1. Small steps to healthy feet
Think Feet!
Small steps to healthy feet

2. Foot facts!
You put one and a half times your body weight through your foot with each step you take
A pair of feet have around 250,000 sweat glands
In a lifetime the average person walks more than 100,000 miles = more than 4 times around the circumference of the globe

3. Common foot conditions
Toenail problems:
fungal infections
Thickened
In-growing

4. Common foot conditions
Deformity – hammer toes, bunions

5. Common foot conditions
Athletes foot
Can be treated with antifungal cream, spray or gel such as Lamisil

6. Common foot conditions
Corns and Callus
Caused by pressure from shoes or high pressure on the soles of feet when walking

7. The aging foot
Changes to the foot shape - toe deformities due to muscle wasting and ligament changes
Some flattening of the foot leads to it lengthening, altering the size of shoe that fits
Joint changes – arthritis

8. The aging foot… Skin changes Walking pattern alters
Thinning of the skin
Reduced flexibility
Less fatty padding on the soles of the feet
Walking pattern alters
Shortened stride length
Less flexible joints

9. Self foot care
Good foot hygiene – washing in mild warm soapy water and drying well
Skin care – applying a moisturizing cream daily avoiding between the toes
Washing your feet with mild soap daily and carefully drying between the toes
Applying moisturizing cream to dry skin ideally daily
Smoothing rough dry skin with a foot file gently and regularly
Cutting your nails following the shape of the end of the toes – if cutting is difficult a special toenail file can be safely used weekly, requires less accuracy and can be done by yourself or family member and avoids the need for cutting them altogether

10. Self foot care
Nail care – cut inline with the end of the toe OR file them once a week to keep them short, especially if difficulty seeing or reaching them
Daily foot inspection
Supportive shoes

11. Footwear
A supportive shoes should be worn for the majority of the time
Limit the use of ‘fashion’ shoes which can cause problems by not fitting the foot shape causing high pressure on the toes and balls of the feet.

12. What to look for…. Breaks in the skin
Bleeding or dark areas under hard skin
Inflammation
Weeping area of skin
Unexplained colour changes
Pain when you usually have loss of feeling
TAKE ACTION: Cover with a dressing and seek medical advice from your GP surgery or Podiatrist

13. Common myths
A corn has a root so if you don’t get the root out it will re-grow
If you have diabetes you should not cut your own nails
Cutting the corners of the nail help an in-growing toenail
Soaking your feet softens the skin

14. How can diabetes can affect the feet?
Raised levels of glucose in the blood stream can over time lead to damage to the long nerve fibers to the feet reducing the feeling in them. This nerve damage is called:
Peripheral Neuropathy
The blood vessels down the leg supplying the foot can become narrowed (furred up) leading to poor circulation:
Peripheral Vascular Disease

15. How can nerve damage and poor circulation affect the feet?
Lack of feeling can lead to unnoticed damage which can in turn if left untreated can lead to foot ulceration
Lack of blood supply reduces healing of damaged skin
Infection can be difficult to recognize and treat. If not controlled can cause severe damage to the tissues. This can lead to amputation

16. Diabetes and your feet
This person has diabetes and can not feel pain from their feet
Infection developed in an open wound under their toe which had to be amputated to stop it spreading further

17. Diabetes and your feet
Diabetes If you someone has diabetes at their annual diabetes review both feet should be checked for signs of changes
Testing the sensation with a nylon filament

18. Checking the blood supply to the feet by feeling for pulses
Looking for deformities and skin changes
Checking footwear suits your foot shape

19. What does a Podiatrist do?
Assess, diagnose and treat disorders and diseases the affect the foot.
The title ‘Podiatrist’ is protected and means that they have undertaken a university degree and are registered with the Health Professions Council which is a regulating body
NHS Podiatry provide a service for people who are at high risk of developing foot problems

20. Think Feet! Basic foot care can maintain healthy feet
Preventing foot problems and early recognition can reduce the risk of developing more severe conditions
If you have diabetes and your annual foot check shows signs of a problem a podiatry assessment and agreed care plan is important