3 health goals our readers should aim to achieve in 2021

Dr. Sophia Stocks, DPM, AACFAS, DABPM

There are many health goals that we try to set for the new year such as eating less or exercising more. Being a Podiatrist (Foot and Ankle Specialist), my outlook on health is a bit different. For the year of 2021, the health of the entire body, is strongly embedded in the foundation of our feet. If our structural stability and alignment of our feet are not properly positioned, this can lead to ankle pain, knee pain, hip pain, back pain, neck pain, and even possibly headaches and mechanical stresses much higher up in the body. Just as the foundation of a home has to be leveled and of good integrity, this can allow for higher up structures to function and avoid cracks or shifting. 

My 3 health goals that I would like to propose as a Podiatrist are:

1) To have proper alignment of the feet through the usage of a podiatrist designed and recommended medical orthotic (foot insert). By having a podiatrist shape and mold your custom orthotics to your foot shape and realigning your joints of your feet to the proper position, this allows for better function and movement in joints and ligaments as well as muscles higher up in the body. Buying over the other orthotics might feel squishy and comfortable at first, but the integrity of our feet are made of up hard bones. We need a foundational device that can uphold that structure, and not just cushion it.

2) Daily foot checks and visualizing the bottom of your feet are essential to having a healthy life, especially for diabetic patients. New bruises, cuts, redness, swelling, feelings of tingling, burning, and numbness are not normal findings, and are signs that patient should be seen by a podiatrist as soon as possible to decrease the risk of wound formation on the feet. 

3) Exercising by walking more will help increase blood flow to the feet. Our blood carries oxygen, nutrition, and immune cells that help protect our body. By walking more, this allows for delivery of healthy nutritious blood to muscles of the feet as well as pumping blood through our hearts and supplying our entire body with nutritious elements. 

All in all, our health starts with the decisions that we make everyday. If we can take small steps together to a healthier life style, then our feet and bodies will take us many more miles for the years to come.