New Year’s Day starts a clean slate and a fresh start to the year. If you are like most, January 1st brings a resolution or two for changes in the new year. The more common resolutions like exercise, losing weight, or kicking that bad habit are great, but don’t forget about your feet! This is especially important for women as they are at a higher risk for foot and ankle problems. Things like wearing high heels or narrow shoes, muscle strength and laxity, hormones, pregnancy, and width of the foot increase the likelihood of injuries such as ankle sprains, bunions, hammertoes, and neuromas.
Both men and women can experience foot or ankle pain, and it’s important to seek appropriate care in a timely manner. This allows your doctor to attempt conservative treatments as effective measures to reduce the pain and underlying medical condition. Here are a few resolution ideas to help you achieve your goals this year!
1) Slowly build into your workout
It is important not to overload your fitness routine. Gradually building on your routine will avoid overuse injuries such as shin splints and plantar fasciitis.
2) Match your shoe with activity
Chose the proper footwear for each occasion this year. Minimize the use of high heels (maybe leave them in the office) or at least scale down their height. Also, throw out those old and worn sneakers or athletic shoes that don’t offer proper support.
3) Support your feet
Just as it’s important to match your shoes with activity, it’s important to match your shoes to your feet. Next time you buy a shoe, go to a trusted store with a qualified staff to help you select the shoe that’s best for your feet. Custom orthotics are an excellent way to supplement any shoe to fit your foot perfectly.
4) Get rid of ugly toenails
If you suffer from toenail fungus, winter is the perfect time to get your toenails ready for summer. The podiatrists at Coastal Podiatry Associates have several different treatment options to help you look great in open-toe shoes this summer.
5) Spend the year pain free
You should not suffer from daily foot pain. At Coastal Podiatry Associates, the staff is equipped to treat your pain and put the spring back into your step. If you are suffering from bunions, hammertoes, heel pain or anything else, make an appointment today!
