Why You Should Not Walk Barefoot!

The warm weather is here, and I have seen lots of people shedding their shoes and walking barefoot. Although tempting, free, and fun, walking barefoot can pose many risks to the feet both inside and outside the house. I have had patients recently who stepped on objects while barefoot in their own homes. Simple things like hardwood floors and pet hair can easily penetrate the bottom of the foot and cause pain, open sores, and infection. Additionally, broken glass, toothpicks, and other objects on the floors of our homes can puncture our feet. Even dropping an object on a bare foot in the house (cans, bottles, etc.) can cause a puncture wound, fracture (break), soft tissue injury, or swelling. Outside, the risks of barefoot walking increase dramatically, and people can step on more serious things, which can include rocks, nails, wood, and many other materials. Additionally, barefoot walking outside exposes the foot to cuts and abrasions from sharp surfaces. I have also had patients burn their skin while walking barefoot outside on hot sand. Choosing a supportive and protective shoe for inside and outside the house will stabilize the foot and also generally sheild it from some of these dangers. Foot pain? Give us a call, 708-763-0580.

Why Checking your Feet is Important

All diabetic patients that enter a podiatry office, are given lengthy instructions about checking their feet. We want them to check for new openings, redness, swelling, drainage, color changes, new moles, blisters, or any new change. However, checking the feet is important for all of us. I had a recent patient who came to the office with swelling and a new black spot on the bottom of the foot. Obviously, swelling is important, and it is essential to see why the patient has it. However, a new black, brown, yellow, white, purple or red spot is something that should also be checked by the foot doctor. Often, these color changes have a straight forward cause and treatment, but sometimes, they can be a form of skin cancer that needs to be diagnosed and treated. The bottom of the foot, in-between the toes, and nails are important areas of the foot where changes can occur, and people do not even notice. If you see something new or different on your foot, get it checked! Dr. Bender, 708-763-0580.

Supportive Shoes-Why are they so Important?

Every day, I encounter people with major foot pain. AND, every day, I find that many of those people are wearing shoes that are bad for their feet-too tight, too pointed, too flexible, too high, too flat..... The patient is often shocked when I twist, bend, or even roll their shoe up into a ball! Bad shoes are not the only reason many of these patients have foot pain, but the poor choice in shoes is often not helping the already injured, inflamed, or irritated foot. Supportive shoes should not bend in half, be easily twisted, or rolled up. The foot counts on the support from our shoes to function properly all day. Walking, climbing stairs, jogging to the train, rapidly shifting to the side to grab something, jumping, kneeling to garden or pick something up, and many other actions can be achieved more easily with a supportive shoe. High heels, many styles of flip flops, ballet flats, and pointed shoes often do not stabilize the foot and can actually put the foot in danger. Next time you are shopping, pick out shoes that are good for your feet! If your foot hurts, give us a call, 708-763-0580, or visit oakparkpodiatry.com.

April is Foot Health Awareness Month

Often, people do not pay any attention to their feet until they hurt! All of the sudden, they are sitting in my office and completely perplexed about why they are having this new pain, swelling, or other issue with their feet. The feet are complicated structures that help us move around all day during our regular activities but also help us exercise, climb steps, drive, and achieve many other functions during the day. Each foot contains 28 bones and multiple tendons, ligaments, muscles, nerves, and blood vessels. Thus, there are many things in the foot that can get injured by overuse, a twist or fall, dropping some thing on the foot, stubbing the toe, and many other causes. In addition to actual accidents, poor circulation, obesity, nerve damage, poor bone density, and a variety of diseases (diabetes, cancer, arthritis, and other conditions) can cause the foot to develop problems. It is important to wear supportive shoes that stabilize the foot. High heels, ballet flats, pointed shoes, flip flops, and other shoes can injure our feet. Additionally, shoes should be made of a material that does not rub on our feet or toes,and there should not be seams that irritate our feet. It is also important to inspect the feet daily for any changes. All diabetic patients are instructed to look at the tops and bottoms of the feet each day, but this is a good practice for all of us to get into as part our our daily routines. If you notice something that is new or does not look right, it is important to see a podiatrist to get it checked out. Blisters, color changes, new swelling, new pain, drainage, and other conditions should be checked by a foot specialist. For more information on your feet, visit oakparkpodiatry.com or apma.org. Keep your feet healthy! Dr. Bender, 708-763-0580.

Blood Sugar and your FEET

Diabetes is a serious disease and affects an ever growing number of people in the United States. There is an even larger number of pre-diabetics in the United States who do not even know that they are at an increased risk of developing diabetes. These individuals have elevated blood sugars which are not high enough to put them in the category of Type 2 Diabetes, but they will probably develop it over the next ten years if no intervention for blood sugar control is implemented. Normal blood sugar is between 70-99 mg/dL, and for diabetics and healthy feet, blood sugars should range from 70-120 mg/dL. When levels exceed this range for long periods, nerve damage (neuropathy) and circulation (blood flow) problems can develop, the skin can open up and develop ulcers, the risk of infection increases due to impaired immunity, and healing is delayed. A combination of medication, exercise, a proper diet, reduction of stress, and other factors can be used to control the blood sugar and keep the feet healthy. If you are a diabetic with elevated blood sugars and foot problems, give us a call, 708-763-0580.

Exercise and the Feet

Over the last two months, I participated in two challenging stair climb events in Chicago-Hustle up the Hancock and the Lurie Kids Climb at the AON Bulding. These events support excellent causes that I believe in, but they also offer me a challenge. Because my office and family life can be very busy, along with the numerous committees and groups I am involved with, I am concerned that I may not make exercise a priority in my life. This is the case with most of us, as we have so many different things in our lives that need our attention. Therefore, I made a commitment, set a goal, and spent months walking, running on the treadmill, and in the pool preparing for these events. Exercise is excellent for our bodies, and it is great for our FEET! Regular exercise helps with our circulation and blood flow to the feet. This brings oxygen and nutrients to our feet that are needed for walking, standing, running, and other weightbearing activities. Exercise keeps our muscles, tendons, and ligaments strong and healthy so they can perform as they are supposed to in our feet. Exercise also helps control or prevent certain diseases. In the example of diabetes, exercise is very helpful at reducing and controlling blood sugar, which keeps the nerve and blood flow healthy. It also allows for stronger immunity for fighting infections. Biking and swimming are great forms of exercise for people with foot problems. However, if you need a more specific exercise plan for your foot issue, come in for a visit! 6931 W. North Ave., Oak Park, IL. Exercise is great-give it a shot! 708-763-0580.

MRI and Foot Pain

With the cold, wet weather, people are coming to my office with the complaint of foot or ankle pain that is not getting better after they twisted it. The foot is a complicated part of the body with 28 bones and many small muscles, tendons, and ligaments that hold it all together. There are some injuries that are very easy to diagnose, and others that are more challenging. A podiatry exam, x-rays, and occasionally, more advanced tests like MRI or CT scans may be necessary to diagnose a problem. At my office, we use a foot and ankle radiologist for all of our readings on MRI exams, so that we can provide our patients with the most thorough diagnosis. Conventional x-rays can show bone and joint problems in many cases. However, small bones, bones that overlap on x-rays, stress fractures, bone contusions, soft tissue injuries, and other conditions may not show up on a regular x-ray. MRIs are very good for looking at soft tissue problems but can also pick up some of the bone conditions that may not be visible on x-rays in the office. If you require an MRI for your foot condition, we often are required by your insurance to get an approval number before we can schedule your test. Additionally, after your exam, the foot and ankle radiologist may need 3 business days to complete your reading. We are here to help and find a good solution for your foot pain! Give us a call-708-763-0580.