WOW...Roll away your foot pain and body fatigue!

Many people suffer from heel, ball of the foot, ankle and other lower extremity muscle aches and pains. These problems over time can add up to a decrease in physical activity and excessive weight gain because it hurts too much to exercise or you’re a little stiff to put your best foot forward. Luckily for the exerciser, science has created a new type of shoe technology which is now available to help eliminate those annoying and nagging roadblocks that cause us to postpone exercise.

Shoes not only cover and protect your feet from the outside environment they also reduce the impact shock your entire body encounters with each step. We cannot always predict the type of surfaces we walk, stand or exercise on such as concrete, grass, dirt or asphalt. However, controlling your shoe wear is a very easy thing to do. New shoe technology has made exercising more fun. There are now shoes designed for both men and women with a rocker bottom outersole. The benefits of these types of shoes are many; they reduce the impact shock in the joints of your feet, ankles and knees as well as improving posture when walking. For those of you who have pain in the balls of your feet when you stand or walk this type of shoe should help relieve your symptoms. The rocker bottom outersole also reduces heel pain because it transfers your weight away from your heel. They also strengthen the muscles in your legs and buttocks, decreases body fatigue when standing for long periods of time and improves blood flow in your legs because your lower leg muscles are constantly firing causing increased circulation.

The two shoes that currently have this special rocker bottom technology are Shape-ups who are manufactured by Skechers and MBT shoes. These types of shoes are compatible with custom made orthotics or any over the counter arch support such as Instant Archesâ. So when you roll away during day, your foot pain and body fatigue may go away!

Do your feet need relief?

Perhaps you would like to apply heat to your feet, or something cool to your feet? Well, a podiatrist that I know and has treated me for years, has developed a new product called Cool Soles. Actually, these soles can be cool or heated. You put them in the freezer or in your microwave, and then using straps that come with the soles, you apply them to your feet. They cost about $25 and can be ordered directly from the Dr. Rosenberg Cool Soles website at www.coolsoles.com and each package includes a sole for the right foot and the left foot and the straps for application. www.youtube.com\alanbestbuys

"OMG"...My heels hurt and I have ugly toenails!

Summer feet..., Cracked heels, Nail fungus or plain old dirt!
It is summer time and flip – flops, sandals or open toed shoes are the footwear of choice. That means our feet are vulnerable to toe nail fungus or is it dirt disease and cracked calloused heels.... Let’s see.Nail fungus known as Onychomycosis can turn your toenails into a thick, yellow, flaky and painful mess. Fungus nails sometimes start out with just the corner of your toenail involved. The nail plate usually appears yellow or discolored in the tip of one your toenails first and then can later spread to other toenails. Fungus nails can detach from the nail plate making it possible for the nail to rip off if it gets caught in a sock or jammed into the leg of a table or bedpost. Once the nail plate is slightly detached from the nail bed dirt can get underneath the nail and cause the nail to have a dark appearance and turn black.

The question is, what is this mysterious material underneath the toenail, a fungus or dirt. Dirt can get underneath the clear nail plate and cause a dark spot to appear, confusing you to think “OMG” I have fungus! So check out your nails carefully and you can decide for yourself what those dreaded dark spots are underneath your toenails. If the nail doses not appear either yellow, thick (having a dry chalky flaky substance present underneath the nail plate) or disfigured it probably is not a fungal nail. Visiting your podiatrist or Dermatologist is the first step in identifying and getting rid of your problem. There are over the counter topical solutions available as well as prescription oral medications that can be helpful in treating the nail fungus problem.Another problem that can occur during the summer months are cracked thick painful callous around the heels of your feet. This can also be a problem that will drive you too a podiatrist or dermatologist. They can fissure and open up making walking difficult. Walking barefoot or wearing flip- flops and backless sandals causes them because of friction (continual rubbing of the skin on a hard surface) around the rim of the heel. Another reason for having fissured or cracked heels is dry skin. If this skin problem is not treated properly the skin could get infected. A few easy ways to treat this problem is by purchasing a foot cream with 40 % Urea. Urea will soften and moisturize the skin breaking down the thick callous formation. Another way to treat the problem is to use an abrasive file to smooth the tissue. Using abrasive files such as diamond files or even nail files are easy ways to smooth that thick tuff callous on your feet.So, take care of your feet during these hot summer days and your feet will take care of you!

SHOES..."How to choose what to use"

“If the shoe fits wear it and when the foot hits the ground, everything changes”! These are two important facts you need to know when you are buying athletic shoes to stay fit. There are many types of athletic surfaces available to workout on, depending on your activity. Tennis players play on hard, clay and grass courts. Runners run on asphalt streets, concrete sidewalks, dirt, grass, on a track and hard or soft sand at the beach. Basketball player’s play on hardwood and concrete courts. However, whatever sports activity you participate in, if your foot is not properly supported on these different types of surfaces and in the right type of shoe, your foot biomechanics will be thrown off. Ouch! Our feet begin to compensate during a run, a game of tennis or up and down the basketball court. This could cause poor foot placement during your stride. A shoe that provides stability and proper foot support, when running, will help eliminate potential lower leg and foot injuries. Remember some feet are very unstable and no matter what shoe you are wearing your feet will need additional support to control that problem. Running in the right athletic shoes will make exercising easier. The shoe should have enough room in the toe box so your toes will not get crowded when running which could lead to blisters and other foot irritations. There should be at least a thumbs width between the longest toe on your foot and the end of the toe box. Again if the shoe is comfortable, cushioned and feels supportive it should help avoid any type of potential foot injury. The right shoe will be more comfortable and more stable for your foot. It will allow your foot to function better because your foot is stable. Stable feet in stable shoes do not brake down as fast as unstable feet in any shoe.

