Displaying items by tag: foot health

Abby Miller is known for her flippant, inappropriate nature on her equally inappropriate show “Dance Moms”. On her show, she puts down her students while frequently fending off their fame-hungry mothers. On Dancing with the Stars, the malicious meanie has it out for the participating contestants. Competitor Meryl Davis took the brunt of Miller’s words, including being accused of dirty shoes, a shoddy performance and faking a broken toe for sympathy.

 "I heard that she had a broken toe or something so I watched very closely and when they were safe, and they weren't in danger, she jumped up and down on her toes...and I thought that toe isn't hurting too bad!" Miller said. Miller later admitted to OK! Magazine that revenge laced the venom in her comments.  

Broken toes can be especially painful. If you suffered an injured toe and think it may be broken, see podiatrist Paula F. Raugellis, DPM of Greene Podiatry Assoc Inc. Dr. Raugellis can see to your podiatric needs.  

What to Know About a Broken Toe

Although most people try to avoid foot trauma such as banging, stubbing, or dropping heavy objects on their feet, the unfortunate fact is that it is a common occurrence. Given the fact that toes are positioned in front of the feet, they typically sustain the brunt of such trauma. When trauma occurs to a toe, the result can be a painful break (fracture). Another type of trauma that can break a toe is repeated activity that places stress on the toe for prolonged periods of time.

Symptoms of a Broken Toe

• throbbing pain
• swelling
• bruising on the skin and toenail
• inability to move the toe with ease.
• crooked or disfigured appearance
•  tingling or numbness in the toe
• fever or chills throughout their body

It is best to stay off of the injured toe with the affected foot elevated on pillows. Alleviate swelling by placing an ice pack on the broken toe for 15 minutes every two hours then taping the two toes together with medical tape. 

For more information on broken toe please follow link below.

If you have any questions, feel free to contact our office in Waynesburg, PA. We offer the latest in diagnostic and treatment technologies to meet all your needs.

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NFL player Jadeveon Clowney was chosen by the Atlanta Falcons as a representative to undergo a quick biomechanics field test. The Falcons will be having a five minute assessment performed in order to test his field skills. Clowney met with Atlanta officials recently, although talks are thought to be extremely preliminary for now. The test will show Clowney’s aptitude and more.

The body is controlled by its biomechanics. For more information, see podiatrist Paula F. Raugellis, DPM of Greene Podiatry Assoc Inc. Dr. Raugellis can address your podiatric questions.

Biomechanics in Podiatry

Podiatric biomechanics is a sect of specialized podiatry that features licensed practitioners trained in diagnosing and treating conditions that affect the foot, ankle and lower leg. Biomechanics focuses on the issues that affect the body and cause an interference with the biological structure. It also focuses on the foot and ankle’s movement and the forces that interact with them.

A History of Biomechanics

-Biomechanics historically dates back to ancient Egypt, which utilized professional foot care

-Biomechanics gained a high profile in 1974 thanks to the studies of Merton Root, who claimed by changing or controlling the ankle and foot’s forces, as well as diagnosing conditions and making corrections, could be used to gain strength and coordination to the affected area.

Improvements in modern technology are based on both therapeutic processes and past theories. These help provide a better understanding of podiatry concepts for biomechanics. Computers can provide an accurate determination regarding the movements and patterns of the lower legs and feet with important information captured.

Increasing awareness and advances in available materials have helped enhance corrective methods and offer further options for foot-related injuries.

If you have any questions, feel free to contact our office in Waynesburg, PA. We offer the latest in diagnostic and treatment technologies to meet all your needs.

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Biomechanics and its related study deal with forces that act against the body and effect things like our movement. In podiatry, biomechanics are studied to determine the movement of the ankle, toes, and the foot itself, as well as the forces that impact them. Podiatrists who train in this specialty are able to effectively diagnose and treat conditions that affect people’s everyday movement.

Regardless of your lifestyle, age, or any other factors, many people experience foot problems throughout their lives. Twists and turns, improper balance, and added weight are just a few of the things that can add stress to the feet and limit the mobility everyone takes for granted. Pain in the feet and ankles can also trickle up towards the lower legs, knees, hip, and even back area, all effecting the way you move around on a daily basis.

