10 Things Men Do That Threaten Their Foot Health

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June is National Men’s Health Month. It’s is a great time to focus on what men can do to keep their feet in top shape. The podiatrists at Affiliated Foot & Ankle Center in Howell, New Jersey know first-hand how much men tend to neglect this one particular part of their body. This June, Dr. Samantha Boyd, Dr. Hal Ornstein, Dr. Joseph Saka, and Dr. Katy Statler encourage men to focus on these 10 things not to do if you want healthy feet:

  1. Ignore pain. Don’t wait until your foot issue leaves you hobbling and howling. By the time many men show up in our office, they've suffered needlessly and their problem’s advanced to a stage that’s difficult to treat. 
  2. Smoke. The chemical effects of nicotine contribute to loss of bone mass, nerve damage, and circulation problems, making it easier to fracture a bone in your foot and threatening your body’s ability to heal.
  3. Play the weekend warrior. A pick-up basketball game on Friday night…yard work and a trip to the gym on Saturday…out for a run on Sunday; doing too much on the weekends while being sedentary most of the week can cause overuse injuries like Achilles tendinitis and plantar fasciitis.
  4. Forget to take time off from work. Men who work on their feet all day need to remember to give it a rest. Put your feet up and relax.
  5. Ignore a broken toe. The prudent thing to do is to have one of our expert podiatrists examine a broken toe for infection and to rule out multiple fractures or other potentially serious complications.
  6. Mistreat an ankle sprain. Insufficient treatment of a sprained ankle leaves you vulnerable to further sprains and chronic ankle instability.
  7. Wear shoes until they’re dead. Replace worn out shoes. Air them out when they smell, and don’t wear the same pair every day.
  8. Walk barefoot in inappropriate places. Locker rooms and public pool decks threaten feet with the organisms that cause athlete’s foot and plantar warts, so protect your feet with appropriate shoes.
  9. Trim toenails wrong. To prevent ingrown toenails, cut them straight across and not too short.
  10. Shun the pedicure.  There’s nothing wrong with enlisting help to slough off your feet’s dead skin, moisturize them, and keep them looking fantastic. Pedicures are for men, too!

Men, if you live in Monmouth County and you have a problem with your feet, don’t hesitate to visit one of our board-certified podiatrists. Give us a call us at (732) 905-1110 or make an appointment online.