Podiatry

With the fall weather comes football season – and unfortunately, with football season comes injury. Whether you find yourself at your local football field to cheer on your own football star, cheering on your high school team from the stands, watching the Buckeyes take the field on Saturdays or the Bengals or Browns on Sundays, chances are you’ll hear the expression “turf toe” at one time or another this season. The expression turf toe might lead one to believe that the injury is a minor ailment limited only to those wearing football helmets and jerseys; however, this is not the case. Turf toe often plagues dancers as well, and can actually impact anyone in the right circumstances as it is an injury to the soft tissue around the big toe joint that occurs when the toe is extended beyond its normal range of motion. Turf toe isn’t a simple injury that pulls a player out of a game or a dancer out of a single performance. It can leave athletes sidelined for weeks in extreme pain. The good ...

With the curtain closed on summer and sandal season, fall is the season during which Community Foot Specialists sees an upswing in patients whose feet are feeling the pinch in their closed-toe footwear. This seasonal phenomenon seems to focus on women, although there are men who have this issue. The common culprit? Painful bunions that were given room to breathe during sandal season, but now face close quarters of a fall boot or shoe. Bunions are abnormalities that form on the joint at the base of the big toe in the form of a bony bump. They occur when the big toe pushes against the other toes, which force the big toe joint in the opposite direction. As time passes, the abnormal positioning of the toe enlarges the joint. This further crowds the toes of the foot and causes pain and discomfort. Bunions can occur for a variety of reasons. One of the most common causes is tight shoes, although they can also come about as a result of an inherited structural or mechanical defect, a stress ...

by Dr. Allen C. Guehl Regardless of your opinion on health care reform and whether the U.S. will be able to convert all medical records into the electronic format by the 2014 deadline, there is no denying that in this technological age, movement toward electronic medical records is all but certain. Community Foot Specialists wants to be a step ahead of all other Dayton Ohio podiatrists in terms of electronic medical records. We are already well on our way to achieving compliance ahead of the 2014 deadline. So what does the shift to electronic medical records mean for our patients? Even if you are just visiting us for heel pain or ingrown nails, we will be asking all patients for updated allergy information, including information on the severity and type of allergic reaction you may experience. We will also be asking for your email address, so that you can also have access to your electronic medical records if you choose to. Electronic medical records will also allow us to send your...

A new study published in the journal Arthritis & Rheumatism reveals that 8.3 million Americans suffer from the incapacitating condition of gout – up from 6.1 million Americans 20 years ago. Gout is caused by high uric acid levels in the bloodstream, causing crystals that precipitate in joints of the foot. Gout pain typically affects the joint of the big toe. (This is true in just about 75% of cases.) As uric acid levels increase, so does the likelihood of gout pain. Gout pain typically manifests in episodes – called gout attacks or gout flares. During a gout attack or gout flare, a person feels an extreme amount of pain and experiences severe swelling and redness in the big toe. A gout attack or gout flare can last just hours or days, but over time they can last longer, occur with greater frequency, or even become more painful. These attacks or flares may occur only at certain times of the year. Typically they start during the night without warning. Patients sometimes complain th...

Are you taking a walk down the aisle anytime soon? Invited to a wedding where you plan to dance all night? Make sure you say “I do” to wearing appropriate foot wear for the occasion – and your feet will thank you. If you are the one making the trip down the aisle, don’t make your shoes your ‘something new’ for the day. Take some time to break in new shoes prior to your wedding day. Wear them around for the length of time you would be wearing them on that particular day to put them to the comfort test (and acclimate your feet to them). If they are not comfortable enough to wear for as long as you would want them to, you may want to consider getting two pairs – one fancier pair to make it through the ceremony and formal photos, and another more comfortable pair to kick up your heels in at your reception. Flip flops tend to be a popular reception shoe, but most do not provide much in terms of support. And if you are wearing a long gown, flip flops might prove a tripping hazard. Also, if...

It is no secret that living with diabetes means you may have to change your eating habits and possibly cut back on certain foods to manage the condition. But there are a number of ‘diabetes diet’ myths out there that simply aren’t true. Let’s lay one to rest today. #1: Eating Too Much Sugar Causes Diabetes – The amount of sugar you consume is unlikely to cause diabetes on its own. Diabetes occurs when your body’s ability to turn food into energy is disrupted. The body is supposed to break down the food you eat into glucose, which is a type of sugar needed to power the cells of the body. The pancreas makes a hormone called insulin, which helps cells utilize glucose for fuel. In Type 1 Diabetes, the pancreas does not make insulin. This usually occurs in children or young people, and is thought to occur as a result of something happening with the immune system. In Type 2 Diabetes, the pancreas either does not make enough insulin or the insulin does not work properly. In some instances i...

