this article courtesy of Malu Fernandez of Philippine news

Thanks to Imelda Marcos, one thing Filipina women are known for is their love for shoes. Every Filipina woman I know from every socioeconomic background has an infinite love for footwear. But how many times have women bought a pair of shoes and worn it only once, leaving it in the back of the shoe cabinet forever?

When shopping for shoes, always try on shoes in the late afternoon when your feet are already tired and have expanded in size. That way, if you find a comfortable fit, it will be comfortable even when your feet are tired. Unless you work in a corporate environment, wear open-toed shoes or sandals. Not only do you allow your feet to breathe, but you avoid other foot problems such as calluses and painful corns from rubbing your feet against the leather-bound closed shoe. But do remember that when wearing open-toed sandals, make sure your feet are neat and clean or well-manicured. Otherwise, leave them in closed shoes.

Flat shoes, although comfortable, have their own caveat. If you wear flats without the proper arch or heel support, you could develop heel spurs or plantar fascia—a painful heel condition—or you could get tendonitis. The best thing to do is to find a flat shoe. Hold each end of a shoe and try to twist it. If the shoe bends too much, it won’t be supportive. Look for flats with a little bit of a heel if you have high arches. Heels provide relief from foot pain. Buy shoes with leather or rubber soles for optimum shock absorption. Wear only shoes that have leather or suede insoles. Breathable and pliable, they help prevent chafing and blistering, and they mold to the feet. Opt for round-toe flats. They follow the shape of the foot and allow the toes to move. Avoid cuts on your heel by finding a shoe with a back that fits snugly and holds your foot securely. Although sometimes we sacrifice comfort for fashion, it is best to not wear the same shoe all the time even if it’s your favorite. That way your feet can change its position every day and avoid any permanent injuries.

If you choose to purchase pumps with stiletto heels, you should hold the shoe at the heel and toe areas. The sole should be flexible and bend at the front. The bottom of the arch should be stiff. If you must choose a high heel, choose a pump with a high heel that is directly underneath the center of your heel. That should make it easier to balance. If it is too far forward or at the back of the shoe, you might keel over or injure your spine from standing incorrectly.

If you opt for pointy toes, choose a false front. It’s an area much longer than the foot. It will help give your toes more wiggle room. Make sure you have the right width as well so the toe area is wide enough. Wedge shoes are known for distributing your weight more evenly. Be aware, however, that the limited sole flexibility of a wedge may make you accident prone and result in a sprained ankle.

To avoid the burning sensation at the ball of your feet when wearing heels, test a shoe for cushioning by pressing a finger into the ball area. It should have a little give or a slightly padded feel. If it doesn’t have any cushioning, purchase a reusable pair of party feet cushions from Dr. Scholl to give you the added comfort.

If you can afford it, avoid synthetics. Wear shoes with leather, suede, or fabric uppers. These materials breathe, which lessens the chance of blistering. Synthetics make your feet sweat and have a tendency to give you blisters.

When buying open-toed sandals, the thing to remember is to avoid wobbly shoes. Examine a shoe’s quality by looking at how it sits on a table. A well-built shoe will be balanced and look stable when standing on its own. Otherwise you will end up wobbling along with it. Stacked heels that have a broad heel are a better choice. This not only gives better shock absorption but it makes you steadier on your feet. Wear only sandals that have leather or suede-lined straps to prevent chafing. Make sure the toe area is wide enough for the broadest part of your foot. Look for shoes that give the illusion of a higher heel without actually being a high heel.

I’m a firm believer of the saying:” Once your feet hurt, your whole body hurts…,” which is why reflexology centers have become so popular. It is true that if your feet are in pain, chances are other parts of your body become affected too like your back, your knees and your upper thigh. And that is just a horrible feeling to have just for the sake of a pretty shoe. So love your feet and take care of them. And chances are your healthy pretty feet will take care of the rest.

Nail Problems:

Children generally do not suffer the same nail problems that adults do, as many changes seen in adult nails are due to the aging process.

Problems with children’s nails are more likely to be as a result of injury.

