The Foot Doctor: Lifetime Relief for Your Aching Feet

Glynn A. Leyshon is a professor of physical education at the University
of Western Ontario, a former weekly columnist for the London Free Press
and author of 18 Sporting Stories.

Copeland provides a storehouse of useful information written in lay terms. In the 16 chapters, including one on commonly asked questions about foot problems, the author covers the spectrum of foot ailments. Everything from corns and calluses to athletic footwear are handled with panache and dispatch and written of in an eminently readable style.

If there is a theme throughout this book, it is that most foot problems, and many others affecting the legs and back, derive from poor biomechanics of the foot. Salvation appears not in the form of anything dramatic such as surgery, but in something called an orthotic — a custom made insert for the shoe to help correct faulty footwork. The author claims a very high success rate with this treatment.

Another theory of Copeland’s is to let nature help, especially in the case of children. He is a strong advocate of the use of running shoes to prevent the onset of foot problems, claiming that the care taken in the manufacture of today’s athletic footwear makes them the best type of shoes for everyone (including fashion models) to wear. Athletic shoes he claims do not constrict the feet, while at the same time they offer support and protection.

The Foot Doctor is a type of medical-shelf book for the home that ranks with any first-aid text or medical dictionary — except that it’s easier to understand.