Foot Facts

3 out of 4 Americans experience serious foot problems in their lifetime.
The foot contains 26 bones, 33 joints, 107 ligaments and 19 muscles.
Only a small percentage of the population is born with foot problems.
Its neglect and a lack of awareness of proper care - including ill fitting
shoes - that brings on problems.
Women have about four times as many foot problems as men. High heels are
partly to blame.
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. Conditions such 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.
Arthritis is the number one cause of disability in America. It limits everyday
dressing, climbing stairs, getting in and out of bed or walking - for about 7 million
Americans.
About 60-70% of people with diabetes have mild to severe forms of diabetic nerve
damage, which in severe forms can lead to lower limb amputations.
Approximately 56,000 people a year lose their foot or leg to diabetes.
There are 250,000 sweat glands in a pair of feet. Sweat glands in the feet excrete
as much as a half-pint of moisture a day.

Walking barefoot can cause plantar warts. The virus enters through a cut.
The two feet may be different sizes. Buy shoes for the larger one.
About 5% of Americans have toenail problems in a given year.
The average person takes 8,000 to 10,000 steps a day, which adds up to
about 115,000 miles over a lifetime. That's enough to go around the
circumference of the earth four times
The human foot is a highly specialized structure containing 26 relatively small
bones, more than 150 ligaments and an intricate network of muscles, nerves and
blood vessels.
When a baby is born, the numbers of bones in the feet are higher, but many of
them fuse by the time we reach adulthood.
A babies feet exert a lot of energy, when standing and balancing. This
causes baby feet to get very hot. Babies feet can sweat up to
twice the amount of adult feet.
Your feet mirror your general health. Conditions such 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.