Common Foot Disorders among Health Fair Participants

Common Foot Disorders among Health Fair Participants

Patients across the United States visit their Podiatrist regarding the diagnosis and treatment of their foot ailments. The most prevalent of these disorders include bunions, digiti flexus, or hammer toe, and bacterial and fungal infections. A portion of these patients, including those that do not visit a physician, are participants in local health fairs across the country. These health fairs, many of which include foot screenings, generally shed light onto the pervasiveness of diseases and disorders seen in many underserved populations. Implementing an evaluation, which includes a thorough patient history, provides important information regarding a patient's congenital or acquired foot conditions. Additionally, screening the patient through palpation, observation of gait, and inspection of footwear will provide answers and information for treatment and prevention of injury. The purpose of these observations at local health fairs around Broward County is to determine the commonness of foot conditions in these participants and to analyze whether these results match the national statistics.