A second heart, and figures left as the notes claim them

The foot, the writer says, holds the body’s weight, lets us walk, and sits at the lowest point, where waste is also said to leave. The notes give the body about 206 bones, and the two feet 52 bones, 38 muscles and 214 ligaments. Those figures stay as the claim in the notes, without a later official total.

Capillaries and nerve cells are said to be denser here than in many other parts, so the foot is called a second heart. The heart sends blood out from above; the foot, at the far end, is said to help send it back. Because the foot does this work, the writer argues, its care should be taken seriously, and people with adult diseases such as diabetes should be especially careful. Studies, the notes claim, have found that looking after the feet can also help in treating those illnesses. No year is given for those studies, and none is added here.

Two jobs are named first: to stand, and to walk upright. Walking on two feet, the writer says, freed the hands to make tools, and that in turn is tied to the growth of the brain. The argument stays as the notes word it.

Hallux valgus, pointed shoes, and a 35-degree line

The first condition is hallux valgus, called the most common foot trouble: the big toe turns toward the second. It is seen most often, the notes say, in women who frequently wear high heels or pointed shoes.

A mild turn may still be managed with shoes, stretching and massage. When the bend is more than 35 degrees, surgery is described as the way to correct it. As the big toe keeps turning, it may lose its work, and the second and middle toes have to take more weight, so joints hurt and calluses build. In walking, the notes say, we roll from the heel toward the big toe; when that toe is weak, the gait itself goes wrong.

The most important care, the writer thinks, is a shoe that fits — not only in length and width, but in the shape of the toe box. Pointed shoes and high heels, especially when worn young, are linked in the notes to complaints in a person’s forties and fifties. Early on, spreading the toes, massage, and a custom insole may slow the worsening. If the change has gone far, and even a comfortable trainer still hurts, surgery on the toe bones is named as an option.

Flat feet, a diabetic foot, and pain in the heel

The second condition is flat feet, in which the mid-foot does not hollow inward as a healthy foot is said to do, but stays level. People born with flat feet, the notes say, may have frequent pain as they grow.

A diabetic foot is called one of the three major complications of diabetes. The foot may feel cold or burn; a wound may fail to heal and even rot. If treatment is late, the writer says, the foot may have to be cut away. A sprain is also listed, and last, plantar fasciitis — pain in the heel or sole after a long rest, or on standing up from a seat or a bed.

The same Korean essay, at fuller length, is on CampusDown.

Sources

1. A student essay on hallux valgus, flat feet, plantar fasciitis, and diabetic foot disease.
2. Figures of about 206 bones in the body, and 52 bones, 38 muscles and 214 ligaments in the feet, left as the notes claim them.
3. A 35-degree line for surgery, pointed shoes and high heels, and care by massage, insoles and footwear, as the notes describe them.

Last updated: 14 November 2026