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.

How to keep my feet looking great...!

Pedicurist or Podiatrist?

For many women going to a pedicurist is a way of life but for some it can cause a little discomfort in ones life. I have had a number of patients over the years who have come in with ingrown toe toes, nail fungus and skin infections which probably at the the pedicurists salon. The things that you should be aware of when you get your nails done is to make sure you bring your own instruments and basin to soak your feet in. That way you can control the environment your foot is being exposed to and prevent some of the common nail and skin problems that can happen to your feet. When getting your nails cut make sure the pedicurist cuts your nails straight across and then uses a nail file to round the edges of the nails. One of the most common causes of ingrown toe nails (which is like having a tooth ache) is when the corners of the nail are cut crooked it can grow out crooked and therefore cut into the skin causing lots of pain. Another cause is if your shoes are to pointed and tight the sides of the nails can grow in crooked. Nail fungus or in medical lingo onychomycosis is another common problem one sees coming out of a pedicurists salon. In order to prevent that from happening to your toe nails, bring in your own basin and instruments. That will eliminate the chances of contacting a fungus left behind by the last client.

If you develop an ingrown toe nail or nail fungus, contact your podiatrist and have those problems evaluated. Treatment is available to resolve those problems. If you have hard to cut thick yellow flaky nails or red swollen painful skin surrounding the tip and sides of the nails seek professional help and do not perform bathroom toe surgery. Having great looking pedicured nails can make you feel good all day long and knowing that you can prevent some of the more common toe nail problems from occurring will make you feel even better. For more information regarding your feet go to www.rosenbergstevendpm.com or www.footproductsenterprises.com

"When your feet hurt everything hurts"... OUCH !

Standing on hard floor surfaces such as concrete in work environments such as studios, sound stages, salons, sales positions at department stores, bank tellers, cocktail waitress , models, dancers and walking trade shows can take a terrible toll on you physically. The shoes that you wear performing these activities do not usually provide the proper support for your feet. They are not cushioned or supportive enough to absorb the force that the ground creates. Floor surfaces usually do not have a lot of padding and can cause your body to experience fatigue, low back pain, tired & sore muscles, tendonitis and foot pain.

Often times these problems can be easily resolved by supporting the arches of your feet. With a supportive arch support in your shoes many of those symptoms will disappear. Dr. Rosenberg's Instant Arches is one of the supportive arch support products available to help solve those problems www.instantarches.com and to cool off those hot tired feet after a long day of standing at work, Dr. Rosenberg's Cool Soles is another helpful product www.coolsoles.com Placing a soft insole in your shoes is another way to help cushion your feet.
"So be kind to your feet and your feet will be kind to you"!

Orthotics... to get or not to get....that is the question !

Orthotics are hand casted molded devices made of high-impact plastics or graphite materials. They are designed to gently correct the position of the bones of your feet and hold them in proper alignment. They will fit in most flat shoes and can also be made for fashion shoes. They can slow down the development of Bunion deformities, relieve plantar fasciitis and heel spur pain as well as reduce knee, hip and back pain. Many foot injuries are the result of poor foot mechanics where you have exceeded your own physical limitations. This can cause muscle fatigue or break down causing tired and painful feet. Orthotics reinforce the proper alignment of bones and muscles so that those painful problems will not occur.

Orthotics will improve postural and spinal alignment. They will also allow your foot to adapt to different types of walking, running and hiking surfaces by providing better shock absorption for the bones and joints of your feet.

The answer to the question is to get them, if you want to feel more balanced reduce the risk of foot injuries and improve your over all walking and exercising comfort.

If the shoe fits......wear it !

Some foot problems can occur because you love the shoe but it is not your size, your really are a size 8 and you want to wear a size 7 or it is just a "Hot Looking Shoe, you have to have it and you are only wearing to the restaurant and kicking it off once you get there". By trying to stuff your foot in a shoe that dose not fit properly can cause all sorts of foot problems. It can aggravate an already existing foot problem that usually dose not bother you, such as a bunion or hammer toe. It can also cause a soft tissue injury such as a tendonitis, bursitis or myositis. This is an inflammation of a tendon , bursa or muscle in the foot.

If the shoe is too narrow you can develop a neuroma which occurs by irritating and pinching the nerves in the front part of your foot or aggravate one that you already have but does not hurt. If you have bunion deformities a narrow shoe can trigger pain in that specific area. If your shoe is to big for your foot it can cause toe problems in the tip of the shoe and your foot will slide forward causing friction problems on the ball of your foot, top of your toes and the back of your heels. If you have one foot bigger than the other, fit the larger of the two feet and place an insole pad, arch pad or tongue pad in the shoe that fits the smaller foot This will take up some of the extra room and make the shoe fit better.

"So be kind to your feet and they will be kind to you"!

Pain after exercise, Can I wish it to get better?

Anyone who is active and exercises is susceptible to after exercise pain "OUCH"! This could be as simply as taking a very long walk, jogging, running, playing golf, tennis, hiking or an aerobic class. The pain is sometimes sharp and localized or it also can be all over. There could be swelling, redness and heat found in the injured area. What you do not want to do is "WISH", "HOPE" or "PRAY" for the pain to go away. Wishing only lasts the first 24 - 36 hours, if the pain dose not begin to subside then it is time to seek medical attention. Tips for pain relief,,,To reduce the pain, swelling and inflammation in an injured area; your foot ( plantar fasciatiis, tendinitis, arch pain heel pain)...REST it, then apply ICE which is the first line of defense. When an injury occurs, it causes an inflammatory response in the body which creates heat, swelling and pain. Ice will vasoconstrict the superficial blood vessels in your body, causing blood vessels to narrow at the injury site. This helps calm those acute and chronic foot and leg injuries down and speeds up the recovery of the injured tissue. Apply ice in 20 minute intervals 20 on 20 off. COMPRESSION is another part of the recovery program, by wrapping the injured area using a compression bandage it will help reduce the pain and swelling component of the injury. Finally, ELEVATE the injured area . Elevation can also help eliminate swelling. So, kick your feet up and relax and help your wishing come true!

Can shoes cause numbness and tingling in your feet?

Numbness and tingling in your feet can be caused from tightly fitting shoes that cause what is known as a compression neuropathy (pressing on a nerve). If you are wearing a pair of running or exercise shoes, and all of a sudden you get a tingling sensation or numbness feeling on the top of your foot.....you are probably tying your shoes to tightly. It can also occur if you are wearing a tightly fitted dress shoe and stand for a long period of time like a trade show. A reason that this type of problem can occur in your feet is because there are superficial nerves that travel on the top of your feet that can get injured or irritated when micro - traumatised. It can send sharp pains into your toes or just cause your toes to tingle or get numb.

To prevent this problem from happening make sure you loosen you laced shoes when you feel the the slightest sensation of pressure on the top of your foot. Also make sure you wear comfortable shoes with an arch support in them when you are at trade shows. If you are wearing high heels there are arch products available that can fit in your shoe to give your feet support. Icing can also help if you begin to experience the tingling sensations. If the problem continues to persist consult with your foot specialst.