Almost all people are born with healthy feet, but over the years many develop foot problems. This is what the orthopedist and foot specialist Caroline Werkmeister from the University Hospital Hamburg-Eppendorf says in an interview with Zeit magazine. Humans are designed to move around barefoot, but “instead we isolate our feet from the outside world in sturdy shoes.” In medicine, this is called “Use it or lose it,” meaning: Use it, otherwise the body will lose it set.
Werkmeister uses the term “degenerative prosperity footing”. By this she means a group of unhealthy functional changes that have “a biomechanical derailment” as the cause. The main reason for this is today’s lifestyle, which causes the muscles, vision, ligaments and connective tissue to atrophy. As a result, “certainly three quarters of German feet are sick” these days. This may even lead to pain in the knees or back.
In order to improve patient care, Werkmeister is currently founding the German Society for Functional Interdisciplinary Foot Therapy with other experts. The aim is to better reach and care for those affected, who are usually between 30 and 60 years old. But patients aged eight and above also find their way to a podiatrist. “Childhood is a critical phase,” she continues in an interview with Die Zeit. “The foot has to mature for many years after birth.” Since the bones are not yet fully formed and hardened, the “correct” load is essential in order not to promote a “degenerative affluent foot”. And foot health is important even in old age, even if the foot doesn’t hurt. “The likelihood of a fall depends largely on the strength and function of the toes,” says Werkmeister. “So you definitely want to avoid falls. But if you don’t start taking care of your feet until you’re 70, it’s going to be difficult.”
