Whether you’re on the go or on the beach, your feet work incredibly hard to support you, help you to be active and protect you against shock. However, they can all too easily be taken for granted. As they’re part of your body’s extremities, you might not pay them much attention. Plus, feet can lose out when busy lifestyles leave little time for self-care.
Many people’s feet are overworked and overlooked. As experienced London chiropodists, we’re keen to change that. One of our favourite foot facts is that the total distance your feet will cover during your lifetime is roughly equivalent to four trips around the world – almost 100,000 miles! That’s just one reason why your feet are your body’s unsung heroes. Read on to find out more about what makes them so remarkable and why they deserve some TLC.
Complex Biomechanical Marvels
If feet were buildings, they’d surely win awards for their architecture. They’re complex and intricate, yet highly functional – truly biomechanical marvels! For example, did you know that a quarter of all your bones are found in your feet? Each foot contains 26 bones, 33 joints and a network of over 100 muscles, tendons and ligaments. This incredible structure is clear to see in Healthline’s interactive diagram of the foot. Even when you’re standing still, your feet are busy – they’re supporting the rest of your body and helping to keep you stable.
Gathering Vital Information
Your body’s toughest, thickest skin is found on the bottom of your feet. The skin’s outermost layer, the epidermis, is typically at least 1.5 mm thick on your soles. That’s three times thicker than the same layer of skin on your eyelids and offers excellent protection.
If you accidentally step on a Lego brick when barefoot, though, you’ll soon know about it! Your soles have as many as 200,000 nerve endings each, making them highly sensitive and well equipped to send important information about your surroundings to your brain. That helps your muscles, joints and other parts of your body to adapt to different environments and cope with the challenges posed by traversing uneven, unsteady or slippery terrain.
The Foundation of Movement
Walking, running, jumping, climbing, dancing… Your feet play a crucial role in all of these activities and more. Feet are at the bottom of what’s known in the medical world as the ‘kinetic chain’, which links them to the ankles, knees, hips, spine, etc. In a nutshell, feet are the foundation of movement, and foot complaints can lead to issues further up the body. So if you’re experiencing various aches and pains, it could be worth visiting a foot clinic. For example, our prescription orthotics can help to relieve back pain. That’s because they improve foot function, which in turn benefits the rest of the kinetic chain.
Absorbing Shock with Every Step
One of your feet’s most important jobs is to prevent the shock that’s generated every time they strike the ground from damaging your body, so you can take each step safely and comfortably. The plantar fascia is integral to this process: it’s a dense band of tissue that runs along the sole and acts as a shock absorber. The arch of the foot is also particularly important in this respect – it flattens out when in contact with the ground to enhance the foot’s shock absorbing abilities and help your body to remain stable while in motion.
Treat Your Feet to First-Class London Chiropody Services
Your feet are amazing – and our London chiropodists are here to help you keep them that way. We have modern, well-equipped foot health clinics across the city, providing a comprehensive range of general chiropody services (encompassing everything from removing corns to checking the circulation in your feet), as well as advanced foot treatments for patients experiencing troublesome issues such as soft tissue injuries.
Simply book an appointment at our Canary Wharf chiropody clinic or one of our other convenient locations and see how our qualified chiropodists can boost your foot health.
Show your feet your appreciation – contact Feet By Pody today on 0207 099 6657.