 What an amazing structure the human foot is. Made up of 26 relatively
small bones and held together by a network of ligaments, muscles and skin,
our feet take tortuous punishment every day. They sustain the burden of
our entire weight; they are shoved into dark, cramped and often damp "containers,"
or forced to teeter precariously on tiny spike heels. Far too many of us,
unfortunately, ignore our feet unless they begin to signal discomfort.
Functionally, our feet are designed to literally carry us through life
without complaint -- if taken care of. But, because they provide such an
accessible pathway for infection and injury, foot ailments are a relatively
common health problem.
My feet HURT! How many times have you heard or
said it...standing in line at the movies, in crowded shopping malls, on
vacation, or just standing during a routine business day. While four out
of five adults eventually suffer from some sort of problem with their feet,
far too many folks ignore the minor, early warnings and wind up with a
painful, chronic problem. They "fake it ‘til they make it..." and then
take it until they can’t make it any more.
| Forget "no pain--no gain." Feet that hurt interfere with every aspect
of life. If you don’t feel good, its hard to look good. And, if just getting
from one point to another is painful, it might be too easy to sit out on
the sidelines of life, letting others have all the fun. If your activities
are too restricted, you might find that you’re aging prematurely. |
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The good news is that your feet don’t have to hurt. In just about every
case, foot problems can be medically or surgically treated to correct the
disorder or deformity, restore function and mobility, and ease the pain.
The key to getting back on your feet is to seek qualified, professional
attention to obtain an accurate diagnosis. Fix it sooner rather than
later.
Some folks assume that Podiatrists just fix ingrown toenails, and others
think we only treat infections like warts or Athlete’s Foot. Actually,
we went to school all those years to care for the human foot -- we treat
everything from the ankle down. We care for people with sports injuries
-- foot and ankle strains, sprains and fractures. We treat childhood conditions
like intoeing, outtoeing, flatfeet, club feet and inherited foot deformities.
We perform surgeries for the correction of ingrown nails, warts, hammertoes,
bunions, heel pain, and repair traumatic foot injuries, as well. If that
weren’t enough to keep us busy, podiatrists also deal with foot disorders
that are due to aging, and to medical conditions such as diabetes, gout,
arthritis, heart and circulatory problems to name just a few.
Summer is just about here and that means accidents
with bare feet and the return of Houston’s famous humidity that is so hospitable
to virus and fungus infections. Public pool decks, locker rooms and steamy
shower areas are also ideal breeding grounds for the viral organisms that
cause plantar warts.
This year, don’t keep fakin’ it when it comes to your feet. Stop
neglecting the part of your anatomy that keeps you mobile. Put the spring
back in your step by getting a thorough foot exam! |
