially in the arch—it often leads to overpronation, where the foot rolls inward too much when you walk. Over time, this can put extra stress on joints, tendons, and ligaments. In response, your body may try to protect itself by forming bone spurs (osteophytes). These bony growths are your body’s way of reinforcing areas that feel unstable or overused, but they can contribute to stiffness, pain, and further dysfunction if the root cause isn’t addressed.
To support your feet and reduce stress on the joints, it’s important to strengthen the small muscles in your feet and improve midfoot stability. Simple exercises like the “short foot” exercise (lifting your arch without curling your toes), toe yoga (moving your big toe separately from the others), and balance drills can help rebuild support from the ground up. When paired with proper footwear and consistency, these strategies can reduce pain, improve alignment, and prevent further degeneration over time.
