Look at the soles of your shoes to know your health! Reminder: These 6 types of soles are exposing health problems

The weather is getting colder, and many people have started to change clothes and shoes. Before you plan to take off your shoes and put on other shoes, it is recommended that you turn the soles over and take a good look!

Xiaoyu (pseudonym) is an urban white-collar worker. Due to the fast pace of work during the day, she sometimes sits for the whole day and has little time for exercise.

Out of consideration for her health, Xiaoyu recently set a simple goal for herself, which is to walk 10,000 steps a day and keep checking in on WeChat Moments.

After insisting on walking and checking in for a while, Xiaoyu found that the inside of her shoes always wore out faster, which made her very distressed.

During a gathering with friends, when she was complaining to her friends about her shoes wearing out when walking, her friends suggested that she go to the hospital for a check-up, as there might be something wrong with her feet.

So Xiaoyu went to the hospital for a check-up the next day. After the examination, the doctor told her that this situation was most likely caused by a problem with the arch of the foot, but further X-rays would be needed to make a clear diagnosis.

Eventually Xiaoyu was diagnosed with flat feet and was asked to control her weight, reduce the burden on her arches, prevent aggravation of her flat feet, and limit her daily activities. When walking or running for long periods of time, she should try to wear hiking shoes with arch protectors to protect her arches.

Doctors remind us that a normal foot has an arch, and the inside of the footprint is empty, with only the forefoot, heel and outside; while a flat foot is a bare board, with the forefoot, sole, outside and heel all showing.

If you are overweight or have an incorrect walking posture, it can easily lead to an imbalance in the strength of the foot muscles, which in turn can cause flat feet.

If you find that your shoes are worn too badly in a short period of time, it is recommended that you see a doctor for a check-up in time.

Image source: CCTV.com

As the saying goes, a journey of a thousand miles begins with a single step. But in the eyes of doctors, a pair of good shoes is far more important to health than a BMW to a knight.

The degree of wear on a person's soles is mostly related to the individual's weight, the length of time the shoes are worn, and the material of the shoes. By observing the wear of the shoes, it is possible to preliminarily reflect problems related to foot diseases.

If you want to know whether your body is healthy or not, just look down at the soles of your shoes. They can reveal a lot of health information to you.

Look at the shoes, identify the disease

01 The outer side of the heel of the sole is worn out

When normal people walk, their heels will have more or less wear and tear. If the wear of the shoes is mostly concentrated on the outside of the heel, it may be related to ankle eversion, incorrect walking and standing posture, etc.

In order to maintain better balance, most people walk with their feet in a slight outward-facing position, which makes the outer side of the heel a fulcrum and causes passive wear.

The angle of a normal person's outward-facing walking posture is generally between 10 and 20 degrees. If it exceeds 30 degrees, it should be a cause for concern.

When this situation occurs clinically, it can be improved by correcting posture and paying attention to daily walking and standing posture.

If the cause is foot deformity, then diagnosis and treatment are needed to correct the foot deformity in order to improve the symptoms. Generally, the symptoms are not very severe and do not affect walking and standing. Appropriate orthotic insoles can be used to improve the weight-bearing capacity of the foot and correct bad posture.

Image source: pexels

02 The inner side of the sole is worn out

This condition may be caused by the knees being pulled inward, causing the calves to bend outward, or by flat feet.

This way of walking can easily lead to joint sprains and injuries. Long-term uneven force can also cause wear of the outer cartilage of the knee and cause arthritis.

Among them, severe cases are called X-shaped legs , also known as "outward-facing feet".

Among those who walk with their feet turned outward, some people suffer from gluteal muscle contracture syndrome because they were often sick when they were young and always had injections in their buttocks. These people also have severe wear on the soles of their shoes.

You can do a simple experiment and squat on your knees. If you can't squat, you should pay close attention.

In addition, because the arch of the foot is flat, when the middle of the foot touches the ground, the foot will tilt inward, which can easily cause the inner heel to wear and protrude.

It is recommended to perform pace training regularly and put comfortable insoles in your shoes to make your steps more stable and your body more relaxed.

03 The outer side of the sole is worn out

Wear on the outside of the sole generally indicates that the foot is inverted . This is because when walking in an inverted position, in addition to the higher load on the outside, the inside of the foot is empty and the load on it is significantly reduced. This will cause an imbalance in the force on the inside and outside of the sole, and often result in excessive wear on the outside of the shoe.

Most of these people have their knee joints separated outward, causing the tibia of the lower leg to flip inward at a certain angle.

If it is serious, it is called O-legs or "bowing".

If you walk with your feet turned inward for a long time, the outward angle of your toes will become larger, causing your knees to move outward and your legs to become deformed, which can easily lead to joint sprains and injuries. Long-term uneven force can also cause wear and tear on the outer cartilage of the knee and cause arthritis.

As you age, your knees will become more painful, and your joints will gradually age, leading to conditions such as lumbar discomfort.

