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

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Foot Notes

Posts for: March, 2018

By Clark Podiatry Center
March 28, 2018
Category: Running

If you’re an experienced runner or jog on a daily basis, you know that the worst situation is when you’ve got chronic foot pain or an ankle injury. Not only do you feel pain, you might also have to stop your running routine completely to allow for healing.

So to help you prevent this scenario from happening, we’ve got some tips about foot care for all of you who get that daily “runner’s high”:

  • Always warm up. Start slow to be sure that the soft tissues in your body are not feeling tight. The more time you allow yourself to get warm, the less likely the chance that you’ll strain tendons, ligaments, and muscles that weren’t ready to go.
  • Stretch. Some people like to do this step before a run, as part of warming up; others like to do it after the running session as part of a cool down. Whichever camp you’re in, remember to stretch your muscles to give them a chance to rebuild and stay loose before/after a tough or long running session.
  • Strength train. It may not feel necessary, but building muscles to be strong and resilient can help prevent problems like joint pain and overuse injuries, like plantar fasciitis.
  • Training. Be sure to practice, especially if you’re planning on participating in a running event, like a marathon. Training beforehand lessens the chances that you will encounter problems in your feet and ankles during a long-distance run. Increase your time and speed slowly over time, to prevent sudden soft tissue problems like Achilles tendonitis.
  • Proper foot hygiene. One of the most important tips for runners (and everyone else) is to make sure to wash the feet each day with soap and warm water. This will help reduce risks of a bacterial, viral, or fungal infection, which in turn, can also cause foot and shoe odor.
  • Choose the right shoes. If you’re not sure if your shoes are right for you, turn to an experienced runner to ask for advice. You’ll want maximum cushioning in the soles to reduce the impact on your bones and joints, as well as a snug fit and good arch and heel support. Depending on how often you run, sneakers may need to be replaced as often as every 3 months! Also, always wear socks!
  • Add orthotics if needed. Not all feet are created equal, so shoes won’t fit each person the same way. For those with any chronic issues, you can use over-the-counter orthotic inserts or get some custom made by our podiatrist.
  • Rest if injured. Finally, it’s most important to give yourself time to rest – especially if you are injured. Going back to running too quickly can cause a stress fracture to get worse.

Follow these tips to prevent common injuries or muscle strains, including: blisters, corns, calluses, Athlete's Foot, Achilles tendonitis, plantar fasciitis, shin splints, stress fractures, metatarsalgia, and Morton’s neuroma. If you have an injury from running, don’t hesitate to call us to find relief! Make an appointment to see our board-certified podiatrist, Brandon Macy, DPM at Clark Podiatry Center. He can assess your feet and the best treatment options to get you back to pounding the pavement. Come see him at our Clark, NJ office, which serves the surrounding Union County areas.


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By Clark Podiatry Center
March 20, 2018
Category: Bunions
Tags: Bunions   Hammertoes   Shoes   arthritis   bony spur   bunion surgery  

You may have noticed a bony growth coming from your big toe joint. You weren’t sure if your bunions were getting larger, but made some changes anyway. You’ve changed your shoes to have a roomier toe box, used bunion pads, and even tried some splints to help keep your big toes facing forward.

Lately, however, your big toe joint seems to become irritated more frequently and more easily. The bony spur has been getting larger, and your foot looks a bit more deformed than you remember. How are you going to feel comfortable with wearing open-toed shoes or sandals now, without embarrassment?

Whatever the cause of your bunion, whether it’s genetics, arthritis, or the types of shoes you wear, the earlier you treat it, the easier the treatment. The longer you leave it untreated, the more likely it is that it will cause further issues on other parts of the feet, like your big toe joint, smaller toes (like with hammertoes), and even the balls of your feet.

In most cases, we encourage non-surgical treatment of bunions, especially because it’s not an easy road to recovery after the invasive surgery. While non-surgical treatment will not be a cure for the bunions, they can be helpful in preventing worsening symptoms and providing pain relief.

When the bunion problem becomes very severe, causing chronic pain and discomfort, the only solution is to turn to bunion surgery. Depending on how your bunion affects you, you can remove the bunion growth, realign the big toe joint, or if it’s due to arthritis, replace the joint with screws and plates. The procedure may be a short outpatient treatment, but the recovery could take 6 weeks to 4 months as the bones heal and adapt.

Bunion surgery is a last resort treatment option. To see if your bunion problem can be solved with surgery, make an appointment to see our board-certified podiatrist, Brandon Macy, DPM at Clark Podiatry Center. He can assess your feet and give you options to make your travel plans possible. Come see him at our Clark, NJ office, which serves the surrounding Union County areas.

 


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By Clark Podiatry Center
March 15, 2018
Category: Exercise
Tags: exercising  

Well, what we mean is, you can still work out! Okay, so you might not necessarily WANT to keep exercising. Or if you love working out, maybe you DO!

Regardless of which camp you’re in, we do encourage you to keep up your physical activity, at least 3 times a week. If you routinely do exercises that include running or jumping, you may feel stumped about how to keep active. That’s why we’ve come up with some ideas for alternative exercises you can do instead!

