Lenox, Phipps, Perimeter, North Point… so many malls, such little time! As an avid shopper myself, I asked podiatrist Andrew Schneider to make a list of 5 holiday shopping tips to keep my feet happy and pain free … Let’s face it, holiday shopping is hard on the feet!  Not only are you trekking from store to store, but if you are like me and have a never-ending list of gifts to buy, what you hoped would take hours ends up taking days (how does that happen, anyway?) At the end of an exhausting shopping trip, you bring home a few unwanted gifts of your own: foot pain and blisters. To help you stay on your feet, here are five holiday fixes from Dr. Schneider.

1. Massage your feet. This will help release tension, increase circulation and rejuvenate the skin. For a more relaxing experience, have someone else massage them for you!

2. Soothe your soles. Soak your feet for at least five minutes in a container filled with warm water. You can even pick up some scented salts to add. After the soak, pat your feet dry and apply lotion or cream to hydrate your feet.

3. Elevate your legs to help reduce swelling. Our feet normally swell as the day progresses. If you feel your shoes getting tight as the day wears on, be sure to loosen them. It’s always best to shop for shoes late in the day to account for the swelling.

4. Exercise your feet. Rotate ankles by cupping the foot under the back portion of the heel to brace the foot and leg; turn your ankle slowly five times. This loosens the ankle joint and relaxes your feet. Another great exercise is to trace the letters of the alphabet with your foot and ankle. This puts all the joints through a full range of motion. Pointing your toes helps to alleviate toe cramps and strengthen calf muscles. While standing, do toe raises, toe points and toe curls for five seconds; repeat 10 times.

5. Wear comfortable shoes when you’re shopping. If you do develop a blister, be sure to treat it properly.  Ideally, you should visit your foot professional to manage a painful blister, especially if you are diabetic.  If you’re not in a position to make that visit, carefully pierce the blister’s roof with a sterile needle. Dress the blister with an antibiotic cream or ointment and cover it with a bandage.

Give Atlanta a few more tips for a healthy and happy shopping experience…What’s your secret holiday shopping tip?

Kelly Osbourne was overwhelmed with pain and emotion last night after her performance on Dancing With The Stars…  and for good reason.  Over the weekend, Kelly posted on Twitter about her excruciating pain, and may face foot surgery:

“I have flat feet and dancing has given me really bad bunions. I have danced and practiced so much the passed 14 weeks that they were so swollen I have been unable to walk properly in a week but in the last 2 days its been so bad”

Kelly posted this picture yesterday (OUCH!) of her getting a cortisone injection in her foot, and the dedicated dancer is postponing any type of foot surgery until after the show ends.  Unfortunately, the results of the cortisone shot are only temporary.  James Richter, Certified Pedorthist and Owner of two Foot Solutions stores in Southern California, elaborates on Kelly’s foot pain:

“Cortisone shots are intended to reduce and relieve the inflammation in the joint with the pain. The results are temporary and the longevity of the relief varies with each individual – but it is commonly 1-3 months.  Some get no relief, others may get up to 6 or more months.  Regardless, the injection just relieves the symptoms and doesn’t address the cause.”

There’s still hope! With Kelly’s flat feet and bunions, an arch support would better prevent some of the improper biomechanical forces acting on the joint and improve pressure distribution across the foot. Whether she has an injury that requires surgery or not, arch supports should help. Also, to the extent possible, eliminating the high heels that increase pressure on the injured joint is also recommended.  (That’s a hint to all the ladies in love with their stilettos- trust me… they aren’t worth the pain and suffering!)

You may not be a star dancer on the hit TV  show, but if you’re feeling similar pain in your feet, follow these tips to get you back on your feet…pain free!

• RICE (rest, ice, compression, elevation) can be done with no downside and probable relief.
• Assuring correct shoe fit in the forefoot should be done.
• Lastly, a stiff forefoot shoe or an insert or modification in the shoe to reduce forefoot flex may be helpful.

Best of luck Kelly with your foot pain- we’re rooting for you!

If you haven’t seen Reebok’s new commercial for the Reebok EasyTone, its definitely worth a look…though I doubt I’ll look like that after wearing the calorie-burning shoes

What’s the science behind the Reebok EasyTone?

Balance pods are built-in under the heel & forefoot of the shoes. Air travels between the forefoot and heel pod, creating super soft cushioning. The moving air creates a natural instability and forces your muscles to adapt to the air volume within the pods.

EasyTone shoes have been measured to be up to 3x  softer than conventional foam-based shoes so you’ll burn up to 3 times the energy. In wear tests, the EasyTone’s comfort promoted longer duration of activity (like shopping), which puts you on your way to a firmer butt and tighter hamstrings and calves.

What do you think of the Reebok EasyTones? Would you try them out?