Protect your ears and feet this summer!

Why does a chiropractor concern himself with ears and feet? Well, I'll tell you.
First, ears are something I see the back of all day as patients lie down on my adjusting table. The ears are one of those areas that people neglect, and I often catch lesions developing early. Many of my patients have had to get early pre-cancerous spots removed and the ears are a frequent removal sight. The ears are hard to see in the mirror because they are on the side of the head, sometimes elsewhere depending on the shape of your dome. Ears stick out even when a hat is worn. Sun hits the ears all the time and due to this, many people will develop skin lesions on the ears over time. Protect yourself all the time, but especially this summer, with a little sunscreen on the ears. Avoid future problems with a little prevention. While you're at it, apply some on your nose and cheekbones if not your whole face. These are areas that are always exposed to harmful rays.
Second, feet are frequent victims of summer abuse as people take off their regular shoes and either don some sandals or go barefoot. I do not have a problem with this, but I do have some suggestions. The feet are typically weak due to a winter of being stuck in supportive shoes. Based on this weakness, spend the first couple of warmer weekends strengthening the feet. Instead of endless hours spent barefoot or in sandals, alternate between supportive footwear and less supportive versions or nothing at all. Lately, sandal manufacturers have stepped up their support technology, so if you can find a nice pair that have some arch support, spend the extra money on those and protect your feet. Going barefoot will strengthen your feet, but start off in shorter spurts so that your feet adapt to not having support versus going a whole weekend without shoes and injuring yourself.
As a chiropractor, I adjust feet and ankles all the time due to biomechanical problems people develop due to injuries, bad shoes, etc... The feet and ankles support the entire body so if they are out of whack, the rest of you will not move normally and problems will occur. So, support your feet and protect them so that the rest of your body will be supported properly and you'll have a great summer.