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FOOT
RULES TO LIVE BY
- Check
your feet often. They are critical to your ability to remain mobile.
- Inspect
you toes and between them daily for blisters, cuts, scratches.
- Inspect
your feet for red areas on both the tops of your toes and the sides
of and bottoms of your feet. Using a hand mirror can help.
- Wash
your feet daily and dry carefully, especially between the toes.
- Avoid
using chemical agents to remove corns or calluses.
- Avoid
cutting or trimming corns or calluses.
- Cut
toenails straight across.
- Wear
properly fitted stockings.
- Avoid
wearing garters or tight fitting bands around your legs.
- With
arthritis, the position of the bones in your feet can change. You
may have to change or modify your footwear often.
- Shoes
should be fitted by a professional and should be comfortable at the
time of purchase. Do not depend on them to stretch out with wear.
- Proper
fit of shoes is important. Size, as well as shape, should be considered.
There should be adequate width and depth to avoid pressure on toes.
The back of the shoe should be snug around your heel.
- If you
cannot purchase comfortable shoes, ask a foot care specialist for
advice.
- If
your foot is turning in, or your shoes are wearing unevenly, call
this to the attention of a foot care specialist.
- Plan
ahead to spend short periods of time walking when your feet are painful.
- If
you have unusual pain in your feet for longer than one or two hours
after walking, you have probably overdone it. Sit down and rest your
feet.
- Lose
excess weight so that your feet won't have to carry it.
- If
you notice your ankle turns in when you walk, you may need a corrective
insert in your shoe. See a foot care specialist.
- If you
have painful overlapping toes, or you feel like you are walking on
rocks, tell your medical specialist.
- The
most comfortable shoes may not be the most fashionable. However, there
are well-designed and good looking shoes that will make your feet
look and feel good.
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