Your foot health can be a clue to your overall health. For example, joint stiffness could mean arthritis. Tingling or numbness could be a sign of diabetes. Swelling might indicate kidney disease, heart disease or high blood pressure.
To keep your feet healthy
- Examine your feet regularly
- Wear comfortable shoes that fit
- Wash your feet daily with soap and lukewarm water
- Trim your toenails straight across and not too short
National Institute on Aging
- Taking Care of Your Feet(Food and Drug Administration) - http://www.fda.gov/fdac/features/2006/206_feet.html
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General Foot Health(American Podiatric Medical Association) - http://www.apma.org/s_apma/doc.asp?CID=371&DID=9406
Also available in Spanish http://www.apma.org/s_apma/doc.asp?CID=374&DID=9244
- Foot Push-Up Test(American College of Foot and Ankle Surgeons) - http://www.footphysicians.com/push-up.htm
- How to "Read" Your Footprints(American Orthopaedic Foot and Ankle Society) - http://www.aofas.org/Scripts/4Disapi.dll/4DCGI/cms/review.html?Action=CMS_Document&DocID=168
- Taking Care of Your Foot and Ankle(American Physical Therapy Association) - http://www.apta.org/AM/Template.cfm?Section=Home&TEMPLATE=/CM/HTMLDisplay.cfm&CONTENTID=20408
- Eat Right . . . Your Feet Will Thank You(American Orthopaedic Foot and Ankle Society) - http://www.aofas.org/Scripts/4Disapi.dll/4DCGI/cms/review.html?Action=CMS_Document&DocID=72
- Foot Drop(Mayo Foundation for Medical Education and Research) - http://www.mayoclinic.com/print/foot-drop/DS01031/METHOD=print&DSECTION=all
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Foot Drop
(National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke) - http://www.ninds.nih.gov/disorders/foot_drop/foot_drop.htm
- Foot Swelling during Air Travel: A Concern?(Mayo Foundation for Medical Education and Research) - http://www.mayoclinic.com/print/foot-swelling/HQ00722/METHOD=print
- High Blood Pressure: The Podiatric Physician and Cardiovascular Ailments(American Podiatric Medical Association) - http://www.apma.org/s_apma/doc.asp?CID=371&DID=9410
- Normal and Abnormal Changes in the Foot(American Orthopaedic Foot and Ankle Society) - http://www.aofas.org/Scripts/4Disapi.dll/4DCGI/cms/review.html?Action=CMS_Document&DocID=69
- Smelly (Malodorous) Feet(American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeons) - http://orthoinfo.aaos.org/topic.cfm?topic=A00171
- Baseball & Your Feet(American Academy of Podiatric Sports Medicine) - http://www.aapsm.org/baseball.html
- Basketball & Your Feet(American Academy of Podiatric Sports Medicine) - http://www.aapsm.org/basketball.html
- Cycling & Your Feet(American Academy of Podiatric Sports Medicine) - http://www.aapsm.org/cycling.html
- Exercise Walking and Your Feet(American Academy of Podiatric Sports Medicine) - http://www.aapsm.org/walking.html
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Footwear(American Podiatric Medical Association) - http://www.apma.org/s_apma/doc.asp?CID=371&DID=9396
Also available in Spanish http://www.apma.org/s_apma/doc.asp?CID=374&DID=9250
- Keep Your Feet Flexible(American Orthopaedic Foot and Ankle Society) - http://www.aofas.org/Scripts/4Disapi.dll/4DCGI/cms/review.html?Action=CMS_Document&DocID=71
- Know Your Sports Shoes(American Orthopaedic Foot and Ankle Society) - http://www.aofas.org/Scripts/4Disapi.dll/4DCGI/cms/review.html?Action=CMS_Document&DocID=199
- Lacing Techniques for Proper Shoe Fit(American Orthopaedic Foot and Ankle Society) - http://www.aofas.org/Scripts/4Disapi.dll/4DCGI/cms/review.html?Action=CMS_Document&DocID=87
- Running and Your Feet(American Academy of Podiatric Sports Medicine) - http://www.aapsm.org/running.html
- Top Ten Travel Tips for Your Feet(American Podiatric Medical Association) - http://www.apma.org/s_apma/doc.asp?CID=25&DID=8935
- What Is Aerobic Dancing?(American Podiatric Medical Association, American Academy of Podiatric Sports Medicine) - http://www.aapsm.org/aerobics.html
- Foot Skeletal Structure(American Podiatric Medical Association) - http://www.apma.org/s_apma/doc.asp?CID=14&DID=8980
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ClinicalTrials.gov: Foot(National Institutes of Health) - http://clinicaltrials.gov/search/open/condition=%22Foot%22
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ClinicalTrials.gov: Shoes(National Institutes of Health) - http://www.clinicaltrials.gov/search/open/term=shoes
References and abstracts from MEDLINE/PubMed (National Library of Medicine)
- Article: Comprehensive foot examination and risk assessment: a report of the... - http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/sites/entrez?cmd=Retrieve&db=pubmed&dopt=AbstractPlus&list_uids=18663232&tool=MedlinePlus
- Article: An end to crushing defeats. - http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/sites/entrez?cmd=Retrieve&db=pubmed&dopt=AbstractPlus&list_uids=18457202&tool=MedlinePlus
- Article: The effectiveness of footwear and offloading interventions to prevent and... - http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/sites/entrez?cmd=Retrieve&db=pubmed&dopt=AbstractPlus&list_uids=18442178&tool=MedlinePlus
- Foot Health -- see more articles - http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/sites/entrez?cmd=search&db=pubmed&term=((foot+diseases/pc[majr]+NOT+(fasciitis,plantar[mh]+OR+heel[mh]+OR+heel+spur[mh]+OR+metatarsalgia[mh]))+OR+foot+dermatoses/pc[majr]+OR+foot+deformities/pc[majr]+OR+foot+injuries/pc[majr]+OR+foot/gd[majr])+AND+humans[mh]+AND+english[la]+NOT+(letter[pt]+OR+editorial[pt]+OR+case+reports[pt])&doptcmdl=summary&cmd_current=Limits&pmfilter_EDatLimit=last+2+Years&tool=MedlinePlus
- American Academy of Podiatric Sports Medicine - http://www.aapsm.org/
- American Orthopaedic Foot and Ankle Society - http://www.aofas.org/
- American Podiatric Medical Association - http://www.apma.org/
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National Institute of Arthritis and Musculoskeletal and Skin Diseases - http://www.niams.nih.gov/
Also available in Spanish http://www.niams.nih.gov/Portal_En_Espanol/
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Children's Feet(American Podiatric Medical Association) - http://www.apma.org/s_apma/doc.asp?CID=371&DID=9390
Also available in Spanish http://www.apma.org/s_apma/doc.asp?CID=374&DID=9240
- Guide to Children's Shoes(American Orthopaedic Foot and Ankle Society) - http://www.aofas.org/scripts/4disapi.dll/4DCGI/cms/review.html?Action=CMS_Document&DocID=65
- Sports and Your Children's Feet(American Podiatric Medical Association, American Academy of Podiatric Sports Medicine) - http://www.aapsm.org/children_sports.html
- Tips on Buying Athletic Shoes for Kids(American College of Foot and Ankle Surgeons) - http://www.acfas.org/press/press-releases/Children/prathletshoekids.htm
- Do You Abuse Your Feet?(InteliHealth, Harvard Medical School) - http://www.intelihealth.com/IH/ihtIH/WSIHW000/23961/23963/270109.html?d=dmtContent
- Aging and Foot Pain Needn't Be Synonymous(American College of Foot and Ankle Surgeons) - http://www.acfas.org/press/backgrounders/seniors.htm
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Foot Care(National Institute on Aging) - http://www.nia.nih.gov/HealthInformation/Publications/footcare.htm
Also available in Spanish http://www.nia.nih.gov/Espanol/Publicaciones/pies.htm
- Athlete's Foot - http://www.nlm.nih.gov/medlineplus/athletesfoot.html
- Diabetic Foot - http://www.nlm.nih.gov/medlineplus/diabeticfoot.html
- Foot Injuries and Disorders - http://www.nlm.nih.gov/medlineplus/footinjuriesanddisorders.html
- Heel Injuries and Disorders - http://www.nlm.nih.gov/medlineplus/heelinjuriesanddisorders.html
- Nail Diseases - http://www.nlm.nih.gov/medlineplus/naildiseases.html
- Toe Injuries and Disorders - http://www.nlm.nih.gov/medlineplus/toeinjuriesanddisorders.html
- Bones, Joints and Muscles - http://www.nlm.nih.gov/medlineplus/bonesjointsandmuscles.html
The primary NIH organization for research on Foot Health is the National Institute of Arthritis and Musculoskeletal and Skin Diseases - http://www.niams.nih.gov/