Back to School: Time to Take Care of Yourself
“Moooooooom!” “Daaaaaaaad!” These are common refrains all year round – even more frequent when the kids are home for the summer. But once school’s back in session, hopefully, you’ve got more time in the day that you can call your own. Use that time to take care of you. And don’t forget to include good foot care.
Why you should focus on foot care
You depend on your two feet to get around, perhaps a lot more than you realize. Your feet are the foundation of your body. They take on the stress of all the movements you dish out: walking, standing, twisting, running, jumping, squatting and more. And yet, they usually don’t give you any trouble. Some focused attention on your feet now can go a long way toward preventing problems from developing in the future
Furthermore, being mindful about your foot health can help you identify problems and seek treatment before they become a big deal.
4 ways to focus
- Take a physical inventory. Feet can tell you a lot about your general health. Symptoms of diabetes, heart failure, osteoporosis, and circulation problems can show up in your lower limbs. So take a good look at them. Do any parts of your feet or ankles hurt? Are your toes always cold? Do you have any numbness or swelling? How about the skin on your feet? Are your heels dry and cracked? Any discoloration? Examine your toenails – are they yellow and brittle?
- Lose weight if you need to. Feet can respond to extra pounds with plantar fasciitis, arch pain, tendonitis, and even stress fractures.
- Check your shoe wardrobe. Discard old, worn-out shoes that no longer offer any support. Wearing the same shoes every day isn’t great, especially if they’re flip-flops or a similar style that offers little or no arch support. High heels are a direct cause of many arch and ball issues, including neuromas.
- Get problems checked out and fixed. If you discover a problem with your feet or sustain a sudden injury, visit foot and ankle surgeons Craig B. Frey, DPM, and Megan L. Oltmann, DPM at Foot & Ankle Associates of Cleveland. We welcome residents of Cuyahoga, Geauga, Summit, and Portage Counties to our podiatry office in beautiful Solon, Ohio. Call us at (440) 903-1041 or contact us online for an appointment.