| Aging | Meet Your Feet | 10 Problems | Shoe History |
| Foot Health | Medicare | Foot Wear | Shoe Choosing |
| What is a Podiatrist | |||
Foot Health
The human foot is a biological masterpiece. Its strong, flexible, and functional
design enables it to do its job well and without complaint — if you take care
of it and don’t take it for granted.
The foot can be compared to a finely tuned race car, or a space shuttle,
vehicles whose function dictates their design and structure. And like them, the
human foot is complex, containing within its relatively small size 26 bones (the
two feet contain a quarter of all the bones in the body), 33 joints, and a
network of more than 100 tendons, muscles, and ligaments, to say nothing of
blood vessels and nerves.
Tons of Pressure
The components of your feet work together, sharing the tremendous pressures of
daily living. An average day of walking, for example, brings a force equal to
several hundred tons to bear on the feet. This helps explain why your feet are
more subject to injury than any other part of your body.
Foot ailments are among the most common of our health problems. Although some
can be traced to heredity, many stem from the cumulative impact of a lifetime of
abuse and neglect. Studies show that 75 percent of Americans experience foot
problems of a greater or lesser degree of seriousness at some time in their
lives; nowhere near that many seek medical treatment, apparently because they
mistakenly believe that discomfort and pain are normal and expectable.
There are a number of systemic diseases that are sometimes first detected in the
feet, such as diabetes, circulatory disorders, anemia, and kidney problems.
Arthritis, including gout, often attacks foot joints first.
Specialized Care
Your feet, like other specialized structures, require specialized care. A doctor
of podiatric medicine can make an important contribution to your total health,
whether it is regular preventive care or surgery to correct a deformity.
In order to keep your feet healthy, you should be familiar with the most common
ills that affect them. Remember, though, that self treatment can often turn a
minor problem into a major one, and is generally not advisable. You should see a
podiatric physician when any of the following conditions occur or persist.
Athlete’s foot is a skin disease, usually
starting between the toes or on the bottom of the feet, which can spread to
other parts of the body. It is caused by a fungus that commonly attacks the
feet, because the wearing of shoes and hosiery fosters fungus growth. The signs
of athlete’s foot are dry scaly skin, itching, inflammation, and blisters. You
can help prevent infection by washing your feet daily with soap and warm water;
drying carefully, especially between the toes; and changing shoes and hose
regularly to decrease moisture. Athlete’s foot is not the only infection,
fungal and otherwise, which afflicts the foot, and other dry skin/dermatitis
conditions can be good reasons to see a doctor of podiatric medicine if a
suspicious condition persists.
Blisters are caused by skin friction. Don’t pop
them. Apply moleskin or an adhesive bandage over a blister, and leave it on
until it falls off naturally in the bath or shower. Keep your feet dry and
always wear socks as a cushion between your feet and shoes. If a blister breaks
on its own, wash the area, apply an antiseptic, and cover with a sterile
bandage.
Bunions are misaligned big toe joints which can
become swollen and tender. The deformity causes the first joint of the big toe
to slant outward, and the big toe to angle toward the other toes. Bunions tend
to run in families, but the tendency can be aggravated by shoes that are too
narrow in the forefoot and toe. There are conservative and preventive steps that
can minimize the discomfort of a bunion, but surgery is frequently recommended
to correct the problem.
Corns and calluses are protective layers of
compacted, dead skin cells. They are caused by repeated friction and pressure
from skin rubbing against bony areas or against an irregularity in a shoe. Corns
ordinarily form on the toes and calluses on the soles of the feet. The friction
and pressure can burn or otherwise be painful and may be relieved by moleskin or
padding on the affected areas. Never cut corns or calluses with any instrument,
and never apply home remedies, except under a podiatrist’s instructions.
Foot odor results from excessive perspiration from
the more than 250,000 sweat glands in the foot. Daily hygiene is essential.
Change your shoes daily to let each pair air out, and change your socks, perhaps
even more frequently than daily. Foot powders and antiperspirants, and soaking
in vinegar and water, can help lessen odor.
Hammertoe is a condition in which any of the toes
are bent in a claw-like position. It occurs most frequently with the second toe,
often when a bunion slants the big toe toward and under it, but any of the other
three smaller toes can be affected. Although the condition usually stems from
muscle imbalance, it is often aggravated by ill-fitting shoes or socks that
cramp the toes. Avoid pressure on the toes as much as possible. Surgery may be
necessary to realign the toes to their proper position.
Heel pain can generally be traced to faulty
biomechanics which place too much stress on the heel bone, ligaments, or nerves
in the area. Stress could result while walking or jumping on hard surfaces, or
from poorly made footwear. Overweight is also a major contributing factor. Some
general health conditions—arthritis, gout, and circulatory problems, for
example— also cause heel pain.
Heel spurs are growths of bone on the underside of
the heel bone. They can occur without pain; pain may result when inflammation
develops at the point where the spur forms. Both heel pain and heel spurs are
often associated with plantar fasciitis, an inflammation of the long band of
connective tissue running from the heel to the ball of the foot. Treatments may
range from exercise and custom-made orthotics to anti-inflammatory medication or
cortisone injections.
Ingrown nails are nails whose corners or sides dig
painfully into the skin, often causing infection. They are frequently caused by
improper nail trimming, but also by shoe pressure, injury, fungus infection,
heredity, and poor foot structure. Toenails should be trimmed straight across,
slightly longer than the end of the toe, with toenail clippers. If painful or
infected, your podiatric physician may remove the ingrown portion of the nail;
if the condition reoccurs frequently, your podiatrist may permanently remove the
nail.
Neuromas are enlarged, benign growths of nerves,
most commonly between the third and fourth toes. They are caused by bones and
other tissue rubbing against and irritating the nerves. Abnormal bone structure
or pressure from ill-fitting shoes also can create the condition, which can
result in pain, burning, tingling, or numbness between the toes and in the ball
of the foot. Conservative treatment can include padding, taping, orthotic
devices and cortisone injections, but surgical removal of the growth is
sometimes necessary.
Warts are caused by a virus, which enters the skin
through small cuts and infects the skin. Children, especially teenagers, tend to
be more susceptible to warts than adults. Most warts are harmless and benign,
even though painful and unsightly. Warts often come from walking barefooted on
dirty surfaces or littered ground. There are several simple procedures which
your podiatric physician might use to remove warts.