Looking after your hard working feet....

Photo by Michał Parzuchowski on Unsplash

Many years ago I was watching a film during which an exhausted woman comes inside after being on her feet all day; takes off her shoes and massages her feet. Her face expressed her deep pleasure and relief at this self care and it really struck me - how many of us take such care of our feet.

I can really recommend that at least once a week you take the time to have a good look at your feet. The nails, the skin - but also how they are moving, how they feel. Try spreading out your toes; raising them; pressing them into the ground. What happens when you focus on the big toe, the little toe, the middle toes? What do you notice about their mobility and strength? 

Massage the soles of your feet, with either your hands (knuckles work well) or using a ball that you can roll your foot over. Again, what do you notice? Stroke along the top of your foot, exploring between the tendons as you move towards the toes. Hold each toe in turn and move it slowly in a circle, one way then the reverse. Use your fingers to flex each joint (gently), and give the toe a gentle pull to finish.

Practice the ankle mobility exercise on my exercises page (listening foot). How easily can you transfer weight through your foot? Take your time, slow down, be curious. 

I can also recommend having a go with the strengthening, engaging and stretching exercises in the link below, especially if you spend a lot of time sitting.

 https://www.healthline.com/health/toe-stretches

Our feet are our interface with the ground we stand on and they work hard for us; let's give them something back! 

Photo by How-Soon Ngu on Unsplash

Are you using a hot water bottle?

I love a hot water bottle; so comforting when you have aches and pains, and so wonderful for taken the chill off the bed before you get in. However, over the years I have seen clients come in with distinctive changes to their skin pigmentation where they have been using a hot water bottle for prolonged periods of time to relieve chronic pain; the changes are due to the prolonged exposure to thermal radiation. This looks like a darker area with maybe a bit of a pattern to it and has an impressive Latin name, erythema ab igne, and is also known by the more obvious 'toasted skin syndrome'. You can find out more about it online, including here:

 https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/books/NBK538250/#:~:text=Erythema%20ab%20igne%20is%20a%20cutaneous%20rash%20characterized%20by%20a,the%20use%20of%20heating%20pads.

and here:

https://www.healthline.com/health/toasted-skin-syndrome

Don't let this put you off using a hot water bottle - just be aware to treat it with respect, as you would an ice pack (wrap in a towel or similar before applying to skin, and limit to twenty minutes at a time). Short term use is fine, although do make sure you aren't scalding yourself (I an a fan of hot water bottle covers and have a nice woollen one that I made). If using long term, just make sure you aren't applying it too hot or for too long.