Our feet take a beating on a regular basis, often not considered and lacking the care we should be giving them, or ignoring them when they're trying to tell us something.
Foot pain is the way our feet let us know that we're doing something wrong or ignoring a problem.
Our feet have a big job in acting as the base for our body, propelling us forward, backward and in any direction that the body wants to move.
They also take the impact and absorb the shock any time our feet are on the ground.
That's a lot to ask and it's no wonder that so many people suffer from foot problems each year.
In fact, 75 percent of adults will experience a foot condition at some point in their lives, while others deal with painful conditions on a regular basis.
Foot problems can lead to problems in other areas such as the ankles, knees and hips because they all work in conjunction to move the body in any direction.
In addition to the 26 bones, there is an intricate makeup of muscles and ligaments that makeup the feet and enable them to do their job.
The intrinsic muscles start and end in the foot and makeup and make up several layers in the sole and stretch across the arch.
The extrinsic muscles end in the foot but start in the lower leg, wrapping around in a criss-cross design that allows the feet to move in any direction.
When a person walks normally, the foot absorbs the impact and the ankle rolls in slightly after the heel hits the ground.
Problems will often arise when there is over pronation.
Over pronation is when the ankle and feet roll in too far and this can lead to quite a few painful conditions.
Common conditions that are a result of over-pronation are corns, calluses, bunions and hammer toes.
The most important thing you can do in order to avoid foot problems and painful conditions is to wear comfortable shoes.
Good shoes should provide enough room for your feet to be in a natural position and shouldn't be too tight in either width or length.
If you over-pronate, consider motion control shoes to help stabilize the heel and keep it from rolling in.
Walking is another healthy thing you can do for your feet, provided you have a good pair of walking shoes.
It strengthens and stretches the feet and keeps then in good working condition.
It also is good for the heart and helps in maintaining a healthy weight.
This is more important to your feet than you might think.
Maintaining a healthy weight is good for many reasons but can also keep you from having fallen arches as a result of too much pressure.
As with many other conditions that are affected by our weight, the condition of our feet will remain healthier if we take care of our entire body.