It’s summertime! You’re looking forward to some traveling, your feet are begging to be set free from their sock-and-shoe confinement, and your toes are longing to wiggle in the grass. Do it all – but remember to keep your feet healthy and safe. Here are seven great tips from our board-certified podiatrists:
- Ease into activity. Once summer is upon us, we treat many overuse injuries. People are more active in the summer than when the days are short, and the snow flies. The problem is, they’re so happy to be outside that they overdo it. Going from zero to 60 shocks their feet, causing injuries like plantar fasciitis, capsulitis, and Achilles tendonitis.
- Keep your feet covered as often as possible, even on the beach. Sandals and water shoes will prevent you from cuts, fungal infections, and puncture wounds. This advice is especially true for people with diabetes. Complications from a simple scrape are not worth the risk of going barefoot.
- Use sunscreen on your feet. People often forget to slather the tops of their feet when applying suntan lotion. If you’re sunbathing and the bottoms of your feet are exposed, put cream there, too. This advice extends beyond your day at the beach – open sandals also leave your feet vulnerable to the sun’s harmful ultraviolet rays.
- Don’t live in flip-flops. They’re great at protecting you from athlete’s foot at the pool or locker room, but not for an afternoon of sightseeing. It’s pretty hard to keep flip-flops on your feet – your toes have to grip, so if you wear them a lot, toe deformities like hammertoes can develop.
- Treat your blister properly. Do your best to prevent a blister by avoiding plastic shoes and shoes that rub or pinch. If you get one, leave it alone, but watch for signs of infection, including redness that spreads up your leg.
Our experienced podiatric surgeons, Dr. Craig B. Frey, Dr. Megan L. Oltmann, Dr. Jim Swienconek, Dr. Rachel Robinson, and Dr. Courtney Yoder, can treat any foot or ankle problem that summer throws your way, including overuse injuries, ankle sprains, and infections. Call Foot & Ankle Associates of Cleveland in Solon, Ohio, at (440) 903-1041 or contact us online to schedule a consultation. We offer a modern office with the latest technology for podiatric patients in Portage, Geauga, Cuyahoga, and Summit Counties, proudly serving our patients from Solon, Aurora, Bedford, Chagrin Falls, Hudson, Macedonia, and Twinsburg.