The importance of Foot Care in our health

Foot care contribute importantly to our overall health. When there are lack or not enough attention to them, it is automatically reflected in our face, which becomes tired and distressed.

Pain, is one of the ways that our organism has to express an imbalance, disharmony or loss of vital order.

Usually, when some part of the body hurts, is because there is a disturbance in the functioning of the body, which not precisely has to be located in the place that is in pain.

Among all the parts of our body, the feet receive the worst treatment

Unfortunately, we remember that our feet need care when they hurt or bother us, but the rest of the time we pay them very little or not attention, even though podiatrists and doctors recommend otherwise.

Foot care, is not only important because our feet are the extremities on which we rely all day, and without which we would lose balance, it is also important because they absorb and cushion the impact that the body receives from the ground while walking,

Our feet facilitate adaptation to the ground

With each step, the feet support a pressure superior to the weight of the body, which is multiplied when other types of activities are performed, such as running or jumping.

Besides, they are responsible for maintaining the static loads upright, distribute the pressures and act as levers in the propulsion once the heel is detached from the ground to start up.

For example, a person who has an incorrect body posture (fallen shoulders, leaning forward, head almost sunken in the chest, etc.), not only causes a bad body language impression, but may also affect its own health, since in the long run this condition promotes fatigue, chronic headaches and inharmonic body posture.

On the other hand, a constant incorrect posture of our body can trigger knee pain, and even back pain, which are caused by poor alignment of the feet.

The feet are like the foundations of a building, at first sight they can seem correctly aligned and working perfectly, no matter what type of footwear they wear, this usually happens in young people.

With the passage of time, the knees and even the lumbar muscles begin to suffer. The organism tries to correct or align these imperceptible disorders of the foot with small structural modifications, either with the knee or the back.

Exactly the same happens with buildings, cracks occur in the load-bearing walls and the architects call it settlement cracks.

In principle, in construction slang, you could say that it is normal, but in the human being, despite being normal, we should try to correct those small modifications or small cracks, just before they happen.

For this, there are podiatrists specialists in biomechanics where with pressure platforms and computerized analysis of the gears we can find out if there are disorders in the feet that affect the upper joints such as the knees and the back.

These injuries are known as:

Flatfoot

It is an alteration of the foot through which the arch of the foot disappears, this pathology can cause knee pains, knees in X (when they touch their knees on the inside).

The flat foot can cause pain in the inner part of the knee and over time knee osteoarthritis by exaggerated wear of this joint.

This happens because the knee joint works poorly, the meniscus wears out abnormally and there is more support from the inside of the foot than from the end. In addition, the meniscus can be broken as the years go by.

Cavus Foot (High-Arched Foot)

Cavus foot is a condition in which the foot has an arch that is much higher than normal. As a result of this high arch, a large amount of weight is placed on the ball and heel of the foot.

This type of foot, if not properly treated, can cause contracture of the posterior musculature of the leg, the typical fasciitis of the athletes or the calcaneal spur.

It causes fingers in the shape of a claw and the upper part of the fingers touches the shoe forming calluses. These are usually very painful and develop on the backs of the fingers.

In many women, even without suffering from cavus foot, their foot acts in the same way as if they had the condition, this is due to having used heeled shoes too often during their lives.

The posterior musculature is atrophied. That is when they need to wear a heel because otherwise, as they say, they go backwards or their back hurts.

Consequently, a plantar support is necessary, to correct the metatarsal overload derived from the heels and specific physiotherapy exercises to relax the musculature.

These are the two most common pathologies of the feet, they are pathologies that you may have heard about in many places. There are numerous other pathologies that affect the lower extremities.

However, with prevention we can avoid major ailments or surgical interventions, initially unnecessary.

Do not forget that our feet are for life, and we must take care of them better than the wheels of our car.

Perform regular check-ups at the podiatrist and discuss any alterations observed

Throughout life, the feet bear a great burden: in each step that takes place, the foot supports between 2 and 4 times the weight of the body. That is why their care is indicated in all ages, especially in children (due to the possibility of carrying out preventive treatments), in elderly people (due to attrition and chronic illnesses added) and in people who spend long periods of time standing or moving (athletes, hairdressers, salespeople, dependents, nurse, etc.).

Recommendations for Foot Care

Always choose appropriate footwear.
Make sure that the shoes fit well to distribute the weight evenly.
Separate the feet to increase the base of support.
Avoid standing in the same position for a long time. Alternate standing with sitting. With some frequency, interrupt the static position with some steps or leaning against the wall.

Perform a tread study. Avoid muscle and joint injuries. If you are an athlete, this is especially relevant because of the greater ease with which the injury can come and the need to optimize your performance in competition.
If you wear heels, use appropriate insoles to increase the comfort of the shoe and increase stability in the knee. In addition, it will reduce the overloads and tensions created by the heel.

If you notice tired legs or foot pains, visit the podiatrist, custom templates may help solve your problem.
Relax in the bathtub at least once a week. Give your legs and feet a refreshing bath to help improve circulation. Use bath salts or essential oils such as ginger, cypress or eucalyptus essential oil to stimulate them. Also, it is advisable to put them on high.
Perform exercises to stretch the feet and improve circulation.
Pamper your feet. A correct hydration with lotions specially formulated for this type of skin, or the use of natural oils such as avocado or coconut oil, is essential to keep it elastic and protected.

The feet are the only point of support on the floor, and the way to do so influences the rest of the osteoarticular and muscular system.

In some cases, discomfort or injuries that manifest in areas far from the foot, may be caused by the shape of our feet or by our way of treading, such as some low back pain or muscle overload.