• Trauma to the nail can cause discolouration or a blood blister under the nail plate. In some cases the nail may be so traumatised that it will fall off, however providing there is no permanent damage to the cells producing the nail, it should grow back again in time.
• Nail shape can cause problems if the nail is curved and growing into soft tissue, and an ingrown toenail develops. This is often very painful and can become infected, and can be further aggravated by trauma, and tight footwear.
• Treatment options can be discussed with a podiatrist and range from regular nail maintenance to surgical options.

Warts/ Verruca pedis

Warts can occur all over the body, but especially on the feet. Warts are more common in children than in adults, and are very contagious and contractable via direct or indirect contact.

What are they?

Warts are masses of benign growths on the skin caused by infection with the Human Papilloma Virus which causes the top layer of skin to overproduce skin cells, producing a hard mass.

Warts commonly occur on the sole of the foot, and may have a black dot in the centre. The normal skin lines will not be present across the wart area, and they are usually painful if squeezed from the sides. It is not uncommon to have multiple warts at one time.

How is the virus that causes warts passed on?

• The Virus is passed on via close skin to skin contact or even indirect  contact with objects that have been in contact with a wart.
• Through cuts or broken skin on the feet
• At public showers or pools where footwear is not worn

How do I get rid of warts?

• Warts usually resolve on their own within two years, however treatment can speed things up.
• Speak to your podiatrist about the best type of treatment for you or your child
• Your podiatrist may suggest any of the following: Salicylic acid treatment, Cryotherapy, Surgery, chemical treatments or alternative treatments.
• Treatment of warts usually takes both time and patience.

How can I reduce the chance of my child getting warts/ spreading them?

• Do not allow sharing of shoes, socks, towels or personal items with somebody who has a wart.
• Avoid spreading warts to other areas of the body by avoiding picking or touching them.
• Wear footwear in public pools and change rooms.
• Wear a bandaid over the wart when swimming.

By Kevin Braddock Daily Mail Uk
Last updated at 10:11 PM on 30th May 2009

There is a new buzzword in foot care: Orthotics. The science of treating deformities and abnormalities in the musculo-skeletal system – traditionally associated with ungainly corrective footwear – has been given a high-tech makeover.Now, off-the-shelf or custom-made insoles worn in shoes to correct the gait (walking style) and support weakness in the foot are created using the latest in computer scanning technology.Available from foot clinics, the great thing about them is no one can tell you’re wearing them.

Experts also say that orthotics could be the answer to curing leg, knee and even lower back pain.

Do you need orthotics?

Some estimate that the distance we travel on our feet every ten years is equivalent to the Earth’s circumference. So the 26 bones and 33 joints that make up each foot take a pounding over the course of a lifetime.

And given that between one and two times a person’s entire body weight is absorbed to as much as three-and-a-half times when running, it is hardly surprising they are susceptible to injury.

‘Feet are fairly delicate structures,’ says consultant podiatrist Simon Costain of the Gait & Posture Centre in Harley Street. ‘Damage may be painless in the foot but felt elsewhere in the body.’

For instance, collapsed foot arches – also known as flat feet – which can be inherited or brought on by weakening of the muscles in the feet through sustained strain caused by wearing high heels, ageing and weight gain, are a common cause for knee pain.

‘The condition can cause the heel to turn outwards at the ankle,’ says Costain. ‘This misalignment can result in painful grinding of the knee. We can track even further up the body, to lower back pain caused by the feet.

‘For example, leg length inequality can cause a tilt in the pelvis – if the legs are functionally different because of a collapsed arch in one of the feet, we can use orthotics.’

Therapy often centres on treating pain caused by walking with high or flattened arches, and problems caused by overpronation or oversupination – the way the foot rolls inwards or outwards through a step to distribute impact throughout the foot.

‘Our feet are like shock absorbers, and the ability to roll inward or outward is essential,’ says Costain.

Difficulties begin when there is too much or too little pronation or supination, or if it happens at the wrong time when walking.

By creating extra support underneath specific parts of the feet – lifting the ankle a few millimetres, for example – insoles, made of foam rubber or carbon fibre, rebalance the action of the foot and correct other mechanics of the gait.

Walk away from your sore feet

Orthotics are frequently used by footballers, rugby players and runners – but their uses go beyond the playing field. They can be used to treat a range of common medical problems, experienced by one in five of the population.

