Healthy Feet
- Harvard Health Online Course
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A lot can go wrong with your feet, from sprains, fractures, and fungal infections to bunions, plantar fasciitis, and peripheral neuropathy, among other issues. Learn how to treat the full range of foot conditions—and how to prevent them.
- Online; Self-Paced
$29.95
Certificate
Two Weeks, 2-6 Hours/Week
On This Page
Overview
Centuries ago, Socrates said, “To him whose feet hurt, everything hurts.” Today, one in four older adults has chronic foot pain, and ultimately, more than 75% of all Americans will suffer some type of foot ailment. Yet people tend to take their feet for granted until something goes wrong. It might be an injury, or fallen arches, or Achilles tendinitis, or bunions. When it happens, it could trigger a domino effect, where pain in your feet affects other parts of your body.
While foot problems are painful and annoying, they’re rarely life-threatening. Yet untreated issues actually could have life-changing consequences. For example, about 25% of all people with diabetes will develop a foot ulcer. In some cases, that leads to complications requiring amputation of a toe, foot, or leg.
On the plus side, you can treat and even prevent many foot problems. And the more you know, the better chance you’ll have at catching them early. The 80-plus lessons in our online course “Healthy Feet” include videos, interactive pages, expandable lists, audio slideshows, and quiz questions. At the end, you’ll be prompted to download your Harvard certificate of completion.
Each section includes a quiz designed to help learners review important material.
