Healthy Feet will Make You Dance All Night
A healthy person is a happy person. When someone hears the word “health,” their focus naturally shifts within, where it belongs, because the proper functioning of the body’s internal organs is of paramount importance. Your health will be more consistent if you focus on taking care of yourself from the inside out. A person’s internal health is a major factor in their overall health and happiness, but it is not the only factor. You also have external elements of your physical body that require external care.
One such body part would be your Feet!
To what extent do you appreciate our feet? They’re crucial to our mobility as our principal means of transportation. Your feet, which have 26 bones and a complex arrangement of muscles, tendons, and ligaments, are responsible for balancing and keeping you upright while you walk. Many different issues might arise from neglecting your feet. Discomfort and limited movement can result from a number of foot problems, including foot odor, cracked skin, fallen arches, corns, ingrown toenails, fungus infections, and broken bones. Some of these issues are inherent, but with proper care, you can prevent most of them. And if that weren’t enough of a reason to take care of your feet, remember that the ailments just listed tend to get worse with age.
The month of April is designated as National Foot Health Month (in the USA) in the hopes that people will be reminded of the significance of their feet and the importance of proper care during this time. Sirwiss has partnered with health experts as well as home salon and spa services who could provide valuable information on how to take care of your feet both internally as well as externally. Continue to read to find out the importance of your feet.
Foot Anatomy
A total of 28 bones, 30 joints, and over a hundred muscles, ligaments, and tendons make up each of your feet. Together, these structures serve two primary purposes:
1. Weight-bearing
2. Propulsion (forward movement) (forward movement)
The foot also needs flexibility to adapt to different surfaces and maintain stability. The forefoot, the midfoot, and the hindfoot are the three distinct regions of the foot. Both halves contain skeletal and muscular structures as well as connective tissues such as ligaments and tendons.
Common Foot Problems
By the time most people reach the age of 50, they have walked around 75,000 miles. The foot’s various joints and muscles make it susceptible to damage from either excessive use or injury.
Conditions unique to the foot can contribute to discomfort, limitations in motion, or even instability, such as:
1. Plantar fasciitis is caused by microtears in the thick fibrous tissue on the underside of the foot, usually due to overstretching.
2. A Bunion is a bony protrusion on either the inside edge of the foot or the pinkie toe side. Bunions form gradually when the bones in the foot become misaligned, often due to wearing shoes that don’t fit well or that squeeze the toes together tightly.’
3. Pes Planus (flat feet) is when the arc of the foot straightens out, often so completely that the entire sole comes in contact with the floor. . Heel Spurs. As the largest bone in the foot, the calcaneus (heel) is prone to injury caused by faulty foot biomechanics (meaning problems with your gait).
5. Mallet Toe. With a mallet toe, the joint in the middle of a toe becomes permanently bent to the extent that it points downward.
6. Metatarsalgia is pain under the ball of the foot. It is often the result of pressure caused by high heel shoes or from conditions such as arthritis, nerve compression, or fractures or tears in ligaments that support the ball of the foot.
7. A Claw Toe is a deformity in which a toe bends downward from the middle joints and can sometimes even curl under the foot entirely. When this happens, callouses or corns will form on top of the affected toe. Sometimes, a corn can place pressure on nerves in the foot, causing pain.
8. Morton’s Neuroma. This is a common problem in which compression on a nerve in the ball of the foot causes burning, tingling, and pain near the third and fourth toes. High heels are most often the culprit. Morton’s neuroma can make you feel like you have a pebble in your shoe or on a fold in your sock.
9. Gout. Gout is a painful inflammation of the joints in the feet that can strike anyone. As uric acid accumulates in the big toe joints, this condition develops. Uric acid is produced naturally by the body and aids in the breakdown of purines, but there might be instances when the body creates too much of this acid.
10. Athlete’s Foot. When compared to the shoes worn by women, men’s footwear completely encloses the foot and prevents it from breathing. One of the best ways to maintain healthy feet and prevent athlete’s foot is to wash them with soap and water every day, being sure to scrub them completely afterward.
How to Maintain Healthy Feet
When it comes to daily stress and strain, one of the body’s most overworked and underappreciated areas is the foot. Most people also don’t take the time to develop and stick to a regular practice for caring for their feet, which only makes the problem worse. Several foot problems that make it hard to walk and limit your mobility could result from this. For the most part of the day, the pressure on your feet is consistent. Because of the constant pressure from walking on hard surfaces, your feet quickly wear out under your body’s weight. These are all reasons why proper foot care is crucial.
1. Keep Up with a Daily Foot Cleaning Routine
Your feet are naturally more vulnerable to dirt and dust because of their proximity to the ground. The fact that they spend a good portion of each day with their feet enclosed in socks and shoes also means that they perspire quite a bit.
Hence, at least twice a day, you should give them a thorough washing with lukewarm water and a moderate or antibacterial soap. The dead skin on your feet may be easily scrubbed away with the comforting heat of the water, and any remaining sweat, dirt, or bacteria can be washed away with the help of the soap.
After washing your feet, it is best to either let them air dry or to dab them dry with a clean towel to remove any excess water. Athlete’s foot and other fungal illnesses thrive on damp skin because of the constant breeding of bacteria.
