Tolfi Oow

Magazine for wellness, fitness and health

Toes and Foot Care

They play aTolfioow role, and yet we rarely pay attention to them. Wrongly. With a lot of air and a little more love, healthy feet bring us a big step closer to our feel-good happiness.

In many cultures, human feet and gait are expressions of how a person progresses in life. We women stand on our own two feet these days, and life should go on. Sore feet can indicate that someone is not moving forward or is even stagnating. We may also believe that we have no purpose in life. Feet that have fallen asleep can raise questions: What area of ​​my life have I left behind, what has fallen asleep or is rusty?

And our feet have always been symbolic. The washing of feet is a ritual act in many cultures. In the Orient it symbolizes hospitality, in the Christian tradition it is reminiscent of the last supper at which Jesus washed the feet of his disciples. When Pope Francis did not perform the ritual foot washing on church members last year, but on prisoners. He sent a strong signal to Muslims and even women: “Among us the highest must be the servant of the others.” In India, the feet of the great masters embody spiritual progress. They are worshiped with corresponding intensity: Believers touch the feet of the holy statues, kiss and wash them, place flowers and offerings on them.

Away from culture and religion, we often neglect our feet in everyday life. We force them into shoes that are too tight, care for them with less effort than our hands or are even ashamed of them. Perhaps this ignorance arises because our feet are virtually at the other end – meters away from our eyes and our brain and thus our consciousness.

More on the topic of feet: On FEETASTIC.de you will find everything to do with the topic of “feet” – from beauty to health and wellness. 

The structure

At least that’s been the case for about 3.6 million years, because that’s how long we’ve been walking upright. This not only changed the awareness of our feet, but above all their anatomy. Today, the bones lie on top of each other in the rear section of the foot and next to each other in the middle section. This is how a longitudinal and a transverse arch form, which are tensed by muscles and stabilized by ligaments and tendons: 26 bones, 27 joints, 32 muscles and 107 ligaments guarantee unbelievable stability and flexibility.In addition, 1700 nerve endings ensure high sensitivity and optimize the orientation of the foot to the ground – regardless of whether it is rocky, hard or soft. We all feel this ability especially barefoot. And we enjoy it when someone massages our feet. Not coincidentally they are an erogenous zone.

Have you ever heard of “barefoot jogging”? Read more here >>

What feet tell us

During foot massage or reflexology, the therapist can read our feet like a book.

THE “TOE READING”

According to the theory of “foot literacy,” each toe reflects an emotion or specific energy of its human.

THE IDEA The position and shape of the individual toes should show how the individual deals with their energies. Every foot is carefully examined and every abnormality is questioned. The left foot represents past to date, the right foot represents the present and future.
Book tip: Rüdiger Dahlke and Rita Fasel explain in “The Traces of the Soul” (GU, 192 p., 19.90 euros) how one can achieve “self-knowledge” through the art of reading on foot.

For thousands of years, it has been widespread in China, India, Egypt or among the Native Americans in America that complaints in many areas of the body are diagnosed and also treated via the feet. The method, known to us as reflexology, assumes that each part of the body has a corresponding zone on the foot: the head is reflected in the toes, shoulders and chest in the front metatarsal, abdomen and back in the metatarsal, and the pelvis in the heel .

If an area of ​​the foot is painful or hard, this can indicate that something is wrong in the corresponding region or organ. A targeted pressure massage on the foot gives a stimulus to the affected target organ, promotes blood circulation and metabolism there and thus supports the healing process. In the case of digestive problems, for example, the middle foot is massaged. At the beginning of the last century, the first person to test which points affected which organs and to systematize his results was the American physician William Fitzgerald (1872–1942).
In the last ten years, studies have been able to confirm the relationship between individual foot zones and organs: The result of a doctoral thesis at the University of Jena showed that massage reduced pain in patients with knee joint osteoarthritis and improved knee mobility. Researchers at the University of Innsbruck were also able to show that pressure massage on the area assigned to the kidneys stimulates blood flow and thus promotes the detoxification function. Feet good, everything good? Yes, but not only in relation to our internal organs, but also very practically in everyday life. Healthy feet allow us to run, jump, dance, walk, walk, balance – and achieve peak performance ourselves: over the course of theOur feet carry us around 130,000 kilometers on average, i.e. three times around the world. On the other hand, a foot problem, be it a broken toe, a sprained ankle, an ingrown, infected nail, bunions or athlete’s foot, drastically restricts our freedom of movement.