The history of studying biomechanics dates back to ancient Egypt at around 3000 B.C., where evidence of professional foot care has been recorded. Throughout the centuries, advances in technology, science, and an understanding of the human body led to more accurate diagnosis of conditions such as corns for example. In 1974, biomechanics garnered a large audience when Merton Root claimed that changing or controlling the forces between the ankle and the foot, corrections of certain conditions could be implemented to gain strength and coordination in the area. Due to his research, we still use his basic principle of thermoplastic foot orthotics to this day.

As technology has improved, so have the therapeutic processes that allow us to correct deficiencies in our natural biomechanics. Computers can now provide accurate readings of the forces, movements, and patterns of the foot and lower leg. Critical treatment options can be provided to patients now who suffer from problems that cause their biomechanics to not function naturally. The best results are now possible thanks to 3D modeling and computing technologies that can not only take readings, but also map out what treatment will do to the affected areas.

These advanced corrective methods were able to come to light thanks to an increase in both the technologies surrounding biomechanics and also the knowledge of how they work naturally. For example, shoe orthotics is able to treat walking inabilities by realigning the posture deviations in patients caused by hip or back problems. Understanding foot biomechanics can help improve movement and eliminate pain, stopping further stress to the foot, so speaking with your podiatrist if you have any of these problems is highly recommended.

Foot surgery may be necessary for a variety of reasons, but it is normally reserved for cases in which less invasive procedures have failed to help with the problem. Cases in which surgery may be deemed necessary include, but are not limited to, surgically removing deformities of the foot (such as bone spurs and bunions), problems with arthritis that have caused severe bone issues within the foot, and reconstruction to attend to injuries caused by accidents and congenital malformation (such as club foot and flat feet). Foot surgery may be necessary for individuals of all ages and races.

If you find yourself in need of foot surgery, the reason why the surgery has been found to be necessary will dictate exactly what kind of surgery you need. If you have to have a growth, such as a bunion, removed, then you may undergo a bunionectomy. If your bones need to be realigned and fused together, then you may undergo a surgical fusion of the foot. If it is nerve pain and problems that you are enduring, then you may need to undergo surgery in which the tissue that surrounds the painful nerve is surgically removed. Normally other, less serious treatments are first applied when a problem is discovered, but if those treatments are found to be ineffective, surgical techniques are considered and used.

Even though surgery of the foot is usually reserved as a last resort by most physicians, there are some benefits if you and your doctor choose to use surgery to fix the problem. The first is that the pain associated with the issue is normally relieved, which means that you can finally resume the activities your foot problem was preventing you from participating in. The second benefit is that, once you have the surgery completed, the problem is generally eliminated since it has finally been addressed.

History of podiatry has shown that foot surgery techniques continue to advance every year. Endoscopic surgery is just one of the many advancements that have been made in the field of foot surgery. As technology improves, foot surgical techniques will also continue to improve. Many procedures can now be completed using a very small incision and smaller, more refined instruments. Because of these better tools, surgeries are becoming less invasive, and recovery time has become a great deal shorter. Shorter recovery periods mean that you will be back on your feet in no time.

In an interview with Australian radio station Nova FM, the recently turned 50 actor Russell Crowe confessed that despite his heroic roles, in real life he happens to not be so invincible.  During his interview, Crowe has been cited saying, “At 49, I find it a bit difficult to run these days. I have grade four tears in both Achilles, I have shin splints, no cartilage in the toes in my right foot, I’ve got bone marrow edemas in under my knees, and I have one degenerating hip…”

Although Crowe has endured his share of painful injuries, he was able to jest about it towards the end of his interview. Crowe said he has been “...picking up injuries since 184 A.D.,”

Working on your feet can cause unknown damage and injuries. If you are contending with foot or ankle pain from being on your feet, see podiatrist Paula F. Raugellis, DPM of Greene Podiatry Assoc Inc. Dr. Raugellis can address your foot and ankle concerns.  

Working on Your Feet

Standing on your feet for long periods of time can cause stress and pain in your feet. Your whole body may experience change in terms of posture, back pain, bunions, callouses and or plantar warts. There are ways to avoid these conditions with proper foot care, smart choices and correct posture.

