How to Ruin Your Feet Part 1
Wear Flip flops
Wearing flip flops or ANY sandal or shoe that does not have a back strap will ruin your feet.
Yes, ruin. How? When you wear footwear that does not have a back strap, your toes grab unto the sole bed so that the footwear does not fly off your foot while you are walking. When your toes are working so hard and grabbing on for so long, the muscles in your feet become fatigued. Eventually that fatigue leads to arch collapse. You have 3 arches in the sole of your foot and when any one of them collapses, you will feel pain. Plantar fasciitis is a modern day epidemic. So are plantar neuromas. So are heel spurs. So is knee and hip pain. When your feet collapse, your foundation collapses.
What to do:
Stop wearing footwear without a back strap.
You may have to wear an arch support for a short time, while you are rehabilitating your feet (more on arch supports later).
Wear shoes with plenty of toe box room, so your toes can articulate.
If the collapse was recent and your feet are sore, a dose of Arnica 30c 2 doses per day for 10 days.
Massage your feet with some Arnica gel or cream or tincture after a hot bath or hot foot bath. I highly recommend the Arnica cream by FirstAidCreams.com (available directly or on Amazon).
Exercise your feet just like you would rehabilitate your precious hands (it will be worth it). Act as if your feet were very important to your health and happiness.
Walk on sand, dirt, grass, pebbles, pebbled concrete, and any uneven surfaces that engage more muscles in your feet. The hills and valleys of shag carpeting will work. Avoid hard surfaces for now. Get a gel mat or fatigue mat.
Do scrunching exercises: put a small towel on the floor and with your bare toes, grab it and pull the towel towards you and then push the towel away from you with your toes.
Pick up marbles or pencils or paper with your toes.
Learn how to stand. See the Alexander Technique folks at: www.alexanderatwork.com/
First published 5 April 2010