Get the Foot Facts

by Brad L. Hayman, DPM, Complete Foot & Ankle Care

Everyone should be able to walk without pain and improve their quality of life. Here's what you should know:

1Nine out of 10 women wear shoes too small for their feet.

2The average adult takes between 4,000 and 6,000 steps a day.

3Heels that are 2½ inch or higher can increase the pressure on the forefoot by 75% leading to inflammatory pain and/or injury.

4The average woman walks 3 miles more per day than the average man.

5Women have about four times as many foot problems as men. High heels are partly to blame.

6Humans have approximately 8,000 nerves in our feet. 7About 6% of the U.S. population has foot injuries, bunions, flat feet or fallen arch complaints each year.

8Sixty million Americans, or 25% of the population, have “flat feet.”

9Feet are largest (swollen) at the end of the day.

10 There are about 250,000 sweat glands in your feet combined.

11 About 20% of the U.S. population have

“high arches.”

12 The average person walks about 100,000 miles in a lifetime.

13 The human foot contains 26 bones, 33 joints, 107 ligaments, 19 muscles and tendons. 14Plantar fasciitis affects about 10% of the

U.S. population.

1575% of Americans will experience foot problems at one time or another.

16 Walking is the best exercise for your feet. It contributes to your general health by improving circulation and weight control. 1725% of all your bones are in your feet. When these bones are out of alignment, so is the rest of your body.

18In America, the average shoe size has gone up two sizes over the past 40 years.

19Only a small percentage of the population are born with foot problems.

20Often it is heredity, diabetes/ neuropathy, vascular disease, neglect, ill-fitting shoes, overweight and/or injury that brings on many foot problems.

In general terms, managing health issues with good general care, exercise, proper fitting shoes and professional foot care can help women (and men) lead a better quality of life with less foot pain.