HOW TO CARE FOR YOUR FEET
Your feet have to last your whole life.
If you do 10,000 steps per day that’s 5000 steps per foot, per day. This is over 1.8 MILLION STEPS PER YEAR PER FOOT.. Feet are extremely complicated pieces of equipment and everything has to be in good condition to allow them to work properly for you when you need them. If you don’t look after your feet it’s very likely they will run into problems and once a problem occurs it’s quite possible you will need some help from someone like me, or a member of the wider team of podiatrists, chiropodists, orthotists, physiotherapists etc. There are a few simple things you can do regularly to keep your feet in good condition.
WEIGHT
Keeping your WEIGHT down is crucial. Approximately 9-10 times your body weight goes through certain parts of your feet on every step. This means if you carrying an extra 1 stone (7kg) of weight then an extra 10 stone (70kg) is going through your tendons, bones and cartilage on each step. This has a dramatic effect over the years and wears your feet out leading to tendon problems, plantar fasciitis, flat feet, arthritis and pain.
Once your feet hurt it is difficult to exercise to lose weight, but this is no excuse, 95% of weight loss is purely down to what you eat. Exercise is good for making you fitter and stronger, but it also increases your appetite, so rarely leads to sustainable weight loss. Weight loss is a big interest of mine and I have successfully helped many colleagues, friends and patients lose multiple stones of weight in an healthy and sustainable way. For further advice on weight loss please read my WEIGHT LOSS page.
CALF MUSCLES
Your CALF MUSCLES are a major factor in your foot health. Your calf muscle is attached to your Achilles tendon which attaches to your heel bone. If your calf muscle is tight this pulls up on your heel which tips your ankle, pointing the front of your foot and toes into the floor on every single step, every day, week, month, year. This has a massive effect on your feet and is the root cause of many problems I see. Our calf muscles naturally get tighter as we age, especially if you wear heeled shoes or exercise regularly. If you don’t regularly stretch your calf muscles they will tighten up and cause you problems one day.
CALF STRETCHES
The best way to combat this is to perform stretches every single day. What’s that you say? You’re “too busy”? Well fear not, I have a solution that will take no extra time out of your day. You clean your teeth twice every day for approximately 2 minutes each time. This is the perfect time to stretch your calves as you aren’t doing anything with your legs and it takes no time out of your busy day. It also helps you to remember if you tie your stretches in with something you do every day. Find a step (the top of the stairs will do), hang on with one hand and make sure it’s safe and you won’t fall. Stand on the edge of the step with your heels hanging off, keep your knees straight and let your heels hang down. You should feel a tight stretch in your calf muscles. If it becomes sore, take a short break then try again. Doing this every day will prevent (or treat if you already have it) Achilles tendon problems, plantar fasciitis, pain at the front of your feet, plantar plate tears and much more.
SKIN
The SKIN of your feet is extremely important. Hard skin forms on your heels and the balls of your toes as a natural method of protection. But, if this skin builds up it can become dry and crack, leading to sores and ulcers. It is a good idea to give the skin under your heels and the balls of your toes a daily gentle scrub in the shower or bath once the skin has softened. Do this with a shower poof or soft lufa. I would not advise using blades or being too aggressive with a pumice stone, even if the skin is already thick, as this can cause sores, it will work slowly so be patient. If you have diabetes be very careful scrubbing your feet and get advice from your podiatrist or chiropodist beforehand on how to do this safely.
TOENAILS
The TOENAILS are also an important part of your feet and if not looked after they can cause problems. The most common problem is ingrowing toenails on the big toe. This is often caused by tight shoes, pedicures and improper cutting of the nails. The nails should be cut straight across making sure the corner of the nail is outside the skin. If the corners are cut below the skin edge they irritate the skin and an ingrowing toenail starts, it is difficult to get rid of this once it happens so seek advice from a podiatrist or chiropodist. If the infection keeps coming back it may require surgery.
BLOOD SUPPLY is extremely important to your feet. Feet are a long way away from your heart so are the last part of your body to get oxygen and nutrition. It is also very hard for the blood full of carbon dioxide and waste products to get out of your feet against gravity, back up to your heart. Anything that affects the blood supply to your feet can cause major problems and lead to serious consequences such as amputation. The main culprits are smoking, diabetes that isn’t managed properly, obesity, periphero-vascular disease and a lack of exercise.
DIABETES has a dramatic effect on the feet and more information on this is available on the DIABETES AND YOUR FEET page. Essentially diabetes affects the blood vessels in your body causing them to narrow and close. This starts with the tiny blood vessels to the nerves so your feet go numb, causing you to walk heavily. It then affects the blood to the skin, stopping small cuts and cracks from healing. The amount of sugar in your blood increases in diabetes which feeds bacteria causing infections, and stops your immune system from working. It also causes calf tightness, forcing your toes into the floor (see above) and makes your skin and muscles stiffer so they provide less cushioning. All these things together are a recipe for disaster, especially if the patient is overweight or smokes. Poorly controlled diabetes, plus smoking, plus being overweight will eventually lead to amputation of the foot or leg.
SHOES
SHOES are a big factor in looking after your feet. We all like to look nice and shoes form part of your outfit and fashion, but this shouldn’t be at the expense of your feet. I see lots of patients with sore feet that are wearing shoes that don’t fit them. Even once I show them this they will often say “but these are my favourite shoes…” madness! Your feet increase in size (especially width) by approximately half a size every 10 years, so your shoe size needs changing. One quick test is to draw round your shoe on a piece of paper, then stand on the paper and see if your foot goes outside the line. If it does, they are too small, get some new ones.
HIGH HEELS
High heels are bad for your feet, if you do wear them do so only for a short time. They tighten your calf, bend your toes up (causing arthritis of your big toe and plantar plate tears) and force your toes into a triangle (causing bunions and toe damage). Shoes that are too small squash your feet and stop them lying flat while you walk, so they can’t work properly. Shoes that are too big allow your feet to slide around causing rubbing and blisters.
FLAT SHOES
If you have pain around your toes it is often because the soles of your shoes are too flimsy so they bend too much when you walk. I tell my patients to do my “2-finger test” on all shoes. If you can bend the toes up on a shoe with 2 fingers, they aren’t supporting your foot. If you have insoles these need to be in a supportive shoe, preferably one that laces up and goes above your ankle, this keeps your foot straight on the insole. Insoles inside soft shoes or trainers provide little benefit as the insoles are forced into the shoe and your foot goes back to its original shape.
SUMMARY
In SUMMARY, look after your feet, they are amazing and have a lot of work to do. To make sure that they last you a lifetime keep your weight down, stretch your calves every day, wear shoes that fit properly and support your feet. Scrub your feet gently in the shower or bath every day and don’t cut the nails too short. If you are diabetic it is essential that you take proper care of your diabetes and your feet, make sure you have the help of a podiatrist or a chiropodist. If you are having problems with your feet or they start to hurt go and see someone who is trained in that area. Good luck.
How can I care for my feet?
This website is designed and run by Mr Edward Gee, a Consultant Orthopaedic Surgeon specialising in Foot and Ankle Surgery, as an educational resource for Patients and Professionals.
Foot and Ankle Expert FAQs
Book face to face or remote consultations
Email admin@footandankleexpert.co.uk to book your face to face or remote consultations.