Monday, June 21, 2010

Pregnant Women and Flip Flops

I recently saw an article published by the NY Daily Times on pregnant women and their shoe gear. I will include the original link at the end of this blog.

The British Society of Chiropodists and Podiatrists performed a study on 1,000 pregnant women and found  many women wear fashionable shoes while being pregnant. 7/10 women had swollen ankles, feet, heel, and arch pain during their pregnancy. 66% wore flip-flops regularly,  32% high heels, 30% Uggs, and 53% ballet pumps.

What I didnt see listed in the study is when along their pregnancy they wore the above. When the feet swell it becomes more difficult to find a comfortable pair of sneakers/shoes. Typically the further along pregnancy we may recommend Crocs. It is not a good idea to wear high heels. pumps, and Uggs. These shoes do not have the proper support for the foot as well as the shock absorption. The high heels can also aggravate your back and other joints. Its always a  good idea to wear comfortable and supportive shoes to prevent any foot pain especially while being pregnant.

For more information please visit our website.


Here is a link to the original article:

http://www.nydailynews.com/lifestyle/health/2010/06/15/2010-06-15_stilettoclad_momstobe_risk_longterm_foot_problems.html

Monday, February 22, 2010

What Causes Bunions?

One of the common things people will think cause bunions are shoes. Shoes do not cause bunions. They simply tend to aggravate a bunion. Bunions occur due to ones foot type and abnormal forces on the foot. Certain muscles then can tend to overcompensate other muscles and lead to a bunion to form. The bunion is an enlargement at the big toe joint on the side. If the bump tends to be on the top, this is an arthritis type condition known as hallux limitus or rigidus. Women tend to develop more bunions then men and some studies show that its 10 times more frequently in women then men. 
Redness and swelling of the soft tissues at the bunion site can cause a lot of pain and discomfort. A change in shoe gear to a wider toe box, along with ice, and anti-inflammatory drugs such as Motrin and Tylenol can alleviate the bunion.  Orthotics and good shoe gear can help slow the progression of the bunion deformity. If conservative treatment fails the next option may be surgery. For more information please visit our website or call for an appointment

Monday, January 18, 2010

Barefoot Running


We briefly mentioned last week about the potential hazards and dangers of barefoot running. I thought that I would just add a few more interesting things about it. A study published in The Journal of Sports Medicine and Physical Fitness said that barefoot runners had less impact than runners in shoes. On the flip side to this, there has been no documented studies that show running with sneakers can cause foot problems or lead you to an injury. But if you can think about some of the stuff that I had posted last wee I will not recommmend doing it.  This is because it can lead to stepping on something, lacerations, increase in pain, and blisters just to mention a few.

Happy Running/Walking, but of course with sneakers on :)
Chad J. Friedman, DPM

Friday, January 1, 2010

Happy New Year



Podiatry Care Specialists, would like to wish everyone a Happy and Healthy New year!


Wednesday, December 23, 2009

Happy Holidays


Happy Holidays from all of us at Podiatry Care Specialists, P.C.

Monday, December 14, 2009

Holiday Shopping

This is a busy time for everyone. Holiday shopping, running around, and being on your feet. It is important to remember, not only during the holiday season, but whenever doing long periods of walking and standing on your feet to wear the appropriate shoe gear. We generally tell our patients that anything is better then going barefoot, socks, sandals, and flip-flops. For around the house, Crocs can be very beneficial for your feet. Our office dispenses different styles of Crocs, with the most common we recommend is the Crocs Relief. They are great for heel and arch support. As for during the holiday shopping, it is not a great idea to do this while in heels, Uggs, or narrow pointy shoes. Wear comfortbale shoes or sneakers with a firm heel counter and great arch support. Happy Holidays to all and please feel free to visit our site for more info


Happy Holidays,
Chad J Friedman, DPM

http://www.podiatrycarespecialists.com/

Monday, November 30, 2009

Victoria Beckham and Her Bunions




There is another very famous person in the news with Bunion pain and problems. I am going to cut and paste what was in the article. I will include the link at the bottom of the article...

