Silly socks screen for foot faults
1 JANUARY 2003
Students and staff at Charles Sturt University (CSU), some sporting silly socks, are calling on residents in Albury-Wodonga to ‘sock it to diabetes’ as part of activities recognising Foot Health Month across Australia. Students enrolled in the podiatry degree at CSU in Albury-Wodonga are providing screening tests for participants to assess the health of their feet and to show them good self-help practices to care for their feet. Podiatry course coordinator and leading ‘silly sock wearer’ Associate Professor Paul Tinley said the screening activities were part of CSU’s commitment to address the appalling number of foot amputations caused by poor foot health in people afflicted with diabetes. “It is critically important that all people with diabetes understand the risk of injury to their feet. Feet are so far from the heart that they are often the first places to show the problems of poorly controlled diabetes such as reduced sensation. This can lead eventually to lower limb amputation and a significant impact on mobility and health. Checking your feet is important for us all, plus I like the silly socks!” Professor Tinley said.
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