2. At the Very Least, Exfoliate Twice Weekly
Every time you put weight on them or walk around, your feet will rub against the floor or your shoes. The result is severely rough and damaged foot flesh. Little, hard, rounded bumps called corns or irregular, raised patches called calluses occur on weight-bearing or high-friction parts of the body as a result of this repetitive damage. This is why regular foot exfoliation is essential for maintaining smooth, soft feet. By sloughing off dry, flaky skin, exfoliation aids in avoiding the development of corns and calluses on the soles of the feet.
3. Moisturize Your Feet
Particularly in the dry winter months, your feet can get rough and dry from the frequent wear and tear they endure. The elasticity of dry skin decreases, increasing its susceptibility to tearing. Cracked heels are a common symptom of this condition, and they are more common on the soles of the feet since they are constantly in contact with the ground. As a result, keeping your feet supple and hydrated requires diligent, multiple-times-daily application of moisturizer. Using a moisturizer and foot cream before bed allows the products to work overnight to restore the skin on your feet.
4. Wear Shoes That Fit
Because you spend so much time on your feet during the day, cozy shoes are a must. Ergo, the size, fit, style, and substance of your shoes affect the comfort of your feet. Well-fitting and comfortable footwear facilitates effortless motion. On the other hand, if your shoes don’t fit properly, you could end up with foot pain or even an injury.
Some things to keep in mind while shoe purchasing are as follows:
1. Your shoes’ material should be flexible enough to conform to the shape of your feet without causing discomfort.
2. Don’t wear shoes that are overly restrictive, as this might cause pain in your toes and make walking difficult. A tight pair of shoes can cause blisters and other foot ailments since the edge will scrape against your foot as you walk. Make sure there is no additional space in your shoes and the flesh on your feet is not crushed.
3. Always wear running shoes when you go for a run, as they are specifically designed to provide stability and support for your feet as you run. They are also durable enough to withstand frequent use without wearing out.
5. Trim Your Toes Right
Overgrown toenails not only attract dirt, but they are also more likely to break. Nail clippers, not scissors, are the best tool for maintaining neat and tidy toenails. Scissors only work in a straight line and are therefore unable to follow the natural curvature of your nails. As soon as you’re done cutting your nails, use a nail file or emery board to buff away any rough spots. If you trim your nails too short, you risk injuring the nail bed, which can be very painful, especially when walking. Also, in order to avoid ingrown nails, you should clip them at an angle along the nail’s natural curve. If you end up with an ingrown toenail, don’t try to fix it yourself. Finally, avoid the temptation to trim or pluck at your cuticles; doing so can cause significant discomfort and even expose the nail bed to infection. If your cuticle is protruding, press it back in with a pen or stick made for the job.
6. Sweaty Feet
Sweat is typically odorless, but it can promote the growth of bacteria that give off a foul odor when they come into contact with your skin. That’s why having sweaty feet can make you smell bad. In addition, a combination of sweat and poor foot cleanliness makes for an ideal breeding ground for the microbes that cause infections of the foot.
To prevent foot odor and infections, use these measures:
1. Put on a new pair of clean socks daily to keep your feet from getting smelly.
2. If your feet get wet, you should remove your shoes and socks right away. Baby powder or talcum powder can help absorb sweat and keep your feet smelling fresh before you put on socks and shoes.
3. If your feet tend to sweat a lot, you can try sprinkling some antiperspirant powder inside your shoes.
7. Daily Foot Massage
Daily foot massages for 5-10 minutes can increase blood flow, which can reduce swelling and soreness. Additionally, the foot muscles it stimulates are less likely to tighten up. Doing this right before bed can have such a profoundly relaxing effect on your body that it will put you to sleep quickly and easily.
8. Check Your Feet for Yourself
Inspect your toes and feet once in a while, preferably after a shower, for symptoms of injury, infection, discomfort, or abnormal growth. Diabetics are at increased risk for foot infections and other foot disorders and should examine their feet regularly. In addition, peripheral neuropathy, which causes tingling or numbness in the feet, is common in long-term sufferers. As a result, people frequently miss any sign of foot damage, increasing the likelihood that the lesion may get septic if left untreated. So, it is extremely important to check your feet frequently and get professional care if you see anything out of the ordinary. Make an annual appointment with a podiatrist to check the health of your feet.
9. Regular Foot Soaking Is Advised
A foot bath is a wonderful way to unwind at the end of a long day. Cleaning your feet in this way helps keep them clean, healthy, and odor-free. In addition, it has a soothing impact on the entire body and reduces any swelling in the foot.
10. Consider the Paraffin Wax Treatment
Soothe your sore feet by plunging them into a warm bowl of paraffin (a wax made from petroleum) and mineral oil. Wax and oil moisturize the dry skin of your feet, and the gentle heat eases inflammation, soreness, and stiffness in the muscles.
Get your feet evaluated by a podiatrist at least once a year to be on the safe side. Additionally, any prolonged swelling, skin irritation, or peeling on your feet should prompt a trip to the doctor, as these symptoms may indicate an allergic response.