Professional Foot Care

Putting Your Best Foot Forward (Veteran’s Affairs Canada) www.vac-acc.gc.ca

Our feet are vital to health and mobility, carrying us an average of 184,000 KMs in a lifetime. No wonder foot problems are common. As we get older, these problems can get worse and it is especially important to care for our feet. In older people, foot problems can mean the difference between needing institutional care and being able to live at home.

If you are a diabetic or have poor circulation, it is especially important to pamper your feet. Diabetics may have a higher risk of ulcers and infection, be slower to heal and be prone to poor circulation. A sign of poor circulation, which often comes with aging and is common among smokers, are a blue or purplish skin colour, weak or nonexistent pulses in the feet and slow healing of cuts. If these problems are not recognized and treated, they can lead to gangrene and amputation.

For this reason, the following precautions should be taken.

• Check your feet daily for cuts, blisters and cracks.
• Avoid all activities that decrease your blood circulation, such as smoking and crossing your legs or ankles when sitting. In cold weather, dress warmly from your head to your toes since chilling any part of the body decreases circulation.
• Don't use heating pads or hot water bottles as you may burn your feet.
• Wear proper footwear to protect your feet from injury.
• Don't wear tight shoes, socks or stockings.
• Use elastic laces to allow the feet to swell and move freely.
• Exercise every day to improve your circulation and keep your feet healthy.

Toenail grooming is important to prevent problems such as ingrown nails. Try to prevent cracked skin, especially on the heels, by applying non-greasy lubricating lotion (avoid between the toes and take caution not to walk barefoot when your feet are still slippery). It's easier to prevent fungus growth by keeping feet clean and dry than it is to treat the fungus once it's established.


For those who enjoy the pampering of a Pedicure, Foot Care is not a pedicure. Foot Care should be a part of your total Health Care Regime.