You Can't Run Through a Stress Fracture!

Dr. Adam Thomas

Spring is finally here, and as more and more of you are considering outdoor running, you should familiarize yourself with the associated foot and ankle risks like stress fractures.

What is a Stress Fracture?

A stress fracture is a tiny crack on the surface of a bone or an incomplete fracture. When a muscle is overused, fatigued and no longer able to absorb the shock from impacts, it transfers stress to nearby bones, resulting in fractures.

What causes it?

If an individual is continuously striking their feet on surfaces, while either running or jumping, the risk of causing a stress fracture injury increases. Other causes include participating in athletic activities that increase physical stress, running on irregular surfaces, inappropriate footwear, and improper training.

Although stress fractures are caused by an abnormal force on a normal bone such as a young person running, they are also caused by a normal force on an abnormal bone, like an older person walking regularly. Oftentimes, stress fractures that occur from the latter are the result of bone density loss.

How does it relate to running?

Stress fractures, as a result of athletic activity, are fairly common and runners are especially susceptible to them. In many instances, the runner does not even know that an injury to the bone has occurred. If you feel pain that increases in severity, do NOT try to “run through the pain.” Continued force on the injured bone can progress the fracture, cause more damage, and worsen the pain.

Where is it common?

A majority of all stress fractures occur in weight bearing bones such as the lower leg and the foot. More specifically, stress fractures can be found in the metatarsal bones of the foot, and they are most common in the 2^nd metatarsal because it is the longest.

How do you treat it?

Treatment involves rest which means no more running… until healed. Treatment also includes anti-inflammatory medication and in some cases, a splint or crutches are necessary.

How do you prevent it?

You can lessen the risk of stress fractures by changing your athletic conditioning. Start slowly, gradually increase the intensity of workouts, and avoid doing too much too soon or applying too much force too early.

You should also ensure that you have the proper shoes for the activity- cleats, running shoes, basketball sneakers, etc. They all offer different ankle and arch support, with different gripping capabilities. Try eating foods with the minerals magnesium, calcium, and potassium or foods that have vitamins D and K to improve bone health. Some foods to try are broccoli, nuts, flax seeds, salmon, spinach, bananas, and dairy products.

If you have severe pain that is not going away and believe that you have sustained a stress fracture, please contact your local podiatrist.

Community Foot Specialists - Podiatrists/Foot & Ankle Surgeons Serving Dayton and Springfield, Ohio Call today to schedule your appointment! (937) 426-9500

Welcome to Our Blog!

Hi there and welcome to our blog!  In light of Spring and Summer’s near approach, we have decided to relaunch our Community Foot Specialists blog to help address your feet concerns through these seasons (and hopefully beyond).

For those of you who are new to our blog, this is how it works: each week, one of our doctors—Adam Thomas, Belinda Dotter, Bridget Brondon or Allen Guehl—will tackle a current common and/or medical issue related to the foot. These topics could range anywhere from how custom orthotics (shoe inserts) can help with walking habits to how regular visits to your podiatrist can reduce the risk of complications associated with diabetes. All of our doctors are both progressive and current—meaning, you will receive both comprehensive and topical information through this blog.

Ultimately, our goal is to provide relevant and important information to our patients and seekers of podiatric information, locally and nationally. To better serve you, we always encourage our users to send us topics of interest and/or concern, and we will try our best to have one of our doctors cover that topic for you. You can email your topics to cfcfeetmarketing@gmail.com . For more information on our practice, our doctors, and what we treat, visit our website: www.daytonfeet.com!

Thanks for stopping by our blog, and we look forward to seeing you here next week ☺

Community Foot Specialists 

Community Foot Specialists - Podiatrists/Foot & Ankle Surgeons Serving Dayton and Springfield, Ohio Call today to schedule your appointment! (937) 426-9500

Frostbite, Prevention and Treatment.

Dr. Belinda Dotter

This winter has been especially cold for long periods of time, quite different from our past winters that have been on the mild side. Frostbite becomes a risk every time we go out in sub-zero temperatures (and sometimes not even sub-zero temperatures). Frostbite is caused by either prolonged exposure to cold temperatures, or shorter exposures to very cold temperatures.

There are several symptoms of frostbite:  numbness, a pins and needles sensation, severe pain, itching, and burning are all common when the body part is warmed and blood starts flowing again. The skin may look white, grayish yellow, or black with severe frostbite.  Blistering is also commonly seen.

Here are some tips to avoid having frostbite on your toes and feet!

• The most important action for prevention of frostbite is: Plan Ahead! If you are planning outdoor activities, check the weather forecast frequently, and don’t ignore warnings about storms. Avoid activities, such as hiking and camping in freezing weather, if it’s beyond your experience level.
• Wear adequate clothing: Layering is key, with the inner layer being a fabric that wicks moisture from the skin. The outer layer should serve as a windbreaker. Mittens provide more protection than gloves. Wear two pairs of socks, with the outer layer being wool. Don’t forget hats and scarves!
• Increase physical activity when outside to stay warm.
• Don’t drink alcohol before or during cold weather exposure, since the alcohol may prevent you from realizing that your body is becoming too cold.
• Don’t smoke! Smoking constricts blood vessels and increases the risk for frostbite.
• Keep a cold weather emergency kit in the car: extra layers of clothing, blankets, and chemical hand warmers.

