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For Foot Health Week the Association
is focusing on children’s feet, outlining the first
steps to foot health.
Children’s
feet are not just miniature versions of adult feet;
they are still forming. At birth, feet are mostly cartilage
and in childhood and adolescence the bones in the feet,
52 in all, will form. During this time they are extremely
fragile and any undue pressure can cause deformities.
At the same time, they will grow rapidly, requiring
regular shoe size checks.
The
campaign aims to educate children and parents about
the best ways to care for feet. The Association is promoting
foot care, correct shoe fitting and professional follow
up on foot problems.
Podiatry
visits
What are you doing for
FHW?
Walktober
FHW
Resource Materials
Media Release
Podiatrist
visits
Across
Australia and New Zealand podiatrists will be encouraged
to arrange visits to schools, kindergartens, creches
etc, where they will offer foot health assessments for
children. If you’d like to arrange a podiatrist to visit
your organisation, contact us at
apoda@podiatryvic.com.au or Ph: 03 9866 5906.
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What are you doing for
FHW?
As Foot
Health Week nears, we’ll be posting planned foot health
promotion activities on our
FHW Events Page. Stay tuned and if
you have a foot health activity happening during Foot
Health Week that you’d like to list, please click fill
out our
event registration form and send back to us.
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Walktober
 |
Walktober
will be held for the second time in October this
year. The umbrella program, developed by Kinect
Australia (formerly VicFit) in collaboration with
VicHealth, aims to raise the profile of walking
and highlight the broader community and social
benefits.
Walktober links a number of walking events and
generates discussion about bigger issues including
urban planning, livable communities and neighbourhood
safety - all of which are impacted by walking. |
For more information to go:
www.walktober.com.au.
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FHW
Resource Materials
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Media Release
Protect
children’s feet for life, say podiatrists
Children’s
feet are fragile and can be damaged easily, according
to the Australian Podiatry Association Victoria.
For
Foot Health Week (14th-20th October) the Association
is focusing on children’s feet, outlining the first
steps to foot health.
“Children’s
feet are not just miniature versions of adult feet;
they are still forming,” says Andrew Cook, President
of the Australian Podiatry Association (Victoria) .
“At birth, feet are mostly cartilage and in childhood
and adolescence the bones in the feet, 52 in all, will
form. During this time they are extremely fragile and
any undue pressure can cause deformities. At the same
time, they will grow rapidly, requiring regular shoe
size checks.”
The
campaign aims to educate children and parents about
the best ways to care for feet. The Association is promoting
foot care, correct shoe fitting and professional follow
up on foot problems.
“Walking
is one of the first concerns for parents. It is important
to remember that all children achieve this milestone
in their own time – children usually walk between ten
and 24 months of age,” says Mr Cook. “ Some children
walk with toes pointed in or out while others walk on
their toes. While this variation is generally normal,
investigation is required if there seems to be a problem
or if these walking styles persist beyond the age of
two.”
As
children grow it is common for them to experience pain
in the feet or legs.
“While
pain in the legs or feet is common it is not considered
normal. Foot pain in children should be investigated
especially if it is associated with falling or tripping,
reluctance to participate in activities and difficulty
finding shoes that fit comfortably,” says Mr Cook.
Children
often suffer from foot problems such as warts, in-grown
toenails, rashes and tinea.
“We
recommend that all foot problems be investigated professionally
as treating the symptoms with an over-the-counter medication
or preparation will not successfully resolve any underlying
problem that exists,” says Mr Cook.
The
correct professional advice is important.
“Podiatrists
don’t just prescribe orthotics, they are tertiary educated
foot health professionals who are trained to diagnose
and treat problems associated with the feet and lower
limbs including injury, infection and disease, as well
as structural or functional problems which includes
difficulties with walking and foot pain,” Mr Cook says.
For
more information, or to find a podiatrist near you,
go to: http://www.feet.org.au
Media
Inquiries: Andrew Cook, President, Australian Podiatry
Association (Vic). Phone: 0418 142 420.
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