Meet Your Feet
Our feet are really amazing engineering masterpieces. Did you know that your two feet have 52 bones and your entire body has only 206 bones? So, your feet have more than a quarter of all the bones in your entire body. Besides the bones, your feet have 107 ligaments, 19 muscles, and move with 33 joints. Amazing, isn’t it?
It’s also no wonder that when your feet aren’t feeling at their optimum, there are many things that could be causing your discomfort.
Some of the things to learn about your feet that will help you keep or get healthy feet are:
Zümfoot is dedicated to providing footwear that provides proper support and instant comfort to aid in the overall good health of feet everywhere.
What type of foot do you have?
There are three basic types of arch types; high, low or average. The more you know about your foot type, the better you can treat your feet. Look at the following pictures and compare them to the footprints your feet make on your rug or floor when you step out of the shower.
Low arch: A low arched foot is quite common. If your feet look like this, they tend to be very flexible and flatten out when you walk causing extra pressure on your arches. Also, because the feet are very flexible, it’s easy to injure your foot by turning your ankle or twisting your forefoot when walking.
Average arch height: If your feet look like this, great! Your feet are bearing weight more evenly across the heel, forefoot and arch. They aren’t too flexible or rigid.
High arch: If you have high arched feet, you feet are likely fairly rigid and put little to no pressure on the arch but extra pressure on your heels and forefoot. People with high arched feet are more vulnerable to overuse injuries because your feet can’t act as the “shock absorbers” they are meant to be. Often, people who have high arched feet walk with a heavy gait because they come down extra hard on their heels.
Gait
What is “Gait”? Gait is simply the manner or style of movement whether it be walking, jogging or running. How we walk affects our entire body from feet, ankles, legs, knees, hips and back. Have you ever felt pain in your knees or hips when you wear some shoes but not others? It might be that some of your shoes don’t help align your feet correctly, and that can lead to problems in other parts of your body. The foot bone really is connected to the knee bone so to speak!
Neutral: If you have a neutral gait, your heel strikes slightly at the outside of your heel (supination), then as you step forward, your foot rolls toward the inside (pronation) and finally you push off with your big toe.(That’s why it is normal to have more shoe wear on the outside part of your heel than the inside.)
Over pronation: Now, if you overpronate, it means that your feet roll inward but stay inward too long. The result is often added stress and pressure to your ankles, knees, hips, etc. due to this excessive inward motion of your feet.
Over supination: Over supination is the opposite of overpronation. When you start to take a step, your foot starts on the outside part of your heel and stays outwardly tilted too long. If your feet supinate excessively, this creates unwanted tension on your ligaments, muscles and bones.
The closer your gait is to a neutral gait, the better your body will be aligned, balanced and able to move with strength and stability.
So what can you do if your feet are overpronating or oversupinating? Consider looking for footwear that offers good arch support. This can balance your weight distribution as you stand and walk. This can help you with better gait and less foot problems. If your gait is fairly average, you may not have any foot issues now and wearing supportive footwear can help keep it that way!
Common foot conditions
Our feet are complex mechanisms and sometimes that means that our feet might give us some trouble now and then. The following are some of the more common foot conditions you or your family may be experiencing.
Achilles tendonitis
Symptoms: Pain and tightness in the calf muscles.
Causes: shoes without firm heel support, excessive pronation or supination while walking or running, overuse while sprinting or hill running.
Prevention and treatment: Develop a consistent stretching program, know when to stop while exercising, ice for 10-15 minutes several times per day, wear ¼” heel lift (usually only needed for 4-6 weeks until healed), wear heel cup for added protection, and select footwear with good arch support.
Arch Pain
Symptoms: Arch pain or strain feels like a burning sensation or inflammation at the main arch on the inside of your foot.
Causes: If you are also experiencing plantar fasciitis or tendonitis, arch pain or strain may also happen, wearing high heels that can increase pressure within the foot structure and a foot injury can cause pain in your main arch.
Prevention and treatment: Wear supportive footwear with a flat to low heel, have good arch support and have shock absorbing soles.
Bunions
Symptoms: The big toe moves outward toward the other toes, often with a noticeable lump and pain.
