Cabin Crew & Flying Feet!
The average person walks 9000 steps (4½ miles) per day. This may seem a lot but compare it to the amount taken by those in continual standing/walking professions and it pales in comparison! The feet of those in an active job, such as cabin crew, will be put to greater use than those of us in less physically demanding or more desk-based roles.
The role of the cabin crew member, or flight attendant, is one such example, thus it is not surprising that cabin crew attend our clinic on a daily basis, seeking help for a variety of issues affecting their lower back, hips, legs, knees & feet.
Common Cabin Crew Foot Problems
• Pain in the arch, heel or ball of the foot/feet
• Visible changes in the shape and size of the foot/feet
• Clawing of the toes
• Lesions – hard skin, tissue swelling, skin peeling, red spots.
• Corns, Callus, Verruca
• Nail concerns – ingrowing/fungal/ trauma.
• Muscle pain.
• Lower back or knee pain
• Bunions
Foot Tips for Cabin Crew
• Maintain skin hydration by applying a good (urea-based) foot moisturizing cream once daily. The skin is a protective barrier preventing the entry of bacterial, fungal or viral infections, neglect it and the barrier will break down. Skin is at higher risk of drying out on long-haul flights.
• Remove toenail varnish after 48 hours – covering the nails for any longer than this can weaken the nail, and increases the risk of fungal infection.
• Avoid wearing footwear outside of work that are not supportive – flip flops, ballet pumps and stilettos can make underlying problems worse. Shoes that don’t support the feet will lead to skin, tendon, bone and even circulation problems.
• Alternate your shoes on a daily basis, as not doing so can increase the risk of developing fungal skin infections (e.g. Athletes foot).
• Pack your sports shoes with you on your layovers to wear around the city
How can a Podiatrist help cabin crew?
The Podiatrists at Dubai Podiatry Centre have been working with major local airlines for many years now and are experts in the typical ailments of cabin crew and the rigorous demands on your feet in your profession. Our aim is to keep you flying happily, and to work within grooming/uniform footwear guidelines, whilst keeping you fit for duty. Your feet are critical to your work, and we have developed specific treatments for cabin crew based on our in-depth understanding of the nature of your work and duties, uniform and roster and we always work to keep you and your Airline GP fully informed.
We will always carry out a bio-mechanical assessment when we first see you as part of our thorough examination process, to get to the root cause of any problem. For example, corns and callous can be a sign of extra pressure on an area of the foot due to a misalignment and the body trying to protect itself. Commonly this is either the ankles rolling on or out, collapsed arches or bunions.
How do the Podiatrists at Dubai Podiatry Centre work with cabin crew?
• Stretching of cabin shoes and/or high heel work shoes to give more room in the toe box
• Fitting of comfort cushioning liners to work shows, particularly when no biomechanical anomaly is present, to provide comfort
• Prescription of fully custom made orthotics to be worn within your cabin shoes at work, specifically designed and modified by us for the uniform cabin shoe. We are the only clinic in the Middle east to make custom made orthotics in our in-house lab, as opposed to generic or customized orthotics which are not made specifically for your feet.
• Advice and professional treatment of skin and nail problems such as verrucas, corns, callous and ingrowing toenails
• Gentle silicone based protective gel toe ˜tubing™ worn discreetly within your cabin shoes to protect your toes from friction and resulting corns and bursas.
• Routine regular chiropody care to maintain your foot health including corn and callous removal, fungal and ingrowing toenail management.
At Dubai Podiatry Centre we specialize in correcting underlying bio-mechanical discrepancies with the use of custom made corrective orthotics and are the only clinic in the region to do so. Custom prescription orthotics will realign specific joints within the feet, creating greater stability and improved function throughout the lower limbs. With the constraints of work footwear such as the cabin shoe in mind we have developed a specialized custom orthotic.
If you are concerned at all about your feet, legs or lower back, ask your Airline GP to refer you to Dubai Podiatry Centre. You can also contact us directly on +971 4 3435390 | WhatsApp – +971 50 3553024 for further information on how we can help keep your feet fit for flying!
