Healthy feet for life – part 1

Tendonitis, plantar fasciitis, bunions begone! With our expert guide.

W HAT IS THE ultimate item of design genius that’s available to a walker? The waterproof membrane, the touchscreen GPS, the Fitbit? Nope. It’s the foot.

Sitting unloved at the end of your legs, your feet represent millions of years of research and development. Their incredibly complex mechanical structure features 26 bones, 33 joints and over 100 muscles, tendons and ligaments that have evolved to bring us down from the trees, to chase prey across the savannah and to reach the pinnacle of human achievement: a nice Sunday walk in the countryside with the promise of a pub lunch at the end.

So we’ve enlisted consultant podiatrist Michael O’Neill to talk us through the most common foot problems faced by regular walkers – and the simple ways we can treat and prevent them.