Causes: Women are 10 times more likely to get bunions than men. And sometimes, you can thank your parents because there is often a hereditary predisposition to bunions. Look at your Mom and Dad’s feet! Bunions can also be caused by wearing footwear that is too tight across the ball of the foot, wearing high heels for many years or if you have flat feet or overpronate when you walk.
Prevention and treatment: Wear properly fitting low heeled footwear that offer arch support, avoid high heels (they put too much pressure on the balls of your feet), wear shoes that are wide enough across the ball of the foot. Many folks really need a Wide width and are used to wearing the more commonly available Medium. Look for footwear that is made of leather or a stretchy synthetic material that will give where the bunion is located.
Calluses
Symptoms: Thickening of the skin due to excess pressure. Calluses are the body’s defense against excess pressure. Calluses are often found on the bottom of the foot but may also be on the outside of the big toe, little toe, or heel. Calluses (unlike corns) are rarely painful.
Causes: overpronation or oversupination while walking, shoes that are too loose or too tight, high heeled shoes, feet that have lost fat pad on bottom.
Prevention and treatment: regularly apply moisturizer, add padding directly under callused area, wear shoes with good arch support and a cushioning insole or footbed which can balance the weight more evenly, wear shoes that fit properly (not too loose or too tight – both of which can cause callusing), avoid high heeled footwear, use a foot buffer to reduce callus thickness after shower or bathing.
Claw toes
Symptoms: A toe that curls under so the tip rests against the bottom of the shoe.
Causes: Shoes that are too short or too narrow, abnormally long toe or toes and some diseases such as diabetes and gout.
Prevention and treatment: Wear footwear with room for the toes to wiggle and not be constricted, be sure the toe area of your footwear is roomy above your toes, wear footwear with arch support under ball of foot (metatarsal area), avoid high heels and do stretching and strengthening foot muscle exercises.
Corns
Symptoms: Hard corns are a thickening of the skin due to excess pressure. Corns can be very painful especially if there is any swelling.
Causes: Women tend to get them more than men due to wearing tight or poorly fitting shoes. Corms are often found on claw toes. Corns can also develop due to arthritis, bunions or heredity.
Prevention and treatment: wear toes with plenty of wiggle room at the toe area both side to side as well as above the toes, wear footwear with soft, flexible upper material and has padded insole or footbed. Use a corn pad to protect area. Never use a razor to try to remove it!
Heel spurs
Symptoms: Bony growth on the heel bone, it can be caused by swelling where the plantar fascia attached to the heel bone. The body tried to protect itself by growing new bone at the point of irritation. Heel spurs are not always painful.
Causes: Plantar fasciitis which has been untreated or trauma to the heel bone.
Prevention and treatment: Wear a heel cup in your footwear or footwear with a cushioned heel pad or cup, wear footwear with good arch support to spread weight more evenly, perform stretches for the calf muscles and plantar fascia.
Metatarsalgia
Symptoms: This is a general term used for a painful condition in the ball of the foot. It often feels like a dull ache and the tissue can be inflamed due to abnormal pressure on the ball of the foot.
Causes: Wearing high heeled shoes, overuse, tight Achilles tendon, participating in high impact activities (tennis, basketball, etc) without supportive footwear or arch supports, ageing which leads to thinning of the fat pads on the bottoms of our feet.
Prevention and treatment: Wear footwear with good arch support especially under the ball of the foot (this distributes weight more evenly), select shoes that are wide enough across the ball of the foot with a padded footbed, avoid high heeled footwear, do stretching and strengthening foot exercises.
Morton’s Neuroma
Symptoms: A sharp, burning, throbbing pain most often between the third and fourth toes. Can feel like a “pinched nerve”.
Causes: Overpronation or oversupination, obesity, wearing shoes that are too tight or high heels.
Prevention and treatment: Put extra padding under painful area or select footwear with padded footbed or insole, wear footwear that has arch support at the main arch as well as the ball of the foot to help with overpronation,
Plantar fasciitis
Symptoms: Excessive stretching the plantar fascia along the bottom of the foot can lead to pain and swelling. The plantar fascia is thick fibrous connective tissue which isn’t very elastic. Usually the first step in the morning is very painful or the first step when you’ve been sitting for some time. You may feel a “hot poker” sensation at the bottom of your heel. It can happen in just one foot as well as both at same time.
