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Proper shoe fitting is one of the most common concerns people have when it comes to the health of their feet. To some this may not seem like a major issue, but the reality is that improperly fitted shoes account for a tremendous amount of injuries to the foot. Because our feet, our posture, and our gait directly affect the bio-mechanics and the overall structure of our entire body, pains and discomforts felt elsewhere within the body can frequently be attributed to improperly fitted footwear. Here are a few factors to consider, which will help you select the proper footwear when shopping.

Do not purchase shoes with the expectation that they will stretch to accommodate the size of your feet. You are looking for shoes that fit correctly right away. If the shoes you purchase are too large and are slipping in the area of the heel while you walk, do not purchase them. Do not look favorably upon shoes that slip with the intention of wearing thicker socks to compensate for the slippage. Make certain that in the widest portion of the shoes, the ball of your foot, fits comfortably in the shoe.

It may be difficult to focus on these things with all the distractions of shopping, or tempting to ignore them because you badly want an uncomfortable shoe. However, if you cannot wear shoes because they hurt too much to use, your money and time will be wasted. When you get your new shoes home, put them on and walk around on a carpeted surface to see ensure your shoe's fit comfortably with normal activity.

With 33 joints, 26 bones, and over 100 ligaments, the potential for damage to the sensitive components within the foot are greater than many people realize. Finding a properly fitting shoe is the single most important factor you can do to help prevent injury and maintain optimal foot health. Adults tend to forget the fact that our feet continue to change as we grow older. So, even though they may no longer experience growth spurts associated with youth, their feet still change shape as they mature.

If you already have problems with your feet, wearing improperly fitted shoes can potentially exacerbate those problems. Fortunately, it does not require a tremendous amount of effort to find shoes that fit correctly. When shopping for shoes, keep in mind that improperly fitted shoes can not only cause a whole host of disorders and problems to occur within the feet themselves—they can affect the entire bio-mechanical structure of the body. Your posture and your stride are based on your feet, so your footwear can have a tremendous impact on the legs, back, and rest of your body. Finding the proper shoe fitting is essential to keep your feet and body healthly.

In most cases, foot surgery is often chosen as the last-available option for conditions that have otherwise been unsuccessfully treated. Surgery may be necessary for several reasons, including the removal of foot deformities (e.g. bone spurs or bunions), arthritis problems, reconstruction due to injury, and congenital malformations (e.g. club foot or flat feet). Regardless of one’s age, foot surgery may be the only successful option for treatment for certain conditions.

The type of surgery one undergoes depends on the type of foot condition the patient has. For the removal of a growth, such as a bunion, a bunionectomy is necessary. If the bones in the feet need to be realigned or fused together, a surgical fusion of the foot is needed. For pain or nerve issues, a patient may require surgery in which the tissues surrounding the painful nerve are removed. Initially, less invasive treatments are generally attempted; surgery is often the last measure taken if other treatments are unsuccessful.

While in many cases surgery is often deemed as the final resort, choosing surgery comes with certain benefits. The associated pain experienced in relation to the particular condition is often relieved with surgery, allowing patients to resume daily activities. The greatest benefit, however, is that surgery generally eliminates the problem immediately.

Podiatry history has shown that foot treatments continue to evolve over time. In the field of foot surgery, endoscopic surgery is just one of the many advancements. As technology vastly improves, so will the various techniques in foot surgery, which already require smaller and smaller incisions with the use of better and more efficient tools. Thanks to such innovations, surgery is no longer as invasive as it was in the past, allowing for much faster and easier recoveries.

During your lifetime, you will probably walk about 75,000 miles, which is quite a lot of stress to put on your feet. As you get older, the 26 bones and 30 joints in your body will lose flexibility and elasticity. Your foot’s natural shock absorbers will wear down as well. Having arthritis added to this mix only makes matters worse. Your joints will become distorted and inflamed, which is why arthritic foot care needs to be something to think about every day.

When dealing with arthritis, having additional foot complications, such as bunions, hammertoes, or neuroma, can be a serious detriment. To avoid these, buy well-fitting shoes with a lower heel and good support. Arthritis causes you to lose your arch, so having shoes with good arch support is also highly recommended.

Aside from getting good arch support, the shoes need to fit comfortably and properly as well. A good place to start is by leaving a finger width between the back of the shoe and your foot to gauge proper size. It is also helpful to have a square or rounded toe box in the front to provide even more comfort. Another thing to look for is a rubber sole that can provide a cushion and absorb shock as you walk. This adds flexibility to the ball of your foot when you push off your heel to walk.

Exercise is another key aspect of arthritic foot care. Exercise not only strengthens and stretches your muscles and joints, but helps to prevent further injury and pain as well. Stretching the Achilles tendon, the tendon located in the back of your heel, will give you added mobility and reduce pain due to stress. Another thing you can do is massage your feet, kneading the ball of your foot as well as your toes from top to bottom.

Stretching the Achilles tendon is a simple exercise that you can do at home anytime. Lean against the wall with your palms flat against the surface while placing one foot forward, towards the wall, and one foot behind you. Bend your forward knee towards the wall while keeping your back knee locked straight, and make sure both your heels are completely touching the ground at all times. This will stretch your Achilles tendon and calf muscles as well. You will feel the stretch almost immediately. You can also stretch your toes in a couple ways. One involves taking a rubber band and wrapping it around both your big toes while your heels remain together. Then, pull them apart to stretch your big toe. You can also place a rubber band around all the toes of one of your feet. Then, try to separate each individual toe, stretching them all.

A final step you can take to help your arthritis is taking non-steroid, non-inflammatory drugs or topical medicines with capsaicin. Unfortunately, there is no complete way to remove all of your arthritic pain. However, following some of this advice can go a long way in staying as pain-free as possible.

Flatfoot is a foot condition in which the arch of the foot has either partially or totally dropped or has never developed. While it is common in babies and small children, it can become a problem for them in adulthood if the arch never forms. For adults, the development of flat feet can be brought upon by injury, as a result of pregnancy due to increased elasticity, or obesity. Those who have health concerns such as rheumatoid arthritis or diabetes may also be at greater risk for developing the condition.

If you suspect that you have flat feet, it is best to consult your podiatrist. Your foot doctor will examine the suspected foot and observe how it looks while you sit and stand. He or she may take an X-ray to determine how serious the condition is. Some common signs of flatfoot include toe drift, in which the toes and front part of the foot point outward, a short Achilles tendon, and a heel that tilts outwardly while the ankle tilts inward.

Once flatfoot has been diagnosed, your podiatrist may suggest one of several treatment options. Flat feet can be rigid, in which the feet appear to have no arch even when the person is not standing; or flexible, in which the person appears to have an arch while not standing, but once standing the arch disappears. Those with flexible flatfoot may be told to reduce any activities that cause pain and to avoid extended periods of walking or standing. Another suggestion may be weight loss, as excessive weight may be placing pressure on the arches

In few cases, if the condition is severe and all other methods have been exhausted surgery may be required. This is normally avoided, however, due to a lengthy recovery time and high cost.