Despite a sprained ankle being a common sports injury, the injury has a high recurrence rate and there is no adequate information on the decision to return to sport. Contact sports, both professional or amateur, have high rates of ankle sprain because of the ranges in speed, mobility, and direction change. The injury is predominant in older athletes during official games and the second half of a football match.
Every part of the body is important, but the foot is the most used part and it needs a lot of care. Foot issues are common, however, are people aware there are foot and ankle specialists out there?Do they even know what to look for when choosing the best podiatrist? Shockingly 68% of people dealing with foot complications do not know how to look for the best podiatrist.
Is it time to look for foot care near me? Proper foot care involves maintenance to keep your feet healthy and prevent problems. Your feet need some tender loving care since they are responsible for taking more than a thousand steps daily in addition to bearing your weight with every step. Foot and ankle care are essential to maintain optimum function and avoid problems.
Basic foot care tips
- Maintain blood circulation by exercising or walking 30 minutes a day, five to seven times a week.
- Give your feet a rest by lying back and elevate your feet to relax. With your fingers, gently massage the feet or roll them over a golf ball or a rolling pin.
- Ensure that your feet are always dry and clean to prevent fungus infections; wear clean well-dried socks, and air out your shoes.
- Inspect your feet regularly and if you notice redness, sores, or cracked skin, attend to them immediately. For diabetic patients, immediately visit a foot care clinic if you notice any of the above.
- Cut across the toenails straight and leave them a little longer than the tips of the toes to avoid ingrown toenails.
- Make it a habit to use a pumice stone to remove thickened skin on calluses and corns.
- Always keep the feet moisturized to avoid excessive dryness and cracking. In case the cracking and drying cannot be contained by home interventions, contact a podiatrist for a prescribed treatment.
Ensuring proper foot care when buying shoes
Most of the time, we choose style over the comfort, we cram our feet into too tight or too high shoes that could cause more problems for the feet.
- When trying shoes, walk around, lean, jog, and jump to see how comfortable the shoe is. If it feels uncomfortable, do not buy the shoes avoid damaging your feet and your body.
- For men, wear the socks you plan to wear with the shoes when you try them.
- Shop for the shoes when the feet are a bit swollen at the end of the day.
- Check for good quality shoes and durable with finished edges and smooth stitching.
- For your child, buy shoes that match their daily activity.
- Avoid hand-me-downs for your child because the shoes might be uncomfortable for your child. Oversized shoes that they can grow into can cause blisters.
- Most feet injuries happen at work meaning you must get proper protective footwear. Add special features to your shoes for protection to protect against specific hazards.
Everyone needs proper foot care but in case you notice a problem with your feet consult a podiatrist right away so that it does not get worse. However, there are groups of people who need extra care for their feet including the children, the elderly, athletes, and diabetic patients. save the toes and feet from disabling injuries by maintaining family foot care and visiting a foot care clinic for any concerns you might have.
