Trying on Those Christmas Shoes

With all of the new shoes that were under the tree this year, now comes all of the trying on to see how things fit. So, how about those new shoes, are the squeezing against your toes, are they pinching the tips of your tootsies or are they rubbing blisters on your heels? If any of these things are true of your new shoes then you may not have the right size. When you put your new shoes on they should feel snug around the edges so they aren’t slipping, but not snug to the point that they are causing blisters.

Many of us are raised believing that shoes need to be broken in, however, you find the perfect fitting shoes, you will never have to break in your shoes. They will just feel great from the get go. But, what happens if those shoes aren’t fitting well? If they are too tiny, then you definitely need to grab yourself a bigger size and the same can be said if they are too big, because you don’t want to slip out and trip and fall. If your shoes are slipping just a little bit, there is padding you can put under the tongue of the shoe to keep you from slipping. This can make a big difference for something as simple as slipping.

Now, if you are someone who has always struggled with finding shoes that would fit properly, then Dr. Wachtel would be more than happy to help you get properly measured for length and width. He will also be able to suggest particular shoe brands that would be best for your foot type to prevent you from having pain. A big addition that can be made for your shoe is an orthotic to help your foot sit in its proper position. This will help prevent your foot from sitting extremely flat and will provide support to your foot to prevent calluses and pain.

If you have been having trouble with foot pain and fitting shoes, Dr. Wachtel would be more than happy to see you. His offices serve the Wilmington, North Billerica and Stoneham, Massachusetts areas. We are also happy to announce our two new offices in North Andover located at 451 Andover St. Suite 300, North Andover MA 01845 and in Methuen located at 87 Jackson St, Methuen, MA 01835.

Holiday Accident Prevention

As you are all getting ready for your holiday celebrations remember to be careful with all of those decorations. There are several precautions that you can take to protect your feet from the festivities.

First, the lights that you hang out all around your house and on the trees are truly a beautiful sight. However, the process of putting them up and taking them down can be dangerous if you do not follow the proper procedures. Ladders are known to be precarious, flimsy devices if not positioned properly. Make sure that you are spreading out the legs and that you have someone standing at the foot of the ladder bracing it while you are on it. Falling from a ladder can lead to broken feet and legs. So, take the proper cautious actions so that you can enjoy your holidays cast free. If you or someone you know has struggled with falling around the house, you can also visit our fall prevention page on our website.

Second, when you are decorating the inside of your house, be very careful to make sure you are wearing your shoes the whole time. Stepping on things such as ornament hooks, pine tree needles and scissors from wrapping presents can lead to open wounds and getting things stuck in your feet. For each of these injuries, you may need stitches or to have whatever got stuck in your foot removed.

Finally, open flames such as candles and fireplaces can lead to burns. If you are building a fire for the fireplace or a bonfire, make sure that you are protecting your feet, because a hot ember can sear your skin very quickly. If you have open candles, make sure they are pushed back on the table or the countertops to prevent them from falling and splashing hot wax onto you.

Being precautious during this holiday season will help you to have a very happy holiday season. However, should an accident occur and you live in the Methuen, Chelmsford or North Wilmington, Massachusetts, Dr. Wachtel would be more than happy to see you at his office and get you back up and on your feet. We are also happy to announce our North Andover, Massachusetts office located at 451 Andover St. Suite 300, North Andover MA 01845.

Diabetic Sugar Friendly Holidays

The holiday season is here and with all of the cheer that is present all around, we are all clinging close to our family and one of the best ways to do that is through cooking. Now, there are many different cultures in our country and each one has their own unique set of recipes and traditions. One thing that is pretty consistent amongst all holiday recipes is sugar. And not only is there some sugar, there is an overabundance of sugar in multiple forms including, white sugar, brown sugar and flour.

So, you might be wondering why a podiatry blog would be concerned with holiday cooking. Well, that answer is a simple one: diabetes. As many of you know, diabetes is a condition where your body is not able to process the sugar that it takes in. Unfortunately, for a diabetic, all of the sugar that is available at Christmas can mean that their sugar levels can be through the roof. Now, you are probably thinking so what, they can just take an extra shot or pill and it will bring their sugar levels back down. This may be true for the sugar number for the moment, but it does not help their kidney health, eyesight or their capability to heal an ulceration on their foot. All of these aspects can’t be so easily fixed with a pill or a shot.

What can be done to help a diabetic around the holidays? Well, having a sugar free option for dessert is always a great addition to your sweets table. With all of the recipes available from food network these days, it is really easy to find a delicious sugar free treat. Another thing that will help everyone is to put the food away right after you are done eating. Rather than sitting down to watch tv right away, putting the food away will help to prevent munching, which is not only good for sugar, but also great for the waistline.

To learn more about diabetic care, we offer a book on our website for free that talks about diabetic care and the ins and outs of everything you need to know. Also, if you are in the Tewksbury, Dracut or North Reading, Massachusetts areas, Dr. Wachtel would be more than happy to help you with all of your diabetic foot care needs. We are also happy to announce our North Andover office, located at 451 Andover St. Suite 300, North Andover MA 01845.

