Real-Life Math -- Solution
1. If the woman's daughter is 5, what should her heel eversion be?
8 - 5 = 3
Her heel eversion should be no more than 3 degrees.
2. If the girl is 2, what should her heel eversion be?
8 - 2 = 6
Her heel eversion should be no more than 6 degrees.
3. Her heel eversion is 5 degrees. What would her age be for this to be normal?
8 - 5 = 3
Normally, she would be 3 years old.
Podiatrists use math for problems like the one above. They use a lot more math during their education, to understand the theory behind things.
Podiatrist Dr. Pamela Hopper says she doesn't use math all that much now.
"But when I trained in podiatry, we had to do physics and chemistry, and mathematics were very important because we had a lot of angles to measure. So, they are important, but you certainly don't need to be an A student in math."
Podiatrists work with other specialists, such as radiologists, who take X-rays of feet. They will sometimes do calculations for you. It's important to understand their work.
"You should know how to do at least basic things yourself, so that you have an understanding of what somebody else has done for you," Hopper says.
A podiatrist might also have to measure volume when giving a shot with a needle. However, computers normally do the calculations now.