blister prevention for podiatrists
DESCRIPTION
Blister Prevention for Podiatrists If you're trying to prevent blisters, start thinking less about what's rubbing on the skin surface; and more about how you're going to stop the rubbing underneath the skin surface. That means, it’s not enough to say heat, moisture and friction anymore. It’s about these 4 factors ... Take this information and get awesome with blister management. Give your athletes and hikers and runners and general patients brilliantly practical and helpful advice and treatment, tailored to their circumstances, their footwear, their activity and their level of blister proneness.TRANSCRIPT
Rebecca Rushton BSc(Pod)
BLISTER MANAGEMENT TODAY
BLISTER MANAGEMENT TODAY
I CAN IMAGINE IT BEING SO MUCH MORE
Instead, my guess is 80-90% of our blister prevention repertoire is this
BUT ARE BLISTERS THAT BIG A DEAL?
— Mike from Victoria
“I bought some new hiking boots some weeks back (Scarpa SL). Theoretically they are the same boots as my previous pair, same type size etc (and expensive). However, unlike the previous pair, these have caused me no end of frustration,
and I am still recovering from my last 2-day hike in the Victorian Alps where they took all of the skin off both my ankles and balls of my feet. Very painful, and I spent the last bit of the hike walking just in blood-soaked socks.”
— Marcus from Tasmania
“In 30 years of bushwalking in Tasmania I have never completed a walk of any distance without some kind of heel blister - on this trip I survived 6 days and 70 kilometres of walking carrying a 25 kilo pack without ANY blister of ANY kind.
The upshot of all of this is that I was able to enjoy the walk and that my wife and children were along for the trip with me. Under normal circumstances I would have been in quite serious discomfort after day three and basically become totally self-absorbed for the last 3 days enduring the pain.”
— Lisa from Victoria
“I’m training for the Melbourne marathon …
they saved me from giving up running. They are the best piece of kit I own as it doesn’t matter how much I spend on runners or socks I still end up with blisters and calluses”
— Garry from Queensland
“I’m now getting enjoyment out of my running shoes. (I no longer fear them!)”
50,000 VISITS PER MONTHPeople are looking for answers!
THEY’VE TRIED!
THEY’RE STILL HERE
Shallow
Unhelpful
Condescending
Just plain wrong
WHAT THEY FIND
THIS IS OUR CUE
Here’s What You’ll Learn
1. What causes blisters (and what doesn’t)
2.What shear is all about
3.The 4 requirements for blister-causing shear
4.How individual strategies work (and don’t work)
WHAT CAUSES BLISTERS?
o Rubbing
o Friction
o Heat, moisture and friction
o Burn
(Mainstream understanding)
“Many myths continue to be propagated regarding the prevention and treatment of friction blisters... Physicians, coaches and athletic trainers continue to advocate the use of petrolatum jelly and skin powders to prevent blisters while the scientific literature suggests these measures may actually increase the chance of blistering on the feet.”
Doug Richie. (2010). How to manage friction blisters. Podiatry Today. 23(6): 42-48
“Many myths continue to be propagated regarding the prevention and treatment of friction blisters... Physicians, coaches and athletic trainers continue to advocate the use of petrolatum jelly and skin powders to prevent blisters while the scientific literature suggests these measures may actually increase the chance of blistering on the feet.”
Doug Richie. (2010). How to manage friction blisters. Podiatry Today. 23(6): 42-48
WHO’S AWESOME?
“Many myths continue to be propagated regarding the prevention and treatment of friction blisters... Physicians, coaches and athletic trainers continue to advocate the use of petrolatum jelly and skin powders to prevent blisters while the scientific literature suggests these measures may actually increase the chance of blistering on the feet.”
Doug Richie. (2010). How to manage friction blisters. Podiatry Today. 23(6): 42-48
“Many myths continue to be propagated regarding the prevention and treatment of friction blisters... Physicians, coaches and athletic trainers continue to advocate the use of petrolatum jelly and skin powders to prevent blisters while the scientific literature suggests these measures may actually increase the chance of blistering on the feet.”
Doug Richie. (2010). How to manage friction blisters. Podiatry Today. 23(6): 42-48
Doug Richie
doesn’t think
we are!
