Taking care of your feet requires learning about and addressing risk factors before they become problems. These resources can help you to take better care of your feet.
American Lung Association
www.lungusa.org
(800) LUNG-USA (586-4872)
The Web site of the American Lung Association. Click on “Quit Smoking” for information on quitting smoking, legislation against smoking, and smoking and pregnancy.
American Physical Therapy Association
www.apta.org
(800) 999-APTA (2782)
TDD: (703) 683-6748
Click on “Consumer Info” to learn more about physical therapy, find physical therapists in your area, read information on a variety of conditions that can be helped by therapy, and how physical therapy works with your insurance.
American Podiatric Medicine Association
www.apma.org
(800) FOOTCARE (366-8227)
The APMA’s Web site can help you to find a podiatrist in your area and to learn more about ulcers and how diabetes affects the feet.
Board for Certification in Pedorthics
www.cpeds.org
(888) 530-CPED (2733)
Use this Web site to locate a certified pedorthist in your area. Information for consumers is available under “Patient Information.”
Feet Can Last a Lifetime
http://ndep.nih.gov/resources/feet
Primarily aimed at health-care professionals, this booklet is also available offline by calling the National Diabetes Information Clearinghouse at (800) 860-8747. Also available from this site or through their ordering number, (800) 438-5383, is “Take Care of Your Feet for a Lifetime,” a sheet of foot-care tips for people with diabetes.
Legs for Life
www.legsforlife.org
Started by the Society of Interventional Radiology and now backed by a number of organizations, Legs for Life is a national program that provides free screenings for peripheral vascular disease. Visit the Web site to find a participating site or an interventional radiologist near you.
Lower Extremity Amputation Prevention Program
www.bphc.hrsa.gov/leap
(888) ASK-HRSA (275-4772)
The LEAP program works to reduce the number of lower extremity amputations in people with diabetes. Visit the Web site or call to order your own free, reusable LEAP filament and instructional brochure to check your own feet for loss of sensation.
Smokefree.gov
www.smokefree.gov
(877) 44U-QUIT (448-7848)
TTY: (800) 332-8615
Created by a branch of the National Cancer Institute, this guide to quitting smoking offers brochures, a step-by-step quit guide, telephone numbers for local and state quitlines, and even an instant messaging service so you can chat with a staff member online.
