- Balance. A good test for balance involves standing on one foot, with your arms out to the side and your eyes closed. If you are less than 30 years old, you should be able to balance for 15 seconds, 30 to 40 years old for 12 seconds, 40 to 50 years old for 10 seconds and over 50 years old for seven seconds. This can be improved with exercises.
- Circulation. Look at the color of your toes. Do they look like a normal nail color or are they leaning towards red, white, purple, or blue? Press down on the nail of your big toe until the color blanches. Now let go and allow the blood flow to return to your toe. The return of normal color should take 2 to 5 seconds in a person with average circulation.
- Flexibility. How flexible are your toes? Try to pick up a marble or a small dish towel with your toes. To test your ankle flexibility, hang your heel off of a stair. Now let the heel go below the level of the stair. If this causes pain, stop the test. If your heel goes below the level of the stair without causing strain in your calf, that is a good sign. If there is some strain, this can be improved with flexibility exercises.
- Pain. A healthy foot does not produce any pain.
- Sensation. Take a pencil eraser and lightly run it on the top, bottom, and both sides of your feet. The sensation should feel equal in all quadrants. It may tickle on the bottom of the feet. That is normal.
- Skin. Check your skin for calluses, blisters, or areas of irritation. Stand next to your shoes. Are they shaped like your feet or are they causing areas of constriction that may result in irritation? Put your hand inside your shoe. Are there seams, tacks, or rough places in the shoe that correspond to calluses or blisters on your feet?
Showing posts with label guide. Show all posts
Showing posts with label guide. Show all posts
Wednesday, 11 May 2011
Are Your Feet Healthy? Make Sure by Performing the "Foot Self-Exam"
Thursday, 5 May 2011
Blisters. Causes, Treatment, and Prevention.
What is a blister?
A local swelling of the skin that contains watery fluid and is caused by burning or irritation.
Causes:
Most blisters on the feet are caused by friction and do not require medical attention. New skin will form underneath the affected area and the fluid built up in the blister is simply absorbed back into the tissue.
Treatment:
You can soothe ordinary blisters with vitamin E ointment or an aloe-based cream.
Do not puncture a blister unless it is large, painful, or likely to be further irritated. If you have to pop a blister, use a sterilized needle or razor blade. Wash the area thoroughly, then make a small hole and gently squeeze out the clear fluid. Apply a dab of hydrogen peroxide to help protect against infection. Do not remove the skin over a broken blister. The new skin underneath needs this protective cover. Cover the area with a bandage and mild compression.
If the fluid is white or yellow, the blister is infected and needs medical attention.
Prevention:
You can prevent blisters by breaking in new shoes gradually, and putting petroleum jelly or an adhesive bandage on areas that take the rub—before the blister happens. Wear socks that have heels instead of tube socks (they bunch up and cause blisters). Acrylic and other synthetic-fiber socks are good choices. Be sure to wash and dry your feet daily to prevent bacterial infections, such as Athlete's Foot.
Foot and Ankle Wellness Center - 780 488-4844 (Edmonton, AB, Canada)
Thursday, 24 March 2011
Arthritis Foot Care Tips
Home Feet Home
Regardless if you have arthritis or not, the best thing you can do for your feet is find shoes that fit and feel comfortable. Here are some tips for finding the perfect pair for your feet.
- Buy a pair shaped like your feet. To find out if your current shoes are causing problem, outline them on a piece of tracing paper. Then outline your bare feet on top of those tracings. If your feet are outside of the shoe tracing, you have problems. Look at buying shoes that are square or rounded at the toe. These shoes will give your feet more room to move.
- Get the support you need. Find shoes with good arch support and an additional layer of support on top of the shoe. These qualities are most common in athletic shoes.
- Rubber soles are key! The rubber material will provide more cushioning for your foot. When trying on, be sure to check the flexibility of the shoe near the ball of your foot.
- Say no to heels! Heels increase the amount of stress on your feet and restrict your toes ability to move.
Stretch Your Self, Before You Wreck Yourself
Well-exercised and fit feet, may not be as noticeable as biceps, but they are just as important when comes to keeping your body healthy and pain-free. Be sure to consult us before starting a routine foot exercise regime.
- Achilles stretch. Lean against a wall, palms flat on the wall, one foot forward, one foot back. Leave the heel on the floor and lean forward, feeling the pull in your Achilles tendon and calf. Do three times, holding for 10 seconds each time.
- Big-toe stretch. Loop one thick rubber band around your big toes and pull the big toes away from each other and toward your other toes. Hold for five seconds. Repeat 10 times.
- Toe pull. Put a rubber band around the toes of each foot and spread your toes. Hold for five seconds. Repeat 10 times.
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