FOOT LOVE

PEDI SOOTHER SOLUTIONS

FOOT PAIN

TIPS & TRICKS

FOOT HEALTH ISSUES

TABLE OF CONTENT

FOOT PAIN

TIPS & TRICKS

FOOT HEALTH ISSUES

Forefoot Pain
Corns & Calluses
Bunions
Plantar Fasciitis

FUN FOOT FACTS

 WHO HAS FOOT PAIN?
The domestic goddesses, chasing her precious, but super active toddlers
around all day long
The store clerk, who's on her feet for most of the day
Your neighbor, who decided to run a marathon this year
Your brother, who lost 20 pounds with diet and exercise and is diligently
working on the last 10
The group of fabulous women on a shopping spree in high heels!

We all live full, active lives and we navigate through our days the
best we can. Pedi Soother Solutions believes Foot Health is
important and deserves deliberate attention. We would like to share
some tips and education in the hopes that it will help you to improve
and maintain your foot health, in ways that are fun and convenient.
As we always say, we want everyone to enjoy 'Pep In Your Step!'
 FOOT LOVE
TIPS & TRICKS
 BY PEDI SOOTHER SOLUTIONS

1. You can STRETCH your feet too!

Place an elastic band around your toes. The

proper size will fit snug. If it is too loose, wrap
it around twice.  Stretch your toes as far apart
as you can, hold for 10 seconds.  Repeat 7
times.
This is a great exercise for those of us with
misshapen toes from bunions, overlapping
toes or shoes that are too tight.

2. STRENGTHEN your toes!

Did you know your feet have muscles and you

can strengthen them?  Try picking up a small
object with your toes, hold it for 10 seconds,
then release it.  Repeat 10 times.

3. WALKING with Pep In Your Step! 4. MOISTURIZING is important!

Did you know you are actually doing yourself
some good with each brisk step you take?  face, hands, and body, but our feet are lucky if
Low-impact walking encourages your
circulatory system to deliver more blood and
nutrients throughout your body, including
your feet and toes.  This feeding supports
strong muscles, tendons, and joints.  If you
have to walk around anyway, do so with brisk,
deliberated steps, and don't forget to pay
attention to maintain your correct posture.
 
We finish our shower, take care to moisturize our
they get a rushed pat-dry.
Try our DIY Deep Moisturizing Technique:
At night soak your feet in warm water for 10
minutes. Pat dry and apply a generous amount
of Vaseline on your feet. Pay particular attention
to the ball-of-foot area and heel.  Wrap your feet
with clear wrap and wear ankle socks to bed.  In
the morning, your feet will sing Ahhh….  You’ll feel
like they just had a spa treatment. 
Show Your Feet
Some Love, They
Will Thank You!
 Let's Investigative

 FOOT HEALTH ISSUES

FOREFOOT PAIN

CORNS & CALLUSES

BUNIONS

PLANTAR FASCIITIS
 Forefoot Pain or Metatarsalgia

Pain in the ball of your foot is called metatarsalgia.  This pain can be quite

bothersome and is caused by a number of common issues.

Common Causes of Forefoot Pain:

A callus is a build of up of dead skin. They form due to repeated excess pressure over

a particular area. By itself, a callus is not painful but the increase in pressure at the

bottom of the foot during walking, running or other activities can cause pain and

discomfort.

Improperly fitted shoes are a common culprit in the cause of foot pain.  There tends

to be the misconception that we only have to worry about shoes that are too small,

but shoes that are too large can also be problematic. Tight shoes squeeze the foot

and increase pressure; loose shoes let the foot slide and rub, which creates friction,

both should be avoided.

Pain on the underside of the foot may indicate something more serious like a torn

ligament or inflammation of the joint. If you are ever in doubt of what is causing foot

pain, consult a licensed health professional for proper assessment and treatment.
 Corns and Calluses
Most people spend hours on their feet and take thousands of steps daily. With each

step, your feet experience pressure greater than your total body weight. No wonder

your feet hurt.  Interestingly enough, most of the common foot issues are not caused

by the amount of time we spend on our feet but because of the shoes we wear. This

could be considered good news since this is something we have control over and can

easily alter. 

Corns are a prime example of this. Corns are a type of callus that forms when

repeated pressure is put on the skin, this happens because bones are pressed

against the surface of the shoes. The repeated pressure causes the top layer of the

skin to thicken and harden as a protective mechanism.

What are the Common Causes?

Shoes with an improper fit. Shoes that are too tight squeeze the foot and increase

pressure. Shoes that are too loose can cause the foot to slide and rub against the

shoe, creating friction.

Toe shaped deformities, such as hammer toe, mallet toe or claw toe.

High heeled shoes that lack appropriate metatarsal cushioning because this results in

increased pressure on the forefoot.

Skin Rubbing against a seam or stitch inside the shoe.

 Corns and Calluses
Self-Help Foot Care
Try to soak your feet regularly and use a pumice stone to soften and remove dead

skin. Even the removal of a small amount of hardened skin will help to reduce

pressure in that area. Please take note that people with diabetes should not

attempt this at home treatment. Foot care should be administered by a licensed

professional.

Wearing a cushioned pad over the corn will also help relieve the pressure, a foam

pad in the shape of a donut is ideal.

Wearing toe separators will help to promote proper spacing of your toes. This will

also help to cushion soft corns that usually occur in-between toes.

Something that you can take action on today is to wear shoes that fit properly. The

shoes should have enough space so that there is room in the toe area to prevent

rubbing but not too much room that your feet move around in the shoe when taking

steps.

What is the Treatment?

Treatment may include cutting off dead skin layers to restore the normal contour of

the skin. Only see a licensed medical professional for treatment, DO NOT attempt

this type of treatment on your own. 

 Bunions

More than 25% of women have bunions. The culprit for this common foot

deformity is shoes that are too narrow. Not surprisingly, more than 90% of the

bunion sufferers are women. Oh, how we love our high heels!

With a bunion, the base of your big toe (metatarsophalangeal joint) gets larger

and sticks out. The skin over it may be red and tender, and wearing any type of

shoe may be painful. Since the joint flexes with every step you take, the bunion

gets increasingly bigger and it becomes more and more painful for you to walk.

Aside from the pain, toes can eventually be pushed out of alignment as a result of

bunions. The constant pressure from the big toe can cause the second toe to

come out of alignment and even overlap the adjacent toe. Even worse, if bunions

are untreated and become chronic, arthritis in that joint may set in.
 Bunions
.

How Do You Get Relief From Bunions?

Like with everything, prevention is best. Don’t be tempted to force your foot in the

shoes that are obviously too tight. How do you know they are too tight? You can

practically hear your feet screaming for help as soon as they enter the shoe!

Sometimes when we get new shoes, we feel we just need to "break them in", but

this may be the first sign that the shoes are too small. Try going up a 1/2 size.

Shoes should be fitted but your toes shouldn’t be overcrowded. The ideal shoes

should have space in the toe area and soft soles for the ball of foot area

(metatarsal area).

If you already suffer from bunions, rest at ease that most bunions are treatable

without surgery. Start wearing shoes that fit properly and are spacious enough so

that the big toe is not under pressure. You can also have your shoes stretched out

and use protective pads to cushion the painful area. These simple steps alone can

ease most of the pain.

If your bunion has progressed beyond the point that the steps mentioned above

are helpful, see a licensed medical professional for a consultation. 

 Plantar Fasciitis
If you steps out of bed in the morning and your first steps cause severe pain in
the heel area of your foot, you may have plantar fasciitis. It is caused by
overuse that results in inflammation of the fibrous band of tissue that connects
your heel bone to the base of your toes.

People more susceptible to develop this injury are females, people that are
overweight or have a job where they walk a lot or are constantly standing on
hard surfaces. Additionally people with very flat feet or very high arches also
are more prone to plantar fasciitis.

A telltale sign of plantar fasciitis pain is that it is experience right after getting
out of bed in the morning or after getting up from sitting for a long time. If not
treated, it can become chronic and develop to affect other areas of the body
such as the knee, hip and back.
 Plantar Fasciitis

What Can You Do To Treat?

Stretching is the best treatment for plantar fasciitis. Home exercises to stretch
your Achilles tendon and plantar fascia are the mainstay of treatment and
reduce the chance of recurrence. There are numerous exercises that can easily
be done at home that will stretch the Achilles tendon and the plantar fascia.

Seek consultation from a licensed professional to ensure you are trained to

perform these exercises correctly and effectively. Proper arch support is also
important. A discussion with your doctor about the appropriate arch support
inserts, either over-the-counter or custom-made is warranted.

The vast majority of people with plantar fasciitis improve significantly after
initial treatment. Additional treatments may include wearing shoes with shock-
absorbing soles or being fitted with a rubber heel pad. However, if your plantar
fasciitis persists after conservative treatment, an injection of steroidal anti-
inflammatory medication may be necessary.
 D I D Y O U K N O W . . .

FUN FOOT FACTS

• Your toes carry half of your entire weight when your heel lifts of
the ground to walk
• A 2½-inch high heel can increase the load on the forefoot by 75%.
• The average adults takes 4,000 to 6,000 steps a day
• In Europe it wasn’t until the 18th century that women’s shoes were
different from men’s
• The most expensive shoes ever, Dorothy’s shoes from the Wizard of
OZ, sold for $660,000.
• The record for the world’s largest feet belongs to Matthew
McGrory who wears US size 28 1/2.
• The ancient Romans were the first to construct distinct left and
right shoes
• Before that, shoes could be worn on either foot
• Standing in one spot is far more tiring than walking because the
demands are being made on the same few muscles for a longer
length of time.
• The average person will walk around 115,000 miles in a lifetime,
that’s more than 4 times around the Earth!.
• Shoe sizes were devised in England by King Edward II who
declared in 1324 that the diameter of one barely corn- a third of an
inch- would represent one full shoe size. That’s still true today

N O W Y O U D O
Disclaimer: This information is not intended as a substitute for
professional medical advice, treatment or first-aid training. Do not use
this information to diagnose or to develop a treatment plan for a health
problem or disease without consulting a qualified healthcare
professional.

Printed in the United States of America

First Edition, 2018

Copyright © 2018 by Pedi Soother Solutions
Christina.PediSootherSolutions@gmail.com

All rights reserved. This book or any portion thereof

may not be reproduced or used in any manner whatsoever
without the express written permission of the owner
except for the use of brief quotations in a book review.

Printed in the United States of America

First Edition, 2018