Pegasus Home Health Care

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Why Should Nurses Take Time To Measure Their Feet?

Why Nurses Should Take Note Of Measure Your Feet Day

Nurses Make Time To Measure Their Feet Because Wearing The Right Shoe Size Reduces Foot Pain And Improves Their Well-Being

Pegasus professional in-home caregivers in Pacoima and elsewhere are always busy helping others. They sometimes think they don’t have time for tasks like measuring their feet. Career home health care nurses understand the importance of foot care for themselves and their patients. 

Shoes that fit correctly are crucial. Ill-fitting footwear puts you at risk for injury. Not only should shoes be the right size, but they also should support your feet. 

The Right Shoe Size Depends On Measuring Feet Accurately

Your feet stopped growing when you reached adulthood. However, they changed shape over the years. The shoe size you’ve always worn may not be the best for you now.

Measuring your feet is essential for determining the correct size shoe. Most shoe stores have a measuring device. It makes it easy to know the length and width of your feet. 

If you shop for shoes online, you will need to purchase a measuring device or manually measure your feet. The following steps will help you measure your feet accurately at home:

  • Most feet are larger at the end of the day, so that’s when you should measure.
  • Measure wearing the same kind of socks or hose you wear with the shoes you plan to buy.
  • Secure a piece of paper to the floor.
  • Stand on the paper. If you must sit, press your foot against the paper.
  • Outline your foot on the paper.
  • Place a ruler on the outline and measure the length of your foot from the tip of your big toe to your heel.
  • Measure the width of your foot at the widest point.

Measure both feet, as one is often slightly larger than the other. Your shoe size depends on the length of your largest foot. Once you know the size, you can select shoes of the correct width. 

How To Choose The Right Size Shoes

Shoes now are made in almost every country, so sizes vary from one manufacturer to another. For example, an American size 8 shoe is a UK size 6 or European size 38. 

Use a size chart to help you get the right size. However, not every manufacturer follows the same standards. When ordering shoes, try to find the specific size chart for the brand you’ve selected.

Accurate measurements should result in well-fitting shoes. Once you try on the shoes, check the following to ensure you have the right size: 

  • The ball of your foot should feel comfortable in the widest part of the shoe.
  • The shoe style should match the shape of your foot.
  • The shoe should fit. Don’t rely on it “stretching” to fit as you wear it. 
  • The top of the shoe should be high enough that it won’t rub against your toes.
  • There should be a space of up to half an inch between your longest toe and the end of the shoe.
  • There should be no slipping, rubbing, or chafing when you walk around.

If the shoes you selected don’t have arch support, add an orthotic. 

Your Feet Are Your Foundation

You may be thinking that all this is much ado about nothing. As a home healthcare nurse, you walk on a variety of surfaces. You are off your feet between patients, unlike nurses in clinical settings. 

Your feet may not be as overworked as those of some individuals. But they still need your attention. Healthy feet are a significant part of your overall well-being.

A foot is more than just the end portion of your leg. Each foot has 26 bones, 33 joints, 107 ligaments, and 19 muscles and tendons. It’s no small matter to say that your feet are the foundation of your body.

Your feet support all your movement, from simple walking to intense sports. They also act as shock absorbers each time your foot comes in contact with a hard surface. Feet help keep you balanced so you don’t continually fall over.

Misalignments and imbalances in your feet affect the rest of your body. You may experience pain in your legs, knees, hips, and back. Painful feet can also have an impact on the functioning of your organs.   

Common foot problems include, but aren’t limited to:

Most of these are either caused by or aggravated by poor-fitting shoes. Wearing the correct shoes can prevent or relieve many foot conditions.

Shoes That Fit Well Help Eliminate Foot Pain

Measuring your feet and purchasing shoes that fit well will eliminate a significant amount of foot pain. Additional ways that nurses can prevent foot pain include:

Moisturizing your feet prevents painful cracks in your heels.

Pegasus is a licensed Home Care Organization and a Joint Commission Accredited Home Health Care organization. Our skilled in-home caregivers in Pacoima and other locations know that foot pain affects their well-being. Our career home health care nurses know that wearing well-fitting shoes is an essential part of self-care.