Blisters for the professional

[pieter pannevis]

 From the archives of Santigobis yahoo group I'd like to give you a
professional report on footcare



Foot Care for the Camino
by Judith Brooke, M.F.Phys., R.M.T.,
Licensed Aesthetician (1981)

As infants, the skin on our feet is smooth and soft. As we begin walking the
sole of the skin toughens.
In many cases, as we age the skin forms calluses in some areas of the sole
depending on how we
plant our feet. Callouses are caused by persistent friction. In many cases,
if the callous is not sanded
or shaved off, the skin may crack leaving the body vulnerable to infection
from minor inflammation to
fungus. The formation of a callous is not evident until it is there. No
formation sensation is noticed.
People who walk on the 5th toe have a hard ridge on the outer portion of the
toe. This area is a
likely place for the formation of a blister.
Blisters are also caused by persistent friction, but are filled with fluid
and are usually associated with
hot moist feet, but not always. If a blister is left unchecked and the
friction continues, infection may
set in and delay the healing process causing extreme discomfort. On
occasion, a blister will form on a
callous making it difficult to heal. The formation of a blister is
noticeable. The feet will feel hot, and
one or more spots will become uncomfortable. When exposing the feet, the
affected areas will look
red and slightly tender. If not tended to and the friction continues, the
hot spot will fill with fluid.
Blisters on the Camino can in the worst cases, engulf the whole toe or pad
of the foot lifting many
layers of skin with it.
It is my recommendation that every pilgrim before the journey should have a
pedicure to shave and
sand any callouses and take note of any hot spots that have formed during
daily activity. These hot
spots may be potential blisters on the Camino.
While preparing for the Camino, check the feet following each long walk/hike
for any hot spots. If
they exist make sure "compeed" is part of your first aid kit and use these
pads on these hot spots at
the beginning of the Camino to prevent problems.
Foot care preparations are very useful in preventing problems.
I have used Gehwol products for the past 22 years both professionally and
personally. I have tried
other products, but none come close to their quality. Gehwol is made in
Germany but is available in
many arts of the world. In North America it is only available through a
professional. In other parts of
the world it could be the same, but may also be in pharmacies. The use of
foot cream protects the
skin from the sock and shoe friction by gliding those items over the skin
rather than causing friction.
A foot powder helps to keep the foot dry as well as helping with the gliding
action.
The Gehwol products are made from lanolin, herbs and essential oils. These
ingredients will help heal
any irritations as well.Vaseline is often mentioned by some pilgrims. The
people I saw with huge
blisters were using Vaseline. This product is like using plastic wrap around
your feet. The skin can't
breath, so moisture is trapped and saturates the skin making this an ideal
place for blisters to form.
 Daily Care on the Camino:
 Every day on the Camino the feet need to be checked over carefully. Watch
for hot spots and
tenderness. After showering, apply a credible foot cream and massage the
feet, making sure the
cream is applied evenly and between the toes and under them. Apply a dusting
of foot powder both
on the foot and in the shoe. During the day's hike, if you remove your shoes
to cool your feet in the
fountain (and I recommend this highly), make sure you apply cream and powder
again.
At the end of the day, apply cream and if you have a pair of sandals, wear
them to air your feet. The
"smart wool" socks that have been mentioned are better than cotton, because
wool absorbs moisture
and keeps the hot feet from being saturated with sweat. The wool also means
you can wear them
even if they haven't dried overnight as they will continue to protect your
feet even when wet. They
may feel cold when you first put wet sock on, but they warm up quickly and
aren't noticeable at all.
 Your shoes are critical and must be worn-in before you embark on the
Camino. Your choice of
shoes is a personal preference according to what your feet dictate. But the
shoe should be
supportive for the type of hike. Purchasing your foot ware should be done at
a store that specializes
in outfitting such activities. Clerks in shoe stores and sports stores
aren't necessarily trained to help
you.
Most cross-country runners are good for about 400k. My feet began burning
around that time. Next
time I go, I will take along a second inner sole that I have broken in, and
exchange them when hit
that mark. When the shoe is old you will feel like you are walking barefoot
on cement. There is little
cushion left. So I theorize that at least replacing the inner sole will
help.
How to fix a blister
I have seen some pilgrims thread their blisters. They have a normal needle
and thread, put the needle
into the edge of the blister and draw the thread through and create a
running stitch through the blister.
This allows the fluid to drain without removing the skin, which will expose
the raw tissue underneath.
I've never done this but apparently it works well. I would add "compeed" to
protect this blister and
promote healing.
Smaller blisters are easily dealt with by using the "compeed". It stays on
for days even with sweating
and showering. Make sure you put compeed on before the foot cream so it will
adhere.
 Foot care kit
?       Foot cream
?       Foot powder
?       Compeed or its likeness (compeed is available in stores along the Camino
(in North
America Johnson's puts out the same thing under its own name)
?       Foot file to sand the callouses
?       Nail clipper (if gone for more than 3 weeks)
?       2 sets of socks (if using the 2 sock method of 1 thin micro fibre &
?       1 smart wool)
?       Extra set of inner soles broken-in

Hope this helps.
Ultreya
Judith