Why We Should Take Care of Our Feet

Wellness incorporates so many aspects of our body, but I think we forget about taking care of our feet. I know that I tend to forget about my feet until recently when I started having some issues with my skin and toenails. With my Vasculitis I get sores on my feet and it hurts. And with my Rheumatoid Arthritis my nerves and joints cause me a lot of pain. I see a podiatrist for toenail trimmings and feet checkups because of this. It is easy to remember remember our legs, arms, breasts, sex organs, and others parts, but our feet we forget about because they are connected to our legs. Yet the feet support our legs, hips, and abdomen, chest, and head so keeping them strong is important.

Without our feet we wouldn’t be able to walk, run, stand, or even breathe properly. I use essential oils and one of the best body parts to put oils on is the feet because it helps with other body parts in healing from the oils. I find that fascinating. 20% of Americans have at least one foot problem. Another fun fact is that our feet carry us 115,000 miles in our lifetime. If our feet walk that many miles, shouldn’t we take care of them?

Here are some illnesses or health challenges that affect the feet:

Diabetes: Neuropathy which is nerve damage in the feet happens when you don’t take care of your blood sugars. This causes extreme pain, tingling in the feet and toes, and numbness. Another damage is to the circulation. Poor circulation decreases your ability to heal from foot injuries that can happen.
Arthritis: With arthritis, I have RA and know this from experience. There are joint swellings in the toes and ankle joints. There is pain, redness, and even trouble moving the joints and tendons in the feet. Stiffness happens, as well as, skin changes.
Obesity: Being overweight puts pressure on the hips, knees, ankles and even our toes. It can lead to tendinitis and heel pain.
Muscles and Tendons Problems: Having Haglunds Deformity, which I do, on the toes of my right foot, is when the heel bone becomes bony and inflamed and deformed looking. Heel pain, which causes stress to the tissues. Tendinitis is inflammation of a tendon. There are over 100 tendons and muscles in the feet. That is why stretching the feet is important.
Skin ailments: This includes things like athletes foot, corns, calluses, psoriasis, and warts.
Toe joint and nerve problems: This includes bunions, hammer toe, and neuroma.
Toenail conditions: Ingrown toenails and toenail fungus are in this category. So much can happen to the feet and it is important to keep our feet dry so we don’t get fungi in our feet.

Here are some tips from some podiatrists:

Inspect your feet daily. Inspect them for dry skin, cracks, peeling, and injuries.
Dry your feet well after showering to prevent foot fungus from growing.
Don’t leave nail polish on your toes for 24/7. It can lead to brittle nails and fungus. Allow your toenails to recover.
Apply sunscreen to your feet, even between the toes and your ankles.
Stretch your feet, ankles, and lower legs regularly.
Keep diabetes under control and have an annual foot exam with a podiatrist.
Maintain a healthy weight.
If your children have complaints about foot pain or they stumble a lot, have them see a podiatrist.
Wear shoes with good support and low heels.
Replace walking shoes or exercise shoes every 6 months or every 500 miles to avoid foot issues.
As you age your feet change. They get wider, bigger, and change shoe size. Get them sized periodically so you have the right fitting shoes on.
With foot injuries, see a podiatrist right away. Untreated injuries result in bones not healing properly and causing re-occuring pain.

Finally, here is something Karen Clemenson can help you with. Exercise. Since there are over 100 muscles and tendons in the feet it is vital that we stretch them well. Here are some exercises you can do:

Point your toes
Raise your heels
Squeeze your toes
Use a small ball to roll your feet on
Stretch them while standing up
Stretch them while sitting down
Give yourself a foot massage
Relax them in a warm bath with Epsom salt.

Let’s take care of our feet. I know that I will be more vigilant about this. Remember Karen is a great personal trainer and can get you moving!

Here are some links I would like to share with you:

8 Reasons to Take Care of Your Feet by Unity Point Health – Sioux City Staff
April National Foot Health Awareness Month by Village Podiatry Centers Staff
At-Home Foot Exercises by Jan Sheehan and medically reviewed by Lindsey Marcellin, MD, MPH for Everyday Health
Basic Foot Care by MVS Podiatry Associates Staff
Diabetes Foot Care Guidelines by American College of Foot and Ankle Surgeons Staff
Foot Care for a Lifetime by U.S. Department of Health and Human Services and Health Resources and Services Administration Staff
Summer Foot Care by Advanced Foot and Ankle Medicine and Surgery Staff
What Is a Podiatrist? by Noreen Iftikhar, MD, medically reviewed by James Keith Fisher, MD for HealthLine

Dear Jamie

Jamie Holloway is co-owner of Wellness Works NW and she is also our Research Manager and writes our Chasing Wellness with Jamie Holloway and Dear Jamie columns. Jamie is also an Independent Wellness Advocate at dōTERRA. She lives in the Portland, Oregon area. Since October 2011 she has been sharing her Journey Toward Health and Wellness with Vasculitis through her blog at JamieChasesButterflies.com. We hope you are as inspired as we are with the raw candor Jamie uses in her writing. If you would like to help support Jamie’s writing efforts please Donate now.