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Clark, NJ 07066

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Foot Notes

Posts for tag: Shoes

By Clark Podiatry Center
February 06, 2019

Your children grow up in what seems like a blink of the eye. They start to crawl, take their first steps, are running, and jumping, and before you know it, tying their own shoelaces! Then it’s off to college!

Okay, so it’s not quite that quick, but time sure can fly by. That’s why we want to encourage you to start teaching your children to take care of their feet early. Children are pretty perceptive and can learn by example starting from a young age. Take advantage of the years when they are soaking up knowledge and teach them some of the following ways to take care of their own feet:

  • Washing feet – This is a skill they can learn as they learn to wash their bodies during bath time. Have them reach their toes while they are sitting, and gently rub, rub, rub. Remind them to clean the tops and bottoms of their feet, as well as in between the toes and under the toenails. Teach them to properly dry their feet and moisturize if their skin is dry.
  • Wearing socks with shoes – Other than with sandals, teach them that they need to always wear socks before they put on their shoes. Children’s feet can get just as sweaty and stinky as our feet, so it’s important that they wear socks. That way, their shoes will not become stinky! Additionally, wearing shoes without socks can lead to blisters, corns, and calluses, which can be painful for your little one.
  • Understanding how their feet fit into shoes – As your children’s feet grow, observe their feet when they seem to either not put their shoes on, or want to take them off quickly. Look for any redness or swelling as these signs can indicate that shoes are too small. When you buy new shoes, have them try the shoes on and ask them if their toes have room to wiggle. Are the feet sliding around in the shoes? Do they feel snug or are they clunky? As they get older, they will recognize whether or not shoes fit them correctly.
  • Feeling out when they need to have their toenails trimmed – It’s not always easy to be on top of when your children need to have their toenails trimmed. When they are old enough, you can teach them to trim their own toenails, but before then, you’ll need to teach them an approximate length in which they should come to you for a trim. When the whites reach the edge of their toes, or when they feel the nails hit the top or front of their shoes (which can cause ingrown toenails) are both good times to trim toenails.
  • Foot exercises – Children generally get a lot of foot exercise from their general playtime. However, it doesn’t hurt to teach them some exercises by example. When watching TV together, you can help them with motor skills by doing foot circles or testing their ABCs in a silly way – draw them with your feet!

If you need tips on how to help your child with foot care, come see our board-certified podiatrist, Dr. Brandon Macy at Clark Podiatry Center. He can assess your child’s feet at New Jersey Children's Foot Health Institute and find the best treatment for any concern you may have for your child’s feet. Make an appointment at our Clark, NJ office so we can keep your child walking.

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By Clark Podiatry Center
November 13, 2018
Category: skin conditions
Tags: blisters   corns   calluses   warts   Athlete's Foot   Shoes   diabetic   ulcer  

Your skin is one tough organ. It literally holds you together! But it’s also your first defense, making it more prone to attack from the outside world (and maybe some from inside your body). Your skin might not have 99 problems, but they surely are at risk of a lot!

Bacteria, Viruses, and Fungi, Oh My!

  • These microorganisms usually live on and around us, but when we have a break in the skin and they get inside, that’s when an infection can occur. In most cases, cleaning and treating any cuts and scrapes can help to stop infections. However, other infections like Athlete’s foot (caused by the fungus tinea) might need more special care. Viral infections, like warts, can be more difficult and stubborn, ultimately needing podiatric intervention. Hygiene is the first defense and prevention tactic against these little troublemakers.

The attack of the shoes

  • You chose them and bought them – how could they be out to get you? Well, all of us have encountered uncomfortable shoes at one point or another. They can cause blisters, corns, and calluses if they are uncomfortable or cause excessive pressure on certain parts of the feet.
  • Don’t forget that bacteria and fungus can thrive in the moist and warm environment of your shoes, especially if you wear the same shoes every day.

Oops! and Ouch!

  • Oops, you dropped a heavy object on your foot! Ouch! That can really cause swelling, bruising, and turn your toenail black.
  • Oops, you forgot to wear sunblock with your sandals on a hot summer day! Ouch, sunburn got you good. Yes, even your feet are prone to sunburn!

Attack from within

  • Your own body can be your skin’s worst enemy. How? When you have neuropathy (such as diabetic neuropathy), your feet lose feeling. The nerves stop communicating and you can have poor circulation. Your skin can begin to break down and become an ulcer. When left untreated, that ulcer can lead to a really bad infection, gangrene, or even amputation!

Have we made our case for you to take care of your feet, including the skin? Be sure to wash your feet with soap and warm water each day. This is especially important if you go to communal locker rooms where you can easily pick up microorganisms while barefoot.

Noticed a skin problem on your foot? We can help assess your skin. Make an appointment today for a consultation at Clark Podiatry Center. Our board-certified podiatrist, Dr. Brandon Macy will assess your children’s feet to find the best solution for stinky feet! We are located in Clark, NJ and serve patients in all the surrounding Union County towns!

 

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By Clark Podiatry Center
October 26, 2018
Category: Foot safety
Tags: Shoes   sprains   children   broken  

Batman, Iron Man, Spiderman, Wonder Woman!

A Mummy, a Witch, the Grim Reaper!

A Butterfly, Lion, T-Rex!

For children, Halloween is probably one of their favorite times of the year. It’s hard for them to contain the excitement of picking out costumes, choosing a treat basket, and seeing how much candy they can collect. They’ll compare with siblings or friends as to who got more candy or who got the better treats. Some will be able to take their time with eating the candy while others will have a tummy ache from eating it all, this very night.

We’ll leave it up to you, how you’ll monitor their candy intake, but we do want to encourage you to take some precautions about their safety before they scamper around the town.

