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Podiatrist - Clark, NJ
1114 Raritan Road
Clark, NJ 07066

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Foot Notes

Posts for: February, 2017

By Clark Podiatry Center
February 22, 2017

Is your sporty child complaining of pain in the heel? Is there swelling or redness in the heels? Discomfort when you squeeze both sides of the heel? He or she may be suffering from Sever’s Disease, or calcaneal apophysitis. It is a heel bone disorder caused by inflammation of the growth plate, a condition commonly found in children ages 8-15 who play sports. Children in this age range are subject to this issue because they are still growing. The cartilage in this area becomes hard bone over time, but is susceptible to injury and inflammation until the bone is set.

Children who play sports with high impact to the feet are more prone to suffering from this disease. With many sports involving consistent practices, the problem can become worse due to overuse and repeated stress on the heel. Unfortunately, sport shoes with cleats are known to aggravate the condition, so soccer and football players are at higher risk. Furthermore, any issues with the Achilles tendon, such as tendonitis, can contribute to Sever’s Diease by pulling excessively on the heel bone’s growth plate. Other risk factors include: flat feet and overpronated feet; high arches; short leg syndrome; and overweight or obesity.

Treatment

While it may not be the best news your child can hear, the primary goal of treatment is to relieve pain and inflammation, which means rest and prevention of re-injury. This may mean cutting back or stopping sports if the pain is severe. Other treatments that your podiatrist may suggest include:

  • Rest and Icing the inflammation to reduce pain and swelling.
  • Compression stockings or elastic wrap to reduce pain and swelling.
  • Heel cups or orthotics to stabilize and support the heel. Arch supports can also help if children are flatfooted or overpronate.
  • Stretching and physical therapy of the tissues around the feet, ankles, and calf muscles.
  • Anti-inflammatory medications if necessary.
  • Short-term use of a walking boot or cast if the issue is severe.

Is your child suffering from heel pain? It may be Sever’s Disease, or it may be another issue. Make an appointment today to have our board-certified podiatrist, Dr. Brandon Macy assess your child’s needs and help him or her back to feeling well. Clark Podiatry Center is located in Clark, NJ office in Union County and our team is ready to help! We keep you walking.

 


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By Clark Podiatry Center
February 15, 2017
Category: Foot Care
Tags: healthy eating   vitamin c   bones   proteins   antioxidants  

Eating right and exercising regularly are the keys to good health. For both children and adults alike, it is important to be consistent about healthy habits so that your body can feel strong and experience fewer problems. At Clark Podiatry Center, we want our patients to be well informed, especially about foot and ankle health. The following are ways to eat right and provide essential nutrients for your feet and ankles:

  • Bones: Calcium and Vitamin D are essential for strong and healthy bones. You may be aware that dairy products like milk and cheese have high amounts of calcium, but did you know that dark, leafy greens and sardines with bones are also rich in calcium? Additionally, make sure to get adequate Vitamin D by being out in the sun, or by eating supplemented dairy products or vitamins. Vitamin D is necessary for the bones to absorb the calcium. Without adequate calcium, you can be prone to osteoporosis and easily broken bones.
  • Joints: Oranges and other foods that are rich in Vitamin C and other antioxidants can help keep the joints in your toes, heels, and ankles healthy. For those with joint pain due to arthritis, foods with anti-inflammatory properties and Omega-3 fatty acids can help reduce pain. Ginger, salmon, walnuts, and citrus fruits are among healthy foods that can help prevent joint inflammation.
  • Skin: Don’t forget that skincare includes not only your face, but your feet too! Dehydration can be a reason that you have dry, cracked skin, especially around the heels of your feet. Make sure you drink plenty of water and fluids throughout the day. Walnuts, pomegranates, and dark chocolate (yes, really chocolate) are great food sources of nourishment for the skin.
  • Muscles, Tendons, Ligaments: Proteins and enzymes are key to building and repairing muscles and tissues. Antioxidants can help reduce inflammation from muscle soreness too. Try foods like cottage cheese, cherries, pineapples, and broccoli.
  • Inflammation and Pain: Some types of food are more likely to increase inflammation. For those who suffer from plantar fasciitis or arthritis, foods that are high in antioxidants and omega-3 fatty acids can help prevent flare-ups. Avoid foods like drinks and candy with refined sugar, fried foods, refined carbohydrates, aspartame, and if you’re allergic to gluten, wheat products.
  • Overall Health: Exercising often, staying hydrated, and eating a well-balanced, nutritional diet is important for overall health. Diabetes, Peripheral Artery Disease, Obesity, and Poor Circulation are whole-body problems that can also affect foot and ankle health and cause issues. If you think you may have any of these issues, see your doctor to get them under control.

