With the holidays right around the corner, now is the time to narrow down your shopping ideas and find something perfect for everyone on your list. So, to help you out, our podiatrists in Medford, OR—Dr. Evan Merrill, Dr. Devin Dimond and Dr. Chase Christensen—are sharing their top picks in this holiday gift guide. Follow their suggestions and you’ll be giving your loved ones the gift of reduced pain and better balance, posture and comfort.
Foot Pain Fighting Holiday Gift Guide ![holiday gift wrapped]()
We’ve selected each of these gift ideas because they can do double duty when it comes to fighting foot pain, resolving current concerns and preventing future issues from developing. Shop for yourself or for friends and family; everyone’s feet will say thank you when these gifts are unwrapped!
1. Custom Orthotic Devices
Custom orthotics are made to fit the exact shape of your foot in order to offset any biomechanical weaknesses in your body. As such, they are considered medical devices; yet, unlike many other devices, these insoles can fit directly into your shoes, making it incredibly easy to wear them on a daily basis. And when you do? Well, they’ll improve the alignment of your feet and help evenly distribute weight across your bones and tendons. In turn, you can alleviate many causes of foot pain, while also helping prevent concerns such as bunion development or inflammatory conditions like plantar fasciitis.
2. Socks That Lock in Moisture
The holiday season marks the beginning of a long, cold winter here in Southern Oregon. And, with the arrival of winter, we see a dramatic increase in your risk for dry skin on your feet, along with cracked and bleeding heels. For that reason, moisturizing your feet on a daily basis is one of our top winter foot care tips. But if you want to level up your routine and truly lock in moisture, shop this holiday gift guide for moisturizing socks. When you put them on after applying moisturizer to your feet, they’ll help your skin absorb the applied product. Plus, because they’re infused with nourishing and moisturizing ingredients like Vitamin E, aloe vera and shea butter, they can offer further protection to your feet, helping reduce your risk of developing, calluses, corns or blisters.
3. A Roller Made for Foot Massage
Whether you’re hosting parties or braving holiday travel, your feet take a beating during this time of year, resulting in tired, achy feet at the end of most days. Want to give the gift of daily foot pain relief? Score this foot massager from our holiday gift guide. While rolling out your feet won’t cure existing cases of plantar fasciitis on its own, regularly using this tool remove tension from the plantar fascia, helping reduce existing heel pain or prevent future flare ups from occurring.
4. House Slippers for Toasty, Supported Feet
We always advocated against walking barefoot around your home. Not only does it leave you vulnerable to injuries and infections, walking barefoot also puts excess pressure on the feet, making your more vulnerable to both heel pain and arch pain. Luckily, you can give your loved ones a gift this year that solves this problem without encouraging people to wear dirty outdoor shoes around the home—simply purchase a pair of supportive house slippers. (Bonus points if you find ones with thick soles and a backing to prevent gripping and slipping.) When worn regularly, slippers can help prevent foot pain and could even lead to improved sleep at night, thanks to improved overall comfort.
5. The Gift of Laser Therapy
Here at our Southern Oregon podiatry practice, also serving Northern California, we alleviate the pain of injuries, diabetic wounds and even arthritis with MLS Laser therapy. Designed to speed up your body’s healing process; support new blood vessel development; and reduce pain and inflammation, slipping a gift card for laser therapy into a loved one’s stocking this season is a great way to show someone how much you care for their health and comfort!
Prioritize Foot Health During the Holidays
Clearly this podiatry-focused holiday gift guide is packed with items that can relieve prevent or alleviate foot pain. Still, none of these gifts can or should replace the care and attention of a trained podiatrist. As such, before you shop these suggestions to address your existing foot, toe or ankle pain, give us a call at 541-776-3338. (You can also follow this link to request an appointment online). When you come into the office, one of our three expert podiatrists will conduct a thorough medical examination to uncover the cause of your pain. Afterward, we'll provide you with a targeted treatment plan to relieve your pain and keep problems from returning, for the rest of the holiday season or even in the New Year!