By Reggie Simpson

According to a Wikipedia chronic disease is a health condition that is persistent or otherwise long-lasting or a disease that comes with time. The term ‘chronic’ is often applied when the course of the disease lasts for more than three months.

While many illnesses can be considered chronic, there are major chronic conditions that are a significant burden to society and our healthcare system and may require footcare:

·Cardiovascular diseases

·Stroke

·Cancer

·Mental health

·Type 2 diabetes

·Arthritis

·Osteoporosis

·Asthma

·Kidney disease

·Dementia and Alzheimer’s

·Diet issues

Chronic diseases form a large part of treatments at Betafeet Podiatry, and due to the national rise of diabetes and vascular disease, the clinic promotes and targets patients with these conditions amongst others.

2018 statistics from Diabetes UK reveal that more than 8.8 percent of people living in Hemel Hempstead suffer from diabetes, and it is ranked as the number two killer in the region, after cardiovascular diseases. Both ailments can be traced back to mobility issues and obesity and have an indirect link to foot and joints related problems. According to a Society of Chiropodists and Podiatrists (SCP) report published in April 2014 entitled ‘Developing a Sustainable Podiatry Workforce for the UK Towards 2030’, by the year 2030, a minimum of six million older people will have foot problem which will require a professional workforce able to deliver 27 million footcare/podiatry appointments a year. Currently, some 58% of older people’s foot care need is met within the private sector.

With no tangible results from government’s operational policy and a local government action plan to reduce physical inactivity; we believe our practice will be a ray of hope for people who present with a poor lifestyle and multiple ailments, whose symptoms can be significantly reduced by the non-intrusive therapies offered by Betafeet Podiatry Clinic: www.betafeetpodiatry.co.uk