How can you prevent diabetic foot problems from happening?

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Preventative medicine is always the best type of medicine!  It is important for people with diabetes to become body conscious, knowing how their body responds to positive and negative factors in their life.  For instance, if you are experiencing more tingling or numbness in your feet, then your blood sugars may be too high and need better control with diet, exercise or medication.

Daily foot checks are also imperative for people with diabetes.  If you notice a new discoloration, blister, or loose toenail, then seek medical attention to ensure that the proper care is provided.  Diabetic foot ulcers usually start with one of the three above mentioned small problems that can be treated easily with early intervention.  Also avoid walking barefoot and use white diabetic socks which are seamless and prevent friction and rubbing on the toes.  Check your socks for any stains from any sores or blisters you might not even know are on the bottom of your feet.  Finally, check the bottom of your feet with a mirror or have a family member examine them to ensure there are no open cuts or discolorations.

If you or a family member has been diagnosed with diabetes and need a foot specialist to perform a diabetic foot exam, then call Advanced Podiatry in Tampa at 813-875-0555 and let Drs. Katz and Johnston help keep your feet happy and healthy!

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Why are flip flops bad for your feet? This Tampa Podiatrist Tells You!

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Flip flops are one of the most popular types of shoes to wear anywhere in the country.  Why?  Because they’re easy, cheap and fast to slip on and off.  Plus, the array of colors and patterns are endless.  So after you’ve been wearing them all day to clean the house, walk the dog, or run errands, why do your feet hurt that evening or the next day?  Well, flip flops are just not supportive.  They have no arch support or sole stability.  There is nothing supportive about a standard flip flop.  All of that instability causes increased stress to the ball of the foot, arch and heels.  So walking around in a flip flop all day causes your foot to function in a bad position making you more prone to conditions such as plantar fasciitis, neuromas, Achilles tendonitis, fallen arches, and arthritis.  If you have developed foot, ankle or leg pain and you wear flip flops on a daily basis, then you need to rethink your shoe gear.  Find a shoe that is comfortable, supportive and provides more stability to your foot.  For more information about finding a supportive shoe, check out our website.  If you continue to have pain, then call Advanced Podiatry and allow us to help treat your foot problems and provide you with relief!

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Kobe Bryant Down with Achilles Tear! Will He Return?

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Kobe Bryant tears Achilles tendon…

Another setback for Kobe Bryant occurred last week placing the all-star basketball player on the sidelines again.  Bryant ruptured his Achilles tendon and has already undergone kobe bryant achillessuccessful surgical repair; however, his recovery and rehabilitation could take up to 6-8 months before stepping back on a basketball court.

With complete rupture of the Achilles tendon, surgical repair should be performed as soon as possible to prevent any further separation of the tendon.  If caught early, the tendon can usually be sutured back together and reinforced with a graft to enhance strength and durability at the site of the injury.  However, activity is severely limited with use of a cast or immobilizing boot until the tendon heals around 6-8 weeks post operatively.  Weakening of the calf muscle is inevitable after that extent of immobilization; therefore, strengthening exercises are imperative when everything looks ready to rehab.

Although Bryant has faced several foot and ankle problems this year including plantar fasciitis and an ankle sprain, he is remaining optimistic that he will be back on the basketball court again.  Bryant wrote on Facebook,   “One day, the beginning of a new career journey will commence,” he wrote.  ”Today is NOT that day.”

If you are suffering from pain in the bottom or the back of the heel, call Advanced Podiatry and allow Drs. Katz and Johnston to evaluate the problem.  Remember pain in the back or the bottom of the heel is a sign of inflammation or injury and may lead to worse problems.  Keep your feet healthy and safe with our help today!

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Why skipping the most important part of your exercise routine could make you more prone to injury…

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Why skipping the most important part of your exercise routine could make you more prone to injury…

It’s hard to be a couch potato when you live in the Sunshine State, especially now that spring has arrived!  Whether I decide to go for a walk with my dog, bike through Flatwoods Park, or go for a jog in my neighborhood, I love living a healthy lifestyle outside.  But before I start any exercise, I do what most people frequently forget…stretching!

Stretching is a fundamental part of exercise, yet so many people don’t want to stretch or think it’s not that big of a deal to skip it and go straight to the work-out.  Because stretching doesn’t really do anything, right?  Wrong!

