Dr. Brandon Macy
Podiatrist - Clark, NJ
1114 Raritan Road
Clark, NJ 07066
Many children’s foot conditions will correct themselves as their bodies grow into themselves and muscles and bones stretch. Some though, if they persist, need to be addressed. Toe walking is one. What is toe walking? Just that. When the child walks only on their toes and doesn’t roll the foot to the ball.
This is usually prevalent when they begin to walk at age 12 to 15 months. By the age of 2, they usually have developed a heel-toe type of walk. If toe walking persists after 3, they need to see a podiatrist. One study, though, showed that a group of children grew out of toe walking by age 5.
It is very important to keep an eye on a child’s when walking which may or may not indicate other contributing issues, but don’t be too surprised to know that toe walking may just be that: toe walking which your child will grow out or can be successfully treated.
Treatments include physical therapy to stretch the calf muscle and tendons and the use of a cast at ages 4 or 5 to also help stretch the calf muscle. Other treatments include walking uphill, walking on uneven surfaces like a playground or sand, walking on your heels only and/or squatting. All these will stretch the foot and force it to roll and fully contact the ground.
If you’re child toe walks or you have any other foot concerns, please make an appointment with us. Dr. Brandon A. Macy, who is associated with New Jersey Children's Foot Health Institute, will assess your feet and find the appropriate treatments to get you back to being active. Call Clark Podiatry at (732) 382-3470.
Dancing is one of man’s oldest activities. Either as a celebration or entertainment, dance has been around for many years. Some historical records show dance as an active part of a human culture dating as far back as 3300 B.C. in India and Egypt. Just where and when it began is unknown, but it would not be unusual to imagine ancient man celebrating a successful hunt with a ‘dance’ around the communal campfire millions of years ago.
One type of modern dance that is still popular today is ballet. Ballet dancing includes, music, costumes and stage scenery and is usually done on the dancer’s toes. Because of this, ballet dancing can take a heavy toll on a dancer’s feet.
Like any sport or activity, ballet requires dedication and hard work. Keeping in shape is very important to be your best when it comes to ballet. This applies especially to your feet.
If you or your children are considering ballet or have any foot concerns, please make an appointment with us. Dr. Brandon A. Macy, who is associated with New Jersey Children's Foot Health Institute, will assess your feet and find the appropriate treatments to get you back to being active. Call Clark Podiatry at (732) 382-3470.
If your child’s heel hurts, they may be suffering from something called Sever’s Disease. Severs Disease, or Calcaneal apophysitis, is a condition that includes the painful swelling of their foot’s growth plate. Sever’s Disease is something more apt to be found in children. The pain will most likely emanate from the soft cartilage that lays next to the heel bone where much of the child’s foot growth occurs. Damage to this part of the foot can develop into something much more pronounced and painful over time if not corrected. The best person to diagnose Sever’s Disease is your podiatrist who should be consulted if your child is suffering from any type of heel pain.
Often developed during puberty, Sever’s Disease can be caused by the rapid and uneven growth of foot bones, ligaments, tendons and muscles resulting in the distortion of the growth plate.
With appropriate treatment, most patients will resume activities in 2 weeks to 2 months.
Do you suspect your child may has Sever’s Disease or any other foot concerns schedule an appointment with Clark Podiatry Center to see our board-certified podiatrist, Dr. Brandon A. Macy who is associated with New Jersey Children's Foot Health Institute . Come see us at our Clark, New Jersey office today!
The foot is one of the most complicated parts of the human body. With 19 separate muscles, 26 bones, 33 joints, and at least 107 ligaments and tendons, it is easy to see why taking care of your feet is very important. One of the common ailments many people experience is called Plantar fasciitis, a painful inflammation of connective tissue that runs across the bottom of the foot connecting the heel bone to the rest of the foot. Plantar Fasciitis is commonly experienced by people whose feet constantly pound hard, flat surfaces and are often caused by Heel Spurs or bony protrusions of calcium on the heel.
If you have any questions or would like to see a podiatrist, please make an appointment with our friendly staff. Dr. Brandon Macy will assess your feet and find the appropriate treatments to get you back to being active. Call Clark Podiatry at (732) 382-3470. If you have concerns with your children’s feet, Dr. Macy specializes in pediatrics and can assess your children’s feet at New Jersey Children’s Foot Health Institute.
Have you been keeping up with your New Year’s Resolutions to be healthier this year? One way you can do that is to stay active and eat nutritious foods!
You might argue that:
Well, we are here to help you remedy that! We’ve got many ideas on how you can increase your physical activity where you spend many hours in your day. That’s right, you can add to your step count right at work!
Here are some sneaky ways to increase your energy output, where you might normally feel like you’re at an idle desk job:
All of these little tricks can help you increase your activity and help you stay focused and alert! It’s a win-win situation at work!
If getting up so often is not appealing or might be distracting to co-workers or your boss, get some exercise by doing some toe exercises under the desk. If nothing else, it will help you strengthen your feet, ankles, and toes, as well as increase circulation. It’s especially important if you’re prone to swollen feet if you stay sitting for a long time. (We’re hinting at you, pregnant ladies!)
Questions or Comments?
We encourage you to contact us whenever you have an interest or concern about our services.
1114 Raritan Road
Clark, NJ 07066