Bunions Beckham: Years of killer heels have left Victoria in agony - and in need of an urgent operation
By SARA NATHAN
Last updated at 11:36 AM on 27th November 2009

The high life: Victoria Beckham, pictured this week in a skyscraper pair of Fendi platform slingbacks
Her penchant for towering heels has become her trademark.
But years of wearing six-inch stilettos have taken their painful toll on Victoria Beckham - she is facing surgery to remove her bunions.

Style may be everything for Posh, but she is in such agony that friends have revealed she is being forced to put ice on her feet and do daily exercises in a desperate bid to avoid having the bunionectomy operations advised by her doctors.
The star has said the pain is affecting her perfect posture.
A friend has told the Mail: 'The Beckham household is all about feet at the moment: David is having painkilling injections for bone bruising on his foot, while Victoria is in agony with her misshapen feet.
'She is suffering from shooting pain from the bunions. Normally, she kicks off her shoes in the house, but she has been out so much recently in high heels that she is really feeling it.'
Mrs Beckham continues to insist she will not resort to flat shoes.
'I beyond hate ballerina flats,' she says. 'I can't walk in them. Unless they're on a ballet dancer doing ballet, I just don't get it. I love heels.'
To combat her agony, Mrs Beckham, 35, has been doing exercises, such as standing on a step and lowering her weight onto one leg, and lying on her back to stretch her legs.

If Posh has the surgery, she could face at least two months out of high heels.
'Victoria calls her feet "the bane of my life'', but she is worried about having the operation because she fears they will compromise her ability to wear heels and ruin her stylish look,' says her friend.
'She puts up with the pain, but the doctor has told her she seriously needs to consider a bunionectomy or ditch the heels for a few months to let the inflammation calm down. She has not got that long to decide what to do.'
Mrs Beckham is believed to wear corrective insoles in some shoes.
The pin-thin star, whose high-end fashion range counts supermodel Elle Macpherson among its fans, loves shoes by designers such as Christian Louboutin, which cost from £500.

Teetering: Victoria's extensive shoe collection includes 6in Louboutin heels, £1,000 (left), and a £460 pair of Giambattista Valli 5in heels
The mother of three, who uses heels to boost her modest 5ft 6in height, is often seen tottering about on shoes in the most unsuitable locations.

Bunions - a deformity of the big toe joint, which grows at an angle to the foot - can become a major problem if not treated.
Posh has previously admitted her feet are in poor condition.
'I hate my feet - they are the most disgusting thing about me,' she said.
Last night, a source close to Mrs Beckham said: 'Victoria has not made it a secret that she has problems with her feet.'

Know your bunions: The bony lump that makes life a misery
Many women will have winced at the sight of Victoria Beckham's gnarled feet in her killer heels. That's because 15million of us can feel her pain - we, too, have bunions.
A bunion is a bony bump at the base of the big toe joint - as your shoe rubs on this, it becomes painfully inflamed.
Sufferers tend to have lax tendons and ligaments - these are the bands of fibrous tissue that join the bones and muscles.
If these aren't as taut as they should be, the top of the big toe drifts towards the little toe. This causes the bottom of the toe bone to stick out, creating a bump on the side of the foot.
It is overwhelmingly a female problem, largely as a result of high heels. A towering heel throws your weight forward onto your splayed out toes and forefoot, putting pinching pressure on the big toe joint.
The more you wear high heels, the worse the problem. Once you have a bunion, custom-made insoles in flat shoes can help alleviate the pain, but surgery is the only way to resolve the condition.
There are 100 procedures used to correct the deformity. Most common are variations on what is known as a bunionectomy or open osteotomy.
The surgeon makes an incision in the skin and cuts into the toe joint (a bit like jointing a chicken), then re-aligns the toe bone and secures it with screws.
After the operation, patients can suffer severe pain and have to spend six weeks wearing flat shoes with wedges inside the heels to prevent pressure on the forefoot.
It can take up to three months for the swelling to subside before you can wear normal shoes and six months before you can get back into your Jimmy Choos.

Read more: http://www.dailymail.co.uk/tvshowbiz/article-1231270/Bunions-Beckham-Years-killer-heels-left-Victoria-agony--need-urgent-op.html#ixzz0YMnmOrOm

http://www.podiatrycarespecialists.com/