The holiday shopping season is now in full swing. This means hours of hitting the pavement, standing in line and ultimately stressing your feet. Ochsner Medical Center – North Shore Orthopedist Nicola Corbett, MD has advice to make the season a little more foot-friendly.
Wear the appropriate shoes.
Holiday shopping is like a marathon so you should prepare accordingly.
- No heels – heels may look great but they will tire out the feet quicker and could increase the risk of trips and falls.
- No flip flops – flip flops don’t provide sufficient foot and ankle support.
- Do not wear shoes that are too tight or constraining.
- Do wear comfortable, well fitting shoes that provide support similar to that found in a walking or running shoe.
- Use shoe inserts if you need added support.
Travel light.
- Carry a lightweight purse – this will help make up for the extra weight of added packages and boxes.
- Frequently unload packages and boxes into the car so that you are not carrying too much weight.
Rest.
Take breaks throughout the shopping day to give your feet and legs a rest. During the breaks you can stretch the calf muscles with a few simple stretches or even elevate your feet on a mall bench to take the pressure off and reduce shopping-related swelling.
Special concerns.
Diabetics should take special care during lengthy shopping trips.
- Pay attention to your feet throughout the day to ensure that blisters or cuts do not develop as these could lead to lasting problems.
- Examine your feet after a day of shopping to look for signs of any problems.
- Consult your physician if you do discover a problem.
To schedule an appointment with Nicola Corbett, MD, Orthopedist, click here.
Dr. Corbett sees patients at Ochsner Medical Center – North Shore & Ochsner Orthopedics Health Center – Slidell, 104 Medical Center Drive in Neuroscience Institute Slidell, LA.
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Ochsner Health System is southeast Louisiana’s largest non-profit, academic, multi-specialty, healthcare delivery system with eight hospitals and over 38 health centers in Louisiana. Ochsner has been named the Consumer Choice for Healthcare in New Orleans for 16 consecutive years and is the only Louisiana hospital recognized by U.S. News and World Report as a “Best Hospital” across 11 specialty categories. Ochsner employs more than 13,000 employees, over 850 physicians in over 90 medical specialties and subspecialties and conducts over 300 clinical research trials annually. Ochsner Health System is proud to be a tobacco-free environment. For more information, please visit ochsner.org and follow us on Twitter and Facebook.
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