Post 11. Your feet and You

Today I am writing about our feet. For the most part everyone has a pair. The average person gives no importance to there feet. Sure we women paint our toenails and men cut their toenails, but does anyone stop to really give thought to there health? I have worked for many doctors in my career as a medical assistant and Podiatry-study of the feet has to be the most interesting, which is the field I currently work in. See, without our feet we'd be helpless. Our feet proper us forward, hold us up, allow us for motion. Our toes are even important. For example, if we didn't have a big toe we would have issues with balancing ourselves because the big toe is what provides us with stability. I know what you're thinking..euuwww gross smelly feet is what you look at all day?! Yes and not all feet are smelly. I see lots of people with toenail fungus, nail separation, painful heel, painful toes, numbness and tingling in the toes or the feet...bunions, pinched nerves, fractures, and total ankle replacements.

The truth is there are so many crazy things that could go on with your feet. Diabetics are prone to chronic ulcers because they have peripheral neuropathy-meaning they have lost sensation in the feet, so the pressure from their shoes or their own bones can produce ulcers that don't heal. I see amputations from people not taking care of little wounds that can turn to holes with the infection going down to the bone; at this point amputation is needed. The most common type of pain we see is heel pain, usually this starts early in the morning before you get out of bed and when you go to stand up, the pain gets worse. Until you start moving and gain momentum. About 80% of the time this is Plantar Fasciitis. There is ligament in your foot called the Plantar Fascia which is connected to your toes and your muscles in the calf. When the calf muscles get too tight it may pull on the plantar fascia and cause tightness with inflammation. Most of the times it is attributed to being on your feet for long periods of time. Runners also have issues with this as the impact of running can tear the plantar fascia thus creating plantar fasciitis. 

If you find yourself in this situation from long hours of being on our feet I am here to help. As I currently work for a podiatrist and am suffering from the same situation. As for my nurses this is something we cannot escape once we graduate, those long hours on our feet. This is a condition that can go away with cortisone injections, anti-inflammatory medications, stretching and good foot support. Typically, you want to try conservative treatment before you resort to medication and injections. I am by no means telling you not to seek medical attention for any pain you are experiencing, I am simply offering a small beacon of relief until you see a Podiatrist. Stretching is the most important thing anyone and everyone should do first thing in the morning! Why would I want to stretch you say? I feel good...here is why. Your muscles are being used all day long and when you go to rest at night this is when the body regenerates itself from all that you did that day. If a muscle was used in a way that normally isn't used or overused than that muscle is fatigued, inflammed and will get tight. Stretching helps eliminate the soreness and the tightness you will fill. This is the same concept for your foot. Stretching is everything. 

I am currently doing this therapy and taking anti-inflammatory medication to alleviate whatever pain I am feeling, I do not want Cortisone injections...this scares me. Even if you are not feeling heel pain, use these stretching exercises to keep your feet healthy. Remember without those feet you'd be missing out on everything you do. And if yo do need to see a Podiatrist for any foot problems call the office I work for, my doctor is a very good doctor. I don't say this because I work for him I say this because he was the first doctor to have done a complete total ankle replacement on a patient and has patented his own devices to use for surgery. The man is good people. Below is the office name and information if you need us call us and...May the force be with you!
CERTIFIED FOOT AND ANKLE SPECIALISTS
http://certifiedfoot.com/
Boca Raton: (561) 995-0229
Ft. Lauderdale: (954) 533-6396
Boynton Beach: (561) 369-2199
West Palm Beach: (561) 357-9330
Coral Springs: (954) 753-3030