Preventative Gout Foot Care
by Lisa McDowell

Learning how to stay on a successful gout prevention diet can be beneficial and so can knowing how to take care of your feet. Gout foot flare ups that are caused by foot injuries can be dramatically reduced if you make a regular effort to take care of your feet.

There are many ways you can take care of your feet to prevent recurring attacks of gout. Here are some suggestions: Wear comfortable shoes - Comfortable shoes are shoes that provide your feet proper cushioning and arch support. Comfortable shoes should also be properly fitted to your foot which means the shoe should not be too big or too small. You should have enough room to wiggle your toes, and they shouldn’t quite reach the end of the shoe. Wear sneakers whenever possible – If you want to prevent gout, you need to limit how often you wear fashion shoes such as those with heels or boots, and try to wear sneakers as much as you can, especially when you will be standing or walking for long periods of time. High heels press your toes together and force your foot forwards, increasing pressure.

Replace shoes often – Although you may own a pair of comfortable shoes, you need to realize that these shoes won’t last forever, and as soon as they begin to look worn, they will need to be replaced because they are no longer providing your feet with the support they need.

Stretch your feet on a regular basis – Regardless if you will be engaging in exercise or not, it’s a good idea to stretch your feet daily to help strengthen them and reduce the risk of gout. Two examples of good exercises for stretching, strengthening, and encouraging circulation in your feet include:

Pointing and flexing your feet
Rotating your ankle

Make sure you take exercises slowly, and increase them over time to avoid putting your feet through excessive strain.

Avoid activities that stress the foot joint – This includes walking for long periods of time or sitting without having your feet flat on the floor. In addition, standing for long periods of time without walking or rocking your feet, also increases stress. Consistent standing without movement concentrates all of your weight on the balls and heels of your feet. Your feet aren’t meant to act like tree stumps, they are meant to move.

Lose weight – If you are overweight, you are putting too much pressure on your feet. You need to maintain a healthy body weight to keep pressure of your foot joints. Excess weight places stress on joints which can aggravate gout foot.

Keep your feet clean and dry – Keeping your feet washed on a regular basis is important to protect against bacteria, but ensuring your feet are dry is equally important. Feet that are moist and not properly dried are not only subject to bacteria, they are also subject to corns and calluses. These are foot ailments you will not want to encounter if you are also prone to gout, as this can only exacerbate the problem.

Follow a gout reducing diet – Avoid foods high in purines, such as alcohol, seafood, red and organ meats, to reduce the chance of a gout foot attack.

Resting your feet – Elevating your feet is beneficial to your overall foot health. As much as your feet need to be stretched and exercised, they also need time to relax and heal from daily stress. Therefore, take the time to elevate your feet so they are above your heart when you are relaxing and watching TV or lying in bed.

When you take care of your feet, you reduce the chance of gout foot attacks because you reduce the stiffness in the joints which prevents injuries that can aggravate uric acid crystals that may exist within the joint, leading to gout flare ups. Furthermore, by taking care of you feet, you prevent other foot problems that can make a gout attack all the more painful. Thus, it is imperative you take care to keep your feet healthy.

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