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Wearing safe footwear at work is vital for preventing various foot conditions and ensuring overall health and safety. Wearing ill-fitting or inappropriate shoes can lead to issues such as blisters, calluses, and bunions, causing discomfort and affecting productivity. More serious conditions can include plantar fasciitis, which results from inadequate arch support, and metatarsalgia, caused by excessive pressure on the ball of the foot. Additionally, workplace hazards like heavy objects or slippery surfaces increase the risk of injuries like fractures or sprains without proper footwear. Choosing shoes with adequate support, cushioning, and non-slip soles can prevent these problems. Investing in the right footwear enhances comfort, reduces fatigue, and minimizes the risk of chronic foot conditions and acute injuries, ensuring a safer and more productive work environment. If you have had one or more foot injuries from wearing the wrong shoes while at work, it is suggested that you confer with a podiatrist who can treat various foot conditions and educate you on appropriate shoes for your workday.

While working on the feet, it is important to take the proper care of them. For more information about working on your feet, contact the practitioners from Foot Care Institute. Our practitioners will treat your foot and ankle needs.

Working on Your Feet

Standing on your feet for long periods of time can cause stress and pain in your feet. Your whole body may experience change in terms of posture, back pain, bunions, callouses and or plantar warts. There are ways to avoid these conditions with proper foot care, smart choices and correct posture.

Positive Changes

Negative heeled shoe – Choosing this shoe type places the heel slightly lower than the ball of the foot. These are great for overall foot health. Find shoes that fit you correctly.

Go barefoot – Our feet were not designed to be enclosed for all hours of the day. Try to periodically expose your feet to air.

Eliminate Pain

Foot Exercises – Performing simple exercises, incorporating yoga and doing stretches are beneficial. This will allow increased blood flow to the area and muscles of the foot.

Achilles tendon – Stretching the foot out flat on the floor will relax the calf muscles and tendon. These exercises can be performed almost anywhere. Make sure you add these exercises to your daily regimen. 

With a little bit of this information and knowing more about foot health, you will notice changes. Foot stretches and proper footwear will help with pain and prevent further issues.

If you have any questions please feel free to contact our office located in Windsor, ON . We offer the newest diagnostic and treatment technologies for all your foot and ankle needs.

Ingrown toenails occur when the edge of a toenail grows into the surrounding skin, leading to pain, swelling, and sometimes infection. The main causes include improper nail trimming, wearing tight footwear, and trauma to the toe. To prevent ingrown toenails, it is essential to trim nails correctly. Cut toenails straight across rather than rounding the edges to avoid them growing into the skin. Additionally, keeping nails at a moderate length helps prevent pressure from shoes. The pain from ingrown toenails is due to the nail cutting into the sensitive skin, causing inflammation and sometimes infection. This pressure and irritation trigger significant discomfort, making even simple activities like walking painful. Proper nail care and wearing well-fitting shoes can reduce the risk of developing ingrown toenails and alleviate the associated pain. If you have developed an ingrown toenail, it is suggested that you consult a podiatrist who can treat this condition, which may include minor surgery.

Ingrown toenails can become painful if they are not treated properly. For more information about ingrown toenails, contact the practitioners of Foot Care Institute. Our practitioners can provide the care you need to keep you pain-free and on your feet.

Ingrown Toenails

Ingrown toenails occur when a toenail grows sideways into the bed of the nail, causing pain, swelling, and possibly infection.

Causes

• Bacterial infections
• Improper nail cutting such as cutting it too short or not straight across
• Trauma to the toe, such as stubbing, which causes the nail to grow back irregularly
• Ill-fitting shoes that bunch the toes too close together
• Genetic predisposition

Prevention

Because ingrown toenails are not something found outside of shoe-wearing cultures, going barefoot as often as possible will decrease the likeliness of developing ingrown toenails. Wearing proper fitting shoes and using proper cutting techniques will also help decrease your risk of developing ingrown toenails.

Treatment

Ingrown toenails are a very treatable foot condition. In minor cases, soaking the affected area in salt or antibacterial soaps will not only help with the ingrown nail itself, but also help prevent any infections from occurring. In more severe cases, surgery is an option. In either case, speaking to your podiatrist about this condition will help you get a better understanding of specific treatment options that are right for you.

If you have any questions please feel free to contact our office located in Windsor, ON . We offer the newest diagnostic and treatment technologies for all your foot and ankle needs.

Congenital foot deformities are structural abnormalities present at birth that affect the shape and function of an infant's feet. Metatarsus adductus is characterized by the inward curvature of the front half of the foot, resulting in a C shape and often causing difficulty in fitting shoes. Clubfoot involves a twisted position where the foot points downward and inward, leading to difficulties in walking if untreated. Calcaneovalgus deformity presents as an upward and outward bending of the foot, which can cause a flatfoot appearance and limited mobility. Additionally, congenital vertical talus, a more severe condition, results in a rigid rocker-bottom foot, where the sole faces outward and the arch is absent. Symptoms of these deformities include abnormal foot positioning, restricted movement, and, as the child grows, potential pain and walking difficulties. If your child has a congenital foot condition, it is suggested that you include a podiatrist on your healthcare team to help manage the specific ailment.

Some foot conditions may require additional professional care. If you have any concerns, contact the practitioners of Foot Care Institute. Our practitioners can provide the care you need to keep you pain-free and on your feet.

Rare Foot Conditions

The majority of foot conditions are common and can be treated by a podiatrist.  Standard diagnostic procedures are generally used to identify specific conditions and treatment can be rendered. A podiatrist also treats rare foot conditions which can be difficult to diagnose and may need extra attention and care. 

There are many rare foot conditions that can affect children. Some of these can include:

• Freiberg’s disease
• Kohler’s disease
• Maffucci syndrome

Freiberg’s disease - This can be seen as a deterioration and flattening of a metatarsal bone that exists in the ball of the foot. It typically affects pre-teen and teenage girls, but can affect anyone at any age. Symptoms that can accompany this can be swelling, stiffness, and the patient may limp. 

Kohler’s disease - This often targets the bone in the arch of the foot and affects younger boys. It can lead to an interruption of the blood supply which ultimately can lead to bone deterioration. The patient may limp or experience tenderness, swelling, and redness.

Maffucci syndrome - This affects the long bones in a child’s foot leading to the development of abnormal bone lesions. They are benign growths and typically develop in early childhood and the bones may be susceptible to breaking. 

A podiatrist can properly diagnose and treat all types of rare foot conditions. If your child is affected by any of these symptoms or conditions, please don’t hesitate to call our office so the correct treatment method can begin.

If you have any questions please feel free to contact our office located in Windsor, ON . We offer the newest diagnostic tools and technology to treat your foot and ankle needs.