Section 3
Extremities

Part 3
Feet

FOOT PROBLEMS

HYDRO—The following are summaries of discussions in the author's book, Water Therapy Manual (see order sheet):

Numbness in feet: Give a hot Fomentation to the spine, accompanied by Hot or Alternate Sponging of the limbs. Repeat this 3 times a day (p. 179).

Sweating feet: Apply a Revulsive Douche to the feet, with extremes in temperature as great as possible. Give an Alternate hot and cold Foot Bath. During the night, apply a Heating Compress to the feet; and give a Cold Mitten Friction to the feet in the morning, on arising (p. 243).

Weak, pronated feet: Put the feet and part of the legs in tubs for Contrast Baths. Begin with a temperature of 110^o F., and then after four minutes, change to tap water for 1 minute. Change back and forth 4-6 times, and end with the hot water. During the treatment, the temperature of the hot water should be gradually raised to 115^o-120^o F., and the tap water gradually lowered to the temperature of ice water. Give the treatment twice a day (p. 115).

Infections in feet: Give the same treatment as for pronated feet, above (p. 114).

ENCOURAGEMENT—It is Jesus that we need. His presence and help must be ours continually. God wants every one of us perfect in Christ. Through His strengthening grace, we can overcome sin and the devil.

CORNS AND CALLUSES

SYMPTOMS AND CAUSES—Pressure and rubbing causes calluses on the bottoms and sides of the feet. They can also form on the hands, and even on the elbows and knees.

Corns form between toes and remain soft from foot perspiration. They occur from the rubbing of adjacent digit bones.

Corns are more painful than calluses.

TREATMENT—

• Wear proper shoes! Never wear tight-fitting footwear!

• Do not use "corn plasters." These contain acids intended to eat away at the corns. But they also eat into nearby normal flesh.

• Do not cut corns and calluses! This only makes the situation worse. This especially applies to diabetics. As soon as a corn develops, apply oil to soften it.

• Soak your feet in very diluted chamomile tea. It will both soothe and soften the hard skin. (The stain the tea makes on the feet will come off easily with soap and water.) Or just soak the feet in comfortably hot water for several minutes. Then apply a hand cream which contains 20% urea. This will help dissolve the hard skin. Do this daily.

• Another formula is to soak the area in a mixture of oil of wintergreen, witch hazel, and black walnut tincture, daily. Use a pumice stone and emery board to trim down the corn or callus.

• Yet another formula is to crush 5-6 aspirin tablets and mix into a paste, by adding a half teaspoon each of water and lemon juice. Apply this to the hard-skin areas. Put the foot in a plastic bag, wrap a warm towel around it, and sit for 10 minutes. Then unwrap the foot and scrub the area with a pumice stone. The dead, hardened flesh should come loose and flake off.

• Put a few drops of citric acid on the area. The next morning, use an emery board or a pumice stone and rub off the dead skin.

• A variant method is to soak a piece of cotton in fresh lemon juice or pineapple. Bandage the cotton over the area. It will dissolve it. But you must be persistent.

• Any sweet oil rubbed on the area several times a day, plus the use of the emery board or pumice stone, will skim off the dead flesh.

• Try putting some lamb's wool between the toes, to separate them (after buying larger shoes).

• You can purchase Stella's Stretch All (or another leather-stretching solution) from a shoe store. Apply it to the shoes and then walk in them while wet. Repeat this frequently, and the leather shoe will widen out.

• Women should never wear high-heel shoes. They ruin the feet, damage the spine, and throw the pelvic organs out of place.

• Women should not wear pumps; these are shoes which cause the foot to slide forward, jamming everything into the front. Instead, wear an oxford-style shoe, with laces. This properly cradles the foot.

• Always buy shoes which breathe; leather is the best.

• An undersized shoe will damage the toes and cause corns, etc. An oversized shoe will produce friction and break the skin. But, of the two, oversized shoes are the less harmful.

• Some calluses are useful, never painful, and should not be disturbed.

ENCOURAGEMENT—We are seldom placed in the same position twice. There are continually new experiences to be encountered. But, if we will trust in Christ, He will enable us to overcome sin in spite of all that comes our way.

FOOT ACHES

SYMPTOMS—Tired, aching feet.

CAUSES—Inadequate diet and rest, and being on the feet all day long.

TREATMENT—

• Improve the diet, get enough protein, calcium, and B vitamins. Stop eating junk food. It isn't worth taking the time to chew and swallow.

• Lose that excess weight. It is hard on your feet.

• Elevate your feet when you come home at night. Then soak them in a basin of warm water, containing 1-2 tbsp. of Epsom salts. Rinse with clear, cool water.

• Sit on the edge of the bathtub and alternately run comfortably hot water over your feet, and then cold water, ending with the cold. (If you have diabetes, be careful about extremes in temperature.)

