Skip the Pedicure and see a Podiatrist!

 According to Wikipedia a pedicure is performed for “cosmetic, theraputic and medical purposes.” Now, it could simply be due to the fact that therapeutic is not even spelled correctly, or it could be due to the suspicion that arises when publicly accessed literature implies beauticians can perform “medical” procedures. Either way some red flags need to be raised when it’s been suggested a beautician is qualified to perform anything more than simple nail trimming and painting.  A few things to consider before your next pedicure:

•          Salons may try to re-use tools. This is a big issue for obvious reasons. Consider asking, or looking for clues of re-use next time a technician takes to those toes with a beauty tool. Every year there are many reported cases of Staph and sometimes-even MRSA infections due to nail salons re-using non-professionally sterilized tools. Believe it or not the liquid “antiseptic” solutions salons use generally only kill low-level pathogenicity microbes, rendering this practice fairly infective in actual disease prevention.

•          Although footbaths or whirlpools may seem like wonderful foot therapy if not properly cleaned with serious antiseptics after every single use they can harbor everything from HPV to MRSA.

•         Ingrown toenails (onychocryptosis) should never be attempted to be remedied by a nail technician! This is an actual medical condition that should only be treated with professionally sterilized tools by a health care professional such as a Podiatrist. Not only could the nail plate and bed be further damaged by an untrained individual, but serious infections are a huge risk as well.

•          Nail technicians want to augment your cuticles but this is a big “no-no”. Cuticles were put around your nails for a reason; they prevent infection as they make a seal between your nail plate and skin from the external environment.

These are just a few reasons to skip pedicures altogether and see the Podiatrist. If you still need further convincing check out one of the following links including articles written by US News, Huffington Post and the Washington Post…

US News article - Pedicure or Pedicurse?

Washington Post article

Huffington Post--5 Dangers awaiting you at the nail salon

**This blog, and the medical information it presents is made possible by Dr. Michael Garvin of Port Saint Lucie, Florida. He has been practicing board certified podiatry for over 20 years, and accepts new patients. Visit his website for additional information here. To schedule an appointment, or find directions to his office click here.

Pump Bumps

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Haglund’s deformity is characterized by pain and bony enlargement on the back of the outside heel bone. Often times with Haglund’s deformity retrocalcaneal bursitis is present adding to the symptomatology. Retrocalcaneal bursitis is simply the inflammation of a small fluid filled sac that lies between the achilles tendon and the calcaneus (heel bone). Patient’s suffering from Haglund’s deformity generally present with symptoms of pain, redness, swelling on the back of the outside heel, and the inability to wear shoes they’ve worn in the past.

Haglund’s deformity is often referred to as a “pump bump” due to the style of shoe that is believed to cause the condition. However, Haglund’s deformity doesn’t only manifest due to calcaneal irritation from pump styled shoes. Men’s dress shoes, ice skates, and any footwear with a rigid backing can also cause this deformity. Additionally some Podiatrists feel that individuals with high arches and other foot types are genetically predisposed to developing the condition.

If Haglund’s deformity symptomatology parallels something you’re currently experiencing please visit Dr. Michael Garvin’s website for more information, or if you’re in the Port Saint Lucie, Florida area, schedule an appointment at one of his offices.

Runner's Toe

Have you noticed recurring blisters in the same areas on your feet? Have you experienced a small hematoma on the end of your 2^nd toe? Do you have pain in your big toe joint? These are all symptoms of poorly fitted shoes. Consider this; the average person walks 8,000-10,000 steps everyday according to the American Podiatric Medical Association (APMA). In conjunction to this terrific amount of repetition, the APMA also estimates that every step places about 1.5 times your body weight of force on your feet! Considering these two factors, it’s not difficult to see why in just a matter of days a variety of foot pathologies can arise simply due to ill-fitting footwear. Why chance your health by not having your shoes fitted by a Podiatrist? After all, preventative medicine is always more conducive to your budget than the alternative.

When Does Foot Pain Necessitate an Appointment?

When Does Foot Pain Necessitate an Appointment?

One thing it seems almost every person struggles with at some point in their life is when to pick up the phone and make that dreaded call to schedule a doctors appointment. For some this is easier than for others. However, I believe it’s safe to say no one is excited to make the call. Generally what this means for most people is they’ve finally succumbed to whatever kind of ailment they’re suffering from. Our goal at the Foot & Ankle Specialists of Treasure Coast is to offer a guideline of when pain is no longer acceptable nor considered a routine ache or result of aging. To objectify something such as pain that can seem to be quite subjective we offer a few simple questions to consider when determining whether or not that foot pain is “normal”, and whether or not a call to the local podiatrist is necessary.  To many this may seem like common sense but I can’t stress enough how many patients present with pain that is ten fold due to their blind hope of the ailment spontaneously resolving.  Without further ado…the questions:

1.    Is the pain linked to a traumatic event?

 i.e. did you drop something on your foot? Were you in a car accident? Did you walk through a dark room and severely stub your toe on the bedframe?

