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Those Aching Feet! Simple Steps to Evaluate and Prevent Your Foot Problems

NEW YORK CITY,NY (May 2000) -- "Approximately 40 percent of Americans have foot problems, many of which can be evaluated through self examination and prevented by taking simple steps such as wearing appropriate shoes," said Cherise M. Dyal, M.D., chief, Foot and Ankle Service, Montefiore Medical Center, the Bronx, NY.

"While many changes in the foot occur naturally as we age -- the foot becomes wider and longer and the arch settles, which is seen as flattening of the foot -- many common problems such as bunions, curling of the toes, calluses or corns, and arthritis can be prevented or their progress halted by modifying the shoes that are worn," she says.

Dr. Dyal, a panel member and spokesperson for the American Orthopaedic Foot and Ankle Society’s "Foot Fitness for Life" campaign, is a member of the Montefiore’s Department of Orthopaedic Surgery, and is a specialist in the field of foot and ankle problems.

"Foot Fitness for Life" is a ten-part program for consumers and covers:

• Initial Evaluation (skin, circulation, flexibility, sensation, pain and balance)
• How to Read Your Footprints (the watermark test)
• How to Read Your Shoes
• Wear Shoes that Fit Well
• Wear Shoes Appropriate for Your Feet and the Activity
• Know Your Sports Shoes
• Keep Your Feet Flexible
• Eat Right...Your Feet Will Thank You
• Practice Good Foot Hygiene and Toenail Care
• Watch Out for These Red Flags (pain, swelling, foot deformity, infection, flattening of arch, loss of sensation)

  Dr. Dyal is available for interviews on the prevention and treatment of all foot and ankle problems and on any of the ten topics listed above.

Montefiore Medical Center, The University Hospital and Academic Medical Center for the Albert Einstein College of Medicine, ranks among the top one percent of all US hospitals based on its investments in medical innovation and cutting-edge technology.

Montefiore invests more in order to enable compassionate, personalized care and the most positive outcomes for patients and their families in New York, the tri-state area and beyond.

Montefiore’s unique combination of ‘state-of-the-art’ technology with ‘state-of-the-heart’ medical and nursing care in a teaching and research environment provides patients with access to world-class medical experts, the newest and most innovative treatments and the best medical center experience anywhere.

This 1,062 bed medical center includes the Henry and Lucy Moses Division, the Jack D. Weiler Hospital and The Children’s Hospital at Montefiore, a large home healthcare agency and a 21-site medical group practice located throughout the Bronx and nearby Westchester.

Montefiore treats all major illnesses and has distinguished centers of excellence in cardiology and cardiac surgery, cancer care, tissue and organ transplantation, children's health, women's health, surgery and the surgical subspecialties. Montefiore Medical Center focuses on providing family-centered healthcare in a nurturing environment that extends well beyond hospital and clinic walls.