Fixing Your Feet | Pain Free Body | Calm Mind Pain Free Body

Fixing Your Feet
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If you have problem feet you might just be interested in the book Fixing Your Feet: Prevention and Treatments for Athletes, with athletes being listed as “People who push the limits of their feet – runners, walkers, hikers, adventure racers, climbers, soldiers, dancers.” I’d also add hockey and broomball players, skaters, canoers, hunters, fishermen, Outers participants, and diabetics to that list.

This book is so popular that the author John Vonhof has just published the 4th edition, which is jam packed with all the top foot-care specialist and athlete tried and true ways to keep your feet from hurting, so allowing you to get on with your life.

When it comes to feet, John Vonhof has seen it all. Not only is he an avid runner, he’s also a paramedic, orthopedic technician, and emergency room technician, who specializes in working with athletes and their support crews in the prevention and treatment of foot problems.

Some of the information you’ll find in the book:

• 175 ways to prevent blisters
• How to treat blisters if you get them
• Preventing and treating sprains and strains
• What to do about fractures, dislocations, and tendon and ligament injuries
• How to reduce nail, heel, toe, and ball of foot problems
• What to do about warts, rashes, and athletes foot
• Self care for your feet
• Lacing methods for wide and narrow feet, to prevent heel slippage, and for foot pain
• How to choose the best footwear, insoles, orthotics, socks, and gaiters for you
• What to do about numb toes and feet
• Cold and heat therapy
• Compounds for the feet, including powders, salves, ointments, antiperspirants, and skin tougheners
• How to tape the feet

I do have to warn you, some of the photographs in the book of feet in varying stages of moisture or blister trauma can be quite gruesome, though fascinating. A few of them are horrifying enough to almost 100% ensure you try never to get another blister again.

Here are a few blister prevention tips from Fixing Your Feet:

• Above all else, make sure the shoes fit.
• Weave strips of lamb’s wool between your toes and around the tips of your toes, and add more as needed. Wash it occasionally to restore its loft and cushioning.
• Be sure to smooth the heels of your socks, and check the heels of your insoles and the inside of your heel counters for folds and worn or torn material.
• Duct tape rough areas inside your boots.
• Wear socks inside out. The seam that goes across the toes can rub the tops and sides of the toes and cause blisters.
• The key is prevention; think of boot, socks, epidermis, and lower skin layers as a ‘system’ and treat the whole system.

As you flip through the book, you may notice some conflicting recommendations for foot care. This occurs because many of the tips come from hardcore athletes who have spent years perfecting their foot care systems. As each of these athletes, the conditions they train and race in, and the gear they use are all quite different, what works for each person ends up varying widely, as well.

For instance, some athletes recommend allowing your feet to become callused, others say absolutely not. Some recommend washing the feet and changing socks often during a long event, others say never do it. Some say keep the feet dry, while others purposely wet their feet.

No matter, you’ll find hundreds of foot care methods in Fixing Your Feet that are useful whether you’re sedentary or extremely athletic. And it’s quite possible that by utilizing many of the strategies given, you may never become victim to foot pain or blisters again. Now that’s worth the price of a book.

Photo Credit: Richard Styles
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