June is Foot Health month across the UK, and local podiatrist Sarah Smout of Family Footcare Centre, Wigan, is taking part to raise awareness of the importance of good foot health and help keep local people on their feet.

Foot Health Month is an annual awareness campaign run by The College of Podiatry.

The College is keen to raise awareness of how important foot health is to our overall health, and how simple it can be to keep our feet in peak condition. Have healthy, pain-free feet is important throughout life, so a little knowledge of foot care is essential for everyone, and that’s what this year’s campaign is all about.

Podiatrists are experts in all aspects of the foot and lower limb, and undertake years of specialist training to enable them to prevent, diagnose and treat the conditions that affect the feet and legs – podiatrists work in the NHS and independent settings and there are podiatry clinics on most high streets.

To mark Foot Health Month, the Family Footcare Centre is offering free leaflets on top tips for healthy feet.

Sarah Smout, of the Family Footcare Centre, said: “Our feet are one of the hardest working parts of our body, but can be one of the most neglected. Having healthy feet enables us to keep fit and well. If our feet are injured or in pain, we can’t walk, do sports or even relax properly.”

There are some very simple steps that everyone can take to keep their feet healthy, but if they do hurt or you notice anything unusual about them, a registered podiatrist can diagnose the problem and provide the right treatment.

Just like the optician or the dentist, your local podiatrist is here to help keep the community well, so if your feet hurt – we can help’’

For more information on foot health please visit the College of Podiatry website at www.scpod.ord