Shoes rarely cause hammer toes: usually it is the result of abnormal foot architecture, causing bad mechanics. Primarily, foot architecture is inherited. For example, if your arch rolls downward too much, alignment is disturbed. The ligaments and tendons will pull in the wrong direction, resulting in a buckling of the digit. Over time, a rigid hammertoe results.
Read MoreWalking is a complex act. So many different structures are involved in putting one foot in front of the other. It’s an unconscious process, performed almost carelessly. Unless a person has problems walking, in which case, this is an entirely different conversation.
Read MoreI have a new case for you, and it’s one that some of you may be able to relate to. Have you ever experienced pain from the bottom of your foot? Suzie, our protagonist, did and had for years. She considered herself to be fairly normal: brought up in an average, middle-class family, worked in an office. Medically, nothing remarkable, being moderately over-weight, with mild, controlled hypertension, and that’s about it. Certainly, she was not able to be as active as she used to be, but she attributed that to the pain from her foot.
Read MoreMost educated readers of this publication are likely aware of the changing global population trends, with the blossoming number of seniors certainly being one of the most impactful. Persons 65 years or older represented 14.5% of the U.S. population in 2014 and that number is expected to grow to be 21.7% of the population by 2040. World-wide, the number of older people is projected to increase more than 60 percent in just 15 years—in 2030, there will be about 1 billion older people, equivalent to 12.0 percent of the total population.
Read MoreWhen Susan, a 56-year old, advertising executive began experiencing pain in the back of her heel, she immediately attributed it to her new exercise regimen. Surprising, since it only consisted of walking farther, and more often. She wasn’t yet doing any treadmill work, or the yoga she was hoping to return to. Her fitness plan was largely due to the weight gain she had experienced over the last years, which had been steady, and quite disconcerting. Yet, over-all, her health was good. She did have a urinary tract infection some months ago, which had dragged on for weeks before an antibiotic knocked it out.
Read MoreSo you have back pain, and you’re suffering. How many activities, actions, and tasks don’t involve the back? Ask anyone with a chronic and painful condition that is causing back pain, and you will get an immediate response: NONE! How to find relief? What to do if the usual first-line treatments for this problem have been attempted, with inadequate benefits obtained? Injection therapy, a brace, physical therapy, these and many others may be utilized in the treatment of chronic back pain, but it is not infrequent that these fail.
Read MoreThe vitality of youth is manifested in how quickly and powerfully we are able to walk, when our muscles and joints are healthy and undamaged. But the years take their toll, and walking speed generally slows appreciably as the years pass.
Read MorePodiatric physicians have been essential in allowing many to begin, or continue, their exercise regimen. Many individuals, especially seniors, utilize walking as their primary form of aerobic exercise, obtaining many health benefits in the process. But what do you do when your favorite pursuit causes pain? Consulting with the appropriate health care provider is important to attain optimal health status.
Read MoreNo one thinks about walking. Walking is an incredibly complex act, that requires little to no conscious thought, but does demand the work of many muscles, the motion of hundreds of joints
in the body, and the stretching of ligaments throughout. Walking is the primary means of exercise for many individuals, but it’s a delicate balance of bone and muscle allows us to stand and walk with ease, and without pain.
Ahh, the poor, lowly shoe. It has been blamed for so much over the years. The source of much misery and pain, they protect our feet like nothing else can, allowing us to walk on the worst surfaces, protected from the elements, and humanity’s debris. But too often, they are held responsible for a painful toe or an ingrown nail.
Read MoreSpring is upon us! And if you are like most, getting outdoors, and getting active, are priorities. A sudden increase in activity levels, whether it’s jogging, walking, or mountain biking, can cause a variety of injuries. Quite common is a muscle strain due to over-use.
Read MoreHave you ever been burned by a hot pan? Most of us have, but can you imagine having that feeling from your whole foot, persisting, without let-up? That is what some diabetics have to endure. It’s called diabetic neuropathy, and many individuals with diabetes have a greatly reduced quality of lifebecause they suffer from this problem. It all stems from the imbalance in glucose metabolism that is seen with this disease.
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