April is Foot Health Awareness Month
At Caring Podiatry April is one of our favorite months. That’s because it’s Foot Health Awareness Month and we get the chance to talk to our Middlesex and Monmouth County patients about the best ways to take care of their feet and ankles. Your feet are amazing structures. Each foot contains 26 bones, 33 joints, 107 ligaments, and 19 muscles and tendons. Even more importantly, your feet enable you to walk, stand and go where you want—if you take good care of them. There are many ways to improve foot health. Below are some of our favorites.
Ways to Improve Foot Health
Get your foot professionally measured. It’s estimated that as many as 9 out of 10 people are wearing shoes that are too small for their feet. Wearing shoes that fit properly and are well made is a significant preventive measure against common foot problems.
Practice good basic hygiene. Wash your feet daily, wear clean socks and make sure your feet stay dry. If you sweat profusely, keep an extra pair of socks with you or in your desk and change when you notice your feet feel damp.
Limit the time that you go barefoot. There are two reasons for this. First, you will reduce your risk of injury and infections like athlete’s foot, warts, and fungal toenails because these are all spread by direct contact. Second, going barefoot or wearing slippers, flip-flops or similar styles that have no arch support can result in heel pain.
Take care of toenails. Painful ingrown toenails can often be prevented by keeping toenails trimmed straight across and not too short. Do not file with rounded edges. Also, avoid socks and shoes that squeeze toes together.
Live a healthy lifestyle. Maintaining an appropriate weight will take excess pressure off your feet and help you avoid many common podiatric disorders. Regular exercise will improve circulation and help feet stay flexible.
Inspect your feet regularly. Simply looking over your feet and checking for changes in skin color or nail condition, unexplained bruises, swelling, growths, rashes, or wounds that seem to be slow to heal can help you detect foot problems in their earliest stages when they are most treatable. Be sure to report anything suspicious to our podiatrists, Andrew Schmierer, Craig Shapero, and Matthew Weintraub by contacting our Monroe Township (609-860-9111) and Neptune (732-455-8700) offices promptly.
