Sweaty Feet

Sweaty feet is also known as Hyperhidrosis. This commonly occurs on the palms and soles of the feet. Some people may have more sweat glands than others. When your feet sweat, this is a breeding ground for fungus and warts to develop. Remember how we talked about that fungus and warts, love a warm moist environment? Hyperhidrosis can also lead to Bromohidrosis which is foot odor.

There are many different treatments that can help hyperhidrosis. One thing that we will typically recommend is to not wear 100% cotton socks. 100% cotton socks do not wick away moisture. So when your feet sweat in these cotton socks, the moisture will also stay with you all day. Socks with the synthetic material consisting of Lycra can help with this. It is also a good idea to constantly change your socks daily. We also have certain topical roll on anti-perspirants that one can roll onto their feet to help with the dryness. These products can be very effective and they range in different concentrations. There are also certain Talc's and lotions that we may dispense to help this out as well.

Please visit our page if you have more questions or call to make an appointment

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Gout

We have discussed some previous causes of heel pain such as plantar fasciitis and calcaneal apophysits. One overlooked cause of heel pain is Gout. Commonly we will see gout in the big toe joint. It can also be seen in the heel less commonly. Gout is a build up of uric acid in the body. Some people may tend to overproduce these uric crystals and then there are the people who under produce them and the body is unable to get rid of the uric acid crystals. The uric acid then tends to buildup in joints in the body. This leads to a red, hot, swollen, and inflamed joint. This can be very painful. Typically people may describe the pain so bad that the bedsheets are unable to touch the foot. There are many different causes of gout ranging from genetics, drinking too much alcohol, eating a lot of shrimp, shellfish, and red meat. Certain medications can also cause gout. Most commonly are the water pills such as Lasix and HCTZ. Certain tests can diagnose gout as well. This can be confirmed by a looking at the synovial fluid in the joint and a simple uric acid blood test. However these tests are not always positive. Sometimes in an acute gout attack, the blood test comes back normal. X-Rays sometimes can take years before seeing the erosive changes it can take on a joint.

Untreated, and long term gout can lead to arthritis in the joint. This is why it is important to see your Podiatrist (if affecting the foot) and your Primary Doctor to manage the gout. Early treatment during an acute attack most commonly involves a cortisone injection and anti-inflammatory medicine. This helps dramatically reduce the inflammation within a 12-48 hour window. Long term treatment may consist of being placed on medicine that helps control gout and prevent future flare ups. One thing that must always be done is a diet change. Avoiding alcohol, red meat, shrimp, and shellfish can help prevent future flare ups. Gout was typically called "The Disease of Kings" and "Rich Man's disease" because it was believed back in the day it was caused by an overindulgence of food and drink. But now we know more about what the causes and treatment are of gout and how to avoid it. As always if you are having the above symptoms and are suspicious for gout in your foot please contact your Podiatrist to get some relief
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Back To School Shoes

Summer is quickly ending and now many students and kids will be returning back to school. At this time, many parents will be buying their children new sneakers/shoes to also start the new year off. There are many different things to look into when buying sneakers and shoes. The American Podiatric Medical Association has listed a "1,2,3 test" to ensure a good quality shoe when purchasing new shoes.
The first thing to do it press on both back parts of the heel. this area should be firm and not compress.
(Images on the left are better quality sneakers than images on the right)
Click on picture for bigger picture.


The next step to check for is toe flexibility. The shoe/sneaker should compress at the ball of the foot and not the entire shoe. The shoe should bend with your child’s toes, but should not be too stiff or bend too much in the toe box area.




The 3rd test should be to grab the shoe/sneaker and twist it from side to side. A good quality shoe/sneaker will not easily twist in the middle.



Other important considerations is to go shoe shopping with your children. This will help promote good quality shoes early and often. Always look for the Podiatry Seal of Acceptance on the shoes. We have blogged about this earlier. Continually examine the wear pattern of the heels. Many kids will tend to wear out the heels even though their shoe size has not changed. Lastly, socks is always important when trying on shoes. Make sure to wear the correct socks when trying on shoes to ensure a proper fit.

