Healthy Feet
by LuAnne Steininger
Everything Old is New Again are the words from a song. If you were a teenager in the 60s, you might have worn bell bottoms, pedal pushers and spiked Italian heels. Well, today’s young adults may tell you they now wear flares, Capri’s and spiked heels. Whatever you call them, those high heels and pointed-toe women’s shoes are back. If only the next generation would learn from the preceding one. Many of us are paying the price for squeezing our feet into a shape that does not resemble the foot. The wisdom of being older is that we now realize that foot comfort takes precedence over fashion and social pressure. When your feet hurt nothing is right with the world. You can only focus on the pain.
Let’s take a look at the basic structure of the foot. The foot consists of the ankle, the instep and the toes. Twenty-six bones are laced together with many layers of ligaments, tendons and muscles. This remarkable piece of engineering functions as a stable structure to support us yet it can adapt to uneven terrain and even shock. Just like a suspension bridge can sway in the wind and avoid breaking, the foot can shift and distribute pressure where it is needed.
Problems of the feet are many. Athlete’s foot, bunions, blisters, corns, calluses, ingrown toenails, toenail fungus, painful heel syndrome, odor, tendonitis, neuroma, heel spur, diabetes related sores and infection and warts are just a few.
Treatments range from loosing weight, stretching, cutting toenails squarely, keeping feet dry and clean, wearing protective shoes in public places, wearing proper fitting shoes, wearing socks that fit and wick away moisture and resting the feet when they are tired. Some treatments need professional care and many conditions, such as flat feet, are inherited.
Proper footwear is a key to healthy feet. Your feet are as individual as you are and even your own two feet may not be identical. In fact it is thought that 80% of foot problems are caused by ill fitting shoes. Have a professional measure both feet and fit the bigger foot. Pick a shoe appropriate for the activity. Walking and running shoes are designed to go forward.
Tennis type shoes, aerobic shoes and cross training shoes are designed to go many directions. Sports specific socks do matter. Loose fitting cotton socks can hold in the moisture and cause blisters on long hikes. Replace your sports activity shoes at least once a year, to prevent injuries. Shoes wear down without being noticeable until your ankles, knees, hips or back hurt. Try replacing your shoes first. It will feel like walking on a cloud.
Here are some tips for shopping for the proper fit. If the shoe does not fit when you try it on, it will not “break in” when you get it home. Don’t be influenced by the comments of others about how “good the shoe looks on you.” Remember you are now wise enough not to be influenced by social pressure or flattery. Shop at the end of the day when your feet have had normal activity. When you try on the shoes, wear the socks you plan to wear with the shoe. Walk around the store, stand on one foot at a time, bend at the ankle and stand on your tip toes. Do the shoes flex with you? Measure and fit the widest part of the foot, the shoe box. Allow for ? inch of space between the end of the big toe and the tip of the shoe.
If you get home and the shoes are still uncomfortable, try to take them back, or recycle them. Don’t keep shoes that give you problems. Best of all, take lots of time to find the shoes that fit. Over a lifetime, your feet will change. Ask any woman who has just carried a baby for 9 months and she will often tell you she now wears a size larger than before she was pregnant. As we age, shoe size can increase due to flattening of the arches, and the pad on the bottom of the feet may get thinner. Our weight or pattern of activity may change and we need to adapt with the changes in our feet.
Exercises for the feet are fun. Pick up marbles with your toes. Roll a golf ball or a soft foam ball under your feet. Do gentle stretches that feel good. Follow any advice from your health care professional.
Finally, think of your feet as your partner. Treat them well and they will take you where you want to go. They will support you at all times, but when they ask for rest, provide it. Get a foot massage. Healthy feet are an indispensable asset to well-being, physically and mentally.
LuAnne Steininger, B.S. Health Education, is the Wellness Coordinator at the Sanford Center for Aging, Division of Health Sciences, University of Nevada, Reno. She has worked with people ages 50+ for more than 20 years and is on the leading edge of the baby boomer generation.