Keep Your Feet in Mind When Gardening This Spring

 

As spring approaches, many people turn to their garden for activity and to either beautify their home or produce summer vegetables and herbs.  Many people are well equipped with trowel, hoe, and garden shovel, as well as comfortable clothes for gardening.  Unfortunately, many people neglect their feet in the process.

The typical gardening or lawn care shoe many people wear is either a highly flexible canvas shoe, or a well worn athletic or walking shoe whose sole duty is now outdoor work after many years as a primary shoe.  Unfortunately, the use of these flexible shoes or overly worn shoes can contribute to foot pain this season, particularly in the big toe joint, on the outer side of the foot, and in the arch and heel.

The big toe joint has a vital role in the motion of the foot as it starts to push off the ground, and its motion needs to stay healthy and intact to preserve this.  Any strained motion that forces the toe upward, such as seen when one is squatting for a long period of time when gardening, can lead to arthritis of the big toe joint, or at least inflammation of the tissue that covers it.  When the big toe is forced upwards, there is a certain amount of compressive force that is applied to the bone on top of the foot at the joint.  Eventually, this bone can become irritated and form spurs over the years.  The tissue on the bottom of the joint can become stretched, and eventual damage to this tissue can result in scar formation, further limiting the motion of this joint.  The overall end result is arthritis and loss of joint motion, leading to a stiffer walking technique and eventual irritation of the other joints in the foot.

Most lawns and gardens also have some unevenness in terrain, with small divots and holes.  In an unstable shoe, it is quite easy to twist and tilt the foot and ankle.  While sprains can develop from more forceful twists, small subtle ones that do not cause immediate pain can add up over the hours to contribute to tissue injury.  In particular, a pair of tendons called the peroneal tendons can become damaged.  Located on the outer side of the ankle and foot, these tendons easily become damaged when the foot constantly rolls inward, as the tendon fights to pull the foot outward.  Tendinitis can develop from this, which is inflammation of the tendon that may be followed by small tears and areas of tendon degeneration.  The resulting pain and weakness can be very disabling.  Another structure on the bottom of the arch, called the plantar fascia, can become stretched and damaged in poorly supportive shoes that are too worn out.  This leads to heel and arch pain, and can be disabling as well.

Fortunately, these conditions can be prevented by simply choosing the proper shoe to wear while gardening.  The choice of shoe is vital here, as an overly flexible shoe will have a great likelihood of eventually leading to these foot problems.  By purchasing a new athletic or work shoe with a firm sole and better support to use as a dedicated lawn and garden shoe, one can help prevent these injuries as well as the many other types of sprains and strains the feet and ankles can develop over the spring and summer while outdoors. Stiff soled, supportive shoes can decrease the demands on the big toe joint and prevent compression and strain, as well as reduce rolling strain to the outer foot and arch.  The shoe should bend only moderately at the toe level, and not further back toward the middle of the foot.  Adopting a different working position is also helpful in particular for the big toe joint, as a squatting position forces too much weight over the big toe.  By using a kneeling pad or small seated garden cart, one can prevent excessive force on the toes.

Keep your feet in mind this spring and you will have many comfortable springs to come on your feet.  Happy gardening!

Scott Kilberg, D.P.M., M.S.

Take the first step today toward improved foot health by contacting Witham Foot and Ankle Associates.  

Witham Foot and Ankle Services at Lebanon 
Scott R. Kilberg, D.P.M, M.S.

2705 North Lebanon Street 
North Pavilion, Entrance B, Suite 265 
Lebanon, IN 46052

Phone 765-485-8830 
Fax 765-485-8867

Witham Foot and Ankle Services at Zionsville 
Vince M. Pokrifcak, D.P.M

1650 W. Oak Street 
Suite 100 
Zionsville, IN 46077

Phone 317-873-8860 
Fax 317-873-8867