Advice on Foot Care

Mechanical engineer Jerome Rifkin has spent 8 years developing and building a flexible, mechanical foot. The foot is one of the most complicated structures in the body. With 26 bones, 33 joints, 107 ligaments and 19 muscles, the foot is a difficult part of the body to mimic or replace. Rifkin’s artificial foot differs from other mechanical feet because it has a heel, a midfoot, a forefoot and a big toe. The midfoot essentially connects the forefoot to the heel, but more importantly, it creates a flexible arch designed to give the wearer a more natural step. Continue Reading »

What is the difference and which one do you need?

An insole is the inside liner of the shoe which sits directly below the foot - the innermost sole of the shoe. Almost all shoes come with insoles either stitched into the shoe or unattached and removable. Insoles are generally thin, flexible, soft and designed for protection and comfort. An insert is any device which you place in your shoe and can be an insole or an orthotic. Insoles can cost between $5-$20 and can be found at the drug store. Insoles are a good choice when extra cushion is needed in the shoe and the main goal is comfort. Continue Reading »

According to research at the 55th Annual Meeting of the American College of Sports Medicine (ACSM), individuals wearing flip-flops alter their gait and may experience lower leg pain as a result. ???????? ????? ????????The study compared the gait of 39 college age men and women wearing flip-flop style sandals and athletic shoes. Both the flip-flops and the athletic shoes used in the study ranged in price and style. The flip-flops ranged in cost from $5.00 - $50.00. The participants in the study walked along a platform which measured the vertical force as the heel and foot hit the ground. Their stride length and leg angle were also evaluated.

A study done at the Arthritis Research Centre of Canada in Vancouver studied 45,869 men, without gout, over a 12 year period. Every four years, 2 questionnaires were sent out to the participants. The first questionnaire asked about intake of coffee, decaffeinated coffee, tea and total caffeine. The second questionnaire was used to evaluate whether participants met the criteria for gout, as defined by the American College of Rheumatology. Continue Reading »