Nice little segment from Dr. Oz that will help you this summer.

http://www.doctoroz.com/videos/summer-shoe-dos-and-donts

A nice little article to help you select shoes.

http://www.pennlive.com/bodyandmind/index.ssf/2013/04/finding_the_right_athletic_sho.html

Dr. Allan Grossman shows another criteria for picking shoes

for your children, or yourself. When bending the shoe the

upper area should not expand out (left) but should remain

normal (right), otherwise you will not get proper support

from the shoe, and can be injured.

Mark Pynes | mpynes@pennlive.com

Here is a well done article on choosing the right running shoe for you.

http://lifehacker.com/whats-the-difference-between-all-these-running-shoes-476458686

With the horrible events at the Boston Marathon, the topic of leg amputation has arisen frequently in the media.  At Desert Foot Surgeons, saving feet and legs is something we deal with everyday.  Trauma is still the leading cause of leg amputations in the world followed closely by Diabetes.  Here is a link to the article:

http://www.theatlanticwire.com/technology/2013/04/what-can-doctors-do-save-leg-amputation/64280/

Pain in the heel of your foot is frustrating, isn’t it?  You are trying to do the right thing by hiking, walking, running, or getting back to the gym more regularly.  The problem is, your feet have been nice and cozy in those boots all winter.  Even in Arizona, shoes have been worn and your feet are kind of lazy, for lack of a better term.  The sudden increase in activity is a harsh awakening to your feet and the muscles let you know it by causing pain.

Think of it this way:  when you exercise your muscles are working extra hard and reach the point of fatigue.  The next day or two your muscles let you know they have been worked hard by causing stiffness and a little pain.  Well, walking is exercise to the muscles in your feet.  The arch pain is nothing more than your muscles having been worked to fatigue.  If you try these next few steps you most likely will successfully get rid of this heel pain.

There are three key steps to relieving heel pain:

1. Stretching:  see “Heel Pain Treatments: The Basics, part 2”
2. Ice:  see “Heel Pain Treatments: The Basics, part 1”
3. Anti-inflammatory medication:  As I always say, “You can’t heal until the inflammation is gone!”.  If you have no problems taking aspirin-like medication try taking over the counter ibuprofen.  If this makes the pain better, than a prescription for more effective strength anti-inflammatory medication might just knock out your inflammation in less than 10 days.

Don’t let your heel pain get you down.  You are doing the right thing for your body.  Don’t hesitate, come see us at Desert Foot Surgeons and get back on your feet!

How are you going to take care of yourself after bunion surgery?  There are a lot of factors involved in planning for your surgery, not only by me, but more importantly by you.  If you have not already done so, download a copy of my ebook, “Top 3 Things To Know Before Surgery”. 

Here are some things you need to plan for after your bunion surgery to make the recovery as easy as possible.

1. Which foot is having surgery?  If it is your right foot, you will not be allowed to drive until the bone is healed.  This is a huge factor for everyone.  How dependent are you on your car?  Your recovery may involve physical therapy besides doctors visits, work, getting kids or grandkids to their various activities.  Plan for carpooling before your surgery to save you the headache and temptation to drive, which will slow your healing if you don’t follow instructions.  Your left foot is much easier unless you drive a standard transmission (stick shift).
2. Weight bearing:  Bunion surgery involves creating a surgical break in your bone.  The area where your bone is broken will determine if you are allowed to walk after your surgery or if you will need a period of time without putting weight on your foot.  At Desert Foot Surgeons we discuss all of the options before your surgery and make training has been satisfactory before you have your surgery.  The various ways to stay off your foot are crutches, wheelchair, or knee walker.  A cane or walker are not adequate assistive devices for keeping weight off of your foot.
3. The kitchen is the most dangerous room to be in after you have foot surgery!  Why such a harsh statement condemning the room everyone gathers to on a daily basis?  Cabinets!!  The area under your cabinet is just big enough to get a foot under, but when you have a surgical shoe, boot, or cast on your foot, not so much.  Appropriately named the toe kick, more often than not a patient will get their foot stuck beneath the kitchen cabinet and damage their surgery trying to get the foot out.  I find it easier just to avoid