Treat Your Feet Nursing Foot Care

Winter Foot Care Don’t neglect your feet just because it isn’t sandal weather outside. Spring will be with us before you know it and you’ll soon be back in flip-flops and sandles ! Keep you feet looking fabulous with these few steps !! 1. Remove dead dry skin from your feet. If you use one of the new ‘foot filing’ products that are designed to remove dry skin from your feet (resemble a mini cheese grater), please do so VERY carefully. Use the file when your feet are dry; usi...ng it on wet feet can leave them sore. 2. Treat your feet to a bath. Add essential oils to your bathwater, a carrier oil or even your moisturiser. You only need to use a couple of drops! Peppermint will cool down hot aching feet, tea-tree is anti-bacterial and anti-fungal and will help to treat any nasty fungal infections, while rosemary oil will help to warm cold feet and aid with circulation. ****A carrier oil is a vegetable oil derived from the fatty portion of a plant, usually from the seeds, kernels or the nuts. If applied to the skin undiluted, essential oils and other concentrated aromatics can cause severe irritation or reactions in some individuals. Carrier oils are used to dilute essential and other oils prior to topical application. The term carrier oil is derived from their purpose in carrying the essential oil onto the skin. Carrier oils can become rancid, update as necessary. 3. Use a foot scrub weekly to stimulate circulation and leave your feet feeling and looking soft and smooth. 4. Always use a moisturiser on your feet after a bath or shower, paying particular attention to any very dry areas. For super soft feet; once a week at bedtime, apply moisturiser, follow with your favourite body oil, cover with some cotton socks and wear overnight. 5. Care for your toenails. Gently push your cuticles back and trim nails, straight across, shortly after a bath or shower. Simply use your fingernail to gently push back the cuticle to break the death grip it has on the nail about every 4 to 7 days. If your nails are really short, you can use an orange wood stick. Just be gentle. DO NOT cut your cuticle. Although the cuticles don't feel like the soft skin on the rest of your hands, they're composed primarily of skin, so it's essential to keep them moisturized. (I will have an article about cuticles next). 6. Ladies, paint your toenails. It will lift your mood whenever you see them. Men, totally up to you !!!! 7. Make sure you are wearing the correct size of shoe or boot. When shopping for shoes leave it until as late in the day as possible. Feet have a tendency to increase in size over the course of the day. Happy Winter Feet !!!

yeeooowwww....I have stepped on both lol

How Smart is Your Right Foot? This is so frustrating! Give it a go This is so funny/weird that it will boggle your mind. And if you are anywhere near as stubborn as I am, you will keep trying at least a few more times to see if you can outsmart your foot, but you can't. 1) While sitting at your desk, lift your right foot off the floor and make clockwise circles.... 2) Now, while doing this, draw the number '6' in the air with your right hand. 3) Your foot will change direction. I told you so. And, there's nothing you can do about it! Go ahead: KEEP TRYING ALL YOU WANT. Have a great day. Now get back to work.

Facts about your Feet !!! 1. When walking, each time your heel lifts off the ground it forces the toes to carry one half of your body weight. 2. It’s rare that two feet are exactly the same; one of them is often larger than the other. 3. In a pair of feet, there are 250,000 sweat glands.... 4. Cigarette smoking is the biggest cause of Peripheral Vascular Disease (disease of the arteries of the feet and legs) which often leads to pain on walking, ulceration, infection and in the most severe cases gangrene and possible amputation. 5. A human foot & ankle is a strong, mechanical structure that contain 26 bones, 33 joints, and more than 100 muscles, tendons & ligaments. 6. During an average day of walking, the total forces on your feet can total hundreds of tons, equivalent to an average of a fully loaded cement truck. 7. Walking is the best exercise for your feet. It contributes to your general health by improving circulation and weight control. 75 % of people will experience foot problems at one time or another in their lives. 8.The average person will walk around 115,000 miles in a life time, that’s more than four times around the earth! 9. 1/4 of all the bones in the human body are down in your feet. When these bones are out of alignment, so is the rest of the body. 10. Women have about four times as many foot problems as men. High heels are partly to blame. 9 out of 10 women wears shoes that are too small for their feet. 11. Walking barefoot can cause plantar warts. The virus enters through a cut. 12. The record for the world’s largest feet belongs to Matthew McGrory who wears US size 28 1/2 shoes. The average men’s size is 10 1/2. 13. Fingernails and toenails grow faster during hot weather, pregnancy and teenage years. 14. The feet can contract an array of nasty diseases from communal showers: Planter Wart, Athletes foot, Ring worm! 15. The average child will take its first steps around 13-17 months - but between 10 and 18 months falls within the "normal" range. 16. It takes at least five to six months to grow an entirely new toenail.. 17. Your feet mirror your general health. Conditions such as arthritis, diabetes, nerve and circulatory disorders can show their initial symptoms in the feet - so foot ailments can be your first sign of more serious medical problems. Check your feet out on a regular basis. If you are experiencing pain, seek medical advise.

