New Year's Resolution: Feet

New Year's Resolution: Feet

Do you already have a New Year's resolution in mind? Every year people make resolutions: drink less pop, read every day, workout three times a week, be nicer to people, etc. Resolutions are great for about a month, but the majority of people lose interest or forget their resolutions after that. Don't make the same mistake this year--pick a resolution that's achievable: feet.

Your feet really don't require that much maintenance in order to keep healthy. There are simple steps you can take every day (or every week) to ensure foot health and they won't be challenging or take much time.

1. Shoe Selection. One of the number one mistakes people make regarding their feet is shoe selection.  What you walk around in every day has major effects on the health of your feet. Women especially often have terrible shoes because of what's fashionable: high heels, plastic flip flops, and Uggs are all shoes that have almost no benefits for feet.

2. Hygiene. Keep your feet clean and dry to avoid fungi like athlete's foot and toenail fungus. This is especially important for diabetic patients.

3. Trimming Toenails. Lots of people may have heard it but don't follow the rule: trim toenails straight across. It's true, you should trim your toenails straight across to avoid ingrown toenails. When a patient has an ingrown toenail, the nail grows sharply into the skin on either side of the nail and causes pain, inflammation, and sometimes infection. Don't let it happen to you.

4. Don't Ignore Pain. "Walking it off" is not a method we endorse at the Markham Foot Care Clinic.If your feet hurt, something isn't normal. Our staff is here to help if you're sensing a problem in your feet; do not let it go untreated. Many problems only get worse if ignored.