To protect against foot injuries while they haunt (or brighten!) the neighborhood, keep the following in mind:

  • Your child should wear shoes that are: supportive and comfortable. If they are difficult or painful to walk in, they will not have a fun time! They should also fit well so that your children don’t have cramping pain at the end of the night.
  • If your child has clown shoes or animal paws covering their feet, have them practice walking around. The bulkiness can cause them to trip up on lawn decorations, piles of fallen leaves and branches, and the sidewalk curb. It can cause strains, sprains, or even a broken bone as your child runs around.
  • Go into the light. Stay on brightly lit paths and areas with bright street lamps to prevent unseen dangers. Additionally, you never know if a child might run out into the street when a car is passing by!
  • Be sure they layer up! Wear socks with shoes since the weather has been getting colder. Frostbite is probably not a major threat, but if feet get wet in the cold, they will be painful when they “defrost”.

Does your child already have an injury, prior to Halloween? Get creative and incorporate a brace, crutch, knee walker, or wheelchair into being part of the costume, Maybe as Robocop or a racecar driver in a race car! Doable with some innovative power, cardboard, and paint!

If you are worried about how your child’s costume may have caused him or her pain, make an appointment today at New Jersey Children's Foot Health Institute at Clark Podiatry Center. Our board-certified podiatrist, Dr. Brandon Macy will assess your child’s feet to find the best treatments or solutions for growing feet. We are located in Clark, NJ and serve patients in all the surrounding Union County towns!

 

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By Clark Podiatry Center
October 24, 2018
Tags: Shoes   sprains   children   fungal   broken  

Most children love the prospect of going to the playground. They will even be on their best behavior when promised a reward of time at the park. Because playgrounds are mostly designed for children, we tend not to think twice before letting them loose once inside the playground gates.

However, the unfortunate truth is that playgrounds can be dangerous for children. Factors such as surface, structural integrity, maintenance, and safe play can determine whether or not children leave a playground with an injury. 

To protect against injuries, especially foot injuries, keep the following in mind:

  • Be sure that your child wears shoes that are: supportive, sturdy, comfortable, and fit properly. These features will help your child stay stable and protected as they play on the different surfaces at a playground. While some surfaces are chosen to reduce impact for falls, they can also make for slightly unstable surfaces that can cause ankle twists and sprains as your children run around.
  • Your child’s feet will be at risk of splinters, cuts, bruises, and bacterial or fungal infections if you allow them to go barefoot at a playground.
  • Don’t ride with your children down the slide. This may be something you have always done, but a common injury involves your child’s foot getting wedged in between the slide and your leg. The foot can become severely twisted/sprained or even broken!

Unsafe Playground Equipment/Areas – Be sure that our child is supervised and that they know which areas are safe for play. In particular, be wary of:

  • Aging structures – if not properly maintained, playground structures can be wobbly or degraded. Fraying ropes can snap or become loose, bridges might collapse, and hanging rings might fall. Be sure to check structural integrity before allowing your children on an old playground.
  • Climbing structures – one wrong step can lead to a fall with as much of a drop as 5 feet!
  • Merry go rounds – as children try to get on while it’s spinning, they can become injured; on the other hand, they can suffer an injury if it spins too quickly and they are thrown off.
  • Swings – Not only can a child be injured from a moving swing (with a person on it or not), they can be injured while jumping off as well. It may be a fun challenge, but an incorrect landing can mean a sprain or broken ankle.

It’s not to say that you should be afraid of the playground. Rather, be smart and safe with your children. Make sure they are supervised and able to enjoy the appropriate parts of the playground.

If your child has suffered an injury while at the playground, make an appointment today at New Jersey Children's Foot Health Institute at Clark Podiatry Center. Our board-certified podiatrist, Dr. Brandon Macy will assess your children’s feet to find the best treatments or solutions for growing feet. We are located in Clark, NJ and serve patients in all the surrounding Union County towns!

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By Clark Podiatry Center
October 11, 2018
Tags: blisters   Shoes   foot problems   toe walking   in-toeing   out-toeing   ingrown  

She loves to take walks but recently seems to want to stop earlier than before. She doesn’t seem to want to put shoes on and fights you when you try to convince her that she needs them.

He is usually running around and forcing you to play “catch the toddler” but lately, he doesn’t even want to walk. Instead, he wants you to carry him everywhere.

What might be going on?

Your toddler might not be able to properly express that he or she is feeling foot discomfort. Instead, you might hear whining or frustration.

The foot problems can be congenital (from birth), developmental, or even due to ill-fitting shoes. Check the following for signs that point to foot problems as the source of unexplained crankiness:

  • Resisting putting shoes on: This could mean that the shoes are uncomfortable. Make sure they are wearing the right size and make sure they have socks on with closed-toed shoes. After wearing shoes, do their feet have redness or blisters?
  • Toe and Toenail problems: Are the toenail beds inflamed? Are the toenails cracked? You might be cutting their toenails too short (making them ingrown), or you may not be cutting them often enough.
  • Walking abnormalities: If they seem to be walking abnormally, such as in-toeing or out-toeing, tripping often, or toe-walking, they may have foot problems. They can be traits that are inherited or developmental problems.
  • Limping or uneven stance: After an injury, your child might walk with a limp for a bit. However, if it seems to be a severe limp or a limp that lasts more than a few days, it’s important to have it checked out.

If your child is complaining of foot pain, come in for an assessment with our friendly board-certified podiatrist, Dr. Brandon Macy. Make an appointment today at the New Jersey Children's Foot Health Institute at the Clark Podiatry Center. Your children will get the best treatments and foot care tips at our Clark, NJ office, which serves the surrounding Union County areas. We keep you walking!

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