Happy Feet
Happy feet: How to take care of your overworked feet
GENTLE TOUCH: Nothing soothes tired feet like a foot massage. One quick method is to rub your feet with a frozen bottle of water for five to 10 minutes.
RISKY BUSINESS: Going barefoot feels good, but it isn’t really safe, especially for those people with diabetes or poor circulation.
Oh, sure, there’s the annual Footsie-Wootsie machine massage at state fairs. And we may slip a Dr. Scholl’s insert into smelly loafers. Otherwise, our feet are pretty much ignored — until something goes wrong.
The fleshy platforms endure merciless daily poundings. They’re stepped on, stubbed, sprained, bruised, blistered and broken.
Feet are ravaged by a variety of awful things: bacterial infections, melanomas, corns, bunions, hammertoe, arthritis, plantar fasciitis, athlete’s foot, just to mention a few. Ernie Hook, a doctor of podiatric medicine and surgery with an office in Folsom, is president of the California Podiatric Medical Association (www.podiatrists.org).
He was kind enough to spare a few minutes away from his practice to enlighten us about our wondrous feet.
Q: You get home, have been on your feet most of the day, and your feet are killing you. What’s the cure?
Rub your feet over a frozen water bottle for five to 10 minutes, massaging the bottoms of the feet. Then a warm-water soak, followed by elevating the feet for 20 minutes or so. If you can get your significant other to massage them, I’m always up for that. If you don’t get some relief, then see the doctor
Q: What groups are most likely to experience serious foot problems?
Diabetics, athletes and people with peripheral arterial disease. The last group would include smokers, and people with high cholesterol, increased blood pressure, a sedentary lifestyle, obesity and hereditary factors. To those people, I would say, “Stop smoking and exercise.”
Q: Do feet actually grow with age?
As we get older, the foot gets wider, the arch flattens out, and the foot splays out and lengthens. You may change one or two sizes in shoe gear. The shoe you wore at age 18 invariably is going to be larger at age 40 or 50. If you’re still wearing the same shoe size, there could be trouble. Have shoes properly fitted and measured — the length, the width — and you might be surprised.
Q: Describe your perfect shoe.
I like the wide toe box, a deep toe box and a shoe with a removable insert. Anything that puts excessive pressure on toes or doesn’t have good shock absorption is going to cause problems.
Q: With warm weather arriving, what’s your recommendation for wearing sandals?
There’s a whole new era of versatile sandals. Get sandals that have removable insoles or change to your foot type, or have them custom made. Technology has really improved. Look for a sandal with a comfortable arch support already in it. Naot is a brand with a pretty good sandal, Birkenstock to a lesser extent. Bite (Footwear) is good. There’s lots of versatility if you look for it.
Q: What about flip-flops?
I’m not a big fan of flat flip-flops. They don’t support the arch to any degree. People will walk
Q: Which is best for feet, to go natural and barefoot, weather permitting, or to wear shoes?
In our modern society, barefoot is not as safe as wearing a good, comfortable-wearing shoe, especially among diabetics or those with poor circulation. With those who have plantar fasciitis, barefoot is a no-no.
Q: Is plantar fasciitis still the foot ailment of the times?
Plantar fasciitis is described by the CPMA as an “inflammation of the band of fibrous connective tissue (fascia) running along the bottom (plantar surface) of the foot, from the heel to the ball of the foot.”
Plantar fasciitis, for several reasons, seems prevalent in the last 10 to 15 years. Some of the scholars think it has to do with people trying to become more active. When running, the feet are the things that take a lot of the stress. You’ll see it in anything to do with running, see it in weekend exercisers. It’s more visible in things like professional basketball, but it’s now in soccer and baseball.
Q: Is obesity linked to foot problems?
Overall, the opinion of my colleagues is “yes.“ For every 10 pounds or so you gain, it’s like strapping a bowling ball to your belt. If you have three or four bowling balls, it’s going to put more pressure on your feet. We (CPMA) recommend walking three to five times a week. Walking is huge. Merely by walking, you’re going to reduce weight and many health problems.