Causes: having a flat foot or a high arched foot, being an overpronator or an oversupinator, being overweight, standing and walking on hard surfaces all day.
Prevention and treatment: perform exercises to stretch the plantar fascia, wear footwear with good arch support and a heel cup to protect your heel bone, put an icepack on the sore area for 10-15 minutes several times a day or while painful, avoid walking barefoot at all times, wear shower shoes so you won’t stand on a hard surface, wear a night splint to keep fascia gently stretched while sleeping.
Exercise & Health
General exercise
There are three types of exercises; strength, flexibility and cardiovascular. It is important to do some of each during the week as all types are needed to maximize your health.
Strength These help build stronger muscles. Muscles burn more calories than fat so you’ll continue to burn more calories even after your exercise sessions. Also, strong muscles help keep your body in alignment and help you avoid injuries as a result of weak muscle structure. Try to start with light weights, slow movements and no more than twice a week as a beginner. Visit the following sites for specific exercises and hints:
http://exercise.about.com/cs/exbeginners/a/begstrength.htm
http://exercise.about.com/cs/weightlifting/a/bestexercises.htm
Flexibility: Flexibility exercises give your body flexibility and freedom of movement. They are always important as a warm up for your muscles before your strength and cardiovascular exercise programs. They’ll help you avoid injuries. Yoga and Pilates are two programs that can help. Also, visit the web sites listed below for more tips and specific exercises.
http://orthoinfo.aaos.org/fact/thr_report.cfm?thread_id=4&topcategory=sp
http://www.niapublications.org/exercisebook/chapter4_stretching.htm
Cardiovascular: “Cardio” for short. Cardio are aerobic exercises that burn calories, lower your body fat, and strengthen your heart and lungs as well as working your entire body. The following web sites offer exercises and tips for maximizing your cardio exercise time.
http://exercise.about.com/cs/exbeginners/a/begcardio.htm
http://diet.ivillage.com/workouts/wcardio/0,,mj33,00.html
http://www.prevention.com/category/0,5775,s1-2-56-0-0-0,00.html
Remember, that all three types of exercise are needed to have a well balance, well tuned body. And it doesn’t have to take more than 30 minutes per day. And yes, it’s Ok to split it into two 15 minutes segments. We know you are a busy person! And, of course, before you begin any exercise program, it’s always a good idea to check with your family physician.
Foot exercises
Stretch for Achilles Tendonitis and plantar fasciitis
Why:
This stretches the large calf muscle.
How:
Step 3-4 feet away from a wall. Move one foot toward wall about halfway. Keep back leg as straight as possible. Bend forward leg, lean forward and place hands on wall. Try to keep back as straight as feasible. You should feel a stretch in the calf muscle on the back leg.
Why:
Good stretch for Achilles Tendonitis and Plantar Fasciitis. The knee is flexed more and stretches the side calf muscles.
How:
Step 3-4 feet away from a wall. Move one foot close to wall. Place hands on wall for balance. Touch front knee to wall and bend back leg to let that happen. Move foot position so that you can keep both feet flat on floor. You should feel a stretch in the calf muscle on both legs. Hold for 30 seconds then reverse foot positions.
Why:
This exercise strengthens the muscles in the front of your feet.
How:
The goal of this toe curl exercise is to pull the towel toward you by curling the toes. Keep your heel on the floor while you curl your toes against the towel. Do 12-15 repetitions 3 times per day.
Why:
This exercise is for plantar fasciitis and stretches the plantar fascia as well as the calf muscles.
How:
Keep back straight. Hold foot in this position for 30 seconds. Repeat 12-15 times.Do repetitions 3 times per day.
To learn more about your feet and foot health, please review these reliable web sites.
Medline (sponsored by the National Institute of Health)
http://www.nlm.nih.gov/medlineplus/foothealth.html
http://www.Foot.com
APMA (American Podiatric Medical Association)
http://www.apma.org/s_apma/sec.asp?CID=14&DID=2825
(AAPSM) American Academy of Podiatric Sports Medicine (sports related foot health)
http://www.aapsm.org/sports_health_index.html
Australian site w/foot health information
http://www.mydr.com.au/default.asp?Article=3659