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Flip Flops and Bacteria

There was an interesting article posted by NBC about Flip flops and bacteria that I would like to discuss. The University of Miami emergency mobile flip-flop lab found more than 18,000 bacteria on one flip flop. Now remember that's just ONE flip flop. What was even more interesting was that some of the bacteria that was found on the flip flops, were bacteria from fecal matter, respiratory germs, diaper rash, and yeast infection. Oh the places we go....the study tested different parts of NYC. The subway, parts of Coney island, Coney island public restroom at the train station, West Village, and Brooklyn's Prospect Park. Wow I couldn't even imagine wearing a pair of sandals, or flip flops in a subway. Let a lone a busy one like NYC. That one in the public restroom had about 13,900 bacteria!! Another interesting finding by Dr. Philip M. Tierno Jr., director of clinical microbiology and immunology at New York University’s Langone Medical Center, said "if such shoes were worn for three months over the course of an entire summer, 93 percent of them would have fecal bacteria on them and 20 percent of them would have E. coli."
Just think about what you are potentially walking in with those flip flops in bathroom floors, especially in a subway station. And I just don't mean human waste either. You also have small animal droppings as well.
The most important thing that one should consider is not having any open cuts, blisters, or sores. You shouldn't be wearing flip flops to begin with, with any of the above foot ailments. But with all those bacteria, this can lead to severe infections in the foot.
It is always important to take good care of your feet and to recommend checking your feet daily. For further information, please check out our website.

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What is My Foot Type?

We typically will get many questions regarding "What is my foot type?" and "What type of sneaker should I be looking for? Motion control? Stability?" Well it can be very easy to determine what your foot 'type' is. This can range from a flat foot, high arch foot, or a normal foot. It is very important to know this, so that when it comes to buying a pair of sneakers you can determine which kind to buy.

The images that you see from left to right are pictures of a High arch foot, flat foot, and a normal foot. To find out what type of foot you are you can perform the "Wet Test"

This simple test can be done at home. Basically, pour some water in a pan. Step in the pan so that the bottom of your foot is wet. Then step onto brown paper bag, shopping bag, or heavy paper. Then take a look to see which image your foot type is similar to.

Lets start off with the High Arch foot. If you don't see much of the instep, and a thin line of the outside part of your foot then you have this type of foot. You will basically be looking for a Cushioned or Flexible shoe type

Next would be the flat foot. If you see the majority of your foot than this is your foot type. You will typically be looking for a Motion Control or Stability shoe.

Lastly would be the normal foot type. You would most likely see half of your arch area. If so than you have a normal or neutral foot type. When buying shoes you want to typically look for a Stability type shoe.

This can help out tremendously when deciding between the differences out there between cushioned, flexible, motion control, and stability

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New Running Sneaker Style

I recently saw an interesting article from Wired magazine. Research is being done that is suggesting barefoot is the way to run. I do not agree with this at all, but we will see what kind of literature will be published in the future. Certain companies are developing models like Nike Free, the Newton All-Weather Trainer and the glove-like Vibram FiveFingers.

Could these things be the new Crocs? Only time will tell. I dont see it as a good idea due to the lack of support and cushion. By running barefoot, you increase your chances of sprain, strains, fractures, and developing cuts and bruises. The new sneakers do not seem at all supportive for the heel and arch. I will keep you posted on the new running style to see if any literature is out there. Until then, its best NOT to run barefoot, and to be in good supportive sneakers and shoes at all times.
The original article can be found at : http://www.wired.com/wiredscience/2009/07/barefoot/

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Exercising and Foot Gear

Over the past few weeks and months with the warmer weather out, I have been trying to get more and more exercising in. Usually that will be with bike riding, the elliptical machine, and running. One of the good habits that I have developed as a Podiatrist is constantly looking at ones feet or shoe gear. Its more apparent in the Summer months when people wear sandals and flip-flops.

As I talk about different shoes in this blog I would like to mention that I have no affiliations with these company's and I do not get paid for recommending their shoe gear. Its all from personal experience.

I have been amazed that when I went to the gym a few weeks ago what people are working out in. Or even cycling on trails. I have noticed a lot of sandals. They may feel fine while working out in them but it will catch up with them later. They will eventually develop foot problems. Sandals and flip flops offer no support at all. When exercising, your heel and the arches of the foot need to be constantly supported. There also needs to be some shock absorption as well. If not the knees then take a lot of that shock absorption. People will develop plantar fasciitis, arch pain, callouses, and knee pain as well.

Now i know there are a ton of different shoes and sneaker company's out there but not all have the APMA seal of acceptance. I will also post a link for them as well. As for shoes and sneakers I will recommend they are as follows:
Sneakers: New Balance, Asics, Saucony, Brooks, Mizuno, Aetrex
Shoes: Aetrex, Rockport, Ecco, Clark's, and Merrell's

And for a list of the APMA seal of acceptance for shoes and sneakers please see the following link:
http://www.apma.org/MainMenu/RecommendedProducts/SealofAcceptance/ProductsbyCategory.aspx#FOOTWEAR



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