Health Pod - Foot Blog

FOOTWEAR TOP TIPS • Make sure you can wiggle your toes a little inside your shoes  • Try on both shoes and walk a few steps to see if they pinch or rub  • Choose leather uppers or materials that allow your feet to breathe and mould well to the shape of your foot  • Feet tend to swell a little during the day, so buy shoes in the afternoon when your feet are at their largest  • Visit a member of the Society of Shoe Fitters for a professional fitting service  • Buy the right shoe for the purpose – high heels are not for walking distances  • Buying shoes in a “Sale” may save money, but could cost your feet dearly. Ensure they fit correctly Heel – this should have a broad base, and should be no greater than 4cm (11 /2”)  Heel Counter – this reinforces the heel cup and stabilises the foot upon ground contact  Sole – should provide cushioning and protection for comfortable walking, and enough grip to prevent slipping  Upper – ideally made from natur...

Hammertoes occur when the lesser toes of the foot bend at the joints.  Each lesser toe has three bones (phalanges) which have joints between them (interphalangeal joints).  Normally, these bones and joints are straight. But hammertoes occur when the toes become bent at the first interphalangeal joint, making the toe prominent.  In some cases, a bursa (red painfull soft area) is formed over the joit and this can become inflamed. This can progress to hard skin or corns forming over the joints or at the tip of the toe where pressure had increased.  It is often prgressive with the joints slowly becoming fixed in position.  What causes hammertoes? Foot biomechanics.  Trauma  Systemic conditions; diabetes, rheumatoid arthritis and neuromuscular conditions  Self care Wear good fitting shoes with a deep toe box Avoid high heels Use a toe prop to straighten the toe if it is still mobile Wear a protective pad over the toe See a podiatrist Podiatric care Adv...

Blisters Causes Foot blisters result from some combination of heat, moisture, and friction. The important casues is friction. Friction Soft tissue shear distortions occur because skin, sock and shoe surfaces remain in stationary as the bones continue to move within the foot with each step, the skin does not follow. And so the soft tissues in between undergo shear.  These shear distortions, when repetitive, are known to c ause blisters.  If there is  too much shear , a  tear  develops under the skin surface which later  fills with fluid  to become what we recognise as a blister. Treatment  To reduce the development of a blister the following need to be addressed: Reduce friction - lubrication, double layer socks, blister patches or/&  2Toms Blistershield powder Reduce pressure - depending on location, ball of foot; pressure deflecting padding, heel; blister patches Spread/absorb the load - taping to spread shear load using fleecyweb around...

  Calluses and corns The outer layer of skin thickens to protect skin from damage against prolonged rubbing, pressure, and other forms of irritation.  Callus.  Hard skin/callus is a thickening of skin exposed to prolonged rubbing, friction and pressure. A callus is a yellowish, flat, hard layer of dead skin. Calluses typically develop near the base of the toes, heel and anywhere ongoing friction or increased pressure from the inside of shoes or due to gait or foot morphology that place increased stress on parts of the foot. Helloma.  Helloma/corn is a protective thickening of the skin on a bony, knobby portion of a toe or where excessive ongoing pressure in a specific location occurs or due to ongoing  irritation caused by shoes. Some corns helloma milliare form due to dry skin and friction in the base of the foot. Excessive damage.   After prolonged irritation, a brown, red, or black discoloration may develop under a large corn or callus. This is caus...