Dr. Marc Lipton

Every day, you wake up, slip on some socks and shoes, and start running. Or you take the dog for a walk…or you put the pedal to the metal to make it to work on time. Well, whatever it is, the point is that your feet come into play with just about everything you do throughout the day. Your feet are incredibly strong and resilient, yet they are wildly intricate and fragile at the same time. That’s why it is so important to care about the health of your feet, and visit a podiatrist at the first cause for concern.

Did you know that one fourth of the bones in the human body are in our feet? This intricate network of bones in our feet have many benefits, as they support our weight, act as a shock absorber, serve as a lever to allow our legs to move forward, and help us maintain our balance.

They're the workhorses of our bodies, but we give them so little respect. It's easy to take our feet for granted. They're just there, putting up with a host of challenges, from being jammed into high heels and elevated to unnatural heights to smothering inside sweaty socks or tight nylon pantyhose. While suffering those disgraces, our feet take hundreds of tons of force impact just during an average day of walking. That pounding explains why feet are the body part most likely to get injured.

Plantar fasciitis is an inflammatory condition causing foot and heel pain. Supporting the arch, the plantar fascia, a thick band of tissue connecting the heel to the ball of the foot, can become inflamed or even tear. The condition develops when repeated weight-bearing activities put a strain on the plantar fascia, which is the flat band of tissue (ligament) that connects your heel bone to your toes. It supports the arch of your foot. If you strain your plantar fascia, it gets weak, swollen, and irritated (inflamed).

You're hard on your feet, likely taking at least 5,000 steps a day. Research shows that it is common for the health community to actually encourage people to walk 10,000 steps per day. However, let's be honest, how much TLC do you really give your feet, except for an occasional pedicure? It is time to start paying more attention.