Stephanie L. Tourles - Foot Care Handbook

The mission of Storey Publishing is to serve our customers by publishing practical information that encourages personal independence in harmony with the environment.

Edited by Deborah Burns and Lisa H. Hiley

Art direction and book design by Ash Austin

Indexed by Andrea Chesman

Back cover photo (author) by 2021 Stephanie Tourles

Illustrations by Choo Chung

Text 2021 by Stephanie L. Tourles

Ebook production by Slavica A. Walzl

Ebook version 1.0

December 21, 2021

Portions of this book appeared in Natural Foot Care (Storey Publishing, 1998).

This publication is intended to provide educational information for the reader on the covered subject. It is not intended to take the place of personalized medical counseling, diagnosis, and treatment from a trained health professional. Please consult a physician or other health professional if needed.

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Dedicated to Myra Achorn, foot reflexology instructor extraordinaire. Ive had many teachers over the years, but you were the best! You once told me, Learning is a lifelong process, and reflexology will take you on a journey that never really ends. It is a journey of healing and self-discovery. When you follow your dreams, you open the door to more possibilities than you can imagine. Learning can be fun, but earning money doing something you love is even more fun!

That has proved to be true! Im honored to have studied with you and blessed to call you my friend.

I ve been fascinated with feet since I was a youngster. Growing up in Stone Mountain, Georgia, I went barefoot whenever possible. My strong, tough feet enjoyed the sensory stimulation of the outdoor world. Much to the dismay of my mother, my soles were forever filthy: green from grass, black from tar, sticky from tree sap, or muddy from playing in the creek. Reminders to wash my feet before entering the house were constant, but I never listened.

My love for foot care began with watching my grandfather soak his aching, fatigued feet every night. He was a carpenter who also tended two big gardens and about two dozen cows, so his feet yearned for relief. He would fill an old dishpan with either warm or ice-cold waterdepending on the seasonto which he added, of all things, two tablespoons of Massengill douche powder! The blend of boric acid, alum powder, eucalyptus oil, thyme oil, menthol crystals, and methyl salicylate cooled, deodorized, and relaxed his feet, while easing pain. Foot soaks pulled the days stresses right out of him, he told me.

My grandfather also lovingly cared for my grandmothers very narrow and always tender feet. She suffered from poor circulation and edema in her lower legs, and it didnt help that she always wore shoes that were too tight and too short and had two-inch heels. Grandfather would often give her feet and legs a comforting massage. I learned at a young age that foot care should be part of everyday life because neglected feet could negatively affect your entire body and outlook.

As I grew up, I learned from personal experience how injured, unhappy feet can make you miserable. Over the last two decades, Ive suffered a broken toe, a sprained ankle, Mortons neuroma, plantar fasciitis, arthritis in my toe, and mild frostbite. Ive dropped a bucket of water on one bare foot and had nine yellowjacket stings on the other. Plus, Ive had two major falls that severely altered my gait and created much foot pain (and ultimately two hip replacements!), so I know what people are suffering when their feet are in distress.

I love feet, and as a certified foot reflexologist, licensed massage therapist, and licensed aesthetician, I work with them nearly every day. When it comes to bodywork, I think feet are the best part of the body to work on. My clients would likely agree, as evidenced by their deep sighs of relief as I release the aches and tension from their hardworking, tired dogs. I target their feet with a comprehensive combination of reflexology, massage, Epsom salts foot soaks, herbal treatments, and aromatherapy, and I know Im making their entire body feel better from the ground up.

I wrote this book to deliver much-needed education about keeping feet healthy and natural solutions to common foot woes. My hope is that reading these pages will give you a new respect for your feet and an understanding of their structure, function, and importance to overall comfort. If you ignore or mistreat your feet, life can be miserable, but if you make the conscious choice to care for them properly, your feet will thank youas will your entire body!

Happy Feet = Happy You!

I f our feet could speak, what might they say?

• Fashionista: Were too confined in these tight, pointy shoes! Our arches are cramping, our heels are numb, and our toes are painful and deformed.
• Stylish businessperson: Your slick Italian leather shoes and nylon dress socks are choking us. We look fabulous, but we cant breathe!
• Active teenager: These shoes smell so bad its embarrassing.
• Busy parent with no time for self-care: We have corns, calluses, and cracked heels. We ache. Give us a break!

If our feet could speak, theyd probably complain, and loudly. Our feet walk, run, jump, skip, climb, balance, and grip, taking us where we need to go. Its tough to get along without them. But what do we do instead of keeping them in tip-top shape? We abuse them!

Youre going to hear me say this more than once: Ill-fitting, poorly designed shoes are the primary source of most foot problems. We encase our feet in suffocating socks, pantyhose, or tights and stuff them into confining shoes. We buy shoes that are too small or have hard or inflexible soles that stress our feet. We choose exercise shoes with overly cushioned support, rigid stability, and elevated heels with turned-up toe boxes that dont allow our poor feet to move and spring as they are meant to do, so they weaken and deform over time. I feel so strongly about this issue that I nearly called this book The Evils of Modern Footwear!

Even when properly shod, feet may experience more wear and tear than any other body part and thus are more prone to discomfort and injury. They often also suffer from lack of effective hygiene and proper maintenance. How many people regularly scrub their feet, including the soles and between the toes, much less actually dry between the toes? Neglect and mistreatment can lead to myriad foot problems. Avoiding these issues just takes a little education. Lets start with some basics on the structure and function of your precious feet.