Beauty is Pain

According to a recent survey by the American Podiatry Medical Association, 42% of women admitted that they would wear heels they loved in spite of them being painful to their feet. It’s no secret that many people are willing to sacrifice comfort for looks. The phrase “beauty is pain” has been around for decades and hasn’t seemed to wane. High heels are currently as popular as ever in American fashion, and their average height has only increased. If women are willing to admit high heels are often painful, the real issue isn’t a question of if they’re detrimental, but a matter of how detrimental they are. Based off of research by the Journal of Applied Physiology that was featured on the Today Show, women who routinely wear high heels will actually start to mimic their high heeled stance while barefoot. This same research has demonstrated that excessive heel wearing can lead to shortened calf muscle fibers, exceptionally tight Achilles tendons, and other foot and ankle related conditions. This opens the door to tendon rupture, muscular pathologies, and gait abnormalities that can become serious lower extremity health conditions.

If you are currently experiencing pain in the calf and or foot and are a consistent heel wearer, consider visiting a Podiatrist to assess your lower extremity health. Dr. Michael Garvin of Port Saint Lucie, Florida has been treating patients suffering from lower extremity pain for years. Dr. Garvin is a board certified Podiatrist that focuses on healing patients, and preventing future complications. For further information regarding your feet visit his website here.

Shin Splints

Shin Splits - What exactly are they? 

Have you ever had that sharp pain radiate through your leg after your daily run or walk?

That condition, which is commonly referred to as “Shin Splints” , is a slow healing and painful disorder in the shins usually caused by exercise such as: running, jumping, swimming, cycling, dancing or other high impact sports. In fact, 10-15% of all runners’ related pain or injuries are due to this syndrome.

There are two types of shin splints also known as medial tibial stress syndrome (MTSS), anterior and posterior. The most common shin splint is anterior. Anterior shin splints are often due to over striding or training at a pace that doesn’t allow for healing of the tibialis anterior muscle. Posterior shin splints (also called posterior tibial tendonitis) are a less common condition that is often due to pronation (flattening of the arch).

The onset of shin splints is most common after exercise, caused by high impact training, excessive training, poor technique, or improperly fitting shoe wear. Dr. Garvin can determine if you require properly fitting footwear or an orthotic to prevent a re-occurrence of shin splints.

Interestingly some studies have suggested that shin splints are actually more common in women possibly caused by decreased physical fitness, smaller muscle size or standing for long periods of time and wearing high-heeled shoes.

If you are suffering from shin splints make an appointment to see Dr. Garvin as soon as possible by calling his office at 772-335-7171. Dr. Garvin will immediately address the inflammation of soft tissue known as shin splints with ice, non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs and physical therapy. Patients may also be advised to decrease the duration or intensity of their exercise, change their footwear or add an orthotic, then slowly build back up their exercise routine.