Appreciate her feet

You only appreciate healthy feet when you are struggling with foot problems,” says Eckhard Brüning from experience. He works as a specialist in trauma surgery and surgery, specializing in foot surgery, at the Emma Clinic near Hanau. “One of the most common malpositions of the foot is the bunion – the hallux valgus – from which women in particular suffer.” And unfortunately it has to be added: We are also to blame for this, because this toe malposition is caused by the wrong shoes. Every second person squeezes their toes into shoes that are too high, too narrow or uncomfortable – sometimes because fashion wants it that way, sometimes because a shoe looks sexy. The proverb “As you make your bed, so you sleep” could be translated as: “In what you walk, so you walk.”

Farewell to sweaty feet

  •  Boil the oak bark bath (2 tablespoons of oak bark extract from the pharmacy) in 1 liter of water for 5 minutes, then leave to steep for 10 minutes and strain. Pour the brew into a foot bath with a dash of lemon to prevent discolouration on your feet. Bathe once a day for 3 to 4 weeks. The tannins in the oak bark ensure that the feet remain dry and no germs can penetrate. Oak bark primarily stains enamel, so use a plastic bowl.
  • Sage inhibits sweat production: add 1 teaspoon of sage to 250 ml of boiling water, leave to steep for 10 minutes, strain. 1 cup of sage tea 3 times a day is recommended.
  • Wash your feet with cold water every day, then apply lots of cream to your feet (e.g. Gehwol Fusskraft Soft Feet Cream). Wear cotton socks.
  • Deodorants specially developed for the feet help. The sprays disinfect and protect against athlete’s foot and nail fungus (e.g. Gehwol foot deodorant).
  • Wear breathable shoes, use insoles with activated carbon.
  • A drastic method for very heavy sweating: treatment with Botox.

At least not so well with a bunion: The big toe buckles in the direction of the other toes, so that the metatarsophalangeal joint of the big toe bulges outwards and forms a bump or bun. It can then hurt and swell. The milder toes are also affected if the pressure is sustained; Calluses and corns develop.The first sign is reddening of the skin on the metatarsophalangeal joint of the big toe. By now, at the latest, women should prefer flat and comfortable shoes – at least during the day. This applies in particular to those who stand for work, are overweight, during pregnancy and for anyone suffering from rheumatism or diabetes. Aids in the form of night splints, bandages or orthopedic insoles can also help to take the pressure off the forefoot and alleviate the symptoms. Orthopaedists recommend strengthening the foot muscles and connective tissue through foot and toe exercises or walking barefoot.

All of this also helps against corns, which are the more harmless variant caused by excessive pressure on skin near the bone – often on one of the smaller toes. “If the shoe presses on the same spot for many hours a day, the epidermis also thickens. This protects the skin against the permanent irritation,” explains Angela Unholzer, dermatologist at the Augsburg Clinic. If pressure continues to be exerted on this spot, the area becomes even more horny and pushes itself down like a wedge: This irritates the nerves and the corn hurts. Now the callus should be gently removed after a ten-minute, warm foot bath. And of course the (he) tight shoes stay in the closet from now on. “In many cases, orthopedic insoles are also recommended,” advises Angela Unholzer.
She generally recommends paying attention to comfort when buying shoes. Hands off if a model is already tight in the shop. When buying pumps, stilettos or high heels, always remember that our feet require half a shoe size to a whole shoe size larger in the evening because lymph and connective tissue fluid sink into the foot . This also explains swollen feet after a hard day of standing and sitting. Keep moving and try to put your feet up for a few minutes during the day. Don’t shy away from support stockings – they encourage blood circulation in the legs back to the heart.A special shoe shopping topic are jogging and sports shoes. Markus Walther, chief physician at the Munich-Harlaching Orthopedic Clinic and President of the Society for Foot and Ankle Surgery, advises replacing them regularly: “The rule of thumb is to change sports shoes once a year. Pain in the foot, knees or back can indicate that the shoes have lost a large part of their cushioning properties. This happens after 600 to 1000 kilometers. In addition, running shoes harden as the foam in the sole ages. At the latest when one side of the sole has worn down more than the other, the pair of shoes should be thrown away.”