• Wrap some ice cubes in a wet washcloth and rub it over your feet and ankles for a few minutes.

• During the day, lift one foot and give it a good shake. Then lift the other and do likewise. Then relax and flex your toes up and down.

• When standing in one place, keep changing your stance; try to keep moving about. If possible, stand on a carpet or a rubber mat. Ask the boss if you can buy a rubber mat and lay it down on the floor in your work area.

• Remove your shoes, sit in a chair, and stretch your feet out. Then, below the ankle, move each foot in ten circles. Point your toes down and then up.

• Gently roll your foot over a golf ball, tennis ball, or rolling pin for a couple minutes.

• Scatter a few pencils on the floor and pick them up with your toes.

• For a terrific foot massage, toss a handful of beans in a moccasin-style shoe, and walk around the room on them.

• Always wear low shoes, and shoes which fasten firmly.

• In the evening, sit down and put on a pair of soft slippers.

ENCOURAGEMENT—It is a part of God's plan to grant us, in answer to the prayer of faith, that which He would not bestow did we not thus ask. Oh, please, my friend, believe and know that God is your best Friend!

BURNING FEET

SYMPTOMS—Feet which burn at night.

CAUSES—A lack of niacin (a B vitamin) is a specific deficiency factor.

TREATMENT—

• Add niacin or niacinamide to your diet. (Niacin will cause your face to flush; niacinamide will not.)

ENCOURAGEMENT—To have a new heart is to have a new mind, new purposes, and new motives. What is the sign of a new heart? It is a changed life. Through the merits of Christ's righteousness, we can overcome temptation to doubt and sin. We can live clean, godly lives.

FOOT ODOR

SYMPTOMS—Feet that do not smell very nice.

CAUSES—Bacteria on the feet, cheap shoes, or eating meat.

TREATMENT—

• Wash your feet frequently. Keep them clean. Scrub gently with a soft brush, including between the toes. Dry them well when finished.

• Put cornstarch in your shoes to help keep them dry. (Never use talcum powder for anything; it is cancer forming if it gets into the body.)

• Do not use antiperspirants, for they contain aluminum (a cause of Alzheimer's disease). Spray deodorants are breathed into the lungs.

• Change your socks often, several times a day if necessary. This is one of the best things you can do.

• Some find help in wearing two pairs of socks at a time. This increases elimination of sweat.

• Buy leather shoes that breathe. This reduces the perspiration. Avoid rubber shoes; they cause your feet to smell like rubber tires at the end of the day—yet the odor is not from the feet! Even expensive rubber shoes, endorsed by the athletes, can do this.

• Soak your feet (15 minutes, twice a week) in ½ cup vinegar added to 1 quart of water.

• Soak them in alternate hot and cold water pans or pails. But if you are diabetic or have impaired circulation, you had better not do this.

• Sprinkle some dry, crumbled sage leaves into your shoes, to control odor.

• Avoid stress; it increases sweating, which multiplies bacterial action.

• Avoid spicy, pungent foods, for their odor will be found in your feet later on.

ENCOURAGEMENT—To love as Christ loved means to reveal unselfishness at all times and in all places, by kind words and pleasant looks. The Lord will help every one of us where we need help the most in overcoming and conquering self.

COLD FEET

SYMPTOMS—Feet which seem cold too much of the time.

CAUSES—This might be caused by some deeper problem, such as diabetes, hypothyroidism, Raynaud's disease, Buerger's disease, etc. (which see).

TREATMENT—

• Put the feet in cold water for 1 minute, dry them, then jump rope, run, or walk for 1-2 minutes. Do this 3-4 times a day.

• If you have a lawn by your house, walk barefoot for a few minutes on the cool, wet lawn when you arise. Then quickly dry the feet, put on fresh socks, then your shoes, and keep active until the feet thoroughly warm. When you do this, forget about the neighbors; you are having more fun than they are. Perhaps they will start doing it too. Better yet, move to the country.

ENCOURAGEMENT—The pure in heart will see God; and it is only God that can, by grace, enable us to choose to be pure. By faith, we walk and talk with our Redeemer, and live His life.

FLAT FEET

SYMPTOMS—The concave arch supporting the bottom of the feet is flattening out, resulting in more exhaustion during the day when you are on your feet.

CAUSES—Inadequate circulation, impoverished diet, and junk food is often involved. Once this problem develops it generally is not solved, especially since it often occurs in childhood when parents are not aware of what is happening until it is too late.

TREATMENT—

• Try walking barefoot upstairs on your toes, and then back down the same way. Do this 10 minutes each day, for a month; and eat a nourishing, moderate diet. The muscles in your feet may strengthen. By helping your flat feet, your eyesight may also improve.

