Keep Your Feet Happy

Posted on Jan 9, 2012 | 11 comments

Keep Your Feet Happy

HEALTH & BEAUTY—

 
 

From high heels to floppy sandals, women’s feet can take a real beating.
Get tips on how to keep your feet healthy and happy.

By Clare Kittredge
Medically reviewed by Niya Jones, MD, MPH
 
The human foot is a delicate assembly of 26 bones — a quarter of all the bones in your body. But between squeezing your feet into high-heeled pumps or wearing sandals that offer little support or shock absorption, it’s not unusual for a woman’s feet to be mistreated. As a result, women often complain about foot pain. Fortunately, there are many ways to correct and prevent common foot problems.
 
 
Foot Pain: An Unrecognized Epidemic
Women’s feet are the objects of much scrutiny. According to a recent survey from London, nearly half of men notice a woman’s feet when meeting her for the first time — and as many as a third judge her or analyze her personality based on what they see. It’s no wonder that more than 84 percent of American women have experienced “foot shame” at some point in time, or that over half are frequently embarrassed about their feet, as per the results of another survey by the American Podiatric Medical Association (APMA). Younger women, more concerned about style than comfort, are more affected than older women, the survey found.

“It does affect women more than men, and it has a lot to do with cosmetic influences on women,” says Crystal Holmes, DPM, a podiatrist and clinical instructor of podiatry at the University of Michigan, in Ann Arbor. “We also have more affection for shoes and shopping and fashion, and shoes play a big role in fashion, so having feet that might be considered cosmetically displeasing is an issue.”

High heels are especially punishing on women’s feet, notes Dr. Holmes, and can cause a lot of foot pain. “If you have heels more than 2 inches high, it increases the forefoot pressure under the ball of your foot by seven times. So an average woman of 120 to 155 pounds with heels over 2 inches high has roughly 700 to 800 pounds of pressure in that area. So it makes sense that it should be painful.”

Foot Pain: Common Complaints
Visits to the podiatrists for foot pain often reveal the following problems:

• Bunions. This deformity makes the big toe slant toward the other toes and causes joint swelling and pain. Shoes with narrow, pointy toes can aggravate a genetic tendency towards bunions; wearing “sensible shoes” and, when necessary, surgery, can often help. “High heels do not cause bunions or hammertoes, as these are generally genetic, but they can aggravate them,” warns Holmes.
• Foot fungus. Athlete’s foot, which is caused by a fungal infection, manifests itself as dry, itchy skin on the feet. It can be prevented by washing your feet daily and carefully drying between your toes afterwards. Foot odor caused by excess foot perspiration can also be improved by good foot hygiene and frequent changing of shoes and socks.
• Hammertoes. Severely bent toes, or hammertoes, are often made worse by excessively narrow shoes and by the presence of bunions.
• Corns. Corns on the toes are caused by friction between skin and ill-fitting shoes. Corns can be uncomfortable, but special padding or moleskin can help to protect the skin.
• Spurs. Heel spurs occur when bone grows abnormally under the heel bone, and sometimes occur in conjunction with plantar fasciitis, the swelling and irritation of tissues in the sole of the foot. Treatment runs the gamut from cortisone shots to custom-made shoes.
• Warts. Caused by a virus, warts are usually harmless and easily removed by a podiatrist. Avoiding walking barefoot can help prevent warts.
• Ingrown toenails. These can be caused by anything from inadequate nail cutting to tight shoes. Fungal infection can also complicate ingrown toenails.
• Diabetic foot sores. Americans are increasingly at risk of diabetes, but women are additionally at risk of gestational diabetes during pregnancy. Without proper foot care, diabetes can lead to poorly healing foot sores and infection.

Foot Pain: No More Aching Feet
Follow these steps to help prevent or correct foot problems:

• Do not ignore foot pain. See a podiatrist if any pain persists.
• Wash feet regularly and dry them thoroughly, especially between your toes.
• Buy shoes that fit right. Avoid flimsy sandals with insufficient support as well as heels more than 2 inches high.
• Limit the time you wear high heels, and alternate them with more comfortable, flat shoes.

Holmes emphasizes that when it comes to getting shoes that fit well, women need to know that their foot size and shape can change over time as well as with weight changes. In general, feet get bigger over time, but they can get smaller if you lose weight. In addition, arthritis and trauma could change your foot size, as can pregnancy.

“If you have a foot condition, seek medical advice,” advises Holmes. “Seek help early. Pain is not normal. Pain is your body telling you something is wrong and you should get help.”
 
 
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Frank King
a King production