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B22 April 2022 • Wellness • www.lwca.com April is Foot Health Awareness Month By Reisha Zang Foot health is important every day of the year. Your feet are the foundation for everything you do, from standing and balancing to walking and running or dancing or bowling, whatever activity moves you through life. It all starts with healthy feet. With 26 bones, 33 joints and over 110 ligaments, muscles, and tendons, the foot is a sophisticated structure which supports the body and absorbs shock with every step. And it has an impact on how the rest of your body feels. If there is a problem with your feet, it may a ect how your knee functions, cause discomfort in your hip, or lead to back pain, and most importantly your overall well-being. “If your feet hurt, you’re not able to be as active as you should be,” explains Dr. Kerry Zang, podiatric medical director of CIC Foot & Ankle. “Walking has a big impact on your body. It strengthens your heart muscle, promotes circulation throughout your system, and can reduce the risks associated with diabetes.” e rst step to keeping your feet in good shape is to listen to them. “Pain is really a gift,” says Zang. “It’s your body’s way of letting you know there is a problem. Ignoring pain only lets the condition get worse. Seeking the help of a doctor at the rst sign of pain increases the chances of getting better faster.” Heel pain, bunions, hammertoes, burning, tingling, and cramping are among the many complaints people have about their feet that a ect their quality of life. e good news is that these conditions respond well with proper care. And there are many non-surgical treatments to address foot pain. “My approach to dealing all types of foot pain is focused on diagnosing the cause of it and treating that underlying condition to relieve the symptoms,” explains Zang. For example, when it comes to the heel and plantar fasciitis, one of the most common causes of heel pain, in-o ce care can resolve it up to 90 percent of the time. Treatment is aimed at reducing the in ammation, relieving stress on the soft tissues, and dealing with the imbalances to address the cause and alleviate the pain. “In the past, a cortisone injection was the treatment of choice, because it stopped the pain, but it did nothing to start a healing process,” says Zang. “We now have treatments that help the body heal.” Regenerative medicine, custom shoe inserts, stretching exercises, and laser light therapy are all options directed at the source of the problem. Often, issues with the feet are the rst sign of an underlying condition happening throughout the body. “Feet can be a warning sign and can alert us to undiagnosed diabetes or vascular disease in its early stages. I can’t stress enough how important it is to listen to your feet,” says Zang. He advises patients to pay particular attention to burning, tingling, numbness and cramping because they are symptoms of several di erent conditions. In some cases, it could be a neuroma, which is thickening of the tissue around a nerve leading to the toes. Pain, a pins-and-needles sensation, numbness, and weakness could be neuropathy. And pain or cramping when walking, cold or numb toes, could be peripheral artery disease (PAD). “These signs and symptoms need to be evaluated by a doctor,” explains Zang. “Many people think that these sensations come with age. Or they’ve been told there isn’t much that can be done for neuropathy. So, they think they just have to learn to live with it. at’s not the case.” ere are treatments available to address all of these conditions. Over the years they have advanced and some of the biggest bene ts include in-o ce procedures, less pain, and the di erence it makes in their lives. “Foot problems are treatable and when they alert us to another health issue, it gives us a head start to get you to the right doctor to treat that as well,” says Zang. Diagnosing and treating foot pain has wide reaching a ects. Foot health is all about keeping your feet in good shape, so they don’t hold you back. -Reisha Zang is Director of Communications at CIC. You may contact her at 480-860-6455 or reisha.zang@ciccenters.com . FOOT HEALTH