Our feet are really an amazing part of the body. They carry so much of our weight, are exposed to extreme heat or cold, and often don’t receive the same kind of treatment and care as other parts of our body. Did you know that the typical adult takes 4000-6000 steps every day, which means that in our lifetime, we walk enough to go around the world five times! Given all the use our feet see, it’s no surprise that many of us have foot pain or other foot problems. Many people grimace at the idea of foot treatment if they don’t need it, but painless foot treatment can do wonders for your aching feet. Foot and ankle specialists can recommend a painless foot treatment and help you avoid further ankle sprains or issues with your feet. It’s important to not treat your feet as an afterthought — taking good care of your feet will have important results later in life and make walking more comfortable.
Foot Facts
Those stinky feet that you hate so much come from the fact that our feet have 250,000 sweat glands per square inch. That means our feet secrete about half a pint of sweat every day. Time to get those moisture-wicking socks! There are 52 bones, 66 joints, 214 ligaments, and 38 muscles and tendons in our two feet. In a further lack of appreciation, 20% of people consider their feet the most unattractive feature of their body.
Walking is actually the best way to exercise your feet. It can help boost your circulation and help manage weight control. However, standing in one stop for a long period of time can actually feel like more exertion, because the same muscles are being worked for a longer period of time. If you’re looking for the best fit on a closed toe shoe, try on a pair at the end of the day — your feet are actually their biggest at the end of the day. Your feet are often also more swollen in the afternoon or evening. Ill fitting shoes can contribute to your foot problems — and cramming feet into high heels is often a culprit for foot pain. Indeed, this may explain why women may experience foot problems four times more than men.
How Many of Us Deal with a Foot or Ankle Problem?
Shockingly, three-quarters to 80% of adults have some type of foot problem and may be seeking foot treatment, including a painless foot treatment. Almost 50 million working days are given up every year because of back pain (which can often start with foot problems); as mentioned before, women are often victims here, because of fashionable high heels which are terrible for one’s feet. These can be especially deadly in bad weather, where it’s already easy to turn an ankle. Indeed, around 60% of total foot and ankle injuries for those older than 17 years of age were sprains or strains on the ankle.
Other common feet problems that podiatric physicians treat are corn and callus problems (over 80%), issues with the toenails (65%), bunions (63%), flat feet or fallen arches (a little over 46%), and toe/joint deformities (over 40%). Each one of these issues can cause considerable pain if left untreated and in some cases, may even signify a larger problem.
What Is a Painless Foot Treatment Method?
One such method is laser foot therapy, in which the applied laser stimulates blood flow to the affected area, which helps heal the foot faster. Swelling is also reduced, decreasing the patient’s pain. It’s a fast method — usually only about 15 minutes is needed — and can be done right in the doctor’s office. Even better, there’s no recovery time needed!
A simpler method is also to look into orthotics, gel inserts, and just better shoes with good arch support and cushioning in general.
Don’t needlessly suffer with your foot pain. Look into painless foot treatments and think about treating your feet with the respect they deserve. You want them to carry you many more miles into the future!