Foot Health
I have declared February Foot Health Month…
As some of you may be aware I recently became a Certified Master Pedicurist®. I have always been passionate about proper foot care as many of you know who have been coming to me for years to keep your feet happy. Not only should your feet look good, but they should feel good. When I found out about this course and that is was coming to SK, I jumped on registration. The course is a four day in person intensive. We learn advanced pedicuring techniques for Diabetic, Senior and Immune Compromised people PLUS Toenail Bracing, Toenail Reconstruction as well as Gait Assessment.
So what does this mean?
A CMP® is a nail and foot care professional who has received advanced training and knowledge in integral foot care. CMPs are trained and certified to recognize and provide the most up to date care for foot and nail problems along with various practical methods of management for these problems.
I am a specialist in Diabetic, Senior and Immune Compromised Pedicures. I provide toenail reconstruction as well as bracing for severely curved or ingrown toenails.
I believe the feet are our foundation, we need them to be healthy.
They don’t have to be pretty but they do need to be healthy.
Let’s meet our feet:
The stability of your feet can have a profound effect on the other areas of our body.
Your health problems may be foot related.
Feet provide the base for your entire body, and even a slight misalignment can disturb the superstructure above them.
This can result in:
- Foot Problems
- Knee Problems
- Hip Problems
- Neck Problems
- Poor Posture
- Discomfort while standing, walking and running
Acting as a foundation of the body, a stable foot features a well-defined arch, positions muscle properly and essentially functions as a rigid lever for maximum power and propulsion during “toe-off”
In contrast, an unstable arch is collapsed, the metatarsal joint unlocked and the foot becomes a loose bag of bones with the muscles straining all the way up the body.
Proper footwear is imperative especially when weight bearing for long periods of time.
Did you know
* that our feet contain 1/4 of the bones in our body
* there are approximately 8,000 nerves in the feet—that’s more per square inch than any place else on your body.
* toenails grow more slowly than fingernails—approximately 1 mm per month. It takes 12-18 months to grow an entirely new toenail.
Common causes of foot pain include plantar fasciitis, bunions, flat feet, heel spurs, mallet/claw or hammer toe, metatarsalgia, ingrown toenails and Morton’s neuroma.
If your feet hurt, there are effective ways to ease the pain.
Plantar Fasciitis is caused by micro tears in the thick fibrous tissue on the underside of the foot. It’s usually related to over stretching. Symptoms of plantar fasciitis include pain in the heel and arch that is often worse in the mornings. Plantar fasciitis is common in distance walkers or runners. Also common if you wear flip flops or other shoes with no arch support.
A Bunion is a bony protrusion on either the inside edge of the foot or the pinkie toe side. Bunions form gradually when the bones in the foot get misaligned, often from wearing shoes that don't fit or that squeeze the toes together tightly.
The big toe can bend so far inward that it crosses under or over the adjacent toe, causing a secondary misalignment called a hammertoe. Usually, a painful callous will form on top of the second toe.
Flat Feet is when the arc of the foot straightens out. It may spread so completely that the entire sole touches the floor.
Flat feet can cause pain in the midfoot area as well as swelling of the ankle and arch. The imbalance can also lead to hip, knee, or lower back pain.
Flat Feet can be something you’re born with but it’s often related to age or an injury.
Between 20% and 30% of people have some degree of flat-footedness
Metatarsalgia is pain under the ball of the foot. It’s often caused by pressure from high-heeled shoes or from conditions like arthritis, nerve compression, fractures, or tears in ligaments that support the ball of the foot.
Hammer, Claw or Mallet Toe is a deformity of the foot where the toe bends downward from the middle joints in differing degrees. Callouses or corns will form on top or tip of the affected toe. If a corn puts pressure on nerves in the foot, it can cause pain.
Morton’s neuroma is a common foot problem where compression on a nerve in the ball of the foot causes burning, tingling, and pain near the third and fourth toes. It can make you feel like you have a pebble in your shoe or on a fold in your sock. Wearing high heels is a common cause of Morton’s neuroma.
Ingrown Toenails are a common condition in which the corner or side of a toenail grows into the soft flesh. The result is pain, inflamed skin, swelling and, sometimes, an infection. Ingrown toenails usually affect the big toe.
As a Certified Master Pedicurist® I am trained to perform a full foot evaluation to help identify some of these common issues as well as suggest treatment, exercises or toe/foot props.