22 Podiatry Facts for Twosday in Frisco, Texas

In honor of 2/22/22, here are 22 facts regarding podiatry and your feet:

1. Both feet contain a combined total of 52 bones: 26 in each foot!
2. Archeologists have found evidence of foot doctors in ancient Egyptian tombs and Greek ruins.
3. APMA (The American Podiatric Medical Association) estimates that everyone will walk close to or more than 100,000 miles in their lifetime.
4. Standing in one spot puts more strain on your feet than walking does.
5. The first shoes were said to be made out of animal skin about  5 million years ago.
6. The health of your feet can be an indication of your overall health and illnesses such as diabetes, cardiovascular disease, and arthritis.
7. Toe to thumb transplants have been performed in cases where thumbs have undergone traumatic amputation.
8. Those who wear heels periodically are more likely to have foot pain and seek treatment later in life.
9. Skin cancer can develop on the feet.  It is important to check the skin on the feet, especially the bottoms, for new moles.
10. Lower back pain can actually be worsened or even caused by poor foot support.  Custom orthotics can help with low back pain, hip pain, and last for 2-3 years on average.
11. Abraham Lincoln, along with other significant historical figures have written about the care they received from podiatrists (at the time called chiropodists).
12. Ankle injuries should be treated promptly to prevent further injury and prevent chronic ankle pain/instability later in life.
13. Heel numbness can be caused by possible neuropathy (damage to nerves) or nerve compression.
14. Toenails grow very slowly. It takes 5-6 months to grow an entirely new toenail, which is slower than fingernails.
15. Foot sizes have been increasing over the last few decades.
16. Our feet are at their biggest in the afternoon/evening.
17. Heel pain is very common: 6 in 10 Americans have experienced pain in the past year.
18. Shoe shopping is best done in the afternoon due to swelling and should be properly measured while standing.
19. More often than not, people have two different sized feet.
20. There are about 250,000 sweat glands in a single pair of feet and can produce almost half a pint of moisture daily.
21. If your second toe is longer than your first toe this can be a sign for increased risk of bunions, hammers toes (toes that point down), and even back problems.
22. Your feet can continue growing even as an adult. Feet become wider and longer as you age because your tendons and ligaments lose elasticity

 

To schedule an appointment to learn even more about your feet click here