Away with athlete’s foot

The regular change also removes the breeding ground for another foot ailment: infections. Almost every third German suffers from athlete’s foot at least once in their life. Different pathogens such as filamentous fungi, yeast or mold or mixed infections can infect the nails. They first turn yellowish-brown from the edge, become thicker and brittle. What very few people know: In many cases, the cause is not poor hygiene, but shoes that are too tight and pinch the nails. Or something completely different: An immune system weakened by stress, smoking or a systemic disease such as cancer or diabetes can do little to counteract the fungi.

Avoid calluses

  • A foot bath with baby oil or a few drops of olive oil every evening keeps the skin on your feet nice and supple.
  • Medical foot creams with urea are also recommended (e.g. Eubos Dry Skin Urea 10% Foot Cream). Pull cotton socks over them, then the creams can work overnight.
  • Do not wear shoes with too thin soles. A surface that is too hard (asphalt) promotes callus formation.
  • Walk barefoot as often as possible, especially on sand. That makes feet soft.

Watch out for athlete’s foot

Dry skin that is prone to cracks or fissures makes it particularly easy for the fungi. These injuries are ideal entry points, especially in warm, humid environments such as swimming pools or sweaty sports shoes. Infections that occur on the toes, the sole of the foot or the bottom of the foot can be accompanied by blistering and fluid discharge. If you have athlete’s foot, you should have it treated with medication, preferably by a dermatologist who will remove the affected areas and then prescribe an antifungal agent that is effective against this fungus . It is also important during therapy to adequately disinfect used scissors and nail files.
Other little helpers do not require a prescription: medical toe varnishes seal the nail and also work in depth. By doing so, they kill fungi and rebuild the attacked nail. Many things work against sweaty feet. Daily application of a foot cream containing uric acid makes the skin of the feet nice and supple. It doesn’t matter how many kilometers we jog, walk or go shopping, whether we stride through life mindfully, live big or run away from problems – it’s better on healthy and lovingly treated feet. By the way, if you fall asleep to them frequently, you should ask yourself: What wishes have I let go cold, what is rusty in my life? Be braver. feet don’t lie. You send us a message.

Protection against athlete’s foot

People who walk barefoot hardly know him. And so you can be on the safe side that “Tinea pedis” doesn’t even gain a foothold.
DRYING A damp and wet environment promotes athlete’s foot, while dryness prevents it. So dry your feet carefully after the shower, including the spaces between your toes, possibly use a hair dryer and an extra towel just for your feet.
HEATING Change towels regularly and wash at least at 60 °C with the addition of a laundry disinfectant, preferably boiling.
PROTECT Do n’t walk barefoot in hotels, in the sauna, in the swimming pool, in holiday resorts, but in flip-flops or slippers.
Foot myths: Now the feet are showing skin again. But how well do we know them? We think they love dew grass or sneakers. Are you kidding me? Are you serious when you say that! Bust five myths.
SANITIZE Avoid foot disinfection systems in swimming pools and saunas. Unless you use disinfectant on dry feet and leave it on for at least 5 minutes.
CARE If you apply cream to your feet regularly, you prevent the skin from becoming dry and cracked. In this way you prevent injuries through which fungi can penetrate more easily. A special foot cream with urea is ideal.
CHANGE Put on fresh stockings every day.
WARMING Feet with good circulation are better protected. Alternating baths (hot/cold) stimulate blood circulation.
MAKE SURE you cut your toenails straight and do not round off the corners.
VARNISHING Medical foot nail polishes (eg Ciclopoli, from the pharmacy) kill fungi and their spores. The special feature: The nail polish film not only protects the surface, but also penetrates deep into the nail.
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Crystal Waston MD

Crystal Waston has a degree in Cross Media Production and Publishing. At vital.de she gives everyday tips and deals with topics related to women's health, sport, and nutrition.

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