Healthy Feet Means a Healthy You!

HEALTHY FEET MEANS A HEALTHY YOU! Dr. Leon Livingston, Dr. Douglas Livingston and associates at Livingston Foot Care Specialists                         Healthy feet are important for feeling good and staying active. When we think about exercise, we tend to leave our feet out of the equation. However, when it comes down to it, healthy feet are essential to enjoying an active lifestyle. There is nothing more discouraging to staying active than painful feet. The American Podiatric Medical Association estimates that approximately 75 percent of all Americans will experience some type of foot problem during their life. This alone is enough reason to pay special attention to the health of your feet. But on top of that, our feet contain twenty-five percent of the bones in our body along with thirty-three joints, which is how they help us move and keep our balance. Regular exercise can help you remain mobile, alleviate stiffness in the joints, and improve your balance. It is extremely common that problems in our feet can lead to other problems in the body, such as knee, back, and hip problems. Unhealthy feet can also cause emotional stresses and changes in adrenal stress, blood sugar, fatigue and many others. As a result, when you have foot problems you are less inclined to enjoy staying active. Inactivity and a lack of exercise can lead to many serious health issues, which can simply be avoided. If you want to keep your body healthy, you need to pay attention to your feet. Keeping your feet healthy is not hard. There are many things you can do to keep them pain-free. First and foremost, healthy feet start with proper hygiene. Thoroughly cleaning your feet and drying them well is key. Fungal organisms thrive in moist areas so making sure your feet are dry, especially in between your toes, makes it more difficult for those organisms to prosper. Examining your feet often for changes in color, texture or appearance could increase your chances of catching a problem before it gets worse.  Daily examinations are especially important for diabetics because they are at a higher risk for sores and infections. Properly cutting your toenails straight across and never cutting into corners helps prevent painful ingrown toenails, which could lead to infection. Most importantly, do not ignore foot pain. Pain is a way for your body to tell you something is wrong and ignoring it will only prolong and worsen the issue. Appropriate foot care helps to encourage keeping activity levels high which lead to a healthier you. Foot problems make it more difficult to stay active. The Board Certified Podiatrists at Livingston Foot Care Specialists can help with all foot problems.