- Seventy-five percent
of Americans will experience foot health problems of varying
degrees of severity at one time or another in their lives.
- The foot is an intricate
structure containing 26 bones. 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.
- Women have about four
times as many foot problems as men; lifelong patterns of
wearing high heels often are the culprit.
- The American Podiatric
Medical Association says the average person takes 8,000
to 10,000 steps a day. Those cover several miles, and they
all add up to about 115,000 miles in a lifetime -- more
than four times the circumference of the globe.
- There are times when
you're walking that the pressure on your feet exceeds your
body weight, and when you're running, it can be three or
four times your weight.
- Shopping for shoes
is best done in the afternoon, says the American Podiatric
Medical Association. Your feet tend to swell a little during
the day, and it's best to buy shoes to fit them then. Have
your feet measured everytime you purchase shoes, and do
it while you're standing. When you try on shoes, try them
on both feet; many people have one foot larger than the
other, and it's best to fit the larger one.
- Trim your toenails
straight across with clippers specially designed for the
purpose. Leave them slightly longer than the tips of your
toes.
- Walking is the best
exercise for your feet. It also contributes to your general
health by improving circulation, contributing to weight
control. and promoting all-around well being.
- 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.
- The podiatric physician
(doctor of podiatric medicine, or DPM) is the health care
professional trained in the care of your feet. He or she
receives conventional medical training, plus special training
on the foot, ankle, and lower leg. All 50 states, the District
of Columbia, and Puerto Rico require that they pass rigorous
state board examinations before they are licensed, and most
require continuing education programs for regular license
renewal.
- There are about 13,320
doctors of podiatric medicine actively in practice in the
United States, and they receive more than 60 million visits
a year from people with any number of foot ailments. Yet
that's probably only a fraction of the number of foot problems.
Mostly, say podiatrists, that's because many people have
the erroneous notion that their feet are supposed to hurt.
- Only a small percentage
of the population is born with foot problems, the American
Podiatric Medical Association believes. It's neglect, and
a lack of awareness of proper care -- including ill-fitting
shoes -- that bring on the problems. A lifetime of wear
and tear, plus neglect, accounts for the fact that the practices
of most podistrists are made up of older Americans.
- Corns and calluses
are caused by friction and pressurefrom skin rubbing against
bony areas when wearing shoes. If the first signs of soreness
are ignored, corns and calluses rise up as nature's way
of protecting sensitive areas.
- 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.
- Plantar warts are caused
by a virus which may invade the sole of the foot through
cuts and breaks in the skin. Walking barefoot on dirty pavements
or littered ground can expose feet to this sometimes painful
skin infection.
- The seven colleges
of podiatric medicine all have entrance requirements which,
like institutions granting MD (medical doctor) and DO (doctor
of osteopathy) degrees, anticipate completion of an undergraduate
degree, though they will consider candidates who show unusual
promise and have completed a minimum of 90 semester hours
at accredited undergraduate colleges or universities. However,
the colleges report that recent entering classes were, on
the average, almost as likely to have more than four years
of undergraduate/graduate work as less than four.
- About 19 percent of
the US population has an average of 1.4 foot problems each
year.
- About 5 percent of
the US population has foot infections, including athlete's
foot, other fungal infections, and warts each year.
- About 5 percent of
the US population has ingrown toenails or other toenail
problems each year.
- About 5 percent of
the US population has corns or calluses each year. Of the
three major types of foot problems (infections, toenails,
and corns and calluses), people are less likely to receive
treatment for corns and calluses and more likely to continue
to have corns and calluses as a problem without treatment.
- About 6 percent of
the US population has foot injuries, bunions, and flat feet
or fallen arches each year.
- About 60 percent of
all foot and ankle injuries, reported by the US population
older than 17, were sprains and strains of the ankle.
- As a person's income
increases, the prevalence of foot problems decreases.
- Podiatric physicians
are the major providers of foot care services, providing
39 percent of all foot care (orthopedic physicians provide
13 percent of all foot care, all other physicians provide
37 percent of all foot care, and physical therapists and
others provide 11 percent of all foot care).
- Podiatric physicians
are four times less likely to use costly inpatient services
than other physicians.
- Podiatric physicians
provide treatment for 82 percent of corn and callus problems,
65 percent of toenail problems, 63 percent of bunion problems,
46 percent of flat feet or fallen arches problems, and 43
percent of toe/joint deformities.
- Patients with foot
problems visit podiatric physicians an average of 3.7 times
a year, orthopedic physicians 3.4, osteopathic physicians
3.2, all other physicians 3.0, and physical therapists and
others 7.1.
- As people age, they
increasingly choose podiatric physicians. Medicare data
verifies that podiatric physicians are the physicians of
choice for 83 percent of hammertoe surgery, 67 percent of
metatarsal surgery, 77 percent of bunionectomy surgery,
and 47 percent of rearfoot surgery. Medical Economics magazine
reported that 56 percent of all older patients have seen
a podiatric physician.
- About 5 percent of
the US population sees a podiatric physician each year.
There were more than 55 million patient visits in 1995 from
about 14 million people.
- In 1998, the average
number of yearly patient contacts with a podiatric physician
was 4,488.
- There are about 13,320
active podiatric physicians in the United States today.
There is an average of one podiatric physician for every
20,408 people.
- About 81 percent of
all US hospitals have podiatric physicians on staff. The
larger the hospital, the more likely it is to have podiatric
physicians on its staff.
- About 87 percent of
podiatric physicians are affiliated with preferred provider
organizations, 52 percent with nursing homes, 81 percent
with health maintenance organizations, 21 percent with academic
institutions, and 12 percent with insurance companies, utilization
review firms, or peer review organizations.
- Over the past 10 years,
an average of 592 new podiatric physicians graduated yearly
from the 7 podiatric medical colleges.
- In 1998, 53 percent
of all active podiatric physicians were certified by one
or more recognized podiatric medical boards.
- On average, the podiatric
physician in the United States is 42 years old and has been
in practice 13 years.
- Over 14 percent of
podiatric physicians are female.
- About 58 percent of
podiatric physicians are in solo practice. They have an
average of 3 employees.
- About 48 percent of
podiatric physicians have a license in 1 state, 31 percent
in 2, 19 percent in 3, and 2 percent in 4 states.
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Sources for the data are the American
Association of Colleges of Podiatric Medicine, American Hospital
Association, American Podiatric Medical Association, Council
on Podiatric Medical Education, Podiatry Insurance Company of
America, United States Bureau of the Census, and United States
Department of Health and Human Services.
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