Dr. Larry Levine is a doctor of podi-atric medicine (that means he specializesin feet) at the Foot Health Center inCherry Hill, N.J. Levine says he sees a lotof kids and teens who have wear-and-tearinjuries in their ankles, knees, and feet.Many of those injuries happen because ofovertraining. “Kids are being expected todo activities that their bones and jointsaren’t ready for,” he says. For example,many kids up to age 14 have heel pain astheir feet grow and the heel bone devel-ops. The problem might be worse if theyare very active in sports.

Luckily, there is a fairly easy way tohelp prevent foot damage: Stretch. “Oneof the main problems that I see in youngerathletes is that they’re not being taughthow to stretch properly. The kids whodon’t stretch are the ones who would bemost likely to get injured,” Levine says.

You should always alert your coach(and definitely tell your parents!) if youare in any sort of pain. You may have aninjury that needs to be treated, such as astress fracture. That is a tiny break in thefoot or ankle caused by repeated poundingfrom running and other sports. Read onfor a guide to other types of common footissues and what to do about them.

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ebekah S. lives in three types of pop-ular shoes. “I love to wear flip-flops,

Uggs, and Crocs,” says the Massachusetts12-year-old. Rebekah isn’t sure whetherher footwear choices will hurt her feet. Butshe has her suspicions. “My mom saysthey have no support,” she admits.

Maybe you’re more like Zach A., ofConnecticut. Does he think about ways of keeping his feet healthy? “Nope, notreally,” he says. That might partly explainhow he broke a toe. Zach, 13, who playsfootball, didn’t know that stretching the calfmuscles helps prevent injuries to the foot.

Rebekah and Zach aren’t the only teenswho don’t often think about their feet. Itcan be easy to neglect them. But takingcare of your feet can keep you from deal-ing with some painful—and sometimesgross—situations.

Feet On the MoveYour feet are with you in every step ofyour day. Just think of all the things youdo! And if you exercise a lot, you may beputting even more stress on your feet.What’s more, the bones in the feet don’tfully mature until the ages of 18 to 23. Soit’s extra important to take good care ofyour feet when you are young.

16 November 2009 Current Health 1

YOUR BODY

Take a step towardhealthier feet withthese top tips fortoes (and heels)!By Jennifer Magid

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Feet-Healthy StretchesDo these stretches, recommended by Dr. Larry Levine of the Foot Health Center in Cherry Hill, N.J., before every workout to avoid strains, sprains, and pains.

AchillesTendon StretchStand on a step,with your heelsover the edge.Then lower your-self until you feela stretch in yourcalves.

Hamstring StretchPlace your foot on astep, and flex yourfoot so your toes arein the air. Bend for-ward with a straightback until you feelthe stretch along theback of your leg.

HAPPYFEET

Current Health is a federally registered trademark of Weekly Reader Corporation. Copyright © 2009 by Weekly Reader Corporation. This article is not to be reproduced or redistributed.

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Plantar WartsThat locker room floor may lookclean, but you still need to wearflip-flops to protect your feet fromplantar warts. Plantar warts growin clusters and usually have tinyblack dots on the surface. They’regenerally harmless but can spreadif you touch or scratch them. Youcan buy a product at the store tohelp. But if the warts come backor don’t respond to the prod-uct, your doctor can burn,laser, or freeze the wart off for you. (Do not try that at home!)

Turf ToeThis funny-sounding condition is nothing to laugh at. It’s causedfrom either jamming the toe or from repeatedly pushing offwhen running or jumping. Turf toe is so named because it oftenhappens to athletes who play on the hard surface of artificialturf. Flexible shoes, such as regular sneakers, don’t offer muchtoe protection. Look for sports shoes that are rigid, or hard, inthe front of the shoe, recommends Dr. Matthew Dobbs ofWashington University School of Medicine, St. Louis Children’sHospital, and Shriners Hospital for Children in St. Louis.

Ingrown ToenailsWhen the side of a toenail breaks throughthe skin, you may experience this painfulproblem. Ingrown toenails can come fromplaying sports where you need to kick alot, shoes or socks that are too tight, orincorrect nail trimming. Curvy nails caneven be genetic—some people are bornwith the tendency to have ingrown nails. If you have a minor ingrown toenail, soak it in warm water and applyan antibiotic cream.Otherwise, it’s best toavoid self-treatmentbecause the nail canbreak the skin andlead to infections,according to Levine.

Achilles TendinitisThe Achilles tendon is the longtendon that connects the heel boneto the calf muscle. You need it to pullyour heel off the ground and pushforward while walking or running.When you train improperly or toomuch, you risk getting Achilles tendinitis. It is a pain along theback of the leg below the calf.Use the RICE method (see“Easy as RICE”) to reduceswelling and help withhealing. You may alsowant to ask for someibuprofen or naproxento ease the pain.

Plantar FasciitisThis is a dull, aching pain inthe bottom of the heel andarch. It’s usually caused byoverexercising, impropershoes, or tightness of the muscles in the back of the leg.The best cure is to rest, icethe foot, and take an over-the-counter anti-inflammatorymedication such as ibuprofenor naproxen. A doctor mayinject a steroid to shrinkswelling. You can help preventplantar fasciitis by stretchingwell before exercise andalways wearing the right typeof shoes for your activity.

Athlete’s FootAthlete’s foot is not just for athletes. Anyonewho walks barefoot in a public place, such as ashower or swimming pool, can get it. Athlete’sfoot is a fungus infection. It can make the bot-toms of feet dry, cracked, and red. Feet alsomight itch and burn. Even grosser, the funguscan spread to other parts of your body if yourinfected feet touch those areas! Avoid athlete’sfoot by wearing flip-flops in gyms and publicshowers. It also helps to keep feet (especiallyareas between thetoes) very clean.Because the fungusloves warm, moistplaces, keep socksand shoes dry.

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Smelly FeetFoot stink is caused by bacteria that feed off the sweat and dirt inyour shoes. Bacteria love to multiplyin moist, dark places (such as theinside of shoes). Keep bacteria frombecoming your feet’s best friend:Wash feet with soap and waterdaily. Alternate shoes eachday to give them timeto dry out. And avoidplastic shoes, whichdon’t let feet breathe.

THINK ABOUT ITWhy are there so manypotential problems withfeet? What is unique aboutthem, compared with otherbody parts?

Easy as RICEREST. Don’t put pressure on or usethe hurt body part.ICE. Apply an icepack for 15 minutes.Take the pack off,and then put it backon 15 minutes later.COMPRESSION. Use an elastic band-age or other wrap to limit swelling.ELEVATION. Raise the hurt part abovethe heart to keepswelling down.

10 to 15 percent of people have verybad smelling feet.Extra-sweaty feet can become home to a bacteria called Kytococcus sedentarius.

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