Top Things Practitioners Wish You Knew About Your Feet

The top 6 things Practitioners wish you knew about your feet and taking care of them.

You use your feet, every single day. We stand on them for hours, walk for miles, and shove them in and out of shoes that may, or may not, be good for them. It is important to take care of your feet.

1. Public Floors:

I’m sure you’ve heard how dirty public shower floors are. It’s a total hotspot for the fungus that causes athlete’s foot and blisters. It is always recommended to wear flip flops or slip on sandals when using these facilities. You will also want to make sure that you are drying them well too. Get in between your toes to ensure that there is no dampness left to sit in your shoe all day.

2. Pointy Heels:

Everyone loves a good heel. However, they don’t treat your feet as nicely as they look. Heels that push your big toe into your small toes, y’know the really pointy ones, can actually result in bunions. Bunions are bumps that form over the bone at the base of your big toe. Irritation, swelling, and inflammation of the skin makes it very difficult to walk. We’re not saying you can never wear heels again, but your feet will be happier if you wear heels like a wide toe box and a small kitten heel.

3. Toe Length:

Is your second toe longer than your big one? If it is, you have a higher risk of developing bunions, hammer toes, or back problems. This is because of the way you distribute the pressure throughout your body. Your weight should push off your big toe when you walk, but when the second one is longer it causes a wide range of foot problems.

4. Growth Spurts:

Just like when you’re younger, your shoe size will change. As we age, our feet become longer and wider because the tendons and ligaments lose elasticity. Not as drastically as when we’re small, but still enough that you will want to ensure you remeasure your feet every so often so you know that you’re wearing the correct size. As we know, wearing shoes that don’t fit properly can lead to a long list of issues.

5. Diabetes:

Having diabetes increases your chances of infection. You need to check your feet daily for any blisters, cuts, redness, and ulcers. If they go undetected or untreated, you may develop an infection, which could lead to more serious repercussions, including amputation. Did you know that amputation for people with diabetes isn’t rare? More than 70,000 people with diabetes lose a foot every year.

6. Fungus:

Nail fungus is a common condition that starts at the tip of the nail and moves deeper as the infection worsens, thickening or discolouring your nails. In most cases, the fungus can be cleared up by taking antifungal medicine, however, your chances of the fungus coming back are high. To help prevent it, which thrives in warm, moist areas, ensure you keep your feet nice and dry and change out of sweaty socks immediately.