I incorporate stretching into my daily routine not only because it relieves stress and tension, but it also helps reduce the risk of injury during the workouts I love the most.  The hamstrings and calf muscles are often neglected during stretching, especially in runners and cyclists.  If the hamstrings and calf muscles are not stretched appropriately before and after working out, exercise enthusiast are setting themselves up for lower extremity problems such as plantar fasciitis, Achilles tendonitis, and ITBS (iliotibial band syndrome).

So what stretching should you do?  A runner’s stretch is probably the most common stretching technique for increasing flexibility to the Achilles tendon.  But performing forward bends whether sitting or standing are the ultimate hamstring and Achilles stretch.  Many people think that because they can’t touch their toes during a forward bend that they are not getting anything out of the stretch which is entirely not true!  Hold stretches for 5-10 seconds each placing a sustained stretch on the legs and not bouncing.  Maybe you can’t reach past your knees initially, but before long you’ll be able to touch your toes, and you’ll notice that nagging pain in the bottom or back of your heel will resolve as well!

Try incorporating more stretching into your exercise routine before and after you’ve finished working out.  If stretching isn’t completely alleviating the pain, then you should call Advanced Podiatry at 813-875-055 and let Drs. Katz and Johnston determine the best treatment options for you to maintain an active and healthy lifestyle!

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Kobe Bryant’s Ankle Injury – Will He Need Prolotherapy?

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Kobe Bryant tweeted about his ankle injury using the hash tags, “cleanupthegame” and “dangerousplay”.  kobe bryant down with ankle injuryHe was swept to the ground while airborne by his opponent Dahntay Jones and no foul was called.  Most agree that it was a dirty foul even after reviewing the video. He may be left with a serious ankle sparin.

Kobe stated that it is the worst sprained ankle he has had in his 17 years with the NBA.  The Lakers made a statement that he would be out “indefinitely”. Others are wondering if he may be back in a few days with some therapy.

Kobe tweeted a pictures during his ankle rehab: kobe bryant ankle sprain

Do you think he will make a quick comeback?

Does he need to take a break and heal or do you think he should push it and return quickly for the team?

These are interesting questions.  Many of our patients have sprained ankle and this is often their dilemma.  Should they just work through the pain?  Should they see a podiatrist?

In my experience, many causal and serious athletes and walkers get sprained ankles and often wait too long to seek treatment.  They also return to activities way too quickly and end up getting injured again.  When someone has repeated ankle injuries, prolotherapy can be an excellent treatment option to rebuild the ligaments and joint without surgery.  This treatment used at Advanced Podiatry in Tampa has been excellent for athletes needing to return quickly.

So if you have an ankle injury what is the best treatment?  I recommend that you ice the area immediately and seek medical attention.  As a podiatrist, I would x-ray your ankle and possibly send you for an MRI.  In some cases, there can be a serious fracture that requires surgery.  In other cases there is soft tissue damage also known as a sprain.  Ankle sprains can be minor or severe.  In severe cases return to activities is not possible or advised.  Proper immobilization, treatment and therapy are required to return to your original activities.

Hopefully, Kobe will return soon because the Lakers can’t make it without him.  But if the injury is severe, it is in his best interest to go through the proper treatment protocol.

If you have injured your ankle in Tampa, Florida, call us at Advanced Podiatry today for immediate treatment.  We will help you get back to your activities as fast as possible.  We also offer advanced healing techniques know as prolotherapy to help rebuild your injured ligaments without surgery or steroids.

 

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Does Barefoot Running Cause Stress Fractures?

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New studies published last month in Medicine & Science in Sports & Exercise show that barefoot running can cause swelling of the bone!   Our ancestors walked barefooted and also ran, so should we be able to do the same?barefoot runner tampa

Swelling of the bone associated with barefoot-style running tells us that the bone is taking too much stress and may be weakening.  The body may be able to accommodate this stress but in some cases the result in ongoing pain, swelling and even fractures of the foot.  I do see more running injuries, sprains and fractures associated with barefoot running, says Dr. Marc Katz, a Tampa podiatrist.  The most common complaint is ball of the foot pain, Achilles pain, heel pain and arch pain.  This makes sense that all of these areas would be injured since many barefoot runners shift weight to the ball of the foot.

Of course many runners that we see in our practice love barefoot running.  But what is different about those that do well with this style of running versus traditional heel strike running?

Well, the answer may be understood from our ancestors.  They did indeed walk and run barefooted but they went through conditioning starting during childhood.  They built up tough skin on their feet.  They strengthened the essential muscles, tendons and joints and gained stability steadily over time.