Are your feet or ankles affected by poor food choices? Get treatment right away with our board-certified podiatrist, Dr. Brandon Macy. Make an appointment today at our Clark, NJ office in Union County to get your podiatric issues treated and to get tips on how to best change your diet to have healthy and happy feet!


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By Clark Podiatry Center
February 08, 2017
Category: Foot Care
Tags: Uggs   heel support   arch support  

 

With the cold winter weather, your Uggs or other fur-lined boots are probably working overtime. The ease of putting them on, coupled with the coziness of the shearling lining make them a daily go-to during this season.

However, we at Clark Podiatry Center caution you from wearing them every day. In our other blog posts, we’ve discussed the features that make footwear supportive. While Uggs seem to be comfortable and cozy, they lack many of the features that keep your feet and ankles healthy. For growing children, this is more important to pay attention to because their development may be affected.

Supportive features that they lack include:

  • Heel and Arch Support: Usually the inner sole is flat without any support or heel cupping.
  • Toebox size: Uggs tend to be oversized in the toebox, and the front of feet may not have the right support. They may slide around and make toes work harder to properly grip with each step. The Achilles tendon even suffer from all the strain that your feet and ankles endure to keep stability in the shoes.
  • Lightweight, breathable material: Some fur-lined boots can be heavy. The weight of the shoes and the lack of support within can leave you dragging your feet when walking. We can see when patients have been dragging their shoes by looking at the outer sole, as much of the tread has worn down. Also, since Uggs are designed to be warm, there isn’t much breathability. It traps heat and can cause sweating – making for a dark and damp environment, which bacteria and fungi love.

Don’t go throwing away your Uggs or other fur-lined boots, though! You can still wear them with some modification. For support and toebox issues, save your feet by using orthotic inserts. Try them on with socks, and of course, you should always wear socks to prevent a persistent foot odor problem. Also, try not to wear them every single day. Instead, rotate them with other shoes so that you don’t develop foot or ankle strain issues, and so that the boots can air out between wears.

Need help with orthotic inserts or stinky foot issues? Dr. Brandon Macy, our board-certified podiatrist can help! He will work with you to find the best solution for maintaining foot and ankle health this winter. Make an appointment today at our Clark, NJ office to have your footcare needs met promptly! We are happy to serve all patients in the surrounding Rahway and Westfield areas as well.

 


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By Clark Podiatry Center
February 01, 2017

Are you ready for Superbowl Sunday? The Atlanta Falcons are going head to head with the New England Patriots! While both teams have had a great season, many players have had injury issues that affected their game play. For the Falcons, Alex Mack and Julio Jones are star players that are affected with ankle and toe injuries. For the Patriots, it’s Martellus Bennett (ankle, knee, and shoulder injuries) and Malcolm Mitchell (knee injury) that coaches and fans have an eye on. These injured players are all sitting out of practice this week, in hopes to be in better shape on game day.

Repeat Injuries

When football players have injuries early in the season, they are at higher risk of re-injury as they continue to play after recovery. Whether it be weakened muscles and tendons or injuries that have not been able to fully heal, the risk of repeat injury is high enough to bench players before major games. This is especially the case now, for Superbowl practices, where they could possibly make their injuries worse, or even fall victim to a new injury due to their previous injuries. 

Due to the nature of the sport, football players are always prone to suffering concussions, sprains, tears, dislocated body parts, and even fractures, even with protective measures. Turf toe, and toe and ankle sprains are all common injuries as they run, juke, and dive across the field. Constantly repeating these motions can leave them with strained muscles and tissues, weakening them and possibly ending in chronic issues or broken bones.  

For Julio Jones and Martellus Bennett, the injuries that are causing them to sit out were incurred earlier in the season and has kept coming back to bother them. Hopefully with rest and healing, they will be at their best for the big game. Afterward, they may need to treat their injuries more seriously with surgery.

Got questions about sports-related injuries? Make an appointment today with our board-certified podiatrist, Dr. Brandon Macy at Clark Podiatry Center. He and his team are ready to help at the Clark, NJ office. Whatever team you’re rooting for, we hope you and your family have a fun and safe Superbowl!

 

 


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1114 Raritan Road
Clark, NJ 07066

Podiatrist - Clark, Dr. Brandon Macy, 1114 Raritan Road, Clark NJ, 07066 732-382-3470