Podiatry

Women are 4 times as likely to have foot problems than men. The likely culprit? High heels and other types of shoes that do not provide adequate support! It is important to wear shoes with support built in. If you must wear high heels, go for those with a lower heel or change into high heels from more comfortable, supporive shoes when at work.

by Allen C. Guehl, DPM A recent survey conducted by the American Podiatric Medicine Association, found that 72 percent of those surveyed indicated that they do not exercise because foot pain prevented them from doing so. The survey also found that respondents viewed their feet as the least important part of the body in terms of health and well-being, but the number one body part to experience pain. For those of us who practice podiatric medicine, this information is disheartening. We know we can provide relief for many of those people complaining of foot pain. We know the critical importance of the feet to overall health and well being. We know that foot pain is not normal and may be an early indication of a number of health problems including diabetes, arthritis, and nerve and circulatory disorders. With obesity rates across the U.S. on the rise, and foot pain – especially heel pain which is very common in the Dayton area – identified as a deterrent to exercise for many Americans, it ...

The average person takes about 18,000 steps a day! Just think of how many steps that would mean a person would take in a year – not to mention a lifetime! In a year, the average person would take 6.5 million steps. That’s a lot of work for your feet!

If your child complains of foot or ankle pain, don’t dismiss it as just growing pains. Children do have foot pain that is attributable to many different causes. Some conditions are easily treatable and apparent – like ingrown toenails and plantar warts.  Some are less apparent, such as those relating to the mechanics of the foot. Those conditions do not manifest themselves in any visible ways, so you may not realize there is a problem. If your child complains of foot pain, and starts shying away from physical activity, becoming more sedentary and possibly gaining weight, please schedule them for an appointment to have a foot exam. They could have a problem that could be relatively easily corrected by an orthotic by anti-inflammatory medication. In the vast majority of pediatric podiatry cases, and particularly with the conservative treatment philosophy of  our foot doctors , surgery is NOT always needed.

What are shoe sizes based on? Well, they were originally devised in England by King Edward II who declared in 1324 that the diameter of one barleycorn - which is 1/3 of an inch - would represent one full shoe size. In England , that is still true. In the U.S. and Canada , shoe sizes have changed a bit from their English roots. Below is a web graphic showing different size conversions across the world:

A chiropodist is basically another name for podiatrist. The term chiropodist is most commonly heard in the United Kingdom and podiatrist is mainly used in the United States. In the U.S., a podiatrist must be licensed as a Doctor of Podiatry Medicine, which also requires a four year undergraduate degree. Chiropodists and podiatrists both treat conditions affecting the foot and ankle such as heel pain, arthritis, ingrown toenails, corns, calluses, athlete’s foot, weak ankles, foot fatigue, and swollen painful feet. The term podiatrist was actually coined here in America in the 18 th  Century by David Low.

Your feet contain 25% of the bones in the entire human body. That’s a lot of little bones, so it is no wonder that they are subject to stress fractures especially considering the weight they carry on a daily basis.

Typically, a dancer’s foot injury is lumped under a general sports medicine heading even though many of the injuries are atypical of those traditional athletes may suffer. That, combined with the fact that with the competitive nature of dance as a career, many professional dancers tend to want to cover up their injuries in an attempt to protect their careers, means that many dance injuries aren’t treated promptly, which can cause further complications. Overuse or trauma are the two most prevalent injury categories, and dance injuries can fall into either category. However, the most common category is overuse. A number of different factors can contribute to overuse injuries experienced by dancers including age, nutrition, strength and flexibility, biomechanical imbalances, schedule, non-healed injuries, shoes, and flooring. Common overuse injuries suffered by dancers include stress fractures, a dancer’s fracture (typically associated with a ballet dancer coming off of pointe, tendonit...

Ever wonder why your feet sweat so much? Well, they have around 250,000 sweat glands for starters! Your feet can excrete as much as half a pint of moisture each day. The moisture and darkness provide the perfect breeding ground for fungus, which is why it is important to change your socks often and keep your feet as warm and dry as possible.