Foot Health

Every day, the average person spends several hours on their feet and takes several thousand steps. Walking puts pressure on your feet that's equivalent to one-and-a-half times your body weight. No wonder your feet hurt!

Actually, most foot problems can be blamed not on walking but on your shoes. Corns, for example, are calluses that form on the toes because the bones push up against the shoe and put pressure on the skin. The surface layer of the skin thickens and builds up, irritating the tissues underneath. Hard corns usually are located on the top of the toes or on the side of the small toe. Soft corns may resemble open sores and develop between the toes as they rub against each other.

About 30 million people in the US have diabetes, according to the American Diabetes Association. A possible complication of the disease is nervous system impairment (neuropathy), which may cause you to lose feeling in your feet or hands. This means you won't know right away if there is a problem. Diabetic neuropathy affects about 60 to 70 percent of people with diabetes.

People with diabetes are at risk for developing foot problems that can be severe. If you have diabetes, make sure to learn about these potential conditions, monitor your feet regularly, and see your foot and ankle orthopaedic surgeons if you suspect a problem.

Diabetes can cause serious foot problems. These conditions include the loss of nerve function (diabetic neuropathy) and loss of circulation (peripheral vascular disease). These two conditions can lead to: 

• Diabetic foot ulcers: wounds that do not heal
• Infections: skin infections (cellulitis), bone infections (osteomyelitis) and pus collections (abscesses)
• Gangrene: dead tissue resulting from complete loss of circulation
• Charcot arthropathy: fractures and dislocations that may result in severe deformities
• Amputation: partial foot, whole foot, or below-knee amputation

Many patients have questions about the hardware that is used in foot and ankle surgery. If you are having foot or ankle surgery, ask your physician if you will need implants like those discussed below.

If you're a smoker thinking about having surgery on your foot or ankle, there are some important things you should know. Cigarette smoke is filled with harmful chemicals including nicotine, hydrogen cyanide, and carbon monoxide. Smoking increases the chance that your bones and tissue may not heal well, that the area may become infected, or that you may have more pain after surgery than you did before.

Over time or through improper use or overuse, feet can change. Some of these changes are normal, such as a foot widening as a person ages. But other changes are abnormal and should be diagnosed and treated by a doctor. For instance, if a painful knob begins to develop near the big toe, it could be a bunion. Click below for information on how to assess your feet and know when you should see a doctor.

If you're considering foot or ankle surgery, your foot and ankle orthopaedic surgeon may have said you'll need to be non-weightbearing for a period of weeks after your procedure. What does that mean? 

The term non-weightbearing, sometimes prescribed simply as N.W.B., refers to restrictions placed on you immediately after surgery. You will be advised to avoid putting the surgically repaired foot on the floor. This typically means no weight whatsoever, not even for a second or two whether standing or seated.

Ankle sprains are very common injuries -- some 25,000 people do it every day.​​​ Sometimes, it is an awkward moment when you lose your balance, but the pain quickly fades away and you go on your way. But the sprain could be more severe; your ankle might swell and it might hurt too much to stand on it. If it's a severe sprain, you might have felt a "pop" when the injury happened.

People with diabetes are at risk for foot problems. However, building regular healthy habits, practicing proper daily care, and carefully protecting the feet can go a long way towards avoiding more serious issues, like gangrene, infection, deformity, and amputation. Click the button below for a list of important care recommendations for people with diabetes.

One step you can take to help keep your feet healthy is to consume plenty of calcium. Calcium keeps bones strong, and the amount your body needs varies at different times in your life. Dairy products like cheese and yogurt are examples of foods high in calcium. Click the button below to find out how much calcium you should have each day and for more tips to ensure you get enough in your diet.