Written by Dr Heather Davies-Strickleton, Senior Analytical Scientist

Now a new year is here we start to take a closer look at ourselves. Our body shape, weight and diet are key areas we frequently try to improve. But what about our foot health? We often neglect to look as far as our feet, which can hold some secrets and sometimes sinister surprises.

Healthy feet are pivotal to good mobility and influence our physical, as well as mental, well-being. The benefits of walking are numerous and span from reduced physical fatigue and better posture to improved creativity and problem-solving.^1-3  With healthy feet we can improve fitness, feel independent and get around our local communities, meeting old friends and making new ones.

While healthy feet can facilitate our lifestyles, having unhealthy feet can hinder us. Unfortunately, foot problems are very common – in a study, called the Achilles Project, over 70,000 GP/dermatologist patients (irrespective of their initial diagnosis) were examined, and it was found that 57 % of patients had at least one foot disease.⁴ Despite the importance of healthy feet and the high prevalence of foot diseases, we don’t always care for our feet as we do other parts of our body, which can allow problems to go unnoticed.

Often the first sign that something is wrong with our feet is when we experience pain or discomfort. For instance, Athlete’s foot (tinea pedis) affects 1 in 6 of us and often starts with an irritating itchy rash, but can progress to painful cracking and blistering of the skin.^5-6 Other common foot problems, including ingrown […]