Tips for Caring for Feet and Ankles

Tips for Caring for Feet and Ankles

The feet and ankle joint the whole body and promote movement, but the body weight might impact foot and ankle health leading to trauma and injuries. Fortunately, you can learn how to care for your feet at the foot and ankle institute of Colorado, which teaches how to keep the feet healthy. You can prevent issues such as ankle sprain, foot pain, fractures, and hammer toe with medical attention. However, you can support the feet and ankles with proper shoes and orthotics and avoid misuse of the ankle joints. These are tips to care for the feet and ankles.

Wear Supportive Shoes

Activity-appropriate, comfortable and supportive shoes are ideal as they promote better foot and ankle health. Thus you will look for shoes with supportive insoles which support the arches, ankles, and feet. These soles should absorb the force between the feet and the ground, preserving the feet’ health. The shoes should provide ankle support and prevent unnecessary movements like rolling, fractures, and strains.

You may need to replace worn-out shoes as they may not support the feet or cushion the ankle against impact. Your shoes should not develop holes as they will lose the support leading to pain due to the inability to absorb shock and distribute the body weight. The worn-out shoes might cause knee pain and chronic lower back pain.

Maintain a Healthy Weight

Excess weight leads to Achilles tendonitis due to the extra pressure on the ankles and feet. You might develop plantar fasciitis on the base of the foot, leading to more pain and repetitive ankle sprain. The ligament injuries result from the repetitive stress on the ankles during movement and the absorption of the body weight during movement.

Foot and Ankle Exercises

You can engage in foot and ankle stretching exercises which strengthen the muscles and ligaments, leading to better foot and ankle health. The exercises increase the range of motion on the ankle joint, making movement easy and reducing chronic joint pain.

When to see a podiatrist

Although you can care for your feet without medical assistance, you may need to see a podiatrist due to a lifestyle condition like diabetes. Diabetes reduces sensitivity on your feet, making it possible to develop sores that don’t heal easily. You may see a podiatrist if you develop bunions that are painful and difficult to treat without medical assistance.

You may need medical assistance to deal with conditions such as arthritis which affects the feet and the ankles leading to chronic pain. A doctor will deal with fractures, sprains, and ankle and foot trauma professionally, leading to better health outcomes. It might be prudent to seek sports medicine if you are an athlete since the feet are prone to injuries from overuse.

Feet are responsible for body weight distribution movement and support your frame. Thus, they are prone to injuries and pain due to overuse, but you can learn how to care for your feet at home. You may begin by choosing shoes that support the feet, distribute body weight and lessen the impact between the ankle and the ground during movement. Then choose the right foot and ankle exercises that promote muscle, ligament, and joint health. You may see a podiatrist if you have diabetes, arthritis, and trauma to avoid chronic pain affecting your feet.