Most runners today just decide that they want to jump into the next running sensation and completely change their running style without proper training or conditioning.  This is bad practice when starting any new sport, exercise program or changing the way you run or exercise.

Do you like barefoot running?  Have you gone through the proper conditioning and strengthening?

If you have been running and you are having pain or have been injured, call us at Advanced Podiatry for treatment.  The key is prevention and appropriate training. We can help you to get conditioned should you decide to change your running style.  We can also look at your foot structure and see if your feet are appropriate for new types of running. Call Advanced Podiatry in Tampa today at 813-875-0555 or check us out on the web at http://www.TheTampaPodiatrist.com

 

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Why Athletes Need to Consider Alternatives to the Steroid Injection…

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We hear updates daily about professional athletes on the disabled list due to injuries such as torn Achilles tendons and rotator cuffs.  Athletes depend on their doctors and trainers to make the best medical decisions for their injuries, but they also want to get back on the playing field ASAP and play the game they love.  So when a player starts experiencing pain in his or her shoulder, knee or ankle, then most doctors consider a steroid injection to decrease the inflammation and reduce the pain.  Steroid injections work quickly and efficiently which is why players love them.  In the right dose and quantity, steroid injections can help players perform well and are one the gold standards in conservative treatment.

prolotherapy ankle tampa

But I would like you to reconsider what a steroid injection is and what it does.  A steroid is an anti-inflammatory.  It prevents the body from stimulating a response to an injury.  The body begins the process of healing an area of injury by infiltrating the area with inflammatory cells such as cytokines, fibroblasts and growth factors.  But with a steroid injection, these cells ignore the area of injury and never stimulate the response to initiate the healing cascade in the body.  If steroid is consistently injected into an area, then the body continues to ignore the injury and weakens the tissue making it more prone to injury.  The rule of thumb is no more than 3 steroid injections in one area in a year.  If more than 3 steroid injections are performed, then the tissue in that area is at an increased risk of injury such as tearing a ligament or tendon.  This may be one of the reasons why some professional athletes go from experiencing Achilles tendinitis to a full-blown Achilles tendon rupture.

So what other options are out there?  Prolotherapy is one of our offices most successful conservative treatment options for athletes that have already tried steroid injections and failed.  Prolotherapy is “regenerative medicine.”  It is a series of injections with natural products such as dextrose that stimulates the body to heal an area of injury or inflammation.  Rather than inhibiting the inflammatory response and making an area more prone to injury, Prolotherapy promotes it which activates the body’s healing cascade and strengthens tissue.

While most patients respond positively to standard conservative treatment such as steroid injections, some patients continue to have pain or repetitive injuries.  When patients begin to suffer with continued pain or injury, then Prolotherapy should be considered as the next step in treatment.  Most importantly, it is a great alternative to surgery and requires no down time.  For an athlete, Prolotherapy can allow him or her to continue to play without any down-time and motion actually stimulates a more positive response.

So if you’re an athlete looking for an alternative to surgery or have had multiple steroid injections with little response to treatment, then call Advanced Podiatry (813)875-0555 and make an appointment with one of our doctors to discuss Prolotherapy.  Drs. Katz and Johnston’s goal is to get their athletes back in the game quickly and safely!  Let them open your eyes to a new form of treatment that could work for you!

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Last Minute Running Tips for Your Feet!

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The Gasparilla Run will be here soon!  Are your feet ready for the race?  Here are some LAST MINUTE TIPS to keep your feet in shape and prevent problems that could slow you down the day of the race.

  1. Prevent excessive sweating or moisture in your shoes to prevent blister formation on the toes and heels.  Use anti-sweat powders or liquid powders that keep your feet dry during heavy work-outs.
  2. Stretching is important to prevent muscle strains and heel pain.  Stretch every day, twice a day! Performing a runner’s stretch against the wall and sitting on the floor touching the toes with the legs extended keep the muscles in your legs and feet flexible.
  3. Don’t plan on switching running shoes.  Performing the race in the shoes you’ve been training in is very important.  Switching it up the last few weeks or days of your race could cause some serious blisters or pain in your feet during your run.
  4. If you’re training for 5K, 10K, half or full marathons, you have to get orthotics to provide extra support for your foot.  Pushing your body to the limit means having the proper training tools to keep you safe and injury-free.  If you don’t have them now, call Advanced Podiatry after the Gasparilla Race for an appointment to discuss having a pair fabricated for you.
  5. Keep callouses on your feet soft with heel balms or extra-strength moisturizers so you prevent them from cracking or bleeding.
  6. Finally if you are experiencing pain in your feet or ankles that is not resolving on its own, come see us now rather than waiting until after the race.  The longer you push through an injury or pain in your foot or ankle, the harder it is to treat.

