Poorly-fitting shoes don’t just affect your feet. Your whole body will suffer if your feet are not functioning properly. The joints higher up will have to compensate in some way, leading to ankle problems, then knee problems, and eventually lower back problems,” says Araujo.
The Shin Bone’s Connected. . .
“Your feet are not separate from your leg muscles. There are knobs on either side of their ankle. Most people are not aware those two knobs are the end of your tibia (shinbone) and the end of your fibula (outer legbone). These two very long bones grip the ankle bone like a pair of tongs and your lower leg becomes involved,” says Mary Bakalian, author of “No More Foot Pain,” [Goodfoot Publishing, 2000, $19.95, www.nomorefootpain. com]. Bakalian, age 83, is a former dance teacher who started teaching people to stand and walk properly when she realized how many of her students weren’t doing so.
Beyond Medicine
There are many medical treatments for foot problems. Among the most common are over-the-counter and prescription remedies for nail fungus. Also, increasingly sophisticated foot pads and inserts pro- vide foot comfort and, in the case of custom inserts, even deformity correction.
There are also new technologies for foot care. “A new thermal-energy treatment, called MIRETM, is showing tremendous results in improving circulation, providing wound healing, and lessening pain,” says Araujo.
Bakalian looks beyond medical therapies to help her clients, many of whom are age 70 and up. “Among other things, I teach people to walk with their feet pointing straight ahead and parallel, not turning out. Turning out causes your arches to collapse and feet to hurt,” she says.
She admits it isn’t easy for people to relearn a lifetime of bad walking and posture. “I had a student who said, ‘It feels strange,’ and I asked ‘Does it feel bad?’ She admitted no and I said, ‘Of course it feels strange. It isn’t what you are used to doing,’” she says.
Don’t Forget Hygiene
“Most people don’t even think about foot hygiene. If you don’t have diabetes, arthritis, nerve issues, or poor vision, you can care for your feet yourself.
“Learn to trim your own nails properly and use pumice stones—not corn removal pads—to fight corns and calluses. If you can’t clip your own nails, maybe your loved one can do it. If not, definitely rely on a podiatrist,” says Araujo.
Bakalian’s book offers simple exercises for overall foot health (see sidebar). “I’m not asking you to spend hours doing tough exercises. Just use certain muscles correctly. Your feet will reward you,” she says.
Simple Foot Exercises
1. Ankle/Foot Painting—
Circle foot clockwise for a count of 10, then counterclockwise for another 10 counts. Easy to do almost any time you are sitting and it nourishes ligaments surrounding your ankle.
2. Golf Ball Massage—
Place a golf ball under the ball of your foot while sitting with your feet on a carpeted surface or a towel. (Don’t use a tennis ball; it is too big and won’t stay firm.) Gently press down and move your foot, first side to side, then forward and back. Do it for about a minute. Tensions let go to revive tired feet and improve circulation.