Positive Changes

Negative heeled shoe – choosing this shoe places the heel slightly lower than the ball of the foot. These are great for overall foot health. Find shoes that fit you correctly.

Go barefoot – our feet were not designed to be enclosed for hours, or all day. Allow yourself to expose your feet.

Eliminate Pain

Foot Exercises – performing simple exercises, incorporating yoga and stretches is beneficial. This will allow increased blood flow to the area and muscles of the foot.

Achilles tendon – stretching the foot out flat on the floor, will relax the calf muscles and tendon. These exercises can be performed almost anywhere. Make sure you add these exercises to your daily regimen. 

Keep your feet healthy and your body will thank you for it.

If you have any questions, feel free to contact our office in Waynesburg, PA. We offer the latest in diagnostic and treatment technologies to meet all your needs.

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Actress Jennifer Lawrence has made many fall for her, but this time it’s Lawrence who fell thanks to her heels. Lawrence slipped while wearing high heels at the X-Men: Days of Future Past premiere in New York. Lawrence fell while walking up a staircase towards a photo call. Thankfully, Lawrence was saved from a subsequent fall thanks to an assistant who managed to grab her wrist in time.

The Hunger Games star is known for her tumbles, especially during the Oscars two years in a tow. Lawrence still manages to stay poised in spite of her clumsy habit.

High heels can do more than just make you fall down. If you suffer from pain or discomfort as a result of wearing heels, see podiatrist Paula F. Raugellis, DPM of Greene Podiatry Assoc Inc. Dr. Raugellis can address your podiatric needs.

Wearing High Heels and How it Affects Feet

High heels affect what parts of the body?

• Joints in the Ankle
• Balls of the Feet
• Achilles Tendon
• Knees – heels cause the knees to bend constantly, creating stress on them
• Back – they decrease the spine’s ability to absorb shock, which may lead to back pain.  Also, the vertebrae of the lower back may compress.
• Calluses
• Corns
• Morton’s Neuroma
• Plantar Fasciitis
• Bunions
• Hammertoe

What problems can arise from long term use of high heels?

How can I maintain my foot health and still wear high heels?

For more information on maintaining proper foot health while wearing high heels, visit our link at the bottom.

If you have any questions, feel free to contact our office in Waynesburg, PA. We offer the latest in diagnostic and treatment technologies to meet all your needs.

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For hundreds of years, women have been wearing various kinds of high-heels for mostly aesthetic reasons. Women who wear high-heels appear to be taller and to have longer and thinner legs, and the wearer’s gait and posture changes. Though high-heels have had an association with femininity and have kept them popular over the years, there are definite health problems caused by wearing them too frequently.

The motion of the ankle joints is limited when heels are worn. The ankle joint is very important to the body when it comes to walking. Because of their location, these joints have a great deal of weight put on them. Thus, it is very important to keep them as healthy as possible. The Achilles tendon is the main tendon in the ankle. Wearing high-heels too often, studies have shown, can cause the calf muscle and Achilles tendon to shorten and stiffen, which can cause problems when shoes without heels are worn.

By putting a great deal of pressure on the ball of the foot, by forcing the toes into a small toe box, high-heels can cause or may worsen many foot problems, such as corns, hammertoe, bunions, Morton’s neuroma and plantar fasciitis.

Not only does wearing very high-heels regularly have negative effects on the feet, the rest of the body can suffer as well. The knees, one of the most important joints in the entire body, can be affected by wearing high-heels.  High-heels causes the knees to stay bent all the time. Also, it can cause them to bend slightly inward as well. Doctors believe that women can suffer from osteoarthritis later in life because of constantly walking like this. By limiting the natural motion of the foot during walking, high-heels also cause an increased in stress on the knees.

Similarly, the back may also be affected by high-heels because it causes the back to go out of alignment. If high-heels are worn constantly, the spine’s ability to absorb shock can cause continued back pain. They can compress the vertebrae of the lower back, and can overuse the back muscles.

However, this is not to say that high-heels can never be worn. If worn occasionally, they will not cause serious problems. They should not be worn every day in order to avoid the long-term physical health problems of the feet, knees, ankles, and back like mentioned above.