Baby your feet this holiday season
During the holidays, being busy takes on a whole new meaning. Many of us are scrambling to take care of day-to-day needs while building in extra time for shopping, baking and running errands.
One part of the body that can suffer amid the mania is often one of the most ignored: the feet.
Feet have a big role in overall health, said Shawn Braunagel, DPM, a podiatrist at Cape Cod Healthcare Podiatric Medicine and Foot Surgery in Hyannis. It often starts from the bottom up; being on our feet more than usual can have a big effect.
“During the holidays, the big concern is overdoing it,” he said. “Knowing your limits is a big component to your health.”
And knowing when it is important to see a medical professional is essential. Having an untreated foot problem can lead to more issues and affect our overall health, including balance and posture.
“Think about it. During the holidays, we’re looking at people doing a lot more, from cooking to shopping. Consider that someone may be standing and cooking for five or six hours a day. If that person is usually more sedentary in their day-to-day, that much time standing can cause a foot-related problem such as a stress fracture” he said. Sharp-shooting pain is absolutely a signal to see a medical professional, he added.
Know Your Body
If that same person is generally active, foot problems may be relatively small, perhaps tiredness or a bit of swelling. Establishing a pattern of taking care of your general health, and knowing what your body needs, is very important. That boils down to self-awareness, Dr. Braunagel said. “You have to know your limits. Be aware of when you are not feeling how you normally feel.”
For those who don’t have major foot problems, finding relief may be as simple as taking breaks, inserting orthotic devices in shoes and/or wearing compression socks.
Elevating the feet can help temporarily by encouraging fluids to move, Dr. Braunagel said. Compression socks, tighter than regular socks, can help, too, by improving blood flow in the leg veins through controlled pressure. Foot baths with Epsom salts and massaging the feet also can give relief.
A big mistake – but a very common one – is wearing the wrong shoes, especially those “cute shoes” with a high heel and narrow toe box. “There are other options out there that may give you the same look but don’t hurt” Dr. Braunagel said.
