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 ...

If you have orthotics or are considering purchasing them, you may want to consider the following tips to ensure that you are getting the most for your money and doing the best thing for your feet. First, keep in mind that orthotics are not just for wearing with one particular type of shoe – they can be worn with athletic shoes, dress shoes, work boots, snow shoes – pretty much all types of shoes that have a back to them and provide some support at the base of the shoe.   When going shoe shopping, be sure to bring your orthotics with you and wear them when trying on new shoes. You want to be sure that the shoe will work with the orthotic while providing comfort and the right kind of support for your foot. Likewise, you want to be sure that the orthotic will work with the shoe you have in mind. Also, you will want to have the same shoes or stockings that you plan to wear with the shoes you purchase so that you can see how they work with your orthotics and your shoes. Make sure the...

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 ...

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 ...

You would think after walking the aisles of your local drugstore that many of your foot ailments could be solved by picking up product off the shelves without having to set – well, foot – in a podiatrist’s office. In reality, while some of these products may work to solve your problem, others may cause other issues for you. Here’s a run down of what to try and what to toss in terms of drugstore foot care remedies for the following ailments: Blisters. These ailments can often be handled at home without the help of a podiatrist. Make sure that if the blister pops, you cover it with a sterile dressing or Band-Aid and monitor it to make sure it is healing properly. Ingrown Nails. Drugstore remedies can often do more harm than good with ingrown nails. Doing it yourself may put you at risk for infection. Schedule an appointment with one of our podiatrists to avoid the possibility of infection and have the nail removed. Letting a professional handle this problem may help you get rid of the...

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.

As the summer gets hotter and school is back in session, our feet are relied on for many things: walking, running, most importantly sports! That's right, it is the beginning of sports season, baseball is in full swing, football is beginning, and track will soon be here and gone. As sports begin so dones school, all the book bags, and back aches will soon return. During these hectic times there is a great solution to save your poor, painful feet. JM Orthotics have come out with an exclusive product to help with different foot problems. JM Orthotics offers a full line of custom molded orthotics to save your feet during these hectic times. Benefits of these orthotics: Reduces heel and arch pain. Reduces back and all over pain. Increases stamina and relieves pressure of feet. JM Orthotics are heat molded to fit your feet right in the office. There is no wait like with other brands. JM Orthotics are lighter yet more durable than other more expensive brands. JM Orthotics offers many prod...