The foot is a “formidable machine, which constantly calculates, like a GPS, the posture that we must adopt to stand straight” enthuses Djamel Bouhabib, podiatrist-podiatrist. It is its arch shape, a subtle combination of bones, tendons and joints, which allows it to support the weight of our body and maintain our balance. More unexpectedly, it is also he who facilitates the return of venous blood to the heart.
“Good foot, good health”, doctors have been convinced for a long time. “THE feet are the foundations of our body”, insists David Bonnet, orthopaedist-orthotist. If they are affected, the whole structure shakes: the knees, the hips, the back… we are also at the top. “It’s when they become painful that you realize how much you use them.”
The podiatrist is once a year
“Taking care of it is first of all choosing your shoes with your feetand not with his eyes”, insists Djamel Bouhabib. Or how comfort must necessarily prevail in the match against aesthetics. To stop worrying about his feet that in summer, when undressing them, it is also necessary to adopt a – healthy – habit: see your podiatrist once a year, as you do with the dentist. The best ally of your feet does not just treat all their pathologies. He is also a craftsman to make custom soles.
No question of waiting for an emergency to consult. For what ? Because foot pain is not “normal”, it is often the first clue to an abnormality. Because minor sores – fungal infections, toe deformities, tendonitis, corns and calluses, pain in the heel or between the toes… – can quickly degenerate, whereas treated in time, they often make it possible to avoid surgery. Because an uncorrected posture problem can affect the entire skeleton. They deserve to be pampered.
Foot health week: free teleconsultations with a podiatrist
I’French Union of Foot Health (UFSP) recommends making an appointment with a podiatrist (or “podiatrist-podiatrist”, it’s the same thing) at least once a year. In France, approximately 14,000 podiatrists are currently active.
Good news: between June 7 and 12, 2021, the podiatrists of the French Union of Foot Health (UFSP) offer free teleconsultations to take stock of the health of our feet – the opportunity to obtain information and advice from professionals… To register, it’s very simple: you reserve a time slot without waiting on the Maiia teleconsultation platform. Consultations, 100% free, last about ten minutes; many time slots are available between 8 a.m. and 7:45 p.m., throughout the week. A good plan not to be missed.
Consult a podiatrist, for what? Beyond the management of foot pathologies (aponeuritis, metatarsalgia, hallux valgus, etc.), the podiatrist can make recommendations regarding footwear (which shoes are best suited for me? Which shoes should I avoid? ), support sports (when you start running, for example, or any other sport that puts a lot of strain on your feet – athletics, Nordic walking, etc.) or even give advice on how to take care of your feet daily (I often have plantar warts, fungal infections, nail problems… how to react?).
Moreover, for diabetics, the pedicure-podiatrist is a crucial health actor since it helps to prevent the risk of amputation; for athletes, this foot health professional may design plantar orthoses; for children, a follow-up can be set up from the age of 4 years.
Read also :
- Heeled shoes: 5 tips for choosing them well
- How to take care of your soles
- 10 gestures to take care of your feet this summer