Get approval from our podiatrist or your physician before performing the following exercises, depending on the extent of your injury:

Exercises to try at home:

  • Leg extensions on the couch. Lean back and place your hands behind you on your couch. With your feet lifted off the ground, straighten your legs, hold for a few seconds, then bend at the knees and release. Do several repetitions as you feel the strain in the abs and thighs.
  • Ab crunches: On a mat or carpeted floor, do some ab crunches with your feet up, knees bent. Crunch up to the knees, then release. Variation, crunch up with the elbow touching the knee of the opposite side.
  • Upper body workout: Use items around the home, like bottle or gallon of water, thick book, or laundry detergent to do some arm workouts, like bicep curls, tricep extensions.
  • Pushups: If only one foot is injured, you can do pushups with the injured foot resting on the other foot.

Exercises to try at the gym:

  • Swimming: If your injury is mild, and it can hand some movement, swimming might be a good alternative, especially to get your cardiovascular workout.
  • Machine workouts: Try any of several machines, such as a lateral pull down machine, leg curl machine, or chest press machine. These do not require the feet or ankle at all.
  • Upper body workout: You can also add free weights to do certain workouts, such as seated body twists while holding free weights.
  • Pull-ups: step up to the pull-up bar with your uninjured foot and go to town. Just be sure to step down softly again on the uninjured foot.

You have probably come in to see us about your foot or ankle injury. If not, or if you plan to workout, make an appointment to see our board-certified podiatrist, Brandon Macy, DPM at Clark Podiatry Center. He can assess your feet and give you options to make your workouts possible. Come see him at our Clark, NJ office, which serves the surrounding Union County areas. 


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March 08, 2018

Down syndrome also known as trisomy 21, is a genetic disorder caused by the presence of all or part of a third copy of chromosome 21. It is typically associated with physical growth delays, characteristic facial features and mild to moderate intellectual disability. Symptoims which can affect foot function and, therefore, the lives of those affected is hypotonia (low muscle tone) and ligamentous laxity.

How this manifests in the feet is a typical broad, low-arched foot. The ligamentous laxity allows the feet to pronate (flatten) to excess. Combining this with low muscle tone, there is a loss of biomechanical efficiency during normal walking, resulting in easy fatigue, deformities and quite often pain.

How to combat this?  A quality orthotic device (not the types which can be found in drug stores, shoe stores, sporting goods stores and other commercial establishments) will serve to provide balance and stability to the foot and leg structure. Better support and ‘leverage’ from orthotics improves function dramatically, reducing fatigue and pain.

The takeaway point is that there is a fairly simple solution to an unfortunate problem.  A proper orthotic device for Down Syndrome children (and adults too!) can improve the quality of their life in a big way!

For more information or an appointment, contact us at 732-382-3470 or visit our website at www.clarkpodiatry.com. 

At Clark Podiatry Center, we want to keep you walking!

#DownSyndrome #orthotics #NJCFHI #ClarkPodiatryCenter


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By Clark Podiatry Center
March 06, 2018
Category: Foot Care
Tags: Foot Odor   Athlete's Foot   Shoes   Foot Care   orthotic inserts   arch   heel   bunion   callus  

As the weather slowly levels out, you may get bitten by the springtime travel bug. If you haven’t really left the comfort and warmth of your home this winter season, it may be a good time to stretch your legs and explore some new areas of the world. This is especially true since it’s still off-peak travel season.

Already have plans for early spring travel? Great! As you pack your bags, don’t forget to take into consideration, items that you need for foot care. You might be wondering what we mean since you might not have thought about it before. Read on and check out the following tips for what you can pack for foot care while you travel:

  • Socks – Whether you are staying closer to home or going to a foreign country, you want to make sure you have enough socks. Otherwise, running out of clean pairs might mean wearing shoes without socks, which can lead to foot odor and irritated skin on the feet.
  • Comfortable shoes – In most cases, travel would probably include a lot of walking as you explore the area you are visiting. If your shoes are uncomfortable, you may miss out on seeing more of your travel destination since you may not want to walk around as much. Be sure to bring shoes that are supportive, including arch and heel support, as well as insoles with ample cushioning. If any of these supportive features are missing, you may want to try out some orthotic inserts.
  • Flip  Flops – Keeping your feet safe from infectious disease is as simple as using flip-flops in hotel rooms and bathrooms, communal showers, or any other public areas (e.g. swimming pools) where you might be barefoot. You never know how “clean” public areas are, and that can leave you prone to diseases like Athlete’s foot.
  • Bandages or other protective padding – For those who are prone to blisters or bunion pain, you should pack bandages, medical tape, or callus/bunion pads. This will, again, keep you more comfortable as you enjoy the food, culture, and sights of your travel destination.

If you have foot or ankle issues, or an injury that may prevent you from traveling, make an appointment to see our board-certified podiatrist, Brandon Macy, DPM at Clark Podiatry Center. He can assess your feet and give you options to make your travel plans possible. Come see him at our Clark, NJ office, which serves the surrounding Union County areas. 


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