• If you cannot solve your flat foot problem (perhaps because it occurred when you were a child, and you did not discover it till later), learn to adapt your step to it. When you take a step, land very slightly on the outer rear portion of the foot; then, as the foot moves back, keep the weight slightly (very slightly) on the outer part of the foot. In this way, you will make an artificial arch and your foot will not tire as quickly throughout the day. In addition, try to do part of your everyday work while sitting down occasionally. This will help rest the feet.

ENCOURAGEMENT—We may speak with Jesus wherever we may be. There is no time or place where prayer cannot be offered. Prayer rises above the noise of machinery and traffic. We are speaking to God, and He hears us.

ATHLETE'S FOOT (Tinea Pedis)

SYMPTOMS—On the skin of the feet, especially between the toes, there are blisters or cracks, or both. Also there is itching; burning; and, in extreme cases, pustules; and ulcers. As it develops, the blisters and/or cracks soften, turn white, and tend to peel off in flakes. In severe cases, there may be pain. It is worse in warmer weather.

CAUSES—Athlete's foot is caused by one or more of the parasitic fungi. Fungus infections are more difficult to eliminate. Any condition which keeps the feet both warm and moist can lead to this problem. By scratching the sores on the foot, the disease can be spread on the hands, under the nails, and to other parts of the body.

The fungus, causing athlete's foot, spreads rapidly when beneficial bacteria are destroyed by antibiotics, drugs, or radiation.

The organisms causing it are spread from contaminated floors surrounding pools, showers, and other public places.

TREATMENT—

• Keep your feet dry. After bathing, dry carefully between the toes. Wear cotton socks, and change them daily (or more often, if possible). Put your shoes in the window and let the sunlight get into them somewhat. Cut raw garlic into tiny pieces and put some into your shoes. Dust your feet with garlic powder. Garlic is better than antifungal drugs!

• Try to keep your feet cool and dry. You may be able to think of ways to do this. Try to find shoes that will not make your feet sweat. Avoid rubber shoes, even the expensive ones.

• Fungi hates sunlight. When in the acute stage, try to leave your feet uncovered. Put your feet in the sunlight every so often.

• Do not walk barefoot around the house, so others will not become infected. Also, never walk barefoot in public places (public showers, locker rooms, pool decks); wear shoes or slippers.

• Apply natural antifungicides, such as pau d'arco and tea tree oil.

• Drink 3 cups of pau d'arco tea daily. Also put a strong mixture of it on your feet.

• Apply lemon juice 1-2 times a day to the area, and let it dry. Another method is to apply a strong tea of crushed juniper berries. Mash garlic with some oil and apply to the area.

• Add 20 drops of tea tree oil to a small tub of water, and soak your feet in it for 15 minutes, 3 times a day. Dry well afterward, and place some undiluted tea tree oil on the feet.

• Apply a baking soda paste to the area, and especially between the toes. Mix 1 tbsp. baking soda with a little warm water, apply, then dry well, and dust feet with cornstarch powder.

• Applying overly strong applications to athlete's foot can result in rashes breaking out on hands and elsewhere. If you have unknowingly done this: Treat the feet more gently and, as the foot infection clears, the sympathetic rashes will also.

• Bathe the feet daily in 50-50 vinegar and water. Dry well, then apply a vegetable oil to the affected area.

• Soak your foot in a mixture of 2 tsp. of salt per pint of warm water, for 5-10 minutes; dry well and repeat till the problem is solved.

• Eat a nourishing diet, and skip the processed and junk foods. Obtain vitamins A, B complex, and C.

• In case there is pain, place cold compresses on the area.

• If the problem worsens, and pus or a fever develops, see a professional.

• To help keep your feet dry, change your socks 3-4 times a day. After washing them, rinse the socks well, to get out the detergent (which the fungus likes).

• Put on clean socks before dressing; in this way you avoid infecting the groin area.

• Boil socks to kill the fungus.

• Do not use plastic or waterproof shoes. They create a warm, moist place for fungus to breed. Never wear boots all day.

• Do not wear the same shoes 2 days in a row. This gives a pair of shoes 2 days to thoroughly dry out.

• Spray Lysol on a cloth and wipe the inside of the shoe.

• Place the shoes in the sunlight, angled toward the sun. Ultraviolet light kills fungus.

• Useful herbs are blood root and goldenseal; use alone or together. Apply as a powder to the area.

• Crush a green plant juice, such as chickweed, plantain, Swiss chard, etc., and apply the juice to the area. Then walk about barefooted in the sun.

—Also see "Ringworm," which is a closely related fungal skin disease.

ENCOURAGEMENT—When we receive Christ as an abiding guest in the soul, the peace of God, which passeth all understanding, keeps our hearts and minds through faith in Christ.