PODIATRIST WARNS AGAINST TIKTOK FAD OF LIDOCAINE SPRAY TO FEET

If you're wondering how a spray designed to relieve muscle and joint pain can help make your favorite stilettos feel less tortuous, allow a podiatrist to explain. "Lidocaine spray is a local anesthetic that works by causing temporary numbness/loss of feeling in the skin," says Hillary Brenner, DPM, a podiatrist based in New York and New Jersey. "It helps ease pain by simply numbing the pain receptors in the foot." So, if it sounds a little bit scary to hear TikTokers note that their feet "instantly go numb" upon applying the spray, Dr. Brenner says that's exactly why you probably don't want to try this trick for yourself. "I'm not a fan of using this product to ease pain when wearing heels," she explains. "There is a reason we have pain receptors in our feet."

 

Dr. Hillary Brenner

 

Using such a spray and, in turn, ignoring those signals can potentially lead to minor issues, such as blisters; it may also cause you to "miss signs of developing stress fractures," says Brenner. She also notes that disregarding the pain receptors in the feet can also increase your chances of developing corns and calluses, which are thick, hardened layers of skin that develop when your skin tries to protect itself against friction and pressure. 

 

Source: Arielle Tschinkel, Shape [10/26/21]

Courtesy of Barry Block, editor of PM News