Caring for Your Feet in the Spring and Summer
It’s Spring in the Midlands, which means more people are out and about: exploring our cities, doing yard work, and generally enjoying the weather.
Unfortunately, if you’re one of the almost 200 million adults in America dealing with foot pain, the beautiful weather can be a mixed blessing, because it means being on your feet more and possibly making your pain worse. Luckily, there are simple foot care products you can use to help reduce your symptoms.
Foot Ailments
Knowing which product you need is really a matter of identifying and understanding your ailment.
Bunions
Bunions are one of the most common types of foot ailments, with approximately one in three Americans experiencing them. Though the medical community hasn’t determined a specific cause of bunions, we know that they occur when the joint of the big toe receives excess pressure, which then causes that toe to point toward the unaffected toes. Regardless, there are a lot of non-invasive options that can treat your bunion symptoms, including shields and sleeves that protect the joint from further irritation or retrain your foot and the joint to properly align your big toe.
Hammer Toe
Similar to bunions, a hammer toe occurs when a toe becomes permanently bent due to pressure at the toe’s joint. Where non-invasive bunion treatments typically focus on addressing the symptoms and protecting the bunion from further irritation, hammer toe treatments focus on realigning and supporting toes to provide relief.
Plantar Fasciitis
Plantar Fasciitis — essentially pain in the bottom of your foot, most frequently your heel — is easily exacerbated by an extended period of standing or an increase in exercise, which we often see this time of year as the weather gets better. If you know you’re prone to this kind of foot pain, we highly recommend investing in a quality shoe insert before you go for a longer-than-usual stroll.
General Pain
If you’re not sure what’s causing your foot pain – and you’ve already contacted a medical professional – you may want to consider adding orthopedic shoes to your rotation. While we don’t carry orthopedic shoes, we do offer orthopedic slippers and bedroom shoes for better support around the house. More importantly with a South Carolina Summer around the corner, orthopedic flip-flops exist, and we can help you find the best one for your needs.
Hawthorne Can Help
Our goal is to keep you moving with products that reduce your pain and keep your lifestyle in mind. The Hawthorne team of dedicated pharmacists and technicians are here to help you identify your needs and understand your options so you can enjoy your Spring in the Midlands.