Tag cloud
Don't Make These Mistakes With Insoles
Choosing the Right Foot Care Products
Structurally and functionality wise, feet are a remarkable asset to the body. In a similar vein, they benefit most from regular attention and care to perform optimally. The foot is made up of a complex network of numerous bones and joints, ligaments, vessels, and nerves all enveloped by layers of skin. Made to tolerate the absorption of far more than just our body weight with each step, feet are remarkably durable as well as delicate. To put this into perspective, a person of average weight taking 6000 steps in the day will absorb over two or three million pounds cumulatively from each footstep by the end of the day. It's no surprise that foot issues are pretty common, and that podiatry is a highly utilized field of medicine.
Estimates show that roughly 80% of all adults do suffer from foot problems at some stage in their lives. Besides normal pain due to excessive use, feet can also develop more serious conditions, such as when the connective tissues in the soles begin to break, or plantar fasciitis. Under significant stress, this can also lead to heel spurs, which is when calcium deposits form where the tears are. To alleviate the pain associated with plantar fasciitis or heel spurs, you can use massage oils (coconut is best) to treat your feet at home, as well as icing them, stretching them, and utilizing shoe cushions, arch supports, shoe inserts, orthotics, and of course choosing good pairs of shoes that provide adequate foot support. Good foot health may be improved and maintained with the practice of regular strengthening foot exercises.
It is quite common for people (usually women) who make unwise footwear choices -- shoes that offer little support or hold the feet in bad positions for long periods of time -- to develop minor but inconvenient conditions like corns and calluses. These are not particularly serious conditions but may be very uncomfortable and/or painful when they become too thick. When this happens, it is advisable for you to wear looser and more comfortable shoes and limit the time on your feet. It may be time to see a podiatrist if you are having difficulty walking.
It is also quite common to form blisters on feet bearing the rigidity of new shoes needing to be broken in, or simply walking in the wrong shoes for too long. They are simply the formation of skin that has been irritated by rubbing against the same unforgiving surface too many times over too many strides. You can easily acquire special bandages made for blisters that are waterproof and extra-cushioned that promote faster healing. Though it is unclear whether it is a good idea to pop the blister or not, hygiene is the most important factor in blister care. If the blister has been accidentally opened, keeping it clean will allow you to avoid infection.
There are many creams on the market made for the skincare of your feet. Cracked heels, which is prevalent in the dryness of winter, can be treated with concentrated foot creams specially formulated for extremely rough skin. Every time you finish showering or washing your feet, you should slather on a hydrating cream to your feet. Each time your skin gets wet, it is like "resetting" your skin and gives you another opportunity to hydrate. Similar to the skin on your face, exfoliation is recommended, with the use of a pumice stone or exfoliator and a cream involving medium sized granules that will help remove useless old skin cells. This will hasten the skin cell replacement process and leave your feet feeling fresh and smooth. Look for foot care products made of natural ingredients such as shea and cocoa to better benefit yourself.