These include metatarsalgia (pain in the ball of the foot, sometimes caused by dropped metatarsals where the bones we use to push off when we walk become misaligned) achilles tendonitis (soreness of the large tendon that connects the back of the ankle to the calves) and plantar fasciitis (a painful condition caused by tearing and inflammation of the tissues around the ligaments that connect the heel to the front of the foot).

Tibialis posterior pain, also known as acquired flat feet, causes pain on the inside of the ankle as a result of the collapse or rupturing of the muscles that hold up the arches.

Costain says: ‘Moving from high heels to flat shoes often provokes this kind of pain but an orthotic can be worn in either or both type of shoe to help alleviate the problem.’

Costain says that about 70 to 80 per cent of patients referred to his clinic by GPs can benefit from orthotics and estimates that they could also help up to 70 per cent of the general population to treat or prevent injuries or improve the efficiency of the gait.

‘Not enough people use them,’ he says. ‘The analogy we use is with racehorses – most have orthoses put on before each race and they would not run without them.’

Screen test: A scan can reveal feet are the cause of many problems

Pinpointing the problem

While gait analysis is increasingly available in sports shops and gyms, Michael O’Neill, from the Society for Chiropodists & Podiatrists, says prospective wearers should undergo a full gait analysis with a trained podiatrist or other medical expert (see below).

‘A full analysis will include watching how someone walks, from their neck and shoulder to arm swing, knee function and leg swing, rather than just the foot,’ says O’Neill. ‘From there, we make a temporary device and subsequently make improvements once we know we are on the right track.

‘We can use orthotics to control problems, improve the way the foot works and change its mechanics.’

Custom-made orthoses are created by taking plaster casts of the foot, but specialist clinics increasingly use cameras and lasers to map a three-dimensional image.

Ready-made insoles can also be bought. However, Jimmy Walsh, of fitness chain Runners Need, says: ‘Off-the-shelf insoles can help sportsmen and women who have already been diagnosed with overpronation or supination, but prescribing orthotics really requires a trained medical professional.

‘There are some trainers that help remedy these problems and some off-the-shelf insoles such as Sorbothane, Sofsole and Spenco have an orthotic function and will take more impact out of the foot when running, but they won’t correct the gait.’

So, what’s the next step?

Your GP can refer you to NHS podiatry services, however simple orthotic insoles are available from chiropodists, with more specialised appliances costing from £75 to several hundred pounds from clinics.

‘I’d never say orthotics are the magic bullet,’ says Costain, ‘but very often they prove to be extremely helpful in a range of ways.’

And O’Neill argues that orthotic therapy will work only as part of a wider package.

‘A person’s mobility, stretching regime and muscle balance are all as important. Orthotics on their own won’t work.’

Scan that reveals secrets of the sole

During gait analysis, a practitioner – usually a podiatrist,  takes a detailed medical history, including any specific complaints such as pain in the foot or elsewhere in the body. This is followed by a physical examination of the foot to check for any abnormalities.

‘The Pressure measure system has thousands of pressure sensors linked to a computer which shows on a screen the distribution of pressure across the feet,’ says Dr Roger Reid, a chiropractor at London‘s Body 4 Life Healthcare.

‘Red shows most pressure, and blue the least. Pressure should be evenly distributed across the sole. The patient first stands still on the pad, where an uneven distribution of pressure could indicate a musculo-skeletal problem such as different leg lengths or misaligned hips.

‘After this, the patient walks across the pad a number of times. Problems with pronation – the rotation of the foot – would show up as uneven pressure during this part of the scan.’

If needed, the scans, above, can be used alongside a mould of the foot which is sent to a specialist orthotic manufacturer that uses CadCam technology.

‘This uses cameras and lasers to scan the surface of the mould and is the most accurate way of capturing the anatomy of the foot,’ says Pat McGonigle, of Pegasus Orthoses, who create orthotics for Chelsea Football Club and the Royal Family.

‘This is then used together with patient-specific information about sex, age, weight, height and medical problems, to create a 3-D computer model of an orthosis, which can then be manufactured.’

Please note:  this advice is very general and an accurate diagnosis on  the function of your legs and feet can only be made after consulting a podiatrist.