Treatment for Warts, Thick Yellow Nails, and Torn Ligaments or Tendons

What are some new treatment modalities available for fungus nails and injured ligaments or tendons? Well, there is one specific treatment that our office uses called laser therapy. Now, you’ve all heard of the lasers for treating your eyesight and removing moles and warts, but maybe you haven’t heard about the lasers we use in podiatry. There are a couple of uses for this therapy including fungus nails, ingrown nails, treating injured tendons or ligaments and removing warts and moles.

For fungus nails, the treatment will usually take one treatment, but depending upon your body a follow-up treatment may be required. You really will not feel anything when you are being treated other than some focal warmth in the area. Depending upon how severe your case is, your nails may or may not return to their original appearance. However, they will be better.

The laser can also be used over tendons and ligaments that are partially injured. The laser functions by stimulating the cells that produce healing and new growth to occur. Over time, the goal is to return your ligament or tendon to as close to its original condition as possible.

Lasers have been used for many years to remove warts and moles. This is still being done in both dermatologists and podiatrists offices. This particular treatment has a little more pain associated with it and so we will numb the area first before removing the growth.

Laser therapy is changing on a daily basis and new treatments for this technology are being discovered. If you or someone you know is interested in any of the treatments above, our office would be more than happy to schedule an appointment for you. Our offices serve the Dracut, Methuen, and Tewksbury, Massachusetts areas. We are also happy to announce our office in North Andover, Massachusetts and it can be found at 451 Andover St. Suite 300, North Andover MA 01845.

Painful Bump on Big Toe--Bunion

What is that bump on the side of your big toe? That bump is called a bunion and results from the shifting of your bone and the pressure put against your foot by your shoe. So, what is the bump painful? That bump is painful because as the bones spread farther apart, it causes your shoe to push against your foot even more. With more and more pressure, your foot will hurt more because it’s a lot like if you pushed against your foot harder and harder with your fingers until it hurts so much you pull away.

So, what causes these painful bumps? Nobody is really 100% sure what will cause a bunion. Some theories though are tight shoes, high heels, and hereditary. You really can’t prevent your hereditary genes, but you can prevent the tight shoes and high heels. By making sure that your shoes are properly fitting and that the part of your shoes that covers your toes is the proper shape, you can keep your toes from being squeezed together.

So what can you do for the painful bump on the inside of your big foot? Well, some of the conservative treatments include buying wider shoes to remove the pressure from your foot, put a pad on your big toe so that it keeps the pressure off from your toe and you can use pain killers to help reduce the pain. If your bunion is still painful though, surgical options are available. So what kinds of surgery for bunions are available? There are surgeries that can be used for each level of bunions. There are bunions that are mild, moderate and severe.

What are the bunion surgery risks? Well, there is always the risk that the bunion could come back, the risk that the site could become infected and the risk that healing could take longer. Overall though, bunion surgery is a straightforward and routine surgical procedure.

If you or someone you know has developed a painful bunion, our office would be more than happy to help you schedule an appointment. We can be contacted at 978) 794-8406. Our offices serve the Stoneham, Newburyport and North Billerica, Massachusetts area. We are happy to announce our new office in North Andover, Massachusetts at 451 Andover St. Suite 300, North Andover MA 01845.

How to Treat a Burn

So, last blog we talked about cold injuries that can occur. Now, let’s talk about heat injuries. Heat injuries occur in many ways including too hot bath or shower water, spilling hot tea or coffee, or touching a hot pan. Burns can happen in many different ways and depending upon their severity will determine the level of burn that you have.

A first degree burn will injure the top layer of your skin, but you won’t have blistering until your second degree burn. In a 3^rd degree burn you will have damage to your hair follicles and finally you will have exposed bone. Most burns that you will see are first and second degree burns. In all situations though, it is important that you drink lots of water and stay hydrated. Your skin is the protecting part of your body that keeps water inside your body. Once you lose this protecting layer, you must constantly replenish water to stay hydrated.

Treatment of your burn will depend upon its severity. In a person with a 1^st degree burn it is important to make sure that you are keeping the wound clean to prevent infection. You may want to use something like Neosporin to ward off any infection possibility. You may need to use a topical cream that your doctor gives you to help encourage your skin to heal. In more severe burns, you will need to be in the hospital to prevent dehydration and to get your skin to heal.

For any burn that you get it is very important to see your doctor. Burns are hard to classify until they are actually seen and the dead skin is removed. Without removing this skin your healing process will be slowed down and you may not realize how bad your burn actually is. Your doctor will also be able to determine the extent of treatment that you need to heal your burn.

If you or someone you know has a burn on their foot, Dr. Wachtel would be more than happy to see you and determine what type of treatment  you need to heal your wound. If you live in Dracut, Tewksbury or Reading, Massachusetts our office would be happy to make you an appointment. We are also happy to announce our office in North Andover, Massachusetts at 451 Andover Street #300 North Andover, MA 01845.