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Top 10 Foot Care Tips

Dr Mark Nelson

Foot & Ankle Specialist

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"Top Ten" Foot Health Tips

Diseases, disorders and disabilities of the foot or ankle affect the quality of life and mobility of millions of Americans. However, the general public and even many physicians are unaware of the important relationship between foot health and overall health and well-being. With this in mind, the American Podiatric Medical Association (APMA) would like to share a few tips to help keep feet healthy.

1. Don't ignore foot pain—it's not normal. If the pain persists, see a podiatric physician.

2. Inspect your feet regularly. Pay attention to changes in color and temperature of your feet. Look for thick or discolored nails (a sign of developing fungus), and check for cracks or cuts in the skin. Peeling or scaling on the soles of feet could indicate athlete's foot. Any growth on the foot is not considered normal.

3. Wash your feet regularly, especially between the toes, and be sure to dry them completely.

4. Trim toenails straight across, but not too short. Be careful not to cut nails in corners or on the sides; it can lead to ingrown toenails. Persons with diabetes, poor circulation or heart problems should not treat their own feet because they are more prone to infection.

5. Make sure that your shoes fit properly. Purchase new shoes later in the day when feet tend to be at their largest and replace worn out shoes as soon as possible.

6. Select and wear the right shoe for the activity that you are engaged in (i.e. running shoes for running).

7. Alternate shoes—don't wear the same pair of shoes every day.

8. Avoid walking barefooted—your feet will be more prone to injury and infection. At the beach or when wearing sandals always use sunblock lotion on your feet as the rest of your body.

9. Be cautious when using home remedies for foot ailments; self-treatment can often turn a minor problem into a major one.

10. If you are a person with diabetes it is vital that you see a podiatric physician at least once a year for a check-up.


Your podiatric physician/surgeon has been trained specifically and extensively in the diagnosis and treatment of all manners of foot conditions. This training encompasses all of the intricately related systems and structures of the foot and lower leg including neurological, circulatory, skin, and the musculoskeletal system, which includes bones, joints, ligaments, tendons, muscles, and nerves.

The preceding information was reprinted from the APMA website with permission.

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Dr. Nelson's "Top 10 Tips" for Treating Plantar Fasciitis (aka - "Heel Spurs")

1)    Wear a custom-made prescription orthotic (best treatment) or a high quality pre-made type arch support, like Orthofeet BioSole. - *very important*
2)    Use a plantar fasciitis night splint, while sleeping or sitting down to gently stretch the plantar fascia and prevent it from tightening. - *very important*
3)    Do "runner's stretches" (or other stretches) to stretch the back of the calves and the arch of the foot. - *very important*
4)    Stretch the arch of the foot in bed before getting out of bed in the morning.
5)    Don't run, jog or use stair climbers until the pain resolves.  Wear supportive, cushioned, "athletic" type shoes.
6)    Apply ice to the arch and heel after being active on the foot.
7)   Consider taking anti-inflammatory medications (NSAIDs), if you can tolerate them, but be cautious of possible dangerous side effects.
8)    Don't climb ladders, don't walk barefoot, avoid going up/down stairs, avoid prolonged walking/standing, don't rest the arch or heel on cross bars and avoid smoking.
9)    If overweight, try to lose weight.
10)  If not improving, see your podiatrist who may be able to offer you other treatments, such as "cortisone" injections, anti-inflammatory medications, extracorporial shock wave therapy, physical therapy, surgery and more.

You don't have to suffer with heel pain.  You can get rid of your heel pain if you follow each of the top 5 suggestions listed above.  If you do each of the top 5 suggestions on a daily basis, you have over a 90% chance of eliminating your pain due to plantar fasciitis (heel spurs). 

Successfully relieving plantar fasciitis heel pain requires using a variety of synergistic treatment modalities.  The goal is to stop the activities which are irritating the plantar fascia, position the foot into the correct anatomical alignment, reduce strain on the plantar fascia while standing/walking, calm down the inflammation and stretch out the plantar fascia, so that it can heal properly in an elongated position.  The longer you let heel pain go untreated, the harder it becomes to eliminate the pain.  For most people, using a combination of arch supports/orthotics, a night splint while sleeping or sitting down, stretching twice daily and modifying their activities is sufficient to make their plantar fasciitis heel pain progressively resolve.  Fortunately, surgery is rarely needed.  Keep a positive attitude and remember that, yes, you can usually eliminate your heel pain by using these treatment suggestions.

The Strassburg Sock ™

The Strassburg Sock treats plantar fasciitis heel pain at night while you sleep in comfort.  Plantar fasciitis is also commonly called "heel spur syndrome" or "heel spurs".  This style of night splint is much more comfortable to wear while sleeping than traditional hard plastic back (or front) style night splints.  Plus, the Strassburg Sock night splint is much less expensive than most other styles of night splints.

Which Orthotic / Arch Support Should I Use?

Dr Nelson's comments: 
The best fitting and functioning type of arch support is a custom made prescription orthotic, which can be made by your podiatrist.  Generally, for most people, I recommend trying a pre-made arch support before progressing to an expensive pair of custom made orthotics.  Finding a comfortable and effective pre-made arch support can be difficult.  There are hundreds of varieties on the market and that can make it confusing for customers.  Due to the variations in people's foot shapes, foot problems and style variations in different products, there is no "one type fits all" arch support available.  That's why DrNelsonClinic offers different brands and models like OrthoFeet, SuperFeet, WalkFit and PowerStep to choose among.  Fortunately, for most people, I've found that the OrthoFeet BioSole gel self-molding orthotics work the best and fit almost everybody.  Among the hundreds of pre-made arch supports I've seen and used, the OrthoFeet BioSole models give the best support and pain relief for people with plantar fasciitis and heel pain.  It's by far my favorite model for people with heel pain, due in part to the higher arch and shock absorbing gel under the heel.  Be aware that the standard OrthoFeet BioSole "sport" model is rather thick through the arch and it fits into athletic, work boots and walking shoes, but may not fit into a shallow shoe, like a dress shoe.  If you want to use the OrthoFeet in a shallow shoe, like a dress shoe, then use the "thin-line" or "high heel dress" models.  The "sport" model may also be too high in the arch area for people with very flat feet.  For elderly or arthritic people and those that want extra cushioning and softness under the foot, while still getting extra support under the arch, try the OrthoFeet BioSole "soft" model.  If you don't need extra arch support or heel pain relief  and only want shock absorption and cushioning under the foot, try the OrthoFeet "ThermoFit" model.  After you start using any brand of arch supports, remember to break them in gradually, because is will take some time for the orthotic and your feet to adjust to each other.  I personally use the OrthoFeet BioSole sport model in my athletic shoes and have found them to be as effective and comfortable as my expensive custom prescription orthotics.  But, it did take longer to "break-in" the OrthoFeet supports than my custom orthotics.  If you don't have plantar fasciitis or heel pain or if you have a flat foot and can't tolerate an arch support with a higher arch, but still want great foot support to relieve foot fatigue and strain, you should also consider SuperFeet Synergizer orthotics, which are our most popular arch supports.  SuperFeet Synergizer orthotics have been highly recommended by sports and outdoor publications such as Backpacker
magazine. 

Onlineshoes.com

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Last modified: 10/13/10