If the skin on your feet seems smooth and normal, aside from just being red, then it may be a circulation problem. This may particularly be the case if your feet are red when you are sitting down or standing up, and then when you raise your feet, they return to normal color or become just a blotchy red. If that is the case, it points to the redness being due to pooling of the blood in your feet with gravity.
Even if the pulses in your feet (there’s one on the top of the foot and one by the inner ankle bone) feel strong when your doctor examines them, you can still have circulation problems in the small blood vessels of the feet. A way to evaluate for that is to get a special test in which they measure blood pressure in your ankles and in your toes. You might ask your doctor about getting that test (which is usually done in a hospital vascular lab).
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Thickening of the toenails is fairly common. Physical damage to your toenail, fungal infection and Psoriasis may be the root cause. Old people also often have thickened, hard toenails, probably because of the damage they have sustained over the years, and because their nails grow more slowly, it takes longer to repair the damage.
For treatment to be successful, above all you must be patient. You will have to use the treatment for at least 3 months, and some treatments take even longer to work. Your nails grow from the base to the tip and it can take 18 months for a nail to be replaced completely by a new one.
General care of your feet can help avoid thickening nails.
Give your feet plenty of air, because warmth and sweat encourage the fungal growth. When you are at home, go barefoot whenever possible.
Choose shoes that give your toes plenty of room.
It is tempting to use nail polish to disguise the nail, but nails need to breathe so use it for short periods only, removing it as soon as possible.
Treat athlete’s foot promptly. If you develop athlete’s foot, treat it quickly so it does not spread to the nails.
Over-pronation, or flat feet, is a common bio-mechanical problem that occurs in the walking process when a person’s arch collapses upon weight bearing. Normal pronation, or “turning inward” of the foot is necessary as the foot adapts to the ground. With excessive pronation/ over pronation, the arch flattens, collapses, and soft tissues stretch. When this happens, joints that should be stable now become very loose and flexible.This motion can cause extreme stress or inflammation on the plantar fascia, potentially causing severe discomfort and leading to other foot problems.
Over-pronation is very prominent in people who have flexible, flat feet. At first, excess pronation may cause fatigue. As the problem gets worse, strain on the muscles, tendons, and ligaments of the foot and lower leg can cause permanent problems and deformities.
There are many causes of flat feet. Obesity, pregnancy or repetitive pounding on a hard surface can weaken the arch leading to over-pronation. Often people with flat feet do not experience discomfort immediately, and some never suffer from any discomfort at all. However, when symptoms develop and become painful, walking becomes awkward and causes increased strain on the feet and calves.
Orthotics can be used and should be designed with appropriate arch support and medial rearfoot posting to prevent the over-pronation.
Footwear should also be examined to ensure there is a proper fit. Footwear with a firm heel counter is often recommended for extra support and stability. Improperly fitting footwear can lead to additional foot problems.
Over pronation is linked to just about every foot condition, including but not limited to bunions, metatarsalgia, osteochondrosis, corns, calluses and hammer toes.
Finding comfortable boots can be quite a hassle. They feel fine when you try them on in the store. You get them home and they don’t feel so fine. Reason? Feet tend to swell in boots, due to their more confining nature.
For the most comfortable fit, shop for boots late in the day, when your feet tend to be more swollen. Try them on with the hosiery you normally wear with boots. Avoid styles with extremely pointed toes and tight calfs. Wide heels, less than 2″ high, will have greater stability.
Of most importance, if there is even the slightest discomfort while trying on a pair of boots, do NOT purchase them. They may be the nicest boots you have ever seen, but you MUST walk away from them…………they will NOT “break in” and get more comfortable. Boots should feel good from the start.
1. Take Care of the Diabetes Work with your health care team to keep your blood sugar within a good range.
2. Check Your Feet Every Day Look at your feet every day for cuts, blisters, red spots, and swelling. Use a mirror to check the bottoms of your feet or ask a family member for help if you have trouble seeing.
3. Wash Your Feet Every Day Wash your feet in warm, not hot water, every day. Dry your feet well. Be sure to dry in between your toes.
4. Keep Your Skin Soft and Smooth Rub a thin coat of skin lotion over the tops and bottoms of your feet but not between your toes.
5. Smooth Corns and Calluses Gently Use a pumice stone to smooth corns and calluses
6. Trim Your Toenails every week or when needed Trim your toenails straight across and file the edges with an emery board or nail file.
7. Wear Shoes And Socks At All Times Never walk barefoot! Wear comfortable shoes that fit will and protect your feet. Feel inside your shoes before putting them on each time to make sure the lining is smooth and there are no objects inside.