Overuse injuries are the most common type of foot injuries that walk into a doctor’s office. They occur more often in people who have unstable feet because the arch collapses during their activities. This will result in foot fatigue, cramping arches, plantar fasciitis and tendonitis. They are less likely to happen with people who have stable feet and a better foot structure. Wearing the right shoe reduces the susceptibility of foot injuries. The shoe should have a ridged heel counter to prevent the heel from sliding, a solid midsole and outersole to reduce the impact load on the feet and shock to the body. Initially, stable, supportive and durable shoes will most likely keep a person who has foot problems or unstable feet injury free until the shoes begins to brake down. Professionally made orthotics, as well as over the counter prefabricated orthotics, or instant arches are other options available to help keep your feet supported in your athletic shoes.

Doing the research and finding the best shoe for your foot will prevent potential foot injuries from occurring during exercise and keep your feet happy and out of the doctors offices!

Summer feet...cracked dry heels OUCH!, Nail fungus or dirt disease?

It is summer time and flip flops and sandals are the shoes of choice. That means our feet are vulnerable to toe nail fungus or is it dirt disease and cracked calloused heels....Let's see.
Nail fungus known as Onychomycosis can turn your toe nails into a thick yellow flaky and painful mess. Fungus nails sometimes start out with just the corner of your toe nail involved. It usually appears yellow or discolored in the corner of the great toe nail first and then can later spread to other toenails. Fungus nails can detach from the nail plate making it possible for the nail to rip off if it gets caught on a sock or jammed into the leg of a table ect. Dirt can also get underneath the nail and cause the nail to have a dark black appearance. But wait the dark appearance in your nail could also be from Dirt Disease.......Dirt disease is when you may have accidentally banged your nail and it became detached from the nail plate. Dirt can get underneath the clear nail plate and cause a dark spot. So check out your nails carefully and you can decide for your self what those dreaded dark spots are underneath your toenails. Visiting your podiatrist is the first step in getting rid of your problem. There are topical and oral medications that can be helpful in treating the nail fungus problem.

Cracked thick painful callouses around the heels of your feet can also be a problem that will drive you to a podiatrist. They can fissure and open up making walking difficult. They are caused by walking barefoot or wearing flip- flops and backless sandals. If not treated the skin could get infected. A few easy ways to treat this problem is by purchasing a foot cream with 40 % Urea in it that will break down the thick callouse formation and moisturise the skin. Another way to treat the problem is to use an abrasive file to smooth the tissue. There are diamond files available that are terrific and is an easy way to treat your feet.

Take care of your feet and your feet will take care of you!

SHOE AND FOOT TIPS FOR TRAVEL

Summer has come upon us and it is time to take those long awaited vacations you dreamed about all winter long. Here are some shoe and foot tips to keep you walking and comfortable during travels. First DO NOT buy a pair of new shoes and take them with you on your trip unless they are fully broken in! That means they should be at least a few months old and have had enough wear that they are like an old friend.

A new pair of shoes can be stiff , uncomfortable and can cause blisters on your toes or on the back of your heel. Soft leather is always a better bet when buying a pair of leather shoes. Shoes can also irate an already existing foot problem like bunions, heel spurs, plantar fasciatis or hammer toes.

Make sure your shoes have a good support system and are well cushioned. This can either be by the support mechanism that came with the shoe, wearing custom made orthotics or over the counter arch supports such as Instant Arches. Buying a soft inner sole that you can place in your shoe can also make your shoes more comfortable. If you are using custom made orthotics always remove the arch system that is currently in the shoe and then place the orthotic in your shoe. If you want to make the orthotic more comfortable place a soft insole on top. This will give you cushion and support. The bottom line is you want to be comfortable and supported for those long days of site seeing.

Wearing sandals or flip flops is not recommended if you are walking for long periods of time because of the lack of support they provide. It is an easy way to develop blisters and arch cramps.

So, travel in comfortable shoes and you will not have to run to the foot doctor when you come back from your trip....!

Can I blame it on mom, dad, aunts, uncles or my grandparents?

Many of us have flat feet or bunions and have no clue how it developed. Well if you look at your parents, aunts, uncles or your grandparents feet you may find that they are similar to yours. Yes, flat feet, high arches and bunion deformities can be hereditary or a genetic predisposition that eventually may surface as you get older.

So if your kids have flat feet, high arches or bunions it probably came from you or another family member. Flat feet (the arch of the foot collapses) can lead to bunion deformities, plantar fasciatis, heel spurs, low back pain and foot fatigue. High arches can lead to ball of the foot pain, heel spurs and plantar fasciatis. So, you do not have to look far to figure out why your feet may hurt or you have developed a mysterious lump or bump.

The good news is that even if you have developed foot problems through out your life, the solution to make them feel better is simply to support your feet using orthotics. Products such as Instant Arches, over the counter foot supports and professionally made orthotics are some ways to keep your genetics in check.

If you have foot pain, ice products such as cool soles, or other ice packs can be very helpful to take the heat off.