**The following post is written by my mother Kelly Curtis, my companion on the Camino de Santiago, and is in reference to her own feet**
The most popular topic of conversation along the Camino is feet. With so much walking, everyone has their foot problem. For me, it was something completely unexpected - a circulation problem. This is not something I have ever had trouble with before, and not something we had researched prior to the Camino. In fact, it’s not something I could find much information about on the Internet when it become a problem. Here is my foot crisis that took almost 100 miles from my Camino:
Day 1 Fourth day of the Camino, feet had progressively worsened since day 2 and day 4 was the longest day at 28 km. I had sent my bag ahead in the hopes my feet would tolerate the walk better but by the time we checked in at Logroño my feet had swollen so much and the blood blisters were so bad we decided to go to the pharmacy first and then the hospital. The pharmacist have me ibuprofen for the inflammation, allergy pills for the reaction and herbal pills for circulation. The doctor at the hospital said to rest with feet up and cold water soaks for 10 minutes, 4 times per day. I was to return and see her two days later. Day 2 Within 24 hours the swelling was down and the pain was gone. When I visited the doctor the next morning she said they looked much better but I was to not continue walking.
Day 3
We decided to take another rest day and take a train to Burgos. From there we would try walking again but fewer kilometers, and stopping more frequently to rest, take socks and shoes off, put feet up and soak if possible. Day 4
Walked 15 km with rest breaks and no swelling as long as I put my feet up during breaks
Day 5
Walked 20 km with rest breaks, feet continue to improve, though a typical blister is forming under my toe. Day 6
Walked 20 km with rest breaks and discoloration continues to improve even with the continued walking. Why did this happen and how to prevent it:
Ultimately, I was walking too far with too few breaks on the Camino. My body could not handle the dramatic change in distance, and therefore developed an allergic-type reaction to the Camino. To prevent this, engage in proper hiking training prior to the start of the Camino, work your way up to significant distances, and take plenty of breaks throughout the day, checking your feet and elevating them if they appear to be swelling.
If you develop a circulation rash similar to this one, spend significant time elevating your legs above your heart, cool your feet in ice cold water a few times a day, and talk to a local pharmacist about allergy medication. Buen Camino!
-Guest written by Kelly Curtis, My mother and traveling companion
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