HEALTH & WELLBEING SERVICES - 

(Supplied by the Soletec Systems Laboratories, Leicester and the Soletec clinic 'Foot Care Services', Loughborough, UK.)

The foot has more bones than any other part of the body – 26 bones, 19 muscles, 107 ligaments, 250 sweat glands…The foot is divided up into three sections the hind-foot (heel), the mid-foot (arches – longitudinal /transverse etc), the fore foot (metatarsals / toes etc).

The function of the toes especially the big toe and the first Met head is to encourage balance and propulsion during the gait cycle ie walking or running.The 14 bones in the toe area are amongst the smallest in the body and are the easiest area where problems can occurr. Conditions can occur during childhood, while others happen later on in life after an injury or continual wear and tear in incorrect footwear.When we stand or walk our body weight is transferred from our heel, through the mid foot, to the toes - in a sequence of phases for every step taken.This is known as the ‘Three phases of step’ and is key to all foot ailments during our life cycle.

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