8. Protect Your Feet From Hot and Cold Wear shoes at the beach or on hot pavement. Wear socks at night if your feet get cold
9. Keep The Blood Flowing To Your Feet Put your feet up when sitting. Wiggle your toes and move your ankles up and down for 5 minutes 2 or 3 times every day. Do not cross your legs for long periods of time. Do Not Smoke.
10. Be More Active Plan your physical activity program with your doctor.
11. Check With Your Doctor Have your doctor check your bare feet and find out whether you are likely to have serious foot problems. Remember that you may not feel the pain of an injury. Call your doctor immediately if you have a cut, sore, or blister that does not begin to heal after one day. Follow your doctor’s advice about foot care.
12. Get Started Now Begin taking good care of your feet today. Set a time every day to check your feet and TAKE CARE OF YOUR FEET FOR A LIFETIME………..
Most people have an arch along the inside of the foot, leaving a gap between the ground and the foot. Some arches are higher than average. This condition is called Pes Cavus, and usually involves supination. Usually hereditary, people with high arches have very poor shock absorption in their feet, and while they may not always experience pain, it can occur in the arch area. Because high-arched feet are more rigid, they often under-pronate. Therefore, neutral shoes with excellent shock absorption and moderate arch support as well as replacement insoles are recommended for the most comfort. Product recommendations: A shoe with a high arch.
Several basic things you already know: size (meaning length) and width (meaning across the ball of the foot). What about depth or girth – meaning from bottom to top? The depth of a shoe is often the difference between a decent fit and a great fit. Certain shoes have been designed to provide more depth than is usually provided. They often have multiple liners built in that allow you to adjust the depth even further.
Another characteristic to look for is the difference between the two types of lace shoes – bal and blucher. “Bals” are stitched across the bottom of the instep (top of the foot) and the two sides are held very close together; however, “bluchers” are designed with a “butterfly” style opening and allow the shoe to open both wider and deeper.
Years ago, there was a standard U.S. “last” and a person shopping for shoes could be measured for both length and width with confidence. Unfortunately, this time has passed. Today, every shoe manufacturer in the world uses their own last and, in most cases, they use several different lasts. Because of this, size measuring devices work only moderately well in determining length and not at all in determining width. Knowing the differences between certain lasts can be vital in fitting shoes.
There is no longer any “standard” width designation that can be counted on. For example, what Florsheim marks as a W fits exactly the same as the styles Florsheim marks 3E, while Hush Puppies W (for men) is actually an E width and their XW is the 3E.
Whenever you attempt to fit an orthotic or arch-support into a shoe, the most important thing to look for is whether or not the style has a removable liner. Without a removable liner, the likelihood of the style being able to accommodate a custom or after-market inserts is very low.
When attempting to fit a foot with any type of deformity (bunion, hammer toes, etc?) it is always best to select a style with as few seams ass possible. A plain-toed shoe will mold itself to the foot much easier and if a seam hits the foot in the wrong place it can cause serious irritation.
Shin Splints are another common overuse injury characterized by pain in the front or inside portion of the lower leg. The pain develops gradually without a history of trauma, and might begin as a dull ache or tender area along the front or inside of the shin. Shin splints usually involve small tears in the leg muscles where they attach to the shin bone, and if not addressed, the pain will intensify. Due to an increased risk of developing stress fractures, shin splints should be promptly treated. Excessive impact stress, tight muscles, worn-out or improperly fitting shoes, collapsed arches, or excessively high arches can all be causes of shin splints. Stretching muscles is the best way to prevent shin splints. Recommend any footwear with cushioning and stability or motion control elements. Cushioning insoles are also recommended.
Tendons are the connective tissue that attaches muscle to bone. The posterior tibial tendon attaches to a bone in the foot called the navicular, helping stabilize your arch. Posterior tibial tendonitis is inflammation of this tendon occurring from overuse. This inflammation is caused by extra stress, usually due to a collapsing arch. Because pain occurs along the inside of the lower leg, ankle, and foot, rear foot motion control shoes and motion control or stability insoles are recommended to treat posterior tibial tendonitis. Recommendations: A shoe with good arch support.
Knee pain is generally caused by overuse. It is often a result of excessive impact shock forces absorbed in the knee area as well as natural pronation of the foot. Besides reducing the level of exercise for a short period of time, extremely well cushioned shoes as well as replacement cushioning insoles are recommended to help treat knee pain. Recommendations: A shoe with good cushioning. Severe or persistent knee pain should be treated by a physician.