THE average person's feet will walk 99,439 miles in a lifetime, a distance equivalent to going four times around the world. In each foot there are 32 joints, eight arches, 26 bones and more than hundred muscles and tendons. Although the feet contain more than a quarter of all the bones in the human body most people give little thought to protecting and caring for their feet until there is a problem.
According to podiatrist Dr Monique Mitchell, there is a definite link between obesity and foot problems both in America where three million people are overweight or obese and here in The Bahamas where more than 70 per cent of the population is overweight or obese.
"The Orthopedic Society of the United States has done numerous studies on how obesity affects the feet. These studies indicate that the higher the body mass index (BMI) or the more weight you carry, the more problems persons tend to have with their feet. One study showed that more than 40 per cent of participants could relate the pain that they had in their feet to the fact that they had put on weight," Dr Mitchell recently told participants of Get Well Bahamas.
"As a podiatrist one of the common things that I see every day is heel pain and one of the things that relates to the heel pain is weight gain. When patients say they've started to experience heel pain in the last couple of months I ask what has changed in that time and they usually say, 'Oh, I've put on some weight'," Dr Mitchell said.
* Foot pain
While foot pain is usually the result of weight gain, it can also be the cause of weight gain perpetuating an unhealthy cycle unless measures are taken to correct the problem.
"A study by the American Podiatric Medical Association found that 72 per cent of Americans were fat or they were getting fat because they had foot pain. And what happens when you have foot pain? You can't walk and you can't exercise because your foot is hurting and if you don't exercise you are going to put on weight," Dr Mitchell said.
She explained that when excess weight affects the feet it usually affects other joints in the lower body as well.
"The most active joints in your lower extremities are the big toe joint, the ankle joint and the knee joint and when you have pain in the big toe eventually you're going to have pain in the ankle and eventually you're going to have pain in the knee and you're going to have pain in the hip. So everything hinges on each other. When God made this body it was fearfully and wonderfully made so everything was made to function in sequence," she said.
* Common foot problems
According to Dr Mitchell, some of the most common foot problems that podiatrists see are the result of patients being overweight, for example, heel pain and posterior tibial tendonitis where the arch of the foot collapses and the foot becomes very flat. Other common foot conditions related to obesity include ingrown toenails, swelling, venous insufficiency and even arterial problems.
* Footwear
While these types of foot problems require medical care from a trained specialist one way everyone can protect their feet and related joints is by wearing the right shoes or athletic footwear.
"Physical activity is vital not only to lose weight but for healthy living. You eat every day so you have to move every day and in order to move you need your feet. Walking is an excellent exercise. Everybody can do it and we thank God we live in a country where we can do it every day all year round, but you must have the proper footwear," Dr Mitchell said.
"You want a sneaker that has structure in the middle and an in-sole that conforms to the shape of the feet. It should fit so that you have room at the front and it should have laces so it can attach to your foot properly. That's the type of footwear that you want to wear."
On the contrary, when exercising, she said one should avoid wearing footwear like sandals or sweet waters - sneakers with a flat bottom and no structure in the middle, that don't support the feet.
Dr Mitchell said those types of footwear will only cause foot pain and should not be used for exercise or even for working in all day.
* Foot care
Along with having the proper footwear Dr Mitchell said it's important to keep the feet clean and dry to avoid infections and foot odor.
"It has been proven that persons who are overweight tend to have more fungal infections or infections on the feet and that's probably only because they tend not to pay attention to something like this. Sometimes they'll tell me "I can't reach my foot but if you lose weight you'll be able to reach your feet so you can care for them, clean them and do what you need to do," she said.
* Foot support
She also noted that some feet may require additional support, for example, when there are structural problems such as flat feet or a foot deformity. Since adults can no longer change the shape of their feet without surgery it may be necessary to wear a brace, orthotics or an in-sole to ensure that feet are functioning at best.
* When to see a podiatrist
How can you tell when your feet need medical attention? Dr Mitchell says it may be normal to have some aches and pains in the feet when beginning a new activity, however, if there is persistent pain or swelling in the lower extremity you should come and see a podiatrist. Other conditions that warrant a visit to the foot doctor? Fallen arches, painful bunions, hammertoes or ingrown toenails.
With weight loss and proper foot care Dr Mitchell assured the Get Well Bahamas participants that they would be able to achieve their goals and enjoy the benefits of healthy, happy feet.
Please call the Foot, Ankle & Lower Leg Center office in Las Vegas anytime @702-878-2455 between Monday – Friday and we would be happy to set up an appointment for you. Please visit our website @ FallCenter.com or www.walkwithdiabetes.com. The Foot, Ankle & Lower Leg Center has Diagnostic imaging: Digital X-Rays, Ultrasound or Advanced Imaging will be used to aid in the diagnosis.
Dr. Anthony Ricciardi at the Foot, Ankle & Lower Leg Center has completed training in endoscopic/minimally invasive surgery for chronic heel pain and nerve pain, foot and ankle joint replacement for restoring pain free motion, arthroscopic surgery, bunion surgery, fracture repair, flat foot correction, external fixation for complex deformities and extensive experience in peripheral nerve surgery including diabetic peripheral neuropathy and reconstructive surgery of previously failed foot surgical procedures. In addition to his surgical training Dr. Ricciardi focuses on sports medicine of the foot and ankle through regenerative techniques using the patient’s own blood/platelets for healing chronic foot and ankle problems (pain) as a result of repetitive sport injuries. This cutting edge technology enables patients to continue training with little or no down time. Dr. Ricciardi continues to be active in teaching and training other podiatric surgeons on innovative surgical techniques in foot surgery. Dr. Ricciardi is Board Certified by the American Board of Podiatric Surgery, a Fellow of the American College of Foot and Ankle Surgeons and Fellow of the Association of Extremity Nerve Surgeons. Dr. Ricciardi’s vision is to bring each patient the most current state of the Art Technology and personalized treatment options to meet their Foot and Ankle needs (from conservative care to surgical options). Dr. Ricciardi believes in quality service and puts his patients first!
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