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Don’t ignore foot and ankle problems

With high incidence of diabetes, addressing them is crucial: Expert
KOCHI: Dr Rajiv Shah, president, Indian Foot and Ankle Association, who is also the pioneer in foot and ankle (F&A) disease treatment and surgery in the county, has said the foot and ankle issues are not given the seriousness they deserve in India while the western world has identified their importance and there is at least one foot and ankle clinic in every western city.
Dr Shah, who is in Kochi to attend an advanced symposium, says that the F&A problems are of serious consequence with India becoming the diabetic capital of the country and the rise in other non-communicable diseases. "If you need to exercise to bring non-communicable diseases like diabetes, hypertension, cholesterol etc. under control, you have to take care of foot and ankle first so that you can stand on your feet to do the exercises," Dr Shah reminds.
“India is expected to have a population of 80 million diabetics while 20 per cent of them are set to develop a condition called diabetic neuropathy whereby they also lose sensation of the foot and ankle. This can lead to amputation of these parts. So preventing this is of high importance and dual care is the need of the hour,” said Dr Shah from Baroda.
Despite the high literacy levels and awareness regarding health issues, Kerala is having its first foot and ankle clinic only this month at Lakeshore Hospital here. “It is more than a decade since India had its first foot and ankle clinic but still many states do not have such clinics and the total number of foot and ankle specialists in the country today stands at 25,” he said.
Dr Shah said the years of neglect aggravate foot and ankle problems. Overuse of feet disregarding the pain affecting the heel and underside could result in rupture of connective tissues. He advises avoiding risk factors like long period of standing, over exercise, weight gain, unscientific athletic practices or jogging for both prevention and cure.
( Source : dc )
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