CARE OF THE FEET

Evening Post, Volume CXX, Issue 86, 8 October 1935, Page 4

CARE OF THE FEET

CHILDREN AND PARENTS

(Contributed by the Health Depart- ■ , inent.) The feet, are-tp the body what the foundations are to a building. Foot troubles arise chiefly from improper placing of the feet in standing and walking. An incorrect stance may.be assumed because of the pressure of an uncomfortable shpe, or sometimes through carelessness or ignorance.

The necessity for attention to proper foot hygiene during infancy and childhood is important if defects are to be prevented later in life. Many children are permitted to go through childhood handicapped by weak feet which in the majority of instances would respond to very simple corrective measures. Normal children when left to themselves usually begin to creep during the seventh and eighth months. This should be encouraged by every possible means, as it is a'natural process and trains the bones, joints, and muscles to bear weight. After this creeping period comes the more difficult stage of walking. The change from the former ' to the latter should be a natural transition. When children are taught to stand on their feet too early, the untrained muscles, bones, and ligaments yield to the overweight; structural defects of the foot are produced which may lead in after life to a marked degree of deformity as well as giving considerable pain and misery. Shoes for children should have broad toes and be roomy enough to permit of free action of the small muscles of the feet. When buying see that the shoe is half an inch longer than the. foot when the child is standing. Test each shoe separately; one foot-may-be a little longer than the other. It is very important that stockings should fit well. When too tight or top small they will cramp the feet, interfere with the proper' action of. the foot muscles, and thus predispose to weakness and defect. The gait of such' children is awkward.' They walk upon the entire soleof the. foot. The toes turn out and the soles and heels of. the shoes are worn on the inner borders. The feet-. of.:children should be examined frequently, and carefully: and, where there is any. suspicion of weakness, or a tendency towards deformity, expert advice should be sought and remedial measures immediately instituted.' . • : It must not be forgotten that children's feet. grow very/ quickly, .and the fact that they have outgrown their shoes and stockings'! may. be overlooked. 'S'-'s- ; '• ■ ' "■■'" ■■•■"-■: --\. '-■..■ CHOICE OF FOOTWEAR. Most of the ills of the feet are due to wrong footwear,, .either.'to. a badlyconstructed, shoe or sometimes to the poor fit of a .well-constructed^, shoe: j • : In. order to be ;in style, the" average person; otherwise .intelligent,.: -will Keypicallyirbear ■the_,pain- of ilMiiting pointed . .shoesr .0. Shoes;, and ; bpQts sh.9jdd..-:cp^p]^.4q^^'p?]..indpnal.' foot lineig* aaa";sh^d! .ii&!Mfnciently /large arid broad. to; permit; tde^spread' '•' and forward : driye.; The solesr should be pliable and the inside ■ line''straight from ,heel to toe.' Low, wide heels' are the best, and the heel.'! arid - the sole should be of equal depth. High heels interfere with the balance-and stability of the body and result in a mincing, ungainly gait. If Nature had planned that our heels were to be lifted one to three inches off the ground she would have built our feet that way in the first place, but she intended that wel should walk with-our heels touching the' ground at every step. There may be some persons who can wear high heels all their lives without injury or discomfort. Others can go for many years apparently unharmed, but usually | there comes a time, during or after middle life, when both feet and body rebel against such unnatural treat-1 ment and ailments of many kinds 1 develop. If a woman persistently wears high heels the muscles at the back pf her leg will grow short from lack of use". Then if she attempts to adopt suitable heels suddenly, or wears tennis shoes, there will be a tremendous strain upon the heel cord. In. such cases relief may be had by returning to high - ; heels and going down' gradually to 'i;he lower. COMMON FOOT TROUBLES. Corns are invariably the result of badly-fitting boots. The ingrown toenail is caused by too tight footwear. Bunions'are amongst the commonest of the.evils induced by pointed shoes. When a boot is short as well as narrow there is a tendency of the great toe to1 be pushed under the second. This will result in the second toe doubling upon itself in an upward direction, producing what is knpwn as "hammer" or "trigger" toe. Callouses, are formed on the sole under the ball of the foot and are due to the forcing of the foot forward by high heels and to the weakening of the transverse arch at the base of the toes by interference with the functions of the small muscles. Flat foot is produced by the crippling of the muscles and ligaments which support the arch of the instep. Progress of this affliction may be. checked by simply using thicker boots, with a correspondingly greater support to all parts of the foot; and much.may be' done by cold bathing, stimulating liniments, and tiptoe exercises. In its advanced stages, however, a definite supporting arch in the boot may be required, but should be avpided as long as possible. The rigid great toe -may occur in consequence of flat foot, since in the latter condition the foot lengthens from behind forward by the : collapsing' of the arch; the great toe is thus driven forward and usually meets the rigid leather of a boot now too short for the foot. Since it cannot ■' double back as in hammer toe, the joint beneath the ball of the fopt beccmes pressed upon, irritated, and as a result finally immovably fixed. These cpnditipns are preventable, and the remedy is pbvipus. . '