If your feet are healthy enough to get you everywhere or do everything you want, do not take it for granted. Take proper care of your feet by always putting on suitable footwear and stretching to enhance flexibility. Else, over time, foot injuries may occur easily. Remember that foot treatment can be quite complicated. Here are four steps to help you avoid foot injuries:
1. Maintain a healthy weight
If you have extra weight, it will exert extra stress on your joints and feet and aggravate your foot conditions. Note that you can't work out properly if your feet hurt. This means losing weight through exercise would be quite difficult. Extra weight also comes with the risk of diabetes. If you have diabetes, always let your doctor check your feet for any ulcers.
2.Wear comfortable shoes
Wearing only quality footwear that fits you comfortably helps to keep your feet in shape. So only wear flats, high heels and flip-flops sparingly since they provide little or no shock absorption and cause arch problems, heel pain, plantar fasciitis, ankle injury and more. Choose everyday shoes and athletic shoes that feature shock absorbency.
Plus, remember that walking with no foot protection can also result in sunburn, ringworm, plantar warts, athlete's foot, bursitis and injury.
3. Improve your flexibility by stretching
It is essential to begin any physical exercise by stretching your feet and calf muscles if you've Achilles tendon pain or plantar fasciitis. It's also a great way to loosen your muscles which relieves pressure on your feet.
There are different types of stretches that your doctor can give you guidance on how to perform. They include: foot circles, step stretches, towel stretches, and wall stretches.
4.Listen to your feet
Foot pain is an indication that there is a bigger problem underway. So, don't ignore it. Make sure to inform your healthcare provider immediately if your feet exhibit any strange feeling, especially pain. That way, you will help prevent the pain from worsening or provoking a potential ankle issue or foot injury. Besides, if you have an injury, you also want it healed faster.
If you're experiencing any foot problems or need more details on how to avoid foot injuries, contact our Melville Podiatrist at Melville Wellness today.
