Caring for Your Foot Health in Warmer Weather

Warmer weather is finally here! Ready to wear your sandals? Adam McDonald, DPM, talks about taking care of your feet this spring in this 2 Your Well-Being discussion with WFMY News 2.

Why is taking care of your feet important?

“Taking care of your feet is really important. They are the first thing that touches the ground in the morning when you get out of bed, they support the whole body, and you really have to take care of them for long term health. Many health issues can originate or show up in the feet. They connect all the way up to the hip and into the back. So taking care of your feet and supporting them will help your overall health, your alignment, and the rest of your body’s position.”

What are some of the most common foot injuries?

“A lot of times, foot injuries start with fairly simple things that you feel may get better on their own but don't over time. Whether it's a roll of the ankle, or a small pain, or even a small change in the skin… if you kind of ignore it for a while and it gets a little bit better, and then it gets worse – at that point, it could turn into something long-term, like an injury or damage to the joint or the tendon.”

“One of the biggest things I see at this time of year are overuse injuries. In warmer weather, people start moving: running, jogging, biking and getting out and trying to exercise off that winter weight, like a lot of us do. A lot of us are wearing an old pair of shoes that we’ve had for 30 or 40 years, and we start getting injuries from that.

What kind of support should I look for in a shoe?

“When you're moving from winter boots to running shoes, sandals, flip-flops, you want to make sure your foot is well supported. A good rule of thumb – or maybe in this case, a rule of toe! – that I always tell my patients is to make sure support the right area.”

“Motion in a shoe near the toes is good. It should bend there, because we need that motion. But if it bends a lot in the middle and you can fold it in half, then it may not be supporting your arch or the heel. You may need to get a new pair of shoes that are a little more supportive. Even a sandal or something that's got a better arch support can be found.”

How do I take care of the skin on my feet?

“As you come out of winter, usually the skin is really dry. So make sure you've got some good moisturizer, some good lotion to keep your skin from cracking.”

“As you start getting out, we always think about putting sunscreen on our face, but make sure you also have good sunscreen on your feet, because skin cancer can happen in the feet, too.”

Learn more by watching the full video interview above.