INSTITUTE FOR PREVENTIVE FOOT HEALTH WEB SITE UNVEILS FOOT PAIN SELF-ASSESSMENT TOOL
EVALUATE THE POTENTIAL CAUSES OF FOOT PAIN
WITH ILLUSTRATED THREE-STEP ASSESSMENT
(Wednesday, May 16, 2012 - Statesville, NC) – Does your foot hurt? Want to learn what the problem might be? The Institute for Preventive Foot Health (IPFH) ’s Foot Pain Self-Assessment Tool, now available at http://www.IPFH.org, is meant to help you do just that.
The IPFH assessment condenses a wealth of information into a three-step process, allowing Web visitors to evaluate their particular issues by answering three simple questions. The tool is not a substitute for a visit to a doctor or foot health professional, but may point visitors in that direction. Knowledge of medical terminology is not needed to complete the assessment.
In Step One, visitors view a foot shown from three different angles. They then select the area causing them pain with a simple click of their mouse.
Step Two involves the familiar pain scale. Users rate the level of their pain on a scale of 1-10, with 10 being the most severe.
With information gathered from the previous steps, Step Three yields information on possible conditions. Possible causes, early prevention tips and typical treatments follow.
“We are committed to making it as easy as possible for people to proactively take care of their feet,” said IPFH Executive Director Robert P. (Bob) Thompson, a certified pedorthist. “Painful feet often interfere with people’s ability to function and quality of life. Early, appropriate treatment can save days, weeks or months of discomfort and may prevent small problems from worsening. This tool can help make people more aware of the need to take action on any foot problem that causes pain.”
To help ensure that feet are optimally protected, IPFH offers a series of Foot Health Tips as well as information on medical conditions that can cause or compound foot problems.
While people of all ages report foot problems, such problems often increase with age. By age 50, the average person will have walked or run 75,000 miles, primarily on hard, unnatural surfaces (concrete, asphalt and hard floors). This contributes to a breakdown of the skin and the protective fat pads beneath the toes, the ball of the foot and the heel.
IPFH advises everyone to consult a doctor if they have soreness, pain, redness, swelling or other indications of persistent problems in any area of the feet for more than a few days. People with diabetes or other conditions that affect blood flow to the extremities should have regular foot screenings and inspect their daily.
ABOUT IPFH
The Institute for Preventive Foot Health (IPFH) is a non-profit organization dedicated to increasing awareness, education, research and the identification of easy-to-follow methods to prevent, treat and manage painful conditions and diseases affecting the feet. IPFH was founded by James L. Throneburg, owner of THORLO, Inc., based on knowledge gained from groundbreaking clinical research conducted with novel padded sock designs donated by THORLO. Both Throneburg and THORLO, Inc. continue to provide financial support for IPFH and to initiate collaborative efforts with its educational partners: the Amputee Coalition and the International Council on Active Aging (ICAA).
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Debra Caruso
(212) 971-9708
debra@djccommunications.com
