TORONTO CHIROPODISTS SHARES SOME SKIING FOOT TIPS

AS AN AVID SKIER I WOULD LIKE TO SHARE SOME FOOT TIPS FOR SKIERS.  IT IS VERY IMPORTANT THAT YOU HAVE YOUR TOENAILS TRIMMED BEFORE YOU GO SKIING SO AS TO MAKE SURE THAT THEY DON'T JAM IF YOUR TOE HAPPENS TO HIT THE FRONT OF THE BOOT.  THIS IS TIP NUMBER ONE AS WE HAVE SEEN MANY ATHLETES WITH TOENAIL INJURIES FROM TIGHT FOOTWEAR WHEN PARTICIPATING IN SPORTS AND RECREATION.  OFTEN, TIGHT FOOTWEAR PUTS PRESSURE ON THE NAIL AND PUSHES IT SLIGHTLY UP AND BACK WITH EVERY STEP OR OTHER MOVEMENT LIKE SKIING.  OFTEN THE PERSON FEELS NOTHING AS NAIL SLOWLY SEPARATES FROM THE SKIN BELOW IT, CALLED THE NAIL BED.  REPETITIVE FORCES CAUSE THE NAIL TO SEPARATE AND BLOOD TO ACCUMULATE UNDER THE NAIL.  MOST TIMES WITH NO PAIN, THE NAIL TURNS BLACK AS THE BLOOD FILLS THE AREA.

ADDITIONALLY, OFTEN THERE IS NO DISCOLOURATION OR BLOOD UNDER THE NAIL, BUT RATHER A COLOURLESS FLUID FILL THE AREA UNDER THE NAIL IN THE SAME MANNER AS A BLISTER FORMS IN THE SKIN.  THE NAIL SEPARATES FROM THE NAIL BED AND EVENTUALLY FALLS OFF.  WE OFTEN ESTIMATE THAT IF MORE THAN 75% OF THE NAIL SEPARATES, THEN THAT PERSON WILL LOSE THE ENTIRE NAIL. MOST OFTEN THIS OCCURS OVER 1-3 MONTHS AFTER THE INJURY.

THE NEXT TIP ADDRESSES ARCH PAIN.  OFTEN PEOPLE WITH ARCHES THAT COLLAPSE DEVELOP PAIN, SORENESS OR FATIGUE OF THE ARCHES WHEN SKIING.  SKI BOOTS USUALLY DO NOT HAVE GREAT SUPPORT FOR YOUR ARCHES AS DO MANY OTHER TYPES OF FOOTWEAR.  SPENDING 4-8 HOURS WITH YOUR FEET TIGHTLY CLAMPED IN RIGID SKI BOOTS CAN BE A CHALLENGE.  WE RECOMMEND CUSTOM ORTHOTICS FOR SKI BOOTS, SKATES AND FOR THAT MATTER ALL OF YOU SHOES.  IT IMPROVES YOUR BALANCE AND THE TRANSFERENCE OF POWER FROM YOUR FOOT TO YOUR SKI AND THUS IMPROVES YOUR SKIING.  NOTHING WORSE THEN TO BE SUFFERING WITH ACHING FEET WHILE TRYING TO ENJOY YOURSELF SKIING.

THE LAST ISSUE IS TO BECAREFUL YOU DON'T EXPERIENCE FROSTBITE.  THIS HAPPENS IN EXTREME COLD CONDITIONS OR IF THE BOOT IS TOO TIGHT AND THE CIRCULATION IN THE FOOT IS IMPAIRED.  FROSTBITE CAN CAUSE PERMANENT PROBLEMS AND EVEN LEAD TO AMPUTATION.  THIS IS ESPECIALLY DANGEROUS FOR PEOPLE WITH PERIPHERAL VASCULAR DISEASE OR PEOPLE WITH REYNAUD'S DISEASE.

BROUGHT TO YOU BY DR. HARDY AND MARZ HARDY, D.Ch., B.Sc., PODIATRIC MEDICINE, TORONTO CHIROPODIST AND TORONTO FOOT SPECIALIST AND THE TEAM FROM ACADEMY FOOT AND ORTHOTIC CLINICS.

PROFESSIONAL FOOT CLINIC

416-465-8737

Toronto, ON Chiropodist Academy Foot and Orthotic

752 BROADVIEW AVENUE Toronto, ON M4K 2P1 

Across from the Broadview Subway | Professional Family Foot Care