Kerri Money Northants Chiropody and Podiatry Northampton and Wellingborough Clinics

#AUGUST.. VERRUCAES

Most popular month to pick up verrucaes being the main holiday month of the year and causes an influx of visits to the clinic in the month of September. Verrucaes are caused by the 'Human Papilloma Virus' and are most contagious in their first 6 weeks of life when often the individual isn't aware they have one. Hotel carpets, floors, poolside walk ways, changing rooms and the general walking around more barefoot increases the risks tenfold. Take good care in washing feet thoroughly at this time and even better wear a good quality flip flop to minimise contact with these areas.

#JULY.. FLIP FLOPS

Many experts believe they are one of the most dangerous shoes you can wear! The lack of support causes numerous problems with heels and the arches of the foot. Drier skin, cracked heels scrunching toes ( to hang onto the shoe!) is very common. They can actually alter the way we walk by making us take shorter strides which all contributes to hip, leg, knee and back pain.

Some tips...
1/ Try not to wear them for too long ...
2/ Look for a reasonably thick sole with the heel area higher than the forefoot.
3/ Some flip flop styles come with an arch support and these are much better for your feet & you'll find these more comfortable to wear.
4/ You should NOT be able to bend the flip flop across its width as this confirms there is zero support!
5/ In Britain , 200,000 people visit their GP or hospital with flip flop causing injuries costing NHS 40 Million a year!

#JUNE... CRACKED HEELS IN WARMER WEATHER
Here some tips!
*Keep thickened areas filed down no more than once a week (its building up for a reason so don't remove it all!)
*Keep the remaining skin softened with a good cracked heel cream. Try applying a pair of socks after applying the cream but be careful not to overheat the feet as this can cause athletes foot. Cream little and often where possible but NOT in between toes! Put the cream in a handy place to help you remember to do it!
* Try to wear enclosed footwear in between open shoes as this will encourage a small amount of perspiration so feet can moisturise themselves.

#MAY...
Warmer weather always brings more foot problems! Feet perspire more causing them to swell resulting in any foot issues such as corns or ingrowing nails to become worse. Ensure you rotate through different footwear as much as possible and keep feet cool and allowing them to air as much as possible. Spray surgical spirit daily to provide a protective barrier for your skin. If feet are still becoming moist specialist powders are available that will help.

#APRIL..
Feet can contract an array of nasty diseases from communal showers , swimming pools, saunas and hotel rooms ( especially those with carpets!) : plantar warts, Athletes foot and ringworm! Make sure you always wear something underfoot i.e. flip flops

#MARCH...
LIMIT WELLY BOOT WEAR!

Welly boots ( even expensive ones) reduce the support our feet get resulting in our feet having to work harder. Prolonged use will often bring patients into our clinic complaining of foot pain. In addition, as they are waterproof they do not allow your skin to breathe & can result in usual corns being more painful than usual or your feet simply feeling more sore. Wellies certainly have their purpose but try to limit the amount of time you wear them choosing more supportive footwear when possible i.e. walking shoes/ boots or trainers.



#FEBRUARY...
COLD WEATHER TIPS TO PROTECT YOUR FEET & ANKLES
*Wear footwear that comes higher up the foot & ankle with good traction soles to prevent slipping.
*Wearing water-resistant insulated footwear serves as a good barrier between the feet and outside elements.
*Investing in some moisture wicking socks will keep feet dry from any internal dampness caused by sweat.



#JANUARY...
CHILBLAINS are small (sometimes itchy ) reddy/ purple lesions that are found on extremities in cold weather. Toes, ears, nose etc. The blood vessels narrow reducing the blood flow to the surface then if the area is warmed up too quickly the vessels widen causing too much blood flow back to the area causing a leak into the surrounding tissue.

Tips on prevention:

*Wearing extra warm clothes in cold weather will help. Tights or long socks, long johns, long boots, leg warmers etc.
Wearing a clean pair of socks will help if you get cold feet in bed.
*Avoid tight footwear as this can restrict circulation. Wear footwear with good thick soles!
* If feet are cold make sure you warm them up slowly i.e. warming feet in bowl of warm ( not hot) water.
* If you do get them, applying calamine or witch hazel can ease the itching. Use an antiseptic cream on any broken skin and visit your gp or podiatrist if you think you may have an infection.

#DECEMBER...
Our feet are getting bigger! ( up two shoe sizes since the 1970’s) The average shoe size for men is 10 ( up from a size 8) and the average shoe size for a woman is a size ( up from a size 4)

#NOVEMBER...
Women have FOUR times as many problems as men. High heels and narrow footwear are a large part of the blame!
One in five women are embarrassed about their feet!


#OCTOBER...
IF YOU ONLY DO ONE STRETCH A DAY....

STRETCH YOUR CALF MUSCLES...

They are the cause of 60-70% foot & ankle disorders.
When a calf is too tight, damage will gradually be inflicted on the human foot. So if you
only treat the foot ailment itself then you aren’t treating the likely cause of the problem.

Get your calf muscles back to their “intended” length, and you will often help alleviate your issue (and pain)!!