People often neglect to look after their feet even though they are our most common mode of transport.
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We will walk more than 128,000 kilometres in our lifetime - equivalent to three times around the world.
Podiatrists are trained to prevent, diagnose, treat and rehabilitate medical and surgical conditions of the feet and lower limbs.
Are your feet a sore point?
Then October’s Foot Health Month is the perfect time to take a step towards caring for your feet.
The Australasian Podiatry Council, Australia's peak body for podiatry, hosts Foot Health Month annually.
The council’s Brenda Tonkin said feet take a lot of force over extended periods of time. Pain is common in the heels, balls of the feet and arches.
According to the council, standing in one spot or walking for more than four hours at a time is a risk factor – and "proper foot care is paramount to relieving discomfort and preventing more serious injuries from occurring".
Tips from the Australasian Podiatry Council include:
- Your toes should not touch the end of your shoes
- Regular wearers of high-heeled shoes place more pressure on the balls of their feet and walk less efficiently than those wearers of flat shoes
- Shoes that are properly fitted with a sturdy heel box, good arch support and appropriate cushioning are recommended
- Change position regularly
- Keep muscles mobile to give pressure points a rest
- Many problems can be prevented by keeping feet clean and dry: inspect them for corns, calluses and cuts and keep your toenails in good condition
Podiatrists offer professional treatment services to help prevent and manage foot conditions across all facets of the community including fitting custom orthotics, treating high-risk feet, sports podiatry, treatment for children, taking care of ingrown toenails and skin conditions such as corns and calluses and helping you choose footwear to adequately support your feet at work.
Podiatrists will be visiting workplaces during October across Australia.
Tom Do Canto, podiatrist at Walker Street Sports Podiatry in North Sydney told The Huffington Post Australia, “One of the biggest complaints we see in both men and women is pain due to skin, nail and muscular conditions caused by their work shoes.”
“When it comes to work shoes, you should be looking for natural leather with little or no seams or stitching across the toes and top of the foot. Instead, choose a shoe with a single panel that will stretch around the toes.”
“They should be 100 per cent comfortable out of the box,” he said.