You change as you age, but so do your feet

If you want to age gracefully, it is also important to maintain foot health in order to help you properly move about.  Mobility is important for gaining the independence that is needed to help our aging population remain active and healthy.  Foot ailments make it difficult and sometimes impossible to work or participate in social activities.  Just as you need to prepare a newborn’s health by visiting doctors, you need to maintain proper foot health to prevent various foot ailments that could disrupt your life.

Foot problems can be prevented

There are more than 300 different foot ailments and some can even be traced back to heredity, with the majority of foot pain being treated by your podiatrist to eliminate any problems.  For the aging population, most of these foot ailments stem from the cumulative years of neglect or abuse, but even people in their retirement years, foot problems can be treated successfully, and pain relieved.

As a person ages, their feet tend to spread and lose the fatty pads that cushion the bottom of the feet.  Additional weight can also affect the bone and ligament structure. Older people, consequently, should have their feet measured for shoe sizes more frequently, rather than assuming that their shoe sizes remain constant. Observing preventive foot health care has many benefits for you, the patient.  Preventive measures can increase comfort, limit the possibility of additional medical problems, reduce the chances of hospitalization because of infection, and lessen requirements for other institutional care.

Remember these health tips for feet

When it comes to your feet, it is important to take extra precautions and properly care for your feet.  Some common foot health tips include:

• Properly fitted shoes are essential; an astonishing number of people wear shoes that
  don’t fit right, and cause serious foot problems.
• Bathe your feet daily in lukewarm (not hot) water, using a mild soap, preferably one
  containing moisturizers, or use a moisturizer separately.
• Trim or file your toenails straight across.
• Pantyhose or stockings should be of the correct size and preferably free of seams.
• A shoe with a firm sole and soft upper is best for daily activities.
• Shop for shoes in the afternoon; feet tend to swell during the day.
• Walking is the best exercise for your feet.
• Do not wear constricting garters or tie your stockings in knots.
• Never cut corns and calluses with a razor, pocket knife, or other such instrument;
  use over-the-counter foot products only with the advice of a podiatrist.
• Inspect your feet every day or have someone do this for you. If you notice any redness,
  swelling, cracks in the skin, or sores, consult your podiatrist.
• Have your feet examined by a DPM at least twice a year.

Contact Dr. Mark Forman at our Scottsdale, AZ office for more information on how you can better prepare your feet for optimal health as you age. And remember, pain is not something you should live with. 

How to Keep Shoe Inserts & Orthotics Fresh

Shoe inserts and orthotics can provide you with many benefits such as cushioning your step, supporting your arches, and alleviating foot and leg pain. Podiatrists prescribe orthotics to treat a variety of foot issues such as: plantar fasciitis, bursitis, tendinitis, and foot ulcers.  Inserts and orthotics have been shown in clinical research to decrease foot pain and to improve foot function.

Let's be honest though, shoe inserts come with their own set of problems.  It is natural that overtime your orthotics will smell over time if you do not make an effort to keep them smelling fresh.

Tips for insert/ orthotic care:

• Try not to get to them too wet (especially foam or cloth covered ones)
• If wetness occurs remove from shoes immediately
• If you are concerned that they have come in contact with water, pat them dry with a towel to remove and surface moisture and leave them in a room with good ventilation
• Lay orthotics flat to dry
• Allow ample drying time, inserts can need up to several days depending on what material they are made of
• If you leave them in your shoes to dry it may result in an insert or orthotic that is less able to perform

Cleaning and washing:

Use a mild soap or detergent with lukewarm water to wash your inserts. Be sure not to let them absorb too much water by soaking them. If you have a stain that is difficult to remove it is recommended that you scrub just that area with a soft bristle toothbrush to spot-treat your orthotic. After giving them a good rinse to remove excess dirt and cleaning products allow them to dry completely. Never machine wash or dry your inserts, this will destroy the integrity of their structure.

Replacement:

The expected lifetime of an insert depends on how much you use and wear yours. Every three to nine months you should be thinking about getting new insoles.

Don't you hate when your feet fall asleep

It happens to all of us; on an airplane, sitting at our desk, or just lying in bed: the dreaded pins and needles of the foot falling asleep. Why does this happen? And is there a surefire remedy to make our foot feel normal again?

Well many people believe that when the foot falls asleep, it does so because of a lack of blood circulation. Sorry, but this is just an old wives tale. The foot actually falls asleep because of the nerves. Nerves are the tiny “wires” that are all over your body and make you feel. The majority of the nerves in your body carry messages from your brain to the body and vice versa. Think of them as electrical wires. And when you compress your nerves for a long enough period of time, the communication from brain to foot (or any part of your body that is being compressed for a long enough time) is disrupted. This disruption is what causes the pins and needles feeling, or what some call, the static screen of the body.

How do you get rid of this? Most people move their foot around to get blood flow back, and even though blood flow may not be the problem, their solution is correct. By moving your foot to new places and decompressing the nerves that were disrupted, the annoying feeling will go away fairly quickly.

So, whenever your foot, hand, arm, or leg gets those pins and needles, and you know it fell asleep, move it around (dance if you have to!) and get those nerves communicating again!

Just what is an Ankle Sprain

Left fielder Brett Elbner from the Kansas City Royals has sprained his left ankle and was put on the 15 day disabled list earlier this month. Now, we hear people spraining an ankle or a wrist all the time. Many people have an idea about what a sprain is, but they don’t know what it truly is, or how to treat one.

What is a sprained ankle?

            A sprained ankle is a very common injury, it is when one or more ligaments on the outer side of your ankle are stretched or are torn. Typically, this happens when the ankle is rolled inward, which is called an inversion sprain. In fact, an ankle sprain is so common, that an estimated 25,000 people a day sprain their ankle, of course to differing degrees of pain.

            You’re most likely to sprain your ankle when your toes are one the ground and your heel is up (this is called plantar flexion). When your foot is in such a position, the ligaments in your ankle are now under tension, and this makes the susceptible to injury.

            If the pain goes away very quickly, you can go on your merry way. However, if the pain persists, and the ankle swells, go see Dr. Forman, who will do an X-ray to determine the severity of the sprain and differentiate it from a fracture.

How to treat a sprained ankle?

            Like most foot injuries, the best way to care for your injury is the “RICE” Method.

            R: Rest your ankle. DO NOT walk on it!

            I: Ice your ankle to keep the swelling down

C: Compression. This can control swelling as well the ice. This also supports your injury for a quicker recovery

E: Elevate. Get on your favorite Lazy Boy recliner and prop up your foot and recline!

By following these guidelines, you’ll be set on your way. But remember, if you think you sprain your ankle, and the pain does not go away, make an appointment with Dr. Forman as soon as possible.