During your lifetime, you will probably walk about 75,000 miles, which
is quite a lot of stress to put on your feet. As you get older, the 26
bones and 30 joints in each of your feet will lose flexibility and elasticity.
Your foot’s natural shock absorbers will wear down as well. Having
arthritis added to this mix only makes matters worse. Your joints will
become distorted and inflamed, which is why arthritic foot care needs
to be something to think about every day.
When dealing with arthritis, having additional foot complications, such
as bunions, hammertoes, or neuroma, can be a serious detriment. To avoid
these, buy well-fitting shoes with a lower heel and good support. Arthritis
causes you to lose your arch, so having shoes with good arch support is
also highly recommended.
Aside from getting good arch support, the shoes need to fit comfortably
and properly as well. A good place to start is by leaving a finger width
between the back of the shoe and your foot to gauge proper size. It is
also helpful to have a square or rounded toe box in the front to provide
even more comfort. Another thing to look for is a rubber sole that can
provide a cushion and absorb shock as you walk. This adds flexibility
to the ball of your foot when you push off your heel to walk.
Exercise is another key aspect of arthritic foot care. Exercise not only
strengthens and stretches your muscles and joints, but helps to prevent
further injury and pain as well. Stretching the Achilles tendon, the tendon
located in the back of your heel, will give you added mobility and reduce
pain due to stress. Another thing you can do is massage your feet, kneading
the ball of your foot as well as your toes from top to bottom.
Stretching the Achilles tendon is a simple exercise that you can do at
home anytime. Lean against the wall with your palms flat against the surface
while placing one foot forward, towards the wall, and one foot behind
you. Bend your forward knee towards the wall while keeping your back knee
locked straight, and make sure both your heels are completely touching
the ground at all times. This will stretch your Achilles tendon and calf
muscles as well. You will feel the stretch almost immediately. You can
also stretch your toes in a couple ways. One involves taking a rubber
band and wrapping it around both your big toes while your heels remain
together. Then, pull them apart to stretch your big toe. You can also
place a rubber band around all the toes of one of your feet. Then, try
to separate each individual toe, stretching them all.
A final step you can take to help your arthritis is taking non-steroid,
non-inflammatory drugs or topical medicines with capsaicin. Unfortunately,
there is no complete way to remove all of your arthritic pain. However,
following some of this advice can go a long way in staying as pain-free
as possible.