Five things about feet
Feet – love them or hate them, they are so important to us. We take our feet for granted – until they start to cause problems (usually because we haven’t looked after them properly!) and because we recognise how important they are, we’ve written this blog in association with Zoe from One Step at a Time Mobile Footcare about ways that you can help your feet to help you.
Looking Good
Take a good look at your feet, or the feet of your loved ones – are they looking healthy? Or do they look a bit sore? Are the toenails thickened? Thickened toe nails can be a sign of old age, but they are also an indicator of fungal nail infection – which can be easily treated before it spreads and causes more problems.
(Did you know that fungal nail problems can lead to sepsis if left untreated?)
This little piggy
Checking your toes and toe nails is really important – and much more difficult to do, the older we get (!) – checking between toes for any callous or hard skin build up and checking toe nails to ensure that they aren’t too short or too long. Zoe tells us that many people are minded to cut their toe nails as short as possible – but this can cause problems as socks and shoes can rub against the nail bed, causing bleeding – which can, in turn lead to infection.
Dancing shoes
Our shoes can tell us lots about our body – look for uneven wear – if one side is wearing quicker than the other, look at what might be causing the imbalance – is it a problematic corn or bunion that’s making you walk differently? Regularly maintaining your feet is the best way to stay on top of foot problems. Zoe recommends 4-6 weekly visits.
Needles & Pins
Pins & needles, or a numbness/tingling in your feet can be indicator of diabetes (there are other indictors too – check out the blog post from Diabetes UK) – our feet really can tell us so much about our bodies, and give us an early warning alarm.
Look Up
Moving away from the feet – has your posture changed? Are you walking on an angle to compensate for the pad of your left foot being sore? Are your favourite trainers a bit too narrow on the toes and causing pinching, which means that you walk on the heels of your feet instead of the pads? By the time you realise the importance of your feet, you’re probably already suffering from pain where you’ve neglected them.
BUT – all is not lost – regular foot health check-ups are now offered to all of our clients – in their own homes, which means that every 4-6 weeks, Zoe can give a thorough check, remove any hard skin, cut toe nails and check for any fungal nail infections. Zoe can also advise on properly fitted shoes & slippers too – the pink fluffy slippers might look pretty – but there are more supportive options on the market – and if you or your loved one spends a lot of time wearing slippers, they should be as supportive as everyday work shoes.
If you want to book your loved one in for a footcare appointment with Zoe, just ring the team in the office on 01684 778 750. and we’ll get it arranged.