When this situation occurs clinically, it is important to correct the bad walking posture. You can use an elastic bandage on the ankle joint to correct the inversion and eversion of the foot, or you can add insoles to the soles of the shoes. Raising the inner side can also prevent the progressive development of inversion of the foot, which can ultimately prevent the occurrence of ankle osteoarthritis and joint degeneration.

Image source: pexels

04Asymmetrical wear on the sole

This situation is mostly caused by uneven force on the knees, and the most typical symptom is the different lengths of the legs .

In addition to congenital causes, the causes of uneven legs may also be related to pelvic tilt, hip subluxation, etc.

Due to the different lengths of the legs, the walking movements will be different, and the degree of wear on the soles of the left and right feet will usually be different. The wear on the sole of the longer foot will be relatively smaller, while the wear on the sole of the shorter foot will be relatively larger.

In addition, when a person's foot is injured, he or she will intentionally avoid exerting force on the injured side, which will form a protective lameness. It may also cause uneven force on both legs, resulting in significantly different wear on the soles of both feet.

05 Wear on the outside of the big toe

Wear on the outside of the big toe is mostly caused by hallux valgus , which is when the joint where the big toe connects to the foot is tilted more than 15 degrees.

When walking, if the patient tends to lift the heel too early and put too much pressure on the big toe, it is easy to cause wear on the outside of the big toe.

Hallux valgus is usually caused by congenital factors, but it may also be caused by the toes being stretched downward for a long time, such as sitting for a long time, often wearing high heels, etc.

Hallux valgus can cause corns, calluses, and dead yellow skin on the soles of the feet.

It is recommended to put a pair of soft insoles in your shoes, and avoid wearing shoes with narrow uppers and high heels. You should slowly stretch your calf muscles frequently, move your ankles more, and relax your heels and legs.

Image source: pexels

06 The soles of the shoes wear out too quickly

The soles of most people's shoes will wear out. Usually, it is normal for a newly bought pair of shoes to be worn out within 20% within half a year.

However, if a pair of shoes is worn out by 20-30% within 3 months , it can be basically judged that there is a problem with the body, and it is recommended to go to the sports medicine or rehabilitation medicine department for diagnosis.

It does not mean that all people in this group have skeletal and musculoskeletal problems. The more common causes include hip joint diseases, such as congenital hip subluxation, hip dysplasia, scoliosis, etc.

Although some scholars believe that this statement is somewhat biased, everyone has different habits, different amounts of exercise and exercise habits, and the speed of wear and tear will also be different.

Therefore, it is still necessary to pay attention to the symmetry. As long as the wear of the shoes on the left and right feet is symmetrical and the degree of wear is not particularly exaggerated, you don’t have to worry too much. But if the symmetry is not good, then you have to be vigilant and it is best to get it checked.

What should I do if the heels of my newly bought shoes rub my feet?

▼After the local wound is disinfected with iodine solution, it is disinfected with hydrogen peroxide solution to prevent bacterial infection. You can also apply Bactroban ointment externally to control bacterial retrograde infection .

▼Use a small dressing locally to protect the wound and reduce friction on the heel.

▼If there is mild edema locally and the epidermis is not broken, you can apply sodium aescinate gel externally, 3 times a day, gently rubbing for 5 minutes each time.

5 criteria for a good pair of shoes

1. The shoes should be breathable

Shoes with good breathability can help to discharge sweat from the feet in time when walking, and can prevent and reduce stubborn foot diseases such as foot sweat and athlete's foot.

2. The heel should be moderately soft and hard

It is advisable to choose shoes that can wrap the heel just right, and press the middle between the heel and the insole with your fingers. It should be moderately soft and hard, without any sinking.

3. The shoe opening should not be too wide or too narrow

Check whether the ankle fits the shoe opening. The shoe opening should not be too wide or too narrow, and the shoe opening on the inside of the ankle should be lower than the outside.

The front of the shoe should be wider to allow the toes enough room to move, while the back of the shoe should wrap around the foot to prevent it from digging into the heel when walking.

In addition, the toe part of the sole should have a certain curvature. If you have flat feet, you are likely to fall when walking.

4. The shock absorption function of the shoes should be strong

Shoes with poor shock absorption will cause impact on the soles of the feet. The soles should be able to provide sufficient support for the arches of the feet, and there should be no tightening or loose feeling in the soles of the feet when walking.

Therefore, you should try them on when buying shoes. If the insole feels soft and elastic, it means the shock-absorbing effect is good.

5. The anti-slip performance of shoes is essential

Anti-slip shoes are especially important for the elderly. Once an elderly person falls, it is likely to cause fractures, which in turn may lead to a series of complications and even threaten life safety. Therefore, anti-slip performance is essential.

In addition, the sole of the shoe should be soft, comfortable and easy to bend, otherwise it will cause pain in the sole muscles.