Diabetes - Tips on how to take care of your feet. 1. Take care of your diabetes. Work with your health care team to keep your blood sugar within a good range... 2. Check your feet every day. Look at your bare feet every day for cuts, blisters, red spots, and swelling. Use a mirror to check the bottoms of your feet or ask a family member for help if you have trouble seeing. 3. Wash your feet every day. Wash your feet in warm, not hot, water every day. Dry your feet well. Be sure to dry between the toes 4. Keep the skin soft and smooth. Rub a thin coat of skin lotion over the tops and bottoms of your feet, but not between your toes. 5. Smooth corns and calluses gently. Use a pumice stone to smooth corns and calluses. 6. Trim your toenails each week or when needed. Trim your toenails straight across and file the edges with an emery board or nail file. Or better yet, enlist the help of a Certified Foot Care Nurse to do it for you. 7. Wear shoes and socks at all times. Never walk barefoot. Wear comfortable shoes that fit well and protect your feet. Feel inside your shoes before putting them on each time to make sure the lining is smooth and there are no objects inside. 8. Protect your feet from hot and cold. Wear shoes at the beach or on hot pavement. Wear socks at night if your feet get cold. 9. Keep the blood flowing to your feet. Put your feet up when sitting. Wiggle your toes and move your ankles up and down for 5 minutes, 2 or 3 times a day. Don't cross your legs for long periods of time. Don't smoke. 10. Be more active. Plan your physical activity program with your doctor. 11. Check with your doctor. Have your doctor check your bare feet and find out whether you are likely to have serious foot problems. Remember that you may not feel the pain of an injury. Call your doctor right away if a cut, sore, blister, or bruise on your foot does not begin to heal after one day. Follow your doctor's advice about foot care. 12. Get started now. Begin taking good care of your feet today. Set a time every day to check your feet.

Stinky Feet??? Causes of Foot Odor As you might imagine, foot odor is usually caused by sweaty feet. But it's a little more complicated than that....Continue reading

Hello to you all, I would like to take this moment to thank each and everyone of you who has "liked" my foot care page. It is amazing to see how far a post can travel. It is my hope that you have been learning more about your feet and that you are taking the "steps" to keeping them healthy.... If I may ask that you pass on my posts to anyone you think would benefit from my care. Referrals are what keep small businesses moving. Maybe your parents, family, or a friend is in need of professional nursing foot care? I would be happy to assist them. Again, my sincere thanks for your support. With love, Darlene

Arch Pain / Arch Strain The term arch pain refers to an inflammation and/or burning sensation at the arch of the foot. Cause... There are many different factors that can cause arch pain. A structural imbalance or an injury to the foot can often be the direct cause. However, most frequently the cause is a common condition called plantar fasciitis. The plantar fascia is a broad band of fibrous tissue located along the bottom surface of the foot that runs from the heel to the forefoot. Excessive stretching of the plantar fascia, usually due to over-pronation (flat feet), causes plantar fasciitis. The inflammation caused by the plantar fascia being stretched away from the heel often leads to pain in the heel and arch areas. The pain is often extreme in the morning when an individual first gets out of bed or after a prolonged period of rest. If this condition is left untreated and strain on the longitudinal arch continues, a bony protrusion may develop, known as a heel spur. It is important to treat the condition promptly before it worsens. Treatment and Prevention This is a common foot condition that can be easily treated. If you suffer from arch pain avoid high-heeled shoes whenever possible. Try to choose footwear with a reasonable heel, soft leather uppers, shock absorbing soles and removable foot insoles. When the arch pain is pronation related (flat feet), an orthotic designed is recommended for treating the pain. This type of orthotic will control over-pronation, support the arch and provide the necessary relief.

