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Foot Abuse
| Article
# : |
16459 |
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Section : |
LIFE
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| Issue
Date : |
5 / 1989 |
2,324 Words |
| Author
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Evelyn B. Kelly
Evelyn B. Kelly is vice president of the Florida Chapter of
the American Medical Writers' Association and conducts
seminars on pediatric, psychological, and gerontological
concerns. |
Who, me? Walk? Why, I use a tank of gasoline in the mall parking lot looking for the closest place to park just to avoid walking. Ask my feet. They have already circled the earth a couple of times. According to the American Podiatric Medical Association, the average person will walk about 115,000 miles in a lifetime--more than four jaunts around the equator. If you are between thirty and forty-five, you are probably on trip three.
Considering all those grueling miles, no wonder aching feet cause us to complain, snipe at others, and generally feel miserable. With all the wear and tear, including that caused by ill-fitting shoes, maladies like corns, calluses, bunions, ingrown toenails, and hammertoes are as ordinary as apple pie.
Meet Your Busy Feet
Fifty-two bones, thirty-three joints, and more than a hundred ligaments, tendons, and muscles make up your feet. The bones in the foot add up to about one-quarter of the body's 204 bones. The heel, the base of the little toe, and the base of the big toe form a weight-bearing tripod. Toes add extra balance.
Follow a step in slow motion. Starting at the heel, we move to the outside of the foot, then shift to the base of the big toe. As we move, the whole network of muscles, bones, and connective tissues from the toe to the calf of the leg are in action. Ligaments tie the ankle to the long bone of the leg, and the Achilles tendon ties the calf muscle to the heel bone.
During a day, you will take eight thousand to ten thousand steps on tile, pavement, and other surfaces. With each step, gravity-induced pressure of three to four times the body's weight bears down on each foot. And if you weigh 150 pounds, 600 pounds of pressure borne with each step adds up to colossal force--and your feet must endure it all.
Good News And Bad News
Good news--feet are made to take grueling mileage and years of active duty. Most of us start life with trouble-free feet: Just watch young children running, jumping, and skipping, with no complaints about aching feet. Better news--most foot problems don't have to happen! Best news--some kinds of foot damage can be halted or even reversed.
Then with all the good news,
...
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