Ray introduced podiatrist Dr. Iwaasa. He began by saying one of the questions he gets asked the most is, “why do my feet hurt?” The answer may be genetics, how we walk or the environment. Some things to consider: the things we walk on have changed from mostly walking on rocks, dirt and grass to walking on concrete, tile, other hard surfaces, and the structure of our feet is not designed for this. So to deal with this we need a properly fitting shoe, the right shoe for a specific activity, and inserts for hard surfaces. He displayed a guide or good shoes versus bad. Heel control is important, good support, nice rectangular base.
One of the biggest discussions with his clients is having the right shoe for the right activity; don’t wear flip flops when playing basketball or wear yoga shoes when hiking. Dr. Iwaasa also
showed examples of properly fitting shoes. Diabetes is a big concern in our community; about 50 percent of his practice deals with diabetics whose foot problems can be traced to the disease.
It’s not just sugar that raises blood sugar but also pasta, bread, French fries, etc. The average survival rate after an amputation is 3 years. Cardiovascular disease is the main contributor to
death because of inactivity after the amputation. Other risk factors include cigarette smoking and ethnicity. To prevent serious foot problems, see a podiatrist regularly or as soon as there is a
change in your feet.