Foot Pain ..Part 3 Toe Pain Arthritis, including gout, can cause pain in the toes. Gout is an inflammatory condition in which crystals to deposit in joints, causing severe pain and swelling. The big toe is often affected by gout....Continue reading

Foot Pain....continuation Ball of Foot Pain Metatarsalgia is pain and inflammation in the ball of the foot. Strenuous activity, such as running or jumping, or ill-fitting shoes are the usual causes. It is often called a stone bruise, as well. ... Treatment for metatarsalgia includes: Pain relievers Icing and resting the foot Change to more comfortable footwear Inserts for the shoes to relieve pressure on the ball of the foot Morton's neuroma is thickening of the tissue around the nerve between the bases of the toes (usually between the third and fourth toes). Foot pain, odd sensations, or numbness over the ball of the foot are the usual symptoms. It is more common in women and can be a result of wearing high heels or tight shoes. Morton's neuroma treatment includes: Shoe inserts to reduce pressure on the nerve Steroid or other injection into the area of foot pain Avoiding high heeled shoes, or ones with a narrow toe box, and activities that put pressure on the neuroma Pain relievers Surgery (occasionally) Sesamoiditis occurs when tendons around the big toe are injured and inflamed. Treatment for sesamoiditis includes: Strict rest Ice Wearing a foot pad under the toe in a comfortable shoe Taping the big toe to immobilize the joint and allow for healing Wearing low-heeled shoes Steroid injections Arch Pain Arch pain is most often caused by plantar fasciitis, which can affect the heel, arch, or both. Plantar fasciitis treatment is the same, regardless of the location of foot pain (see above). For persistent plantar fasciitis, an injection with a mixture of a steroid and local anesthetic can be helpful. Fallen arches -- or flat feet -- occurs when the arches of the feet flatten out (often when standing or walking), causing foot pain and other problems. Flat feet can be treated with shoe inserts (orthotics), shoe adjustments, rest/ice, using a walking cane or brace, or physical therapy. Occasionally, surgery is necessary. is pain and inflammation in the ball of the foot. Strenuous activity, such as running or jumping, or ill-fitting shoes are the usual causes. It is often called a stone bruise, as well. Stay tuned for Toe Pain......

Foot pain is a common complaint, and it can have many causes. Read on to learn more about different types of foot pain, diagnosis, and treatments. Causes of Foot Pain Pain in the foot can be due to a problem in any part of the foot. Bones, ligaments, tendons, muscles, fascia, toenail beds, nerves, blood vessels, or skin can be the source of foot pain. ... The cause of foot pain can be narrowed down by location and by considering some of the most common causes of foot pain. Todays reading will focus on Heel Pain. 1. Plantar fasciitis is the most common cause of heel pain. The plantar fascia, a band of tough tissue connecting the heel bone to the toes, becomes irritated or inflamed. Heel pain, worst in the morning when getting out of bed, is the most common symptom. Arch pain may also be present. Treatment for plantar fasciitis includes: Rest Heel and foot muscle stretches Over-the-counter pain relievers Shoes with good arch support and a cushioned sole 2. Heel spurs are abnormal growths of bone on the bottom of the heel bone that may be caused by an abnormal gait, posture or walking, inappropriate shoes, or certain activities, like running. Spurs may cause foot pain while walking or standing. Although one in 10 people has heel spurs, only one in 20 of these people will have foot pain. Heel spurs can occur in people with plantar fasciitis, but they do not cause plantar fasciitis. People with flat feet or high arches are more likely to have foot pain from heel spurs. Treatment for heel spurs include: Cutout heel pad Custom-made insert (orthotic) worn in the shoe Wearing shoes that fit well and have shock absorbing soles Over-the-counter pain relievers Rest Surgery (rarely) Physical therapy 3. A fracture of the heel bone (calcaneus) is the most commonly fractured foot bone. It is most often caused by high impact to the heel -- for example, when person has fallen from a height or been in a car accident. Injuries can range from a bone crack from a new vigorous exercise plan to a shattered bone from a high fall. Heel pain, bruising, swelling, limping, or difficulty walking are the main symptoms. Calcaneus fracture treatment includes: Rest from weight bearing, often with crutches Thorough padding of the heel Splinting or casting to protect the heel bone Pain relievers Surgery Physical therapy 4. A stone bruise is a deep bruise of the fat pad of the heel or ball of the foot. It often occurs with impact injury, but can occur after stepping on a hard object. The discomfort is often described as persistent pain that feels like walking on a pebble. Tomorrow we will look at the Ball of the foot.

Did you know..... There are about 250 000 sweat glands in the feet. The average person will lose about a cup of moisture a day through the feet.

Santa's sled broke down on Christmas Eve. He flagged down a passing motorist and asked, 'Can you help me fix my sled?' 'Sorry,' the motorist replied. 'I'm not a mechanic - I'm a podiatrist.' 'Well', said Santa, 'can you give me a toe?