#2 Is The Most Important
The majority of nurses and even doctors suffer from painful and swollen feet at the end of the shift. When not treated properly, the condition tends to aggravate. And this might affect your performance at work. It can even lead to the development of severe foot ailments in the long run. So it’s time to discuss the best five foot care tips for doctors and nurses.
As a doctor or nurse, you need to address the problem as soon as possible if you want your feet to be healthy. And this doesn’t only mean buying the best operating room shoes. There’s more to it. So let’s find out, shall we?
Featured image courtesy of: nurse.com
#1 Pamper your feet with a massage
Photo credit: naturallivingideas.com
Our feet do the job of carrying us around from one place to another. They make all the hard work possible, don’t they? So that should be reason enough to pamper them with a nice, long massage.
You can choose to do this yourself or head to one of those massage parlors in your locality. If you want to do it all by yourself, then use a baseball or tennis ball for the job. Simply roll your tired feet over the ball several times.
What the ball does is stimulate and stretch the foot muscles. This includes working the ball of the feet, arches, as well as heels. You can even buy a foot massager that does an excellent job at providing a perfect Shiatsu-style massage.
Ever heard of reflexology foot massage? All you need for this is the proper foot chart that you can use as your guide. Get the best foot massage oil to apply as a lubricant, and you’re ready to massage those feet with your hands.
This particular Eastern method of foot massage relieves pain to a great extent. It also helps with the healing process by stimulating the reflex points present in the foot that are connected to all the different parts of the body.
#2 Buy proper footwear
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When working long shifts at the hospital, you need the most comfortable shoes for swollen feet. This is the most important point out of the five foot care tips for doctors and nurses. I don’t need to tell you that ill-fitted shoes lead to the formation of blisters. And we’re all aware of how painful and annoying they are.
The best way to go about choosing the proper size is to measure your feet at night. This is when your tired feet are the most swollen. And as a nurse or doctor, swollen feet are an everyday occurrence. So you might as well purchase the most comfortable shoes for swollen feet.
These types of shoes offer a firm grip in the heel region. Plus, they provide your feet with enough space, even in the toe-box area. You will also notice that the shoes have a 1/4th-inch heel, which is optimal to prevent pain and discomfort.
And here’s another important tip. Choose a pair of shoes with laces as they make room for maximum adjustability. This enhances the fit of the shoes, thus adding more comfort to the whole experience.
#3 Keep yourself hydrated
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Now I know that the list of tasks to accomplish never ends. So you have to keep running around throughout the day. But we can always make time to drink water, can’t we? You should make it a point to drink at least 8 to 10 glasses of water each day. As a nurse or doctor, I’m sure you already know that.
Dehydration is a condition that can cause foot cramps, particularly if you’re on your feet all day long. Water does an excellent job at supporting the metabolic processes of the body. On the other hand, the lack of water makes cellular repair impossible.
Even the absence of potassium might cause foot troubles. So please ensure that you drink enough water and consume sufficient potassium on a daily basis. Foods such as banana or papaya are excellent sources of potassium.
#4 Practice yoga
Photo credit: yogajournal.com
Many doctors and nurses have to deal with bunions due to their physically challenging work responsibilities. This is when they wear the best shoes for bunions. But here’s another thing that nurses also indulge in. It’s called yoga.
With or without bunions, yoga stretches go a long way in helping the feet recover. So standing, walking, or running for long hours doesn’t seem so stressful.
Here’s a video to get you started right away!
With such exercises, you can improve foot flexibility while also boosting blood circulation. And if you think you’re fit to perform these stretches, then it’s time to incorporate full-body yoga into your daily routine. The activity contributes to eliminating unwanted toxins from the body. This means lower chances of developing conditions like swollen feet or bunions.
With this, I’ve completed 4 out of five foot care tips for doctors and nurses. Now it’s time for the final one.
#5 Enjoy a foot soak
Photo credit: livestrong.com
Every minute of standing at work creates micro-damage that requires healing. And the most efficient way to encourage the healing process is to soak your feet for 15 mins daily. Dip the feet in ice water as it’s responsible for reducing inflammation and swelling.
But something like this is not possible in the winter season, right? So you can switch to a warm foot soak at such times. For better results, don’t forget to add Epsom salt into the soak. They have the ability to relieve joint and muscle pain to a great extent.
Conclusion
So these are the five foot care tips for doctors and nurses.
But before I conclude, there’s a point that I would like to set forth. You know how we make something like cooking easier by using products such as herb grinder, rice cooker, etc.? Without these appliances, cooking is still possible, but they just make the process easier.
Likewise, wearing the right kind of nursing shoes also makes performing our professional duties easier. The task becomes less painful to handle, even when we have to work for longer shifts. So please don’t ever forget this. I might have given you a horrible example, but you got my point, didn’t you?
So tell me, are you going incorporate these tips into your daily routine? What seems like a more doable option?
If you have any helpful stories or experiences to share with us here, then please do so.
Happy Feet, Life-Savers!
About the author: Lamont Ly, the founder of FootCareGuru, is one of those very few bloggers who spend ample amount of time researching about foot problems. And that’s because he knows that people don’t give their feet the kind of attention and care they deserve. So his goal is to change that particular attitude. His work has achieved great success as he provides practical tips along with detailed product reviews about foot care and health.
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