2.    Do NSAIDs and icing only dull the pain temporarily?

i.e. has the pain been present for more than 48 hours? Is it sharp and without resolve in spite of minor intervention like NSAIDs and icing?

3.    Is the painful area severely bruised and/or discolored?

4.    Is the area of insult infected?

 i.e. hot, red, swollen, tender, odorous?

5.    Has the issue affected your regular sleep patterns?

6.    Has the issue affected the way you walk and any of your daily activities?

We strongly recommend that if you answered yes to 2 or more of any of the following 6 questions you should seek the evaluation of a podiatric physician. ***With the exception of question 4. In that case this is reason enough to see a healthcare clinician due to the potential for local infections to spread systemically and cause serious sickness and death, especially in the immunocompromised. Please keep in mind that the following is merely a list of questions, and not hard and fast rules.  For many people, any pain at all is more than enough cause to precipitate an appointment -this is never a bad rule to follow.

**This blog, and the medical information it presents is made possible by Dr. Michael Garvin of Port Saint Lucie, Florida. He has been practicing board certified podiatry for over 20 years, and accepts new patients. Visit his website for additional information here. To schedule an appointment, or find directions to his office click here.

Why Corns Aren't Normal

Corns and calluses are so common almost every person on this earth will experience one at some point in their life. Calluses are most often seen on the hands, but also form on the bottom of the feet and other various places. Corns are calluses that are seen on the tops and sides of the toes. These areas of thickened skin caused by focally increased pressure and rubbing are indeed benign. To people that use their hands for a living, calluses can actually provide extra cushion and blister prevention. Considering this, the prevalence of corns and calluses, and their often harmless etiologies many people assume it is normal to have them on their feet, like they do on their hands. However, this is simply not true. As aforementioned, corns and calluses are developed due to increased pressure and friction. While calluses on the hands often indicate manual labor or activities like rowing and lifting weights, on the feet the story is very different. While some people will wear gloves to prevent callus formation on the hands, many people do not, explaining the calluses. In contrast to this, the great majority of people wear socks and shoes during labor and exercise, yet how can areas of hyperkeratosis (thickened skin) be explained if they have a protective barrier (socks and shoes) in place? This is due to an abnormal foot architecture, or poorly fitting footwear.

A classic example of this abnormal architecture is the hammertoe. The actual shape of the toe has changed due to a few different possibilities causing the toes to become contracted in the shoebox, encouraging rubbing, and overtime corn formation. Hammertoes certainly are not the only cause of corns. They are simply one commonly encountered example of an underlying foot problem that has caused an excess of skin formation that may often be disregarded as normal. The recommendation here is to avoid the home remedies that simply treat the corn or callus, and not the underlying cause of the hyperkeratosis itself. A lot of resources can be consumed without even treating the cause.  If you have corns or calluses on your feet and/or toes make an appointment with a Podiatrist like Dr. Michael Garvin. He can evaluate your feet and your footwear, determine the actual etiology, and set up a treatment plan with you.

The following is a short list of conditions that commonly cause corns and calluses on the feet and toes:

Claw toes
Hammer toes
Mallet toes
Curly toes
Bunions
Tailor’s bunions
Pes Cavus
Pes Planus
Haglund’s deformity
Talipes Equinus

3 Great Reasons Diabetics Should Regularly See A Podiatrist

The Mayo Clinic, among other world-renowned health institutions consider diabetes to be an epidemic in America. Not only has diabetes mellitus been proven to shorten an individual’s life, but it also decreases quality of life due to the vast array of complications associated with this chronic disease. What many people who suffer from diabetes don’t realize is that lower extremity care is one of the most important entities of the disease management process. To concisely, and adequately emphasize this thought consider the following 3 facts;

1.  Up to 25% of those with diabetes will develop a foot ulcer.

-Singh, Armstrong, Lipsky.  J Amer Med Assoc 2005

2. People with a history of a diabetic foot ulcers have a 40% greater 10 year mortality than people with diabetes alone.

-Iversen, et al, Diabetes Care 32:2193-2199, 2009

3. Each $1 invested in care by a podiatrist for people with diabetes results in $27 to $51 of healthcare savings.

-JAPMA, 101(2), 2011

Diabetes affects 26 million people in the US and more than 366 million people worldwide. Additionally, diabetes kills more people in the US every year than AIDS and breast cancer combined. The people suffering from it need to understand the importance of receiving proper treatment, and from whom; to have a better outcome. The aforementioned facts clearly demonstrate the importance of proactive care in the disease management and prevention process of diabetes.

Other sources: American Diabetes association

**This blog, and the medical information it presents is made possible by Dr. Michael Garvin of Port Saint Lucie, Florida. He has been practicing board certified podiatry for over 20 years, and accepts new patients. Visit his website for additional information here. To schedule an appointment, or find directions to his office click here.