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I walk with neighbors every morning (well if it isn’t below zero, so we’ve missed quite a few days lately). One neighbor has missed walking for weeks because of plantar’s fasciitis. NOT FAIR!
Both my husband Jerry and I have been plagued with foot issues for years. I finally understand why Grandma Wellumson wore ugly black orthopedic shoes. We do now, too. Merrell’s and Birkenstocks reign in our home. They look better than Grandma’s did.
My issues began years ago after a few glorious months of pounding away at a dance class two hours a week—modern dance and tap. I loved it, but my feet didn’t. It became agony to stand barefoot on my kitchen floor, pain I endured for weeks before consulting Mike DeBevec, our sports medicine guru. The culprit? Plantar fasciitis. Mike fitted me with orthotics and told me to give up dance until my feet were healed. Well, I never went back.
Foot ailments plague many of us, especially in our middle and later years: heel spurs, bunions, Achilles tendonitis, hammertoes, and Morton’s neuroma. Sadly, I’ve experienced many of them.
A painful array
If you’re wondering what they are, here’s the short course:
PLANTAR FASCIITIS is the straining of tissue connecting the heel to the toes, caused by fallen arches, tight calf muscles, weight gain, worn shoes, and/or walking too much. It affects one in ten people at some time in their lives.
A HEEL SPUR is a bony growth on the heel caused by plantar fasciitis or an over-stressed arch.
A BUNION is a large bulge on the outside of your big toe joint, resulting from fallen arches and a tendency to over-pronate or from tight shoes.
ACHILLES TENDONITIS is soreness on the back of the ankle, sometimes with a sharp pain in the calf, caused by stressing and inflaming the Achilles tendon.
HAMMERTOE is when a toe curls under and develops a corn on top, caused by an imbalance of toe muscles. Ill-fitted shoes are the biggest culprit, though there are other causes (like high arches).
MORTON’S NEUROMA is a pain or burning on the underside of your foot behind the toe, caused by a pinched nerve.
An ounce of prevention…
So how can you prevent these maladies?
1. First, wear comfortable, well-fitted shoes. Find shoes that give your feet support without cramping your toes (leave a half inch of space in the toe). And ladies, shed the high heels, which do you no favors. Replace running/walking shoes every 500 miles.
2. Another factor that affects your feet is the load they carry. As little as 20 pounds can impact your feet. If load is equal to length times width, figure it out. You may not be able to do much about your height, but girth is within your control–enough said.
3. Stretching your calves can help prevent foot pain. A simple and effective exercise is to stand with your toes on a stair step and your heels hanging over the edge. Slowly lower your heels as far as is comfortable and hold for ten seconds, then lift them back up. You should do ten of these a few times a day.
4. Differences in gait can contribute to foot problems, too. Most people step first on the outside of the heel and then the rest of the foot rolls in toward the big toe. Pronating is walking more on the insides of your feet, while supinating is walking more on the outside. You can tell how you walk by looking at the bottom of a worn pair of shoes. The wear should be fairly consistent down the middle of the sole. I’ve tried to alter my supinating stride, but it’s hard after 50 years of walking like a duck. Athletic stores often have someone who can help you choose the best shoe for you. I’ve discovered that my high arched, supinating feet prefer New Balance and Merrell.
5. Get orthotics. Jerry and I have both found orthotics incredibly helpful. Custom made is best, but you can find quality orthotics in drug stores.
6. Vary your day—if you sit a lot, be sure to stand and walk around occasionally. If you’re on your feet all day, take time for sitting breaks.
7. Keep your toenails trimmed.
8. Stay hydrated to prevent cramps.
If you suspect that you’ve injured your feet, use ice as you would on any injury to keep inflammation from destroying tissue.
Or—you might consider old-fashioned black grandma shoes.
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