Feet are pretty darn amazing when you stop to think about it. They are a myriad of parts – including the toes, ball, and heel – that work harmoniously to get you from one place to the next. And, they do it all while handling hundreds of tons of force – your weight in motion – every single day. However, the stress of carrying you around creates a LOT of wear and tear which, in turn, puts your feet at high risk of injury – more so, in fact, than any other part of your body!
Many of the “day to day” foot problems, like blisters, bunions, calluses, corns, hammertoes, ingrown toenails, athlete’s foot, and so on, can occur because of neglect, poor fitting shoes or, sometimes, “just because”. Your feet also have the ability to let you know if your body is under attack from a serious disease – for instance, gout will typically attack the foot joints first.
In the coming weeks we’ll look at the effects that fashion can have on feet (think “scary tight” shoes), how to find the right shoes to keep your feet healthy and pain free, as well as some common ailments – and treatments – of the foot. So, stay tuned – there’s a lot more to come!