The feet are an amazing feat of natural engineering. They each contain a mind-boggling number of bones, joints, ligaments, tendons, muscles and other components. Since these components are the supporters of the foundation of the rest of your body, that’s a lot of boggling. So take some of the boggle away from your feet and give them a much-needed rest with physical therapy.

Keep your feet flexible and free of pain with some of these fun and effective methods:

• Walking on the sand—This a great exercise while you are at the beach this summer. The resistance from the sand forces your foot to stretch and flex, increasing the strength and flexibility in your feet and ankles.

• Roll a ball under your foot—Try this the next time you get a foot cramp at the golf course: stand on a golf ball and roll it around under your foot. Pulling on your toes at the same time provides immediate relief of many foot cramps. Ball therapy also helps with arch pain, plantar fasciitis, and sesamoiditis.
• Toe flexing—Flexing your toes with resistance is a great way to increase toe mobility and strength. Just placing a rubber band around the front of your toes is all it takes. When you flex your toes open and closed, the small amount of added resistance will result in a large increase in toe health. This also works well for treating bunions.

For expert help with all your foot and ankle problems, see your foot care professional. At Your Next Step, our team of board-certified podiatrists has access to advanced technologies, along with years of experience, to help diagnose and treat a variety of foot and ankle problems, including sports injuries, joint pain, toe deformities, nail fungus, chronic tendon pain, and skin problems. Dr. Eric Ricefield, Dr. Mark Yagodich, and Dr. Aliza V. Eisen provide high-quality foot and ankle care to patients in the greater Philadelphia area at our offices conveniently located in Ardmore, Paoli, Woodlyn, and Downingtown. Please contact us for more information or to schedule an appointment.