Fascinating Facts about Feet and a Surprise Special!

Celebrating International Foot Health Awareness Month during May

In celebration of International Foot Health Awareness month, the Werkman Footcare & Orthotic Centre is delighted to offer a special introductory price for SIGVARIS’s NEW! 160 Eversoft Diabetic Sock, with a low compression factor of 8-15 mmHg.

Ideal for everyday wear and sensitive skin, the 160 Eversoft Diabetic Sock features thick, padded soles, heels and toes to protect feet; flat, low friction toe seam; and soft, stretchable knit-in band to prevent pinching.

Special Introductory Price for May:  $25/pair
Suggested retail: $32. Introductory price offered until May 29, 2015. Learn more…

Fascinating Facts About Feet

Feet are often taken for granted – that is, until something goes wrong. Feet get us around – we rely on our feet everyday for walking, running, jumping. And yet, most people know very little about what actually goes on inside the foot.

Foot bones…
Most people have 26 bones in each foot, but some people have 28. These extras, called supernumerary sesamoids, are found on the bottom of the foot just behind the big toe. Fourteen of the 26 bones are found in the toes. Each toe has three bones, except the big toe, which has two.

Foot structure…
There are 206 bones in the body which means more than a quarter of all our bones in our bodies are in our feet. Thirty-three joints, 107 ligaments, 19 muscles, and tendons hold the structure together and allow it to move in a variety of ways. The 52 bones in your feet make up about one quarter of all the bones in your body.

Sweat…
The soles of your feet contain more sweat glands and sensitive nerve-endings per square centimetre than any other part of your body. There are approximately 250,000 sweat glands in a pair of feet, and they excrete as much as half a pint of moisture each day.

Skin thickness…
The skin on your feet is thicker than it is anywhere else on your body.

Stress related susceptibility…
When you are stressed, you are more susceptible to the virus that causes warts on the foot.

Walking, Foot Health, and Exercise…
Walking is the best exercise for your feet and is also good for your overall health. It contributes to your general health by improving circulation, contributing to weight control and promoting all-around well being. During a typical day, the average person spends about four hours on their feet and takes between 8,000 and 10,000 steps. The average person walks up to about 160 000 kilometres, or 115,000 miles, in their lifetime, enough to walk around the earth 4 times. That works out to around 6 and a half kilometres a day. While walking, each step can exert a pressure on your feet that exceeds your body weight and when you’re running, it can be three or four times your weight — which adds up to a cumulative force of over 500 tons a day. With certain sporting activities this force can go up to 7 times bodyweight.

Nerve and sensory information…
There are more nerve endings per square centimetre in the foot than any other part of the body. Our feet constantly supply us with information about the surface we walk on, without our being even being aware of it. They tell us whether the surface is hot or cold, rough or smooth, which side it slopes to, etc.

Foot problems, pervasiveness statistics…
Seventy-five percent of Canadians will experience foot health problems of varying degrees of severity at one time or another in their lives. About 19 percent of the Canadian population has an average of 1.4 foot problems each year.

Gender propensity for foot problems…
Women have about four times as many foot problems as men; lifelong patterns of wearing high heels often are the culprit.

Foot symptoms can portend serious disease…
Your feet mirror your general health. Such conditions as arthritis, diabetes, nerve and circulatory disorders can show their initial symptoms in the feet — so foot ailments can be your first sign of more serious medical problems.

Common foot conditions, statistics…
Athlete’s foot / other foot infections: About 5 percent of the Canadian population has foot infections, including athlete’s foot, other fungal infections, and warts each year.

Corns and calluses: About 5 percent of the Canadian population has corns or calluses each year.

Fallen arches / other feet injury: About 6 percent of the Canadian population has foot injuries, bunions, and flat feet or fallen arches each year.

Ingrown toenails: About 5 percent of the Canadian population has ingrown toenails or other toenail problems each year.

Most frequently occurring foot problems…
About 60 percent of all foot and ankle injuries, reported by the Canadian population older than 17, were sprains and strains of the ankle.

Income and foot health…
As a person’s income increases, the prevalence of foot problems decreases.

Insect bites…
The foot is the most common body part bitten by insects.

These fascinating foot facts were sourced through the Canadian Federation of Podiatric Medicine.

Take care of your feet every day. See your Chiropodist or Podiatrist regularly and let’s stamp out foot dis-ease!