Are you confident that your daily decisions aren’t negatively affecting your foot health? There are a lot of variables that we subconsciously factor into our choices of footwear and care on a daily basis-that we may not even realize are potentially detrimental. Below is a short list of suggestions that will help prevent a trip to the doctor due to your casual decisions.
- Pay close attention to your feet during routine hygiene; this includes noting the skin texture/quality, toenail color, & any irregular lumps and bumps
- If you’re aging, stay on top of keeping the skin on your plantar and dorsal feet moisturized. Dry, cracking skin is more prone to fungal, bacterial and viral infections
- Wear shoes that are well fitting and match your activity levels for each day. I.e. if you’re spending all day walking at a mall, or an amusement park choose a pair of supportive running shoes instead of something fashionable
- There’s a time and place for stilettos and flip-flops. Both can cause a flare-up of plantar fasciitis or achilles tendinitis, so if you know you’re going to have a long day save them for the short and sweet occasions exclusively
- Going barefoot seems so attractive at waterparks, the community pool, and the beach, but sometimes this can be a big mistake. Areas that are high traffic and always wet can be a breeding ground for fungi and viruses. This is the time to grab your favorite pair of podiatrist recommended flip flops and avoid cutting your foot on a shell at the beach, or picking up athlete’s foot in the locker room
**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.
As a follow-up to the post written on melanomas of the feet and toes-We’d
now like to discuss the criteria to use when making the decision on
whether or not to visit a practitioner based upon the appearance of a
lesion. Dermatologists and healthcare providers of all kinds like to
refer to the “ABCD(E) rule” when evaluating the appearance of a mole,
freckle, or recently found lesion of the skin in regards to its
malignancy potential. Here is the breakdown of the rule:
- A stands for Asymmetry. A lesion that isn’t symmetrical due to uneven division of skin cells
- Irregular Borders that seem to be ragged, or unusual looking
- Color variations that seem to be inhomogeneous & abnormal
- A large Diameter of the lesion (>6mm) -Yes, use a ruler and measure!
- Lastly, abnormal or uneven Elevations should not be present, & should cause concern!
These
5 criterion should be used in the evaluation of any, and every kind of
lesion found on the skin to ensure malignancy isn’t a possibility! The feet
are sometimes neglected as part of the evaluative process of the skin
performed by dermatologists, so be sure to closely monitor and check all
surfaces of your feet when you perform routine footcare on yourself. If you do happen to notice irregularities don’t hesitate to contact a podiatrist. Lesions that are malignant are comprised of rapidly dividing cancer cells and time is of the essence!
*Below is an image displaying 4 or the 5 criteria used to evaluate skin lesions for malignancy
**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.
Often times when people visit the beach their primary health concern (assuming they have any cares besides enjoying themselves) is applying sunblock over the major surfaces of their body-while it certainly seems logical to cover the larger surfaces first, many forget their feet altogether. In fact, we’d go as far to estimate that one would be hard-pressed to find a person who has never had a bad sunburn on the top of their feet given they’ve spent time in the sun at some point.
What’s worse is the mortality rate seen with melanomas of the foot. According to a Medical News Today article, “half of the people who learn they have melanoma of the foot die within five years because the cancer had already spread throughout their body by the time it was diagnosed”. The same reason that people seem to forget to apply sunblock to their feet, may also be the reason why people neglect to perform routine self-examinations on their feet. What podiatrists recommend is that every time you clip your toenails, examine your entire foot, including the web spaces for anything that appears irregular or new. Visit this resource for the criteria on which characteristics prove to be synonymous with cancer.
*Above is an example of a melanoma type on the plantar foot
**The information in this blog is made possible by Dr. Michael Garvin of Port Saint Lucie, Florida. Dr. Garvin has been practicing board certified podiatry for over 20 years, and accepts new patients to his state of the art private practice. For directions and contact information click here.
25.8 million, or 8.3% of the American population (Children & Adults) are currently suffering from Diabetes Mellitus. Awareness and prevention of diabetes mellitus
is finally starting to rise in America, however, the incidence of the
disease is still increasing. With that said, the role of a podiatrist
in a diabetic’s overall health care cannot be understated. To quantify
that; more diabetics die every year due to complications that arise from
diabetically induced ulcers than prostate and breast cancer each.
In 2010, at the American Podiatric Medical Association (APMA) annual scientific meeting Vicky Driver, MS, DPM introduced a study conducted by Thomson Reuters, showing that care by a podiatric
physician (defined as at least one preventative, pre-ulcer visit) was
associated with a nearly 29 percent lower risk of amputation and 24
percent lower risk of hospitalization.
If you’re a diabetic, and annually visiting a podiatric physician isn't part of your overall health care plan please reconsider this practice. Dr. Michael Garvin
of Port Saint Lucie, Florida has been treating diabetic patients for
over 20 years. He is a board certified podiatric physician and is
accepting new patients. His goal is always to provide the most
comprehensive care possible for diabetic patients as he understands the
pitfalls of miscare for these patients. For information and directions
to his office please click here.
Sources cited: 1.http://www.apma.org/MainMenu/News/New-Study-Proves-Care-by-Podiatrists-Dramatically-Decreases-Lower-Limb-Amputation.aspx2. http://www.diabetes.org/diabetes-basics/diabetes-statistics/
As
most savvy golfers know, the proper form needed for a smooth, accurate
swing starts from the ground up. Both feet are the contact points
between a golfer’s swing and the ground. Both golfers and podiatrists
agree that a stable base is needed to contact the ball well. What
golfers sometimes don’t recognize is that even minor foot pain can
affect a golfer's entire form, and therefore swing and follow through.
The body's first instinct when pain is encountered is to adapt to the
pain if it’s not immediately alleviated. Golfers will unknowingly try to
adapt to the pain by altering their golf swing to help compensate. In
the short term this can help ease the pain, however this will
drastically reduce the quality of performance. Additionally, it’s a sign
that some kind of foot pathology exists that needs medical attention.
Injuries of the foot that golfers commonly encounter are, but not
limited too; neuromas, arthritis, and fallen arches.
If
you have experienced even minor foot pain, and have noticed a drop off
in your golf game, consider making an appointment to see a podiatrist. Dr. Michael Garvin of Port Saint Lucie, Florida has been practicing board certified podiatry
for over 20 years. He has treated a variety of athletes, including
golfers. For office directions and contact information regarding
appointment scheduling click here.
Sources Cited:
http://www.sciencedaily.com/videos/2008/1005-painfree_golf_swing.htm
The warm weather seems to be here early this year which means that the sandals and flip flops are out and about. Do your feet a favor and don’t skimp on your choice of footwear. Often times people are apt to purchase sandals
based off of looks or costs but fail to remember what is good for their
feet biomechanically, or are simply unaware. If you’re an individual
that has low arches or flat feet,
flip flops put an extra load of stress on the plantar fascia of the
plantar foot. This can cause aching pain in the heels and plantar foot.
If you are experiencing foot pain and frequently wear sandals consider visiting one of Dr. Michael Garvin’s offices of Port St. Lucie, Florida. Dr. Garvin has been analyzing patient’s gaits, and their footwear choices for over 20 years. He can offer you a healthy alternative to keep your feet cool, stylish, and healthy during the warmer months!
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.
