Remember the last time you were literally busy all day moving from one activity to another? When you finally had a chance to rest you probably realized that your feet were so tired and sore.
We use our feet for a lot of things. From walking to jumping, we utilize our feet to do many tasks which we would have no capability to do without them. Unfortunately, our feet can be fairly susceptible to injury and issues.
5 Common Foot and Ankle Problems + Prevention Guide
There are ways to prevent many feet and ankle injuries, and luckily those preventative measures are usually pretty effective.
Blisters
Blisters are little pockets of fluid that form near the top levels of the skin. They can be filled with blood, pus, or other fluids. They can range from minor to severe, and the associated pain and discomfort changes accordingly. Blisters on your feet generally occur due to friction. When your shoe rubs repeatedly on your foot, it causes the fluid to build up under the skin. Excessive sweating and moisture in your shoes can also lead to blisters.
Prevention of blisters involves mainly making sure your shoes fit well. If you will be on your feet for a prolonged amount of time, make sure to take short breaks to relieve the pressure and friction on your feet. Thick socks can help, but you don’t want to wear them for too long, as they will cause your feet to sweat more.
Athlete’s Foot
Athlete’s foot is a fungus that forms on the feet, generally between the toes, as a result of lots of sweating or contact with the fungus itself. That’s right, athlete’s foot is highly contagious, and can be contracted even if you’ve just walked on the same floor as someone else who has it.
Athlete’s foot can be prevented by wearing looser fitting shoes, and thoroughly cleaning your feet daily. This will prevent the fungus from forming. When using communal spaces like locker rooms, showers, etc it may be a good idea to keep your feet covered, or at least
Ingrown Toenail
Ingrow toenails are the worst. They typically occur as the result of a poorly-trimmed nail. If the nail is cut too far down or at a bad angle, it can lead to the nail growing back and pressing into the skin. This causes swelling, pain, and can lead to infection.
The best way to prevent ingrown nails is to cut straight across the nail. Your nail naturally grows to form the half-circle shape on the end, so when you cut them straight across, they won’t be able to grow into your skin and will grow back to their normal shape quickly.
Hammertoes
Hammertoes are a condition that causes a bend in the middle of your toe. The tip of your toe generally points down, and the middle arches up. Tetonfootandankle.com explains that “In most cases of hammertoes, there is an imbalance of the muscle/tendon complex that helps maintain the toes alignment.
Hammertoes are difficult to prevent as they form based on body tissue imbalance. However, wearing shoes that don’t fit as tightly can assist in not making the condition worse. Hammertoes are easily corrected by a simple procedure if needed.
Your feet go through a lot. They are useful for so many things; make sure you take good care of them, so they can take good care of you.
