It’s National Foot Health Awareness Month: Our Top Foot Care Tips

This month is National Foot Health Awareness Month, and the APMA reports that nearly 20% of Americans experience a foot issue each year. It may be caused by poorly fitting shoes, or an underlying health problem such as diabetes, obesity, or peripheral neuropathy. So today Dr. Mark Thompson and Dr. Brandon Holloway of Amarillo Foot Specialists located in the Amarillo, TX panhandle share their top foot care tips.

Our feet are the foundation for our body, so if they are not healthy, it can affect the hips, knees, and even the lower back. Your feet will carry you an average of 115,000 miles during your life, so preventing foot problems should be a priority.

Follow these tips for healthy feet and healthy life!

1. Keep your body at a healthy weight through exercise and diet. Extra weight places more pressure on the feet leading to stress fractures, circulatory problems, arthritis, and ankle and foot pain.

2. After bathing, dry your feet and between your toes to prevent fungal infections then apply moisturizer to your heels and feet with lotion.

3. Keep your diabetes in check by monitoring your fasting blood sugar daily. 

4. Always wear shoes in public places where you might suffer cuts, contract athlete’s foot, or get plantar warts on the bottom of your feet. 

5. Examine your feet each day. If needed, use a mirror to inspect the bottom of your feet for cracks, peeling, dry skin, or injuries. This is particularly important if you have diabetes to avoid a non-healing wound or infection.

6. You won’t wear the same size shoes your whole life, so get your feet measured regularly.

7. When applying sunscreen, don’t neglect your feet. This will help prevent sunburn and avoid skin cancer, which often goes unnoticed on the feet.

9. Perform stretching exercises for your lower legs, feet, and ankles daily and before exercising to keep the muscles strong.

10. Swap out your exercise shoes every 500 miles or six months to avoid heel and foot pain which occurs when the inside of the shoe begins to show signs of wear and tear.

11. Give your nails a break from nail polish for one week out of the month.

12. Wear supportive shoes with a low heel and make sure they have enough space without squeezing toes or rubbing.

Never play doctor! If you suffer an injury on your foot, ankle, or toe, contact the office of Dr. Mark Thompson and Dr. Brandon Holloway of Amarillo Foot Specialists located in Amarillo, TX at (806) 322-3338 to schedule a consultation. Left untreated, injuries can cause limited mobility, the development of arthritis, and recurring pain in the affected joints.