The doctor and staff at the FootHealth, P.C. welcome you to our newsletter
in order to provide you with an easy way to interact with our practice and
help you obtain the most information for your
foot and ankle
problems. On this site, you will find
patient
information forms,
biographies
about the doctors,
specialties of our practice and links to sites that will provide you
with
valuable patient information.
For your convenience; we have added an on-line
link on our web site for foot and ankle products. Click on the "our
doctor's store" icon. This site features many competitively priced
products that can be shipped conveniently to your home.
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Click on the "OurDoctorStore'
icon. This site features many competitively priced products that can be
shipped conveniently to your home.
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Stay trim and comfortable in the New Year
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You're raring to exercise, lose weight and stick to your New Year's resolutions.
When you hit the gym for a goodworkout, though, a sharp pain shoots through your
heel, or your feet become tender, numb or painful.
How can you exercise when your feet are aching? We see many exercisers with foot
pain after every round of New Year's resolutions. Here are some tips for
avoiding it.
If you feel a sharp, stabbing pain when you get out of bed or stand up, you
likely have plantar fasciitis. That's an inflammation of a band of tissue on
the bottom of the feet. To prevent it, wear athletic shoes that support the
arch and cushion the heel, or try orthotics.
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Your shoes should be designed
for the sport.
If you feel pain in the ball of your foot or tingling in the third and
fourth toes, you may have a neuroma, which is a pinched nerve. They're
generally caused by wearing shoes that are too tight. Get your feet
measured and wear the proper size in both athletic and everyday footwear.
If the backs of your feet feel tender and painful, your burst of exercise
may have strained the Achilles tendon.Be sure to warm up for your workout
and start new exercise routines gradually. Sports trainers recommend
increasing your exercise intensity by only 10 percent a week. If you do
develop
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Achilles tendonitis, use rest, ice, compression and elevation (R.I.C.E.).
If pain from any of these conditions continues for more than five days,
call our office for an appointment. We can evaluate your condition, take
steps to avoid future complications and offer pain relief.
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Do a mid-year checkup on your child's feet
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Children will be thrilled to know they've made it halfway through the school
year. Their shoes have also made itthrough half the year, and it may be time for
a new pair.
Children's feet can grow up to two sizes in six months. If you suspect your
children's growth has made their shoes too tight, check for blisters, corns and
calluses on the toes, blisters on the back of the heels or ingrown toenails.
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Check the shoes for wear and tear, too. Shoes lose their shock absorption over time.
If it's time to buy new shoes, choose a pair that has a little, but not too
much, room for growth. Shoot for about a finger's width of space between your
child's big toe and the front of the shoe. Don't buy shoes too big, however.
Oversized shoes cause the foot to slide forward, putting pressure on the toes.
Be sure the shoes have a toe box wide enough to accommodate your child's feet,
adequate cushioning and shock absorption. Children with flat feet also need
shoes that provide arch support.
If your child is having trouble walking or running or is experiencing foot pain
despite properly fitting shoes, call our office for a checkup.
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Heat things up with winter sports
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Skiing at a resort or gliding across an indoor ice rink make for great winter
recreation. Use caution in winter sports, though, so you can finish the day with
hot cocoa instead of a cast and crutches.
Beginning ice skaters experience a lot of falls. When that happens, tendons can
sprain or tear. Even experiencedskaters can fracture an ankle.
Downhill skiers, cross-country skiers and snowboarders also risk injuries to
their feet and ankles, including sprains, fractures and dislocations.
If you do get injured, let our office check it out. It may be a sprain or a
fracture, and it's important to get medical treatment promptly for both
conditions.
An ankle sprain could lead to chronic ankle instability if left
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untreated. If it's a fracture, you don't want the bones to start healing if they
aren't aligned properly.
If an x-ray shows you don't have a fracture, you may still have stretched a
tendon or injured a joint. These mayworsen without proper treatment and could
cause arthritis, tissue damage and problems with foot alignment. We can help you
head off these complications.
Follow these tips to help prevent injuries:
• Make sure skates, ski boots or snowboard boots fit properly. Lace up
ice skates tightly enough to give your ankle proper support.
• If you haven't engaged in this sport since last winter, start two
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weeks ahead of time doing specific exercises to condition the muscles used in
that sport. You can find conditioning and warm-up exercises and resources by
doing an Internet search.
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