Feet need care at Christmas

Press, Volume CXII, Issue 33096, 11 December 1972, Page 6

Feet need care at Christmas

The pre-Christmas rush, now coming to a peak of activity, is tough on the feet. All the extra shopping that has to be done, mainly along hard pavements and on cemented floors, probably doubles a housewife’s daily walking mileage and takes heavy toll of her energy.

The feet take further punishment when standing about waiting for service in shops or for buses and taxis while the big annual spending spree rolls by. Standing still for a long time can be very harmful to the feet. Clearly, they deserve special attention if they are to cope with Christmas. When asked for a few aids to foot care and comfort, a Christchurch chiropodist (Mrs Ida Poulton) said: “Simple hygiene, first.” KEEP DRY The feet should be bathed I [daily and kept dry, she said ! [She recommended the use of [a good foot powder, particularly between the toes, to [keep the skin dry. “A little methylated spirts will help harden the skin and check perspiration. Broken skin or blisters should be well covered to keep out infection.”

Shoes and hosiery should be changed frequently to help relieve fatigue and excessive perspiration.

It need hardly be mentioned that shoes must fit correctly and give firm support for the extra stress of walking the streets when Christmas shopping. There must be many young women in Christchurch who have already found out that high, thick-heeled and backless shoes were not designed for traipsing round stores with a ; long gift list to complete. 1 Mrs Poulton puts it this way: “Wear practical shoes for housework and shopping, > casual shoes for recreation [and dress shoes for parties.”

Avoid worn-down heels, wrinkles in hosiery or shoe inner-linings and other creases which may cause friction or pressure on the feet. Toe nails should be cut straight across, not rounded and not too short.

“CONTRAST” BATHING When the feet are hot and tired a “contrast” bath—alternate bathing in hot and then cold water 10 times each—will bring comfort. Mrs Poulton also suggests rubbing a little baby oil or lotion into the feet after bathing. Then it is a good idea to lie down on a bed with the feet up on a pillow for about 20 minutes.

“After that you will be ready to dance all night or do another hard day’s shopping,” she said. What about corns? Mrs Poulton says self-treatment may be ineffective and sometimes dangerous. “Bathroom surgerv” may. in fact, have alarming effects. Corns should be treated professionally.

On walking she said: “When stepping forward the heel should strike the ground first, the body weight borne on the heel, carried along the outside of the foot to the small toe and across the ball of the foot to the great toe.

Toes should be pointed straight ahead to avoid jarring the body. When | standing for long periods the I feet should be two to four! inches apart with toes: pointed straight ahead so| that the weight is carried equally on the two feet.” Standing around at Christmas parties in “dressy” shoes makes tired feet worse. Standing still for hours at a time anywhere else can be disastrous for the feet, she said. NEGLECT

“One of the reasons why! feet give trouble is that people seem to think it is! too much bother to take care | of them,” she said. “Women wlil lavish loving care on i their skin and hair yet give: no attention to their main : means of transport—their [ feet.”

Quite apart from the added demands of Christmas, a I housewife walks about eight miles a day running a home. Small wonder she may be heard to complain, “My feet are killing me.” Mrs Poulton’s comment on that one [is: “On the first sign of foot [trouble, seek professional advice.”