Kicking up leaves

Bev Bird tells clients to take their socks off and show her their stuff: calluses, corns, foot sores, ingrown nails, fungus and more.

Her job as a nurse with the Summertree Cares Foot Care Program at Longmont United Hospital isn’t for everyone.

But some Longmont Senior Center members mark their calendars on the second and fourth Friday afternoons when she visits each month.

They tell friends they will be “getting their feet done,” though nail polish isn’t part of the deal.

Instead, Bird first assesses each client’s feet.

She mostly finds calluses built up too thick and ingrown toenails, both of which she removes with sharp paring knives and scissors.

“Calluses, in general, can be a good thing. They protect,” she said. “But when they build up, it’s painful. It can be like walking on a pebble.”

Bird also documents chronic diseases such as diabetes, which puts those of any age at greater risk of foot sores, she said.

If undetected and untreated, foot sores can get infected and lead to other medical complications.

Healthy feet make all the difference in how someone literally moves through life, Mountain View Foot & Ankle podiatrist Dr. Robert M. Smith said.

That care begins with proper shoe choices this autumn as people flip off sandals and tuck their feet into more restrictive shoes.

“The transition into closed-toe shoes sort of unmasks problems,” Smith said.

Issues often stem from too much friction on spots around the foot, he said