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Foot Notes

Posts for tag: yoga

By Clark Podiatry Center
October 25, 2017
Category: Foot Care
Tags: arthritis   yoga   physical therapy  

Those who have been diagnosed with arthritis know the painful and tiring symptoms that come with it. All arthritis patients may have similar symptoms, but each person can have their own sensitivities and triggers. Below, we’ll discuss some of the ways you can care for your arthritic feet, as well as some lifestyle changes you can make to help you in your day-to-day.

Since arthritis is a chronic condition of inflammation in the joints, minimize activities and foods that trigger inflammation. For example:

  • Find a way to reduce stress levels. If work stresses you out, it may be time to find something that will be easier to manage. Additionally, you can try to do stress relieving or preventing activities, such as exercise, meditation, and yoga.
  • Eat foods that have anti-inflammatory characteristics, such as salmon (and other foods with omega-3 fatty acids), nuts, and blueberries. You’ll want to avoid foods that are sugary or fried.

The following are changes you can make to help relieve symptoms and reduce risk of triggering inflammation events:

  • Keep track of your triggers so that you know how your body reacts.
  • Try to maintain a good sleep schedule and schedule rest periods throughout the day. It may take some trial and error to figure out the just how much rest your body needs.
  • Try your best to stay active, rather than staying still due to pain. In fact, some light/low-impact exercise and physical therapy can help reduce pain. Additionally, maintaining healthy body weight can reduce risk of increased symptoms due to being overweight or obese.
  • Take time to actively relieve pain. This could mean regular Epsom salt foot baths or a foot massage to increase circulation and relieve stiff joints.
  • Make adjustments at home. If going up and down the stairs is painful, you may need to move your bedroom to the first floor. Soft padded floors are helpful – use foam mats anywhere you stand for a long period of time, such as at the kitchen or bathroom sinks.
  • Find comfortable, supportive shoes. When arthritis affects the feet, it can be daunting just to move from one place to another. Orthotic inserts can be helpful, but over time, especially if joints become deformed, you may need custom orthotics made by our podiatrist.

If still need help with caring for arthritic feet, come see our board-certified podiatrist, Dr. Brandon Macy. He can assess your feet to meet your needs at Clark Podiatry Center. Make an appointment to see us today at our Clark, NJ office.

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By Clark Podiatry Center
August 17, 2017

Children and adults alike are at a higher risk of injuring their feet or ankles if they do not take preventative measures. Especially when taking part in intense activity like sports, dancing, or playing on the playground, children with weak feet or ankles can incur an injury. 

Even if your children won’t necessarily take part in these types of activities, it’s better safe than sorry, especially because you never know when they may trip or fall from uneven grounds. Because they are still growing and their bones and tissues are still developing, an injury can cause issues with proper development. Injuries to the growth plate can result in complex procedures to fix the problem. 

The following are some flexibility exercises that you and your children can do to lower risk of injury:

  • First and foremost, conditioning is important to ensure that your children are able to safely participate. Cardio and strength training are helpful in activities where they are required to use strength and/or run. 
  • Many Achilles issues can cause ankle issues. The best way to strengthen and stretch the tendon is to do calf stretches. Put your foot up against a stable object (like a wall or couch) with the heel on the ground. Then lean forward to feel the stretch. Do a few reps to get a good stretch.
  • Make circles with your feet at the ankle to increase flexibility in all directions of the ankles. This can be done as a game or while watching TV. 
  • To protect toes, do some exercises with them. Straighten and curl the toes. You can add some challenge to the exercise by picking up and moving a marble or towel from one side to the other. 
  • Some other stretching exercises like yoga and ballet can help children learn proper ways to become more flexible and light on their feet. 

Don’t forget to use proper foot and ankle wear and protective gear. Wearing shoes that are appropriate for activities can help prevent injury. For example, cleats are important to prevent slipping in grass or turf, while hiking shoes help stabilize and protect on uneven hiking trail terrain. Furthermore, your child should stretch and warm up before sports and other vigorous activity. 

Did your child experience an injury while playing sports? Need more information about increasing flexibility? Come see our board-certified podiatrist, Dr. Brandon Macy. Make an appointment today to have their feet assessed and treated with care. We are located in Clark, NJ and serve patients in all of Union County! We keep you walking! 

 
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By Clark Podiatry Center
December 14, 2016
Category: Foot Care
Tags: stretching   yoga   strengthening  

We all know the importance of exercise and stretching when it comes to overall body health. In fact, there are magazines, books, and other blogs about the many different ways to maintain good health like eating a healthy diet and performing activities to stay in shape. However, feet are often overlooked when they mention tips on stretching and strengthening.

Dr. Brandon Macy, our board-certified podiatrist would like to encourage you and your family to get those feet and ankles moving! Here are some suggestions that our team at Clark Podiatry Center recommends that you and your children follow to maintain health from the top of your heads to the tips of your toes:

  • Before starting new fitness routines, contact your doctor to make sure that you and your family are performing activities that are right for you.
  • In cold weather, wear layers, and even a hat to keep warm. In warmer weather, wear light-colored, loosely woven clothing to prevent from overheating.
  • Use comfortable but snug sneakers that give proper support and cushion. Remember, function over fashion.
  • Stretch before and after, warm up, and cool down. This includes all muscles, tendons, and ligaments, including the neck, back, ankles, and feet, which are often passed over.
  • In particular, activate your lower extremities. Wiggle and stretch your toes, do some tiptoe raises, make circles with your feet in both directions, bend and straighten knees, and stretch quadriceps and hamstrings.
  • To test and challenge the strength, flexibility, and balance of your feet and ankles, try some Yoga poses, including: Downward-Facing Dog, Tree pose, Chair pose, and seated half or full Lotus.
  • Make sure to regularly wash or wipe down your exercise equipment, including yoga mats, exercise mats, hats, clothing, and socks. Disinfect your shoes if they start to smell; try to have more than one shoe if you exercise every day and sweat a lot.

Without proper foot care, hygiene, and regular exercise of the feet and ankles, it is possible to experience pain or other issues like Athlete’s foot, blisters, corns and calluses, as well as heel spurs, sprains and torn ligaments. If you need more information about proper foot care or ways to stretch and strengthen your feet, make an appointment to come see us at our Clark, NJ office. We want to keep you walking!

 

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