“Many myths continue to be propagated regarding the prevention and treatment of friction blisters... Physicians, coaches and athletic trainers continue to advocate the use of petrolatum jelly and skin powders to prevent blisters while the scientific literature suggests these measures may actually increase the chance of blistering on the feet.”
Doug Richie. (2010). How to manage friction blisters. Podiatry Today. 23(6): 42-48
“Many myths continue to be propagated regarding the prevention and treatment of friction blisters... Physicians, coaches and athletic trainers continue to advocate the use of petrolatum jelly and skin powders to prevent blisters while the scientific literature suggests these measures may actually increase the chance of blistering on the feet.”
Doug Richie. (2010). How to manage friction blisters. Podiatry Today. 23(6): 42-48
Blisters are not caused by
rubbing on the skin surface!
They’re caused by rubbing
under the skin surface!!
WE’VE KNOWN THIS FOR40-60 YEARS!
NAYLOR (1955)Experimental friction blisters. British Journal of Dermatology. 67: 372-42
SULZBERGER et al (1966)Studies on blisters produced by friction. The Journal of Investigative Dermatology. 47(5): 456-65
COMAISH (1973)Epidermal fatigue as a cause of friction blisters. The Lancet. Jan: 81-83
WE’VE KNOWN THIS FOR40-60 YEARS!
• Not a burn caused by heat / rubbing• They’re a tear within the epidermis• A mechanical fatigue• Within the prickle layer (stratum spinosum)• Caused by shearing
WHAT IS SHEAR?
Rubbing under the skin… not on the skin!
Rubbing on top of the skin will cause a blister to deroof ...
INTACT BLISTER DEROOFED BLISTER
But rubbing under the skin caused the blister in the first place.
INTACT BLISTER DEROOFED BLISTER
What’s going on
under the
surface!
To put it simply if you're trying to prevent blisters start thinking less about what's rubbing on the skin surface …
and more about how you're going to stop the rubbing underneaththe skin surface.
BLISTER-CAUSING SHEARYou need all of them at the same time!
BLISTER-CAUSING SHEARYou need all of them at the same time!
Heat, moisture
& friction
BLISTER-CAUSING SHEARYou need all of them at the same time!
How often do you hear this
mentioned? It’s what we do!
COEFFICIENT OF FRICTION
FRICTION INTERFACES
Where’s the relevance to
blisters?
Skin-sock interfaceShoe-sock interface
FRICTION FACT
Reducing friction means increasing rubbing!
FRICTION FACT
This is good for blister prevention
FRICTION FACT
You can choose whereyou want it to rub
• within the soft tissues of the foot = blister• against the skin = potential for abrasion (deroof)• between shoe and sock = blister prevention
FRICTION FACT
How much rubbing is too much?
Traction is important!
INDIVIDUAL STRATEGIES
Footwear
Skin
Activity
FOOTWEARShoe-fit
FOOTWEAR Moisture-wicking socks
FOOTWEAR Moisture-wicking socks
FOOTWEARDouble-socks
FOOTWEARDouble-socks
FOOTWEARCushioning & insoles
FOOTWEAROrthoses
FOOTWEARENGO Patches
SKINAdaption
SKINAdaption
95% of blisters to occur in the first three weeks of military training:• Week 1: 35%• Week 2: 51%• Week 3: 9%
HOW MUCH SHEARCAUSES BLISTERS?
BLISTER PRONE / BLISTER RESISTANT
SKINAnti-perspirants
SKINAnti-perspirants
SKINPowders
SKINAstringents
SKINLubricants
Nacht et al (1981)
SKINTaping & dressings
SKINTaping & dressings
1. Protection from rubbing?2. Thermal insulation?3. Reducing friction levels?4. Spreading shear load?
http://www.blisterprevention.com.au/blister-blog/taping-for-blister-prevention
SKINTaping & dressings
ACTIVITYTechnique
ACTIVITYTraining regime
4 TAKE HOME MESSAGES
1. Blisters are caused by shear
2. Shear is “rubbing” under the skin surface
3. The 4 requirements for blister-causing shear
4 TAKE HOME MESSAGES
4. Reducing friction means increasing rubbing; This is good for blister prevention;Because you can choose where it rubs:
• within the soft tissues of the foot = blister• against the skin = potential for abrasion (deroof)• between shoe and sock = blister prevention
FOR MORE INFORMATION…
Blister Prevention website
Advanced Guide To Blister Prevention
www.blisterprevention.com.au