Dayton is home to Wright-Patterson Air Force Base (WBAFB) and each September, it is also home base for the Air Force Marathon. This year the marathon is scheduled for Saturday, September 17, and registration is open to all runners 18 and older. Many Dayton and Springfield area runners participate in the full marathon, half marathon, or 5k – and many will do so without properly preparing their feet for the race. Whether you are training for a marathon or just starting a running program, it is important that you take good care of your feet and get them ready for the distance you are covering. Here are some tips to help you do just that: Cover three-quarters of the distance you’d be running before the race. That doesn’t necessarily mean you should run it – you can definitely walk it instead of run – but your feet should know what that distance is going to feel like. That way you’ll get a sense of whether to expect blisters, chafing or another type of irritation prior to race day and c...

Those of us involved in podiatry on a day to day basis know that problems with your feet can often be indicative of conditions that one would not normally associate with the feet. Diabetes is a prime example of a condition that at first glance many people don’t realize heavily impacts the feet. But did you know that certain types of back, hip or leg pain could also potentially be caused by an issue with your feet? For example, if you have lower back pain, you may have what is known as Morton’s Toe/Morton’s Foot. Morton’s Toe/Morton’s Foot is defined by a long second metatarsal and it could potentially be responsible for what is causing you pain. This condition can not only cause pain in the lower back area, but it can also cause pain throughout the body. There is an easy examination the doctor can do to determine whether you may have Morton’s Toe/Morton’s Foot. And the good news is that with Morton’s Toe/Morton’s Foot, you don’t have to live with the chronic pain. Treatment options ...

We've had a wet April here in the Dayton and Springfield areas, so it appears that sandal season is starting a bit later this year than in others. If your feet aren't quite in top shape, here are some tips from the American Podiatric Medical Association to get you there. 1. Soak the feet with warm water for at least 10 minutes. Footnote: APMA recommends adding Epson salt, herbal soaks or oils for additional relaxation. 2. Remove thickened, dead skin build up (also known as calluses) around the presoaked heels, balls and sides of the feet with a pumice stone or foot file. Foot note: APMA advises not using a razor because it removes too much skin and can easily cause infection or permanent damage to the skin if used incorrectly. 3. Use an exfoliating scrub on the soles, sides and tops of the feet to eliminate dry, flaky winter skin. Footnote: Try Pedinol’s Hydrisalic Gel, which holds the APMA Seal of Approval. 4. Apply and massage a healthy amount of emollient‐enriched sk...

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.

Buyers beware – the trendy Ugg brand sheepskin boots and their generic counterparts may be hurting your feet! While they may look soft and cuddly, studies have shown that the slipping and sliding going on inside the boots combined with the limited arch support they provide is putting unnecessary strain on muscles, tendons, ligaments, and bones. The makers of Ugg boots maintain that their boots provide more support than the knockoff variety, but many experts see no real difference between the two. If you want to continue to wear the popular boot, Dr. Allen Guehl, a Dayton-area podiatrist recommends that you do so sparingly and when you aren’t going to be doing a lot of activity. They aren’t the type of boots you want to be wearing if you are walking or standing all day. You may also want to add supportive insoles to help cushion your feet and provide more support, which can be custom made orthotics fitted for you in our office, or over-the-counter drugstore insoles.

During the month of August Community Foot Care will be expanding, with TWO new Doctors. Dr Adam Thomas will be taking patients during the whole month of August, and Dr. Ericka Penn will join August 17th for patient care. Dr. Thomas has finished his residency with Ohio State University and will bring current, cutting edge treatment options to the greater Dayton area. He is from Zanesville area and is looking forward to working in the Springfield area where his wife Jennifer Trinidad, also a podiatrist, was raised. Dr. Penn is a graduate of Ohio College of Podiatric Medicine in Cleveland, she is joining from private practice in Cincinnati. Dr. Penn is an experienced podiatrist and surgeon who is eager to join the team and build relationships with her new patients.