Conditions That Affects the Feet
Despite the lowly status of the feet, it plays a major role in our locomotion, balance and posture. Its complicated and complex structure supports our entire body weight and enables us to move around. Our feet are the most overworked, abused and sometimes neglected part of our body.
Because of the role that our feet play in our daily lives, there are various problems that affect foot structure, movement and function. These problems affect the knees, legs and hips as well because the entire lower extremity will have to be considered as a whole.
Foot problems can be divided roughly into those that affect children and those that affects adults. There are two foot problems that affects children, these are flatfoot and club foot. Flatfoot is the lack of normal arch on the feet that helps distribute the weight evenly among the parts of the foot. Club foot is a congenital anomaly where in the foot tilts upward and inward. For foot problems that affect adults, these are the following:
- Arthritis
This is a foot condition wherein the joints are swollen and painful. Arthritis can cause deformities like hallux valgus in which the big toe bends inward and rides on top of the second toe while a bump or bunion will appear on the metatarsal bone. this conditions may also affect the heel and the balls of the feet. - Diabetes
Diabetes can cause decreased sensation and impaired healing of cuts and wounds. People with severe diabetes are unable to sense that there is something wrong with their feet like a cut or a wound. Careful and thorough examination of the feet should be done daily to make sure that there is no wound that is left untreated which might lead to ulcer, gangrene and even amputation. - Flatfoot
Although flatfoot is considered as a childhood condition, it can also develop in adults. This is due to obesity, improperly fitting shoes and knock-knees. - Neurologic conditions
Stroke, spinal cord injury, cerebral palsy, polio, neuropathy and multiple sclerosis can cause foot deformities.
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