5 Steps To Walking Without Pain

by Leesa Myers

According to the Children’s Medical Center, Dallas, Texas, www.childrens.com “The foot is one of the most complex parts of the body; so complex, in fact, that a medical and surgical division, “podiatry”, is devoted solely to treating and studying foot problems.”

Not only has the medical industry but also cultures have studied the foot as it relates to the body. Lynn T. Nelson CR. Founder of Digits International says reflexology can be dated back as far as the “Physicians Tomb” in the early 6th dynasty (about 2,330 B.C), where it shows pictures depicting the massaging of the hands and feet and had hieroglyphics which translate to: “Don’t hurt me” and the reply: “I shall act so you praise me”.

It is not surprising to say then that when your feet hurt you hurt all over. As stated by Allentown Family Foot Care, www.affc.com , foot pain affects a person’s physical and mental well being. Simply speaking, pain in the feet can be a real pain in the butt.

The foot is made up of 26 bones, 33 joints, 126 muscles, over 7,000 nerve endings on the bottom of each foot and ligaments. You may be surprised to know that your feet are not suppose to hurt, if you have a foot problem you are not alone. Twenty percent of the population seek help for a foot problem every year.

Our feet are designed to support weight, act as a shock absorber, serve as a lever to

propel the leg forward and help to maintain balance by adjusting the body to uneven surfaces. As small as our feet are compared to the rest of the body, they take a great deal of weight and pounding during a single day coupled by the fact that Americans are on the rise in obesity.

With all these facts in hand, what if anything can be done to help alleviate foot pain when walking. You first need to know that if you are experiencing foot pain due to medical foot conditions like:
• Bunions
• Corns and calluses
• Hammertoes
• Ingrown toenails
• Etc.

These can only be helped with proper care for each condition and you will most likely need a physician to help you on your road to pain free walking.

Here are 5 easy steps to walking pain free:

Footwear:

A foot that has been stuffed into shoes that are of unnatural shape and that do not fit is probably the number one contributor to foot pain. Look at the shoes you wear and truly ask yourself, “Are my feet designed to that shape?” Consider this study done of 356 women conducted by American Orthopedic Foot and Ankle Society: found on www.Mothernature.com, 313 of the women were found to be wearing shoes smaller than their feet. It is not surprising that 285 of the women complained of foot pain. When you buy shoes insist on a good fit. Try buying your shoes late in the day. Your feet actually

swell in the afternoon.

Get some support:

With those that suffer from flat feet or high arches, getting arch supports can help this condition as well as taking pressure off of callused areas.

Have two pair of shoes:

If your feet tend to sweat, have two pair of shoes and let them dry out by alternating them. This is especially true if you suffer from athlete’s foot, or other skin fungal infections.

Warm up and do stretching exercises:

Before any type of exercise it is always important to warm up those muscles that will be used as well as some easy stretching exercises to get the foot flexible before walking. Daily stretching exercises can increase circulation and relieve discomfort to the foot.

Routine foot care:

When you take care of your feet you take care of your whole system. Give yourself a treat and before you being your walk massage your feet with lotion. This will help with your stretching exercises, your circulation and alleviate any foot stiffness from the day before.

Always remember if you take care of your feet, your feet will take care of you on your road to pain free walking.

Leesa Myers, LME,

Is CEO of Educational Institute For Healthy Feet And founder of the R3 Callus Foot Treatment, founder of NECA and UAEA Trade Association. To find out more go to http://www.Healthyfootcare.com.

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