7 Ways to Keep Your Feet in Top-Notch Shape
April is Foot Health Awareness Month, and all of us at Clifton Foot & Ankle Center in Fairfax County want to give our patients the tools they need to keep their feet as healthy as possible.
- Wash them. Sounds a bit ridiculous, perhaps, but the truth is that most people don’t actively wash their feet. It’s not enough to let water trickle over your feet in the shower. To truly wash off sweat and grime, reach down and massage your feet with a soapy washcloth.
- Dry them. It’s essential to towel dry the skin between your toes after bathing to discourage the growth of fungi and bacteria.
- Keep them hydrated. Use moisturizing cream after you shower to keep the skin of your feet supple and smooth (but avoid putting cream in between your toes). Moisturizing becomes even more important as you age. The older you are, the more your skin loses its natural moisture production, becoming dryer, flakier, and itchier. Another way to keep your skin moist is to drink lots of water.
- Trim your toenails straight across and not too short. Cutting nails on angles, with curves, or shorter than the ends of your toes encourages them to grow downward into the soft skin of your toes, creating painful ingrown toenails.
- Wear comfortable, well-made, supportive shoes. Ill-fitting shoes and high heels cause or exacerbate more foot problems than you can imagine, including bunions, hammertoes, neuromas, blisters, corns, and calluses.
- Beware of overuse injuries. Overuse injuries such as plantar fasciitis can plague anyone who asks too much of their feet – for example, nurses on 12-hour shifts; professional runners who increase their speed or mileage too quickly; or high school basketball players whose coaches insist on 3-hour practices every day.
- Eat well and exercise. A healthy diet helps keep you at a healthy weight. Being overweight or obese puts too much stress on your feet and can lead to diabetes. Gout can become an issue when you consume too much red meat, shellfish, and alcohol. Finally, exercise daily and eat foods high in Vitamin D and calcium to maintain healthy bones.
Sometimes you follow all the rules, and you still have foot pain. When these seven foot-healthy tools aren’t enough, and you need a professional medical consultation, contact our board-certified podiatrist Dr. Kenneth R. Wilhelm for an appointment. Speak to our friendly staff in Centreville, Virginia by calling (703) 996-3000. You may also make an appointment online.
