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Foot HealthDid you know that a human foot has 26 bones, 33 joints, 107 ligaments and 19 muscles? It is a masterpiece of engineering. The muscles and ligaments hold the bones together and form arches to provide incredible load-bearing capabilities. However, there are so many things that can go wrong with a system that comprises so many parts. This is why we have to take good care of our feet, since they are such an essential component to our everyday life. In today's society however, an increasingly inactive lifestyle, together with a growing use of transportation and mobility aids means that we use our feet less than they were originally intended for. This subsequently contributes to a weakening of the foot muscles. Being over-weight, wearing poorly fitting shoes and standing for long periods at work all place additional pressure on the feet. Walking in bare-feet on artificial surfaces during childhood years can also contribute to future problems. Unfortunately, most of us only pay special attention to our feet when the problems have begun to surface and they already starting to hurt. We all know that prevention is better than cure, but rarely do we apply this philosophy to the well being of our feet. When the foot's biomechanical structure of bones, joints, ligaments and muscles is unbalanced, this will eventually lead to foot disorders, such as flat-feet and high arches. Such disorders may then lead to related problems in the ankles, knees, hips and lower back. These problems can also be responsible for sore muscles and aching nerves all the way up from the toes to the neck. If the foot problems are not corrected, damage may eventually be caused to the joints and spinal vertebrate.
Some common foot disorders are described here. Simply click on the links opposite |
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