Tips to Take Care of Your Feet (So They Can Take Care of You)

Foot conditions are common, and it’s no wonder why! Your feet take you many places throughout your lifetime, so it makes sense that they might experience an issue from time to time.

Dr. Robert Martin, podiatrist at Riverside Healthcare, offers helpful advice for taking care of your feet—so they can continue to take care of you.

Common Foot Issues

Some of the foot issues Dr. Martin routinely sees in his clinic include heel pain, bunions, hammer toes, and ingrown toenails. He also encounters diabetic foot conditions, which arise due to the lack of feeling many people living with diabetes develop as the disease progresses.

“Diabetes and the feet are very linked. In fact, diabetes is not necessarily diagnosed through the foot, but it can be first spotted through problems with the feet,” he states. “People who are diabetic are prone to losing the feeling in their feet, which is called neuropathy. As a result, they're more prone to infections, ulcers, things of that nature. It is really one of the key factors a diabetic patient has to keep aware of.”

Dr. Martin performs regular screenings among his patients living with diabetes to check for sensation and any changes in circulation. He recommends these patients also regularly perform self-checks to ensure they don’t have a sore or cut that could turn into something much more serious.

Healthy Feet Strategies

There are a number of strategies people can implement to prevent foot, heel, and ankle issues. Some apply to multiple areas of health, such as maintaining a healthy diet and not smoking. Specific to the feet, however, Dr. Martin advises wearing proper-fitting shoes and an appropriate type of sock—which he says is not what people typically think of.

“Cotton is not necessarily the best choice because it tends to hold moisture. Moisture and friction will cause blisters, which then can cause sores, and we obviously don't want that,” he cautions. “We usually recommend either a wool or a synthetic blend of a sock. White socks are good in the sense that you can see if there's any blood or any markings you might pick up.”

Shoes should not be too tight but also not too loose. For people with hammer toes or bunions, a wider toe box can be helpful. In some cases, it can be beneficial to get fitted for a particular type of shoe or insert/orthotic.

“Feet are like fingerprints, they're all individual. So, one shoe, one brand, one style does not work for everybody. Some of that is a preference of what feels most comfortable to you. There is some nuance in that as well,” notes Dr. Martin.

Additional strategies to keep your feet healthy are to bathe feet in lukewarm water, keep them moisturized (but be careful about too much moisture between the toes, which can lead to fungal infections), and limit bare feet, particularly outside in “the elements.”

If you are experiencing any type of foot issue, Dr. Martin urges making an appointment with a podiatrist so you can address it before it turns worse. “We treat any ailments for the foot and ankle. Anything from the simple, like plantar warts and ingrown toenails, to bunions, hammer toes, heel pain. And of course, diabetics are a big part of our practice as well. We try to keep people on the right foot, pun intended.” 

For more information on podiatry services at Riverside, go to riversidehealthcare.org/services/podiatry.