The Not So Great Escape

Lindsay Lohan’s father may have broken his foot when jumping from a third story balcony to escape from the police. He has been arrested for making a harassing call to his girlfriend.

Broken bones can occur from many different types of injury including heavy impact, crush and freak accidents. There are 28 bones in the human foot which leads to many different locations that a fracture can occur. In some instances, the broken bone may give a person very little trouble and not affect their life in any major way. However, in other cases, the fracture can leave a person relying on crutches or even a wheelchair to get around. In either circumstance, a person can experience a great deal of discomfort from the injury.

It is important that if you suspect you have broken a bone that you seek medical assistance. With as many bones as there are in the human foot, there are also many nerves, arteries and veins that run close to these structures and can be injured as a result of the trauma. If this happens, many other structures can be affected including the muscles and tissues that rely on the arteries for blood supply and the nerves for signals from the brain. If these problems are allowed to persist, the foot can undergo much more damage than the initial traumatic experience.

With a fracture, it is important to set the bones so that they can heal properly. In some breaks, bone pieces will become misaligned and the bone will heal incorrectly. If this is caught right away the cure is much simpler than if the bone is given time to heal in the wrong place. The foot is also not as stable if the bones are not properly aligned. You can think of it like a building. If the trusses of a roof are not placed in the correct pattern, then the roof will be weak and will break down over time.

By visiting your local podiatrist, x-rays can be taken and further diagnostic studies done to assess the extent of your injury. Steps can then be taken to get you back on your feet as soon as possible. So, the moral of the story is always seek professional help in the case of an injury, and don’t jump off of a third story balcony.

Waking Up On The Wrong Side Of The Bed: Plantar Fasciitis

The beautiful fall weather is upon us.  This means colorful leaves, apple picking and cooler weather ideal for running. Runners are athletes that are prone to many different types of injuries due to the repetitive pounding of their foot against the ground throughout their stride. Some of the foot problems that occur can be a result of the individual’s foot type. One of these is known as plantar fasciitis.

Plantar fasciitis is a condition that results from doing the same motion over and over pulling and stretching a band of tissue on the bottom of your foot connecting the heel to the toes and contributing to your arch. This has been known to happen in construction workers that are standing on a roof all day, soldiers spending the day marching in formation and athletes who are constantly stretching and relaxing this band. It is a condition that is very common in middle-aged people, but is all present in younger people that are on their feet a lot.

For patients that have a flat foot type, where there is a constant stretch on that band of tissue, it becomes irritated over time and causes a great deal of pain. People will notice that their heel will suddenly be really sore when they first get out of bed or after they have been sitting for a long time. This pain can range from just enough to be annoying to being severe enough to cause debilitation. The condition is a relatively straight-forward one to treat, and something that a podiatrist sees on a regular basis. Often, the pain will be temporarily treated to get you back up on your feet, but for a long lasting effect, orthoses can be designed for your specific foot type. Orthoses give you long lasting relief by correcting your foot allowing it to avoid this flat position and prevent the constant stretch of your fascia. These orthoses can be designed to fit in any good quality running shoe and will in no way hinder the athlete. It will actually help you to get back out there and enjoy the sport without the pain that has been holding you back.

A common mistake is to try and push yourself through the pain. With this condition and many others, not treating the cause will lead to a greater amount of damage and a longer recovery time. For a runner, this means more time sitting out from your sport. In extreme cases, surgery could be necessary. So, to help prevent this, it is important to seek podiatric care as soon as you start to notice that something is not right. One of the many perks of being an athlete is that you know your body well, so make sure that you treat it right!

Why Can't I Feel My Feet: Diabetic Neuropathy

The holiday season is fast approaching, and with it comes all of the decorations, parties and cheer. There is also grandma’s famous fruit cake, mom’s delicious fudge and dad’s fireside s’mores. Once we get started with Halloween, it’s just one delicious treat after another. Let’s not forget the important ingredient that is in all of these delights though, sugar, and lots of it. Now anything is good in moderation, but for a diabetic, this is can be a difficult time of year.

Diabetes is a condition that plagues 8.3% of our countries population, and the numbers are steadily rising. We’ve all seen the scary pictures of the diabetic patient, but the good news for you is that diabetes is something that can be controlled. It is also a topic that has had a large amount of research put into it and there have been several quick tests that can be done by your podiatrist to monitor the condition.

An important thing that we are concerned about in people with this condition is Diabetic Neuropathy. This is just fancy medical terminology to say that the nerves of the foot are not working properly and you can’t feel something touching your foot. As a result, you can’t feel pain in your foot. So, your first thought is great! Nobody likes pain, but pain is your body’s warning sing that something isn’t right. Think about when you are walking down a trail and a piece of gravel gets stuck in your shoe. It’s annoying, but it’s not a big deal, because you’ll just stop, remove it and be on your way. For a diabetic patient who doesn’t feel the gravel, they will keep it in their shoe because they don’t even know it is there. This can lead to blisters and ultimately open sores on their feet that they won’t even know are there.

This is where a podiatrist comes into the picture. Through several quick, non-invasive tests, a podiatrist can determine if the patient has lost sensation in their foot and determine how far up their leg it extends. Then, through periodic check-ups, a close eye can be kept on the person to make sure they don’t develop ulcers. If they do, then the podiatrist will be able to take quick, aggressive actions to heal the wound as quickly as possible and prevent drastic surgeries. New data has shown that diabetic amputations can be prevented 85% of the time through working closely with your podiatrist to maintain the health and well-being of your feet and legs.

Diabetes is a long-term disease that requires a significant amount of teamwork between the patient and their physician. However, this does not have to be a condition that controls your life. The sooner that you form a partnership with your podiatrist, the better your results will be.

Salma Hayek Does "The Twist"

The acclaimed actress, Salma Hayek, has reportedly injured her ankle. While promoting her new movie “Puss in Boots,” she was seen wearing a bandage on her right ankle. The how? and when? of the accident have not been explained, but the actress has had to trade in her high heels for flats for the time being.

Most of us have twisted our ankle at one point or another. You are out for a run and you land improperly or you are running your errands and step off the curb the wrong way, it happens to the best of us. In the immediate aftermath of your injury, it is important to ice the area (20 minutes on and 20 minutes off) to decrease swelling and immobilize the joint with either taping or bracing. Once this is done, it is very important to get it examined right away.

Ankle sprains, also referred to as twists, can actually be divided into grades 1-3 each with a different form of treatment. These conditions commonly occur as a result of either an inversion (majority) or an eversion injury. Inversion refers to when the sole of your foot turns inward and you roll onto the outside edge of your foot, and eversion is the exact opposite with the bottom of your foot rolling to face outward, away from your other foot. In some people that experience these types of injuries frequently, it can be a result of their foot structure naturally being inverted or everted, and the way that the body compensates to allow us to walk and do their daily activities. As a result, it does not take much for their foot to shift even further into a more everted or inverted position and cause an injury. For these individuals, an orthotic custom designed by a podiatrist to their specific foot type can help correct for this and prevent further injury.

Spraining your ankle is something that should not be taken lightly. Ligaments can be torn or stretched resulting in long term damage that can affect your daily lifestyle. Many people will use pain killers to block the body’s warning sirens; they then zoom through the yield signs and end up causing more injury than what they started with.

Through seeking medical attention, the level of your sprain can be determined and a plan can be made for your recovery that will get you back to your normal routine. Statistics show that the number one risk for a sprained ankle is having had a previous sprain (80%). This statistic is due to a patient not having the stability they once had due to improper healing. Through seeking medical help, you can take the necessary steps to help prevent future injury.