To support National Foot Health Awareness Month in April, Spenco is sponsoring the American Podiatric Medical Association’s Play it Safe campaign. The campaign highlights the importance of foot health in total body health, and aims to provide children and adults important information about sports injuries, injury prevention and proper footwear.
“Athletes and the general population alike in particular those with medical conditions such as diabetes, arthritis, and long term injuries of the feet and legs are realizing the importance of good foot health to an overall healthy lifestyle,” said Ray Anthony, FCPodS, DPodM, podiatrist and Spenco Medical Corporation consultant. “Something as simple as a properly fitting shoe or a replacement insole can provide a more stable, supportive stride. This helps improve overall body alignment, which often helps to reduce the risk of injury and musculoskeletal pain.”
The Play it Safe campaign provides educational materials for APMA members and patients, including an online resource page and digital toolkit. These resources highlight podiatrists’ ability to provide guidance on proper athletic footwear, evaluate an individual's biomechanics, and prescribe custom orthotics like the Spenco Quickthotics component insole system.
According to APMA, approximately 20 percent of the U.S. population has at least one foot problem annually. A 2014 APMA survey showed that 25 percent of adults felt unable to exercise due to foot pain, and 39 percent of adults said they would exercise more if their feet didn’t hurt.
“You’ll need your feet to carry you an average of 115,000 miles in your lifetime,” said APMA President Phillip E. Ward, DPM. “Make your feet a priority, not just during National Foot Health Awareness Month, but all year long. Wearing supportive, orthotic-grade shoes and insoles with the APMA seal of acceptance will put you on the right path to good foot health.”
While most shoe manufacturers build the shoe first and then insert a flat insole, Spenco® Footwear with Total Support® Technology builds the shoe around an orthotic insole that carries the APMA seal of acceptance. Each shoe features a deep heel cup to enhance rear foot stability, orthotic-grade arch support to reduce excessive pronation moments, a metatarsal dome and forefoot cushioning to reduce ground reaction force beneath the forefoot, and a non-slip, non-marking outsole.
“Sponsoring the Play it Safe campaign was a natural fit for Spenco, a name synonymous with top-quality insoles, orthotic footwear and other foot care products,” said Anthony.
For more information on APMA’s Play it Safe campaign, visit apma.org.