Community Foot Specialists - Podiatrists/Foot & Ankle Surgeons Serving Dayton and Springfield, Ohio Call today to schedule your appointment! (937) 426-9500

Watch GOUT, they'll get ya!

Gout is a condition that is unknown to many, especially those of the younger generations. But, for those of us who do know what Gout is, we definitely know that it is, by no means, pleasant or enjoyable. Gout is a form of arthritis that typically develops when a substantial amount of uric acid builds up in the blood. Uric acid releases shard-like objects into your joints, thus cause them to inflame.  Gout most frequently “attacks” the big toe, often showing redness and swelling in the joints associated with that toe.  Although the big toe is the most likely victim of Gout, this condition can also affect the ankle and knee. 

                How can I tell if it is Gout? Although you should see a doctor to be certain, these are symptoms that are associated with Gout:

• Redness
• Swelling
• Tenderness of joints
• The pain is acute and develops rapidly
• Typically the pain increases exponentially overnight

What can I do to prevent Gout Attacks?

There is a plethora of things that you can do to help prevent Gout. One of the most prominent ways of stopping gout attacks before they develop is by maintaining a well-regulated diet. As we mentioned before, Gout is caused by the buildup of uric acid, so you should stay away from food that increases this acid, and instead look to eat foods that decreases uric acid. Foods that increase uric acid are, but not limited to : Meats, that is meat with high purines such as beef kidneys, liver, lamb, bacon (pork in general) and veal;  Fish, that includes, cod, sardines, shrimp, and scallops; Vegetables  such as asparagus, cauliflower, spinach and mushrooms (I know what you’re thinking, “now you’re going to tell me that vegetables are bad!?” but the truth is some vegetables, like the other categories mentioned, can trigger gout attacks).

Gout attacks are the most common among men that are over the age of forty. With this in mind, we know turn the conversation to Alcohol. God forbid that we do a regression (correlation) between American men over the age of forty and alcohol consumption—you get where the discussion is going now? The truth is, alcoholic beverages increase uric acid, which can cause gout attacks, so we urge you to keep your consumption low or avoid it completely—especially if you are over the age of forty.

Whether you have or have not experienced a gout attack, we hope that this information can help you. Although maintaining a well-regulated diet can help decrease your chances of having a gout attack, there are plenty of other ways; you should consult your doctor. For more information on Gout, check out these websites:

1. http://www.gout.com
2. http://www.livestrong.com/article/279756-foods-that-increase-uric-acid/
3. http://www.arthritistoday.org/conditions/gout/all-about-gout/what-is-gout.php
4. http://www.rheumatology.org/practice/clinical/patients/diseases_and_conditions/gout.asp

Hearts & Heels: The Complete Guide For Shoes On Valentine's Day



As Valentine's Day quickly approaches, the mere image of wearing high heels is giving some women a spliting headache. On the other side of the tolken, this image is excitng happines and celebration, as women across the United States are going shopping for that one pair of high heels that will make them look like million bucks (maybe even two, who knows). Here at Community Foot Specialist, we understand that this can be a very nerve-racking or exciting time, so we preparared a mini guide for all women when it comes to Valentine's Day and wearing high heels. Here are some key points to keep in mind this holiday season:


1.)  High heels,as pretty as they may look, inevitably increase stress on the ball of your feet. Specifically for high heels that are two (2) inches or higher, every inch increases the stress on the ball of the foot by 50 percent!

2.) Buy the best fitting shoes (a sound idea for any kind of shoe). Try the shoe on and walk around for 15 minutes in the shoe store or at home to determine any friction or extra pressure.

3.) Invest on appliances such as metatarsal pads to provide better cushioning on the balls of your feet.

4.)   Wear open toed heel if possible. If you have any deformities such as hammer toes, this will prevent any pain due to the tightness around the toebox.

 

5.) Consider wearing comfortable shoes until you get to the event. Change into the sexy but possibly painful shoes once you arrive.

6.)  Wear a shoe with a thicker heel. The thinner the heel the less stability there is. You may look more elegant but much more clumsy!

 

7.)  Pay attention to the slope of the heel. They may be 4 or 5 inch heels but the higher or steeper the slope, the more painful the shoes may be. Pick a shoe with a more gradual slope from heel to toe.

8.) Buy shoes with square or rounded toes rather than pointy.

 

 

We hope that this guide can help you look AND feel the way that you want. For infomation regarding this blog or feet, in general, feel free to contact one of our doctors in any of our locations!

 

Information provided by: Dr.Belinda Dotter.

 

 

The Ugly Truth About Uggs!

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 at Community Foot Specialists 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.