Your health Starts with Your Feet

by Diane Dennis RN

Everyone remembers two dates. The day they got their driver’s license, and the day it was taken away. Both are typically met with great declarations, but to very different tunes.

“My son took the keys away!” she cried.

“My doctor said I can no longer drive safely,” he huffed.

I get it. Driving represents freedom, autonomy and identity. Not being able to means being dependent on others to run errands, attend events, or simply just get out of the house.

There is another mode of transportation, however, that’s even more important than driving. It is walking. Mobility. Agility. If you cannot walk, your overall health will decline.

I began to realize this when noticing commonalities between my clients. Every one of them, receiving care for all number of underlying health issues, had problems with their feet. They had foot pain, ingrown toenails, bunions, corns or callouses, or all of the above.

COVID protocols impacted the ability to get routine foot care. Podiatrists stopped visiting facilities. Two-plus years later, it’s still an ordeal and a long wait to get a medical appointment. This has culminated in a lot of neglected feet.

Foot problems have a cascading effect on the body. If you favor one side of your foot, you put undue pressure on the knee, back and hips. Compensating for pain can cause you lose your balance and possibly fall. To say that a bunion can cause a hip fracture is not a stretch.

Tend to those tootsies! Do not wait for an accident to pick up the phone. Having healthy feet means walking independently and enjoying healthy, stable mobility. Movement is the elixir of longevity.

Diane Dennis RN is owner of Happy Soles Foot Care. Contact her at __.