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Common Foot Problems and Effective Prevention Strategies: Keep Your Feet Healthy and Active

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Healthy Feet: Preventing Common Foot Problems

Healthy Feet: Preventing Common Foot Problems

 

 

 

 

WeTreatFeet Podiatry for All your Foot and Ankle Needs

Your feet are the foundation of your body, carrying you through countless steps each day. However, various foot problems can hinder your mobility and overall well-being. In this blog post, we will explore common foot problems and provide effective prevention strategies to keep your feet healthy and active.  Click the condition for more information!

  1. Plantar Fasciitis: Plantar fasciitis is a painful condition caused by inflammation of the plantar fascia, a thick band of tissue that runs along the bottom of your foot. To prevent plantar fasciitis, wear supportive shoes, avoid excessive high-impact activities, maintain a healthy weight, and stretch your calf and foot muscles regularly.
  2. Bunions: Bunions are bony bumps that develop at the base of the big toe, causing discomfort and deformity. To prevent bunions, choose footwear with a wide toe box, avoid high heels and pointy shoes, maintain a healthy weight, and consider using orthotic inserts for added support and alignment.
  3. Ingrown Toenails: Ingrown toenails occur when the edges of the nails grow into the surrounding skin, causing pain and potential infection. To prevent ingrown toenails, trim your nails straight across, avoid rounding the corners, wear properly fitting shoes, and maintain good foot hygiene.
  4. Athlete’s Foot: Athlete’s foot is a fungal infection that commonly affects the skin between the toes, causing itching, redness, and peeling. To prevent athlete’s foot, keep your feet clean and dry, wear moisture-wicking socks and breathable shoes, avoid sharing towels or footwear, and use antifungal powders or sprays as needed.
  5. Corns and Calluses: Corns and calluses are thickened areas of skin that develop due to friction or pressure. To prevent corns and calluses, wear well-fitting shoes with cushioning, use protective pads or inserts to reduce pressure, regularly moisturize your feet, and gently exfoliate to keep the skin smooth.
  6. Achilles Tendonitis: Achilles tendonitis is an overuse injury that causes pain and inflammation in the Achilles tendon at the back of the ankle. To prevent Achilles tendonitis, gradually increase your exercise intensity, stretch your calf muscles before and after activities, wear supportive footwear, and incorporate cross-training and rest days into your routine.
  7. Heel Spurs: Heel spurs are bony growths that form on the heel bone and can cause heel pain. To prevent heel spurs, maintain a healthy weight, wear shoes with good arch support and cushioning, avoid excessive standing or walking on hard surfaces, and use ice or stretching exercises to relieve heel discomfort.

Conclusion: Don’t let foot problems slow you down! By implementing these effective prevention strategies, you can keep your feet healthy and active. Remember to choose proper footwear, maintain good foot hygiene, stretch regularly, and listen to your body. If you experience persistent foot issues, consult a healthcare professional for personalized advice. Take care of your feet, and they will support you every step of the way!  We are here for you Maryland and Pennsylvania, call us at 410-363-4343 for an appointment

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diabetic foot care

8 Great Suggestions for Diabetic Foot Care

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1.) Maintain a blood sugar level of 70 to 130 mg/dL before your meals and less than 180 mg/dL two hours after you’ve started your meal, with a haemoglobin A1C level that is less than 7 percent. This can be achieved through regular exercise, monitoring how often and what you are eating, keeping up with medications prescribed by your doctor, and monitoring your blood sugar as often as is necessary for optimal control.

2.) Never walk barefooted. Seashells, glass, or other ocean debris can cut your skin and cause serious infections without you realizing it. Walking barefoot on a hot pavement or hot sand can also lead to severe burns or infections. Avoid wearing sandals, as sand and other foreign bodies can still get into the sandal. Podiatrist, Cyaandi Dove, advises all her diabetic patients to choose closed shoes over flip-flops and sandals to give their feet maximum protect. She says: “Insects can still have access to your feet and cause problems with bites and other infections. Rather than saying that you should never wear sandals, I would say that you should be very vigilant when you do wear them.”

3.) Be shoe wise. Wearing shoes that are too big or too small can cause blisters or calluses. Measure your feet each time you buy new shoes. It’s is normal for adult feet to change sizes four or five times during your lifetime. Weight fluctuations, changes in the weather, and poor circulation can all alter the shape and size of your foot.

4.) Be sock wise. Choose socks that have no seams. Seams will rub against your skin and cause blisters.

5.) Wash and inspect your feet and shoes daily. Give your feet a daily wash. Inspect your feet before putting on your shoes and once more when you take them off. If you are not flexible enough to see the base of your foot, use a magnifying hand mirror. Shake out your shoes before you put them on and make sure there is no debris that will rub against your feet. Although a tiny grain of sand might not be felt, it could lead to serious infection if it is not treated properly.

6.) Trim toenails. Don’t let your nails get long and overgrown. Trim them straight across, and, if necessary, file down the edges.

7.) Use skin lotion for your feet. As a preventative, Flexitol Heel Balm can reduce the risk of infections and foot ulceration in diabetic patients keeping the skin optimally hydrated. Rub a thin coat of Flexitol Heel Balm on the top and bottom of your feet, but not between the toes. Excess moisture can also lead to fungal infections, so let the balm soak into your skin for a few minutes before putting on socks on covering up your feet.

8.) Visit a podiatrist before and after your vacation. Fungal infections tend to happen a lot more when the weather is heated and increased in moisture. Your feet might also increase in calluses because you have switched to summer footwear. Do not try to remove corns, calluses, or warts on your own. Even over-the-counter products for removing corns and warts may cause burns or damage to your skin that cannot be repaired. Your podiatrist will help you manage minor infections and ensure that they do not lead to serious complications.

Sources: http://www.digitaljournal.com/pr/1282575#ixzz2sMMwFuEF, http://www.diabetes.org.uk/Documents/Reports/State-of-the-Nation-2012.pdf

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Flatfeet in Children – Cause for Concern?

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An article by the American College of Foot and Ankle Surgeons warns that Pediatric Flatfoot, a childhood condition can, if left untreated, result in permanent deformity in adulthood. Flatfoot deformity makes mobility and exercise painful, increasing the risk of reduced cardiovascular health and obesity.

All reasons why it is imperative for parents to keep a close eye on their childrens’ foot development – namely by having them visit a podiatrist at any sign of discomfort.

“Parents never want their child to undergo a surgical procedure,” says Mary Crawford, DPM, FACFAS, an Everett, Washington foot and ankle surgeon, “but uncorrected symptomatic flatfoot can lead to chronic pain and instability as the child ages into adulthood. Children will be on their feet for a long time to come. It’s vital to keep those feet healthy. A foot and ankle surgeon can help parents understand the options – surgical and non-surgical – for treating pediatric flatfoot.”

Not every child with pediatric flatfoot will display symptoms but many will complain of discomfort, tenderness or cramping in the foot, ankle or knee area.  It also makes participating in physical activities difficult, so parents should take note if the child is not participating in these activities with their friends.

So how do doctors diagnose pediatric flatfoot?  The DPM will evaluate the child’s foot in weight bearing and non-weight bearing positions, both in and out of shoes and will also note how the child walks and evaluates the foot’s range of motion.  For further detailed analysis, the physician may order imaging tests such as x-ray, a CT scan, MRI or bone scan.

So moral of the story – don’t mess around if your child appears to have symptoms of pediatric flatfoot as it could have direct, deleterious effects on their future health.

Source:
American College of Foot and Ankle Surgeons