Structure of the feet

To understand how common conditions can affect feet, it’s important to understand their structure.

The feet are made up of a complex structure of bones, joints, muscles, tendons and ligaments, all of which work together to provide the body with the support, balance and mobility it needs. 

As the average person takes 10,000 steps a day, and it’s the feet that carry the full weight of the body, it’s unsurprising that they can suffer from wear and tear, as well as being susceptible to other common conditions.

Foot problems can result from wearing improper or ill-fitting footwear, infection, injury, normal age-related changes or underlying problems such as diabetes. There’s a lot that can go wrong and with most problems, there’s potential for a lot of pain and discomfort. 

Any symptoms are best dealt with as early as possible as this will help to improve the chances of successful treatment and limit any long-term effects on the feet and the rest of the body, such as knee, hip and back pain.