Your feet are one of the most important parts of your body. After all, it is the feet that are responsible for carrying you around everywhere you go. For this reason, it is well worth doing whatever you can to keep your feet healthy and prevent pain and other potential foot problems from arising.
Luckily, keeping your feet healthy and pain-free doesn’t have to be all that difficult. In fact, all it takes is following these simple steps.
Use Inserts to Alleviate Foot Pain
If you have flat feet or low arches or spend much of the day walking or on your feet, insoles or shoe inserts may be able to help you prevent foot pain by providing added cushioning and support. However, it is essential that you choose the appropriate type of insert based on your specific problem. For instance, if you have flat feet or low arches, a podiatrist may recommend arch-support inserts. Gel insoles are useful for those who spend long hours on their feet, as these tend to provide added cushioning to the entire sole. Alternatively, you can also use heel cups or heel liners if you only need extra cushioning on the heel.
Avoid Flip-Flops and Flats When Possible
If you find your feet are regularly causing you pain, you might want to consider switching to different shoes. Although flip-flops and flats may provide that ideal warm-weather look, the problem is that these shoes simply don’t provide enough arch support. This lack of arch support is a common cause of foot pain and could potentially worsen existing foot issues, especially for those with flatter feet.
Make Sure Your Shoes Fit Well
In addition to providing adequate support, healthy feet footwear also needs to fit properly. Wearing shoes that are too loose can lead to the shoes rubbing on your feet and thus cause calluses, blisters and general foot pain. However, wearing shoes that are too tight fitting can cause even more issues and potentially lead to bunions, corns, calluses and ingrown toenails. To prevent bunions, a podiatrist will often recommend looking at your shoe choices to make sure that they fit properly. Your shoes should never cause you pain, and if you do experience pain wearing a particular pair of shoes, it is always best to avoid wearing them whenever possible.
Switch Up Your Footwear Routine
To keep your feet healthy, it is recommended that you try to avoid wearing the same pair of shoes two days in a row. If possible, it is always better to switch to a different pair of shoes each day in order to prevent foot pain and ensure that your shoes don’t cause or worsen any foot problems. Switching out your shoes on a daily basis can not only prevent pain and various foot problems, but it can also help to control issues with overly sweaty feet and foot odor.
If All Else Fails, Seek Professional Help
Your feet shouldn’t be sore or painful, and if you do experience anything more than minor soreness in your feet, it could potentially be a sign of a more serious issue. Unfortunately, many people tend to neglect the health of their feet, or even worse, believe that they can solve the problems on their own. However, all you will usually do is worsen the issues if you wait to seek professional help. In this sense, it is highly recommended that you visit a foot specialist if you notice any persistent pain, swelling, redness or discoloration in your feet. Your foot doctor should be able to provide you with advice and suggestions on the best way to prevent bunions, get rid of your corns, tackle ingrown toenails and treat various other foot problems.
There is nothing worse than finding yourself suffering from extreme foot pain that makes you unable to get around properly. The fact that your feet are responsible for carrying so much weight makes them extremely prone to pain and other issues. Therefore, it is essential that you follow these steps to keep your feet free from pain, and if you do notice a problem, seek professional help as soon as possible.