So as the days keep counting down for the Gasparilla Run, don’t forget that Advanced Podiatry is here for you to answer any last minute questions or help with any foot or ankle pain you’re experiencing.  Call us at 813-875-0555 for help!

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Why you should stop running when your foot really, really hurts!

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“No pain, no gain” is not the motto athletes follow anymore, thank goodness!  Obviously, when you injure your foot with a traumatic event such as cracking the bone or twisting the ligaments, you know to seek medical treatment immediately.  But when you experience minor aches here and there in your feet while training, sometimes you probably feel unsure if you are being “a wimp” or if there really is something wrong.

So the question becomes, “how long should I wait to seek medical treatment?”  I always tell people when dealing with pain in your foot or ankle after an activity regardless of whether it’s running, baseball or dancing, there are certain things to try at home first.

  • Decrease your activity level and rest the area of pain
  • Avoid going barefoot or wearing bad shoes (flips flops, sandals, heels) and instead wear a supportive tennis shoe or casual shoe
  • Ice the area 2-3 times per day
  • Take an anti-inflammatory such as Ibuprofen, Advil or Motrin as instructed on the package
  • If you have swelling, elevate the foot above the heart at home on your couch or in bed and use an ace wrap for compression

If you try these things and the pain goes away, that’s great!  Just continue to monitor the area for recurring pain and if noted seek medical treatment by your podiatrist shortly after the pain returns.

When the pain in your foot persists for more than 3 days after trying the above mentioned treatments, then you should seek medical attention.  Persistent pain in any area of the body is a signal that something is wrong and delaying medical treatment can also delay healing as well.

At Advanced Podiatry, Drs. Katz and Johnston know the importance of getting their athletic patients back to their events.  That’s why we always perform a thorough exam and have the ability to get prompt xrays or other diagnostic imaging that’s needed to build a diagnosis and treatment plan for each individual athlete we treat in our office.  So call Advanced Podiatry today at (813) 875-0555 if you have persistent pain that hasn’t resolved, and let us help you with your foot and ankle pain relief!

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Read This Before Wearing Fashion’s Hottest New Heels!

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high heels podiatrist

HIGH HEELS

Wearing high heels on a daily basis can cause multiple foot problems.  Most commonly, high heel users have pain in the ball of the foot or in the back of the heel bone.  Oftentimes, pain from wearing high heels can be unrelenting and should not be ignored.   Here are just a few common complaints caused by wearing high heels…

Pain in the ball of the foot can be caused by numerous issues such as capsulitis (inflammation of the soft tissues around a joint), neuroma (inflammation of the nerve), or jamming of the toe joints.  Usually a sharp pain is felt at the ball of the foot accompanied at times with numbness to the toes in people that wear heels daily.  Removing the shoe and rubbing the area usually resolves the pain temporarily but as soon as you put that stiletto back on, the pain returns.

Pain in the back of the heel can be caused by tightening of the Achilles tendon (Achilles tendinitis), a bone spur, or bursitis (inflammation of a fluid-filled sac near the Achilles tendon).  The pain is usually sharp and localized to the back of the heel near the Achilles tendon.  Sometimes you may see a bump developing on the back of the heel as well as redness and swelling.  Adding a pad in the back of the shoe can relieve some pressure, but usually relief is only found with removing the shoe.

If these symptoms sound too familiar, then reconsider wearing high heels on a daily basis.  Even switching from a six inch stiletto to a smaller heel can make a big difference in the amount of pain you experience in your feet from these shoes.  Specially made pads and silicone gel slips are also available to help reduce pressure in areas such as the heel bone and ball of the foot but ultimately your feet will thank you if you just wear high heels on special occasions.

If you are having symptoms that were mentioned above such as pain in the ball of the foot or heel that won’t go away, then you need to see a podiatrist!  Drs. Katz and Johnston at Advanced Podiatry can help you with your foot pain and give you multiple treatment options, non-invasive and surgical, to decide which is best for you and your life!  So don’t wait, call Advanced Podiatry at (813) 875-0555 for relief from your foot pain today!

 

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