Did you know, “Nearly 75 percent of Americans will have some type of foot-health problem in their lifetime” (Mayo Clinic)? From work, to play, and everything else in between, your feet carry you every day. While it may be an afterthought for some, it’s important to take care of your feet since they are such a vital part of your everyday life. If you’re not taking care of your feet, you may even be prone to fungal infections or injuries. We have a special video from Brian at Team Rehab about plantar fasciitis, and we interviewed a Nurse Practitioner, Deb Perkins, from Family Health Clinic to get insight into how to avoid fungal infections, which you’ll see below!
Whether it’s everyday foot care, athletic foot care, or treating a pesky fungal infection, this blog will give you tips and tricks to keep your feet in check and keep you moving with ease.
Basic Foot Care
It’s important to regularly take care of your feet and implement small habits daily, weekly, and monthly to help maintain the functionality and cleanliness of your feet. It doesn’t have to be time-consuming or complex – you can just take a few small steps to make sure your feet are well-kept. Here are a few basic tips to add to your foot care routine:
Daily
- Wash your feet every day and dry them completely
- Clean your toenails
- Change your socks at least once a day
- Moisturize with lotion
- Stretch your feet before walking or standing for long periods of time
Weekly
- Clip your toenails and keep them clean
- Look for cuts, bruises, sores, dryness, or infections and treat accordingly (CDC)
- Soak your feet before exfoliating with a pumice stone, or exfoliating cloth
- Rest, ice, elevate, and medicate as needed (if you have foot pain or have been on your feet more than usual)
Monthly, or as needed
- Check to make sure your shoes are still supporting your feet properly. If they are worn out, it’s time for a new pair.
- Do your shoes fit you well? Make sure that you purchase shoes that are not too tight, too narrow, or too large.
- If you have a lot of foot pain or notice an injury or infection that you cannot self-correct, make an appointment with a podiatrist.
Athletic Foot Care
If you’re using your feet in athletic activities such as running, hiking, biking, walking, working out, etc. you’ll want to take extra precautions to keep your feet functioning well. Not only are your feet more prone to injury when you exercise, but you’re also more prone to infection. Here are four tips to help keep you injury and infection-free as you exercise.
- Stretch Your Feet
It may seem simple, but taking a few minutes to stretch your feet before you workout can truly be the difference between staying safe, or developing an injury. Common foot injuries like plantar fasciitis, achilles tendonitis, and sprained ankles can be avoided if you take this precaution.
- Wear Proper Footwear
You’ll want to wear comfortable, movable, supportive shoes that are made specifically for the type of activity you are performing. Running shoes will give your feet different support than hiking shoes, which are different from biking shoes, which are different from weight-lifting shoes, etc. These various activities and exercises will use different muscles in your feet, so you’ll want to make sure you’re providing the correct foot support for the activity you’re performing in order to avoid injury.
- Wash & Dry Your Feet After They Get Sweaty
It’s important to wash and dry your feet after performing exercise to keep them clean and fresh. And don’t forget to change your socks! Leaving your feet in damp, warm, dirty conditions after you exercise will be more likely to cause fungal infections.
- Rest, Ice, Compression, Elevate
When you’ve finished a workout and cleaned your feet, it’s important to rest, ice, compress, and elevate them! This will help the muscles recover well so you can exercise them again the next day with less pain.
Need help with plantar fasciitis?
This video from Brian at Team Rehab will help! Team Rehab is a sponsor of our Do It In Delphi Dash. Learn more and register here.
Fungal Infection Prevention & Management
For this section, we interviewed Deb Perkins, a Nurse Practitioner from Family Health Clinic, to get the best tips to avoid fungal infections.
Fungus likes to grow in moist, warm places, which unfortunately makes your feet more prone to fungal infections. To help avoid a fungal infection, use the following universal precautions – fungal infections are communicable!
- Before trimming the nail, soak your feet in a plastic tub with warm water and Epsom salt for 10 minutes.
- Epsom salts help with skin irritations and muscle aches.
- Trim/debride any nails that have fungus last to avoid spreading the fungus to healthy nails
- Before trimming, be sure to remove any debris from under the nails to free the borders of the nail bed.
- Always trim nails from side to side by taking small “nips” at a time. Do not begin in the center of the nail and do not take large “bites” as this may cause the nail to split.
- After trimming, file the nail until smooth and no harsh edges remain
- When buffing calluses or corn, buff in one direction only to avoid skin damage
- Apply an emollient/lotion to the feet – not between toes – to help moisturize the skin and promote healthy skin and nail growth.
Management of Fungal Foot Problems
If you do happen to develop a fungal infection on your feet, here are some steps to take afterwards:
- Treat with topical anti-fungal agents such as miconazole nitrate and ketoconazole
- All footwear worn before the fungus was treated should also be thoroughly cleaned and treated to prevent reinfection
- Apply Vick’s Vapo rub to the cuticle/nail matrix. This is effective in promoting new, healthy, and fungus-free nail growth.
Need Family Health Clinic Services?
From your head to your feet, we’re here to offer high-quality primary care services. To make an appointment, call (800) 321-5043.
