Because Foot Health Week falls in October each year – this year it’s from Monday the 15th to Friday the 21st of October – at Trevor Lane Podiatry, we like to think of the whole month as “Foot Health Awareness Month”.
As part of our commitment to providing you with the very best foot care, we regularly share tips here on our podiatry blog, on everything from preventing and treating common sports injuries, to what to look for in kids’ school shoes.
Foot Health Fact Sheets
Another great source of information is the Australian Podiatry Association website, which has a number of foot health fact sheets designed to not only help you look after your feet, but also explain exactly how a podiatrist can help. According to the Association, only a fraction of people suffering from sore feet actually seek treatment, which means many Australians could be suffering needlessly.
At time of writing, there are nine Fact Sheets available:
- When to See a Podiatrist: Podiatrists are university-trained to be foot care experts and can help with symptoms and issues affecting the lower limbs and feet.
- Looking after Ageing Feet: After many years of use and often abuse (eg wearing ill fitting shoes and high heels), foot pain and problems may develop – discover tips to help keep you active and mobile.
- Corns and Calluses: Find out how they develop, how to prevent them, and how to treat them.
- Diabetes and Your Feet: Discover why having diabetes increases your risk of foot problems and infections, and the signs and symptoms to look for (you may also like to take a look at our blog post, How a Podiatrist can help a Diabetic).
- Footwear Health Check: A guide on what to look for when buying new shoes.
- Fungal & Nail Infections: Learn how to prevent and treat the nasties that can cause infections in your feet and toe nails.
- Gait Analysis: By assessing the way you walk, a podiatrist can diagnose any problems and prescribe treatment to prevent and minimise pain and risk of injury. You can also find out more in our article on Digital Gait Scan Analysis.
- Incorrectly Fitted Shoes: Ill fitting shoes can be the reason behind foot pain and problems – could your shoes be doing you damage?
- Pain: Pain is your body’s way of alerting you to the fact that something is not right. What is your foot and/or lower limb pain trying to tell you?
Each fact sheet also includes a handy checklist – if you tick one or more of the boxes on the checklist, the Australian Podiatry Association urges you to make an appointment with your local podiatrist as soon as possible.
To read and download the fact sheets, head to: https://www.podiatry.org.au/foot-health-resources/foot-health-fact-sheets.