The Issues That Arise

It is holiday time again, with the usual long lines waiting to buy those special gifts. How will your feet and legs survive the pounding of pavements; standing for hours on hard concrete floors at the malls; running from store to store; along with cleaning and baking?

This adds up to a lot of moving parts in your feet during the holiday shopping season. “Shop until you drop” takes on a whole different meaning this time of the year. After a long day of shopping, the muscles in the arch and legs can fatigue and get tired. The reason that happens, is because the joints in the arch area of the foot can collapse and flatten out, when you are walking or standing. Therefore, if you are not wearing shoes with good support, you can develop foot, leg, and back problems, which will put a damper on your holiday shopping.

Depending on whether one has a flat foot, or a high arched foot, will dictate how comfortable a pair of shoes will be. Flat feet can cause muscle spasms in your arches and legs, when wearing flat foot wear such as ballet or dress flats. High arches can cause ball of the foot pain and burning, especially when wearing high heels or wedges. That is because the pitch or slope of the high heel or wedge forces the ball of the foot towards the ground, and the shoes do not have enough padding in the toe box to absorb the pressure, while cushioning the weight on the ball of the foot. “So, shoes can trigger foot problems as much as certain types of foot structures can cause shoe problems.”

Also, the combination of having structural bone problems such as hammer toes, heel spurs and bunions, can be aggravated by wearing the wrong type of footwear. Shoes that are too narrow, can aggravate bone spurs that have developed over time on the foot, causing blisters and corns to form. Therefore, shopping all day can be hazardous to your feet!

Prevention is Better than Cure

To prevent foot and shoe problems from ruining your holiday shopping experience, while hitting the pavement, the first thing is to plan out your shoe wardrobe, before you shop. If you are going to shop after work, take a comfortable pair of shoes with you to change into. If you are wearing heels or ballet type flats, make sure you have a soft insole liner in those shoes, that will cushion the impact when walking and standing.

I always tell my patients, the first thing you want to do after shopping all day, is kick your shoes off, and put on your favourite pair of comfortable slippers. Pampering your poor, unfortunate soles don’t have to be too complicated. Whether you’re up for a full spa session at home, or just a quick massage to ease the pain, we’ve got you and your feet covered.

Put Your Feet Up

Putting your legs up encourages healthy circulation. This eases the soreness and stiffness of your muscles after a day of walking around the mall, or cleaning. It also reduces swelling and lessens your risk for developing varicose veins. No matter how tired you are, it’s easy to lie on your bed and prop your legs on the wall. You can also lie on the sofa and prop your legs on the sofa arm.

Indulge in a Foot Soak

Foot spas are easy to do at home. All you need is 10-15 minutes, a shallow basin, warm water, and some essential oils to soothe the soreness. You can also raid your bathroom vanity for alternatives to essential oils. A water foot bath will rejuvenate your feet and make it look younger. Exfoliate your feet with scrub that contains dead sea minerals and natural oils.

Exfoliate Your Feet

Use a loofah, foot file, or foam pumice stone to exfoliate your feet. It’s best to do this after a relaxing foot bath as your skin is much softer. It’s easier to buff off the dead skin and calluses for cleaner and smoother feet.

If you’re too tired to go through with a foot soak, don’t worry. You can still exfoliate your feet with a gentle foot scrub. Simply massage it gently onto your damp feet, and rinse afterward. Use a foot emery board or foot file with the scrub, for a more thorough exfoliation. Apply hydrating foot cream and your feet will recover quicker from walking all day finding bargains, or standing cleaning the house.

Get a Foot or Full Body Massage

Use a generous amount of hydrating foot cream or lotion to massage your feet. Gently rub your foot starting from the ankle to the tips of your toes to improve circulation. This will help your feet recover faster from the strain of walking all day and cleaning.

The next time you go shopping or finish a day of constant cleaning, spare some time for a foot massage session; a full body massage is even better. Your feet work hard for you so remember to show it some love and care. And in keeping with the season’s tradition, I wish everyone a Very Happy and Holy Christmas!

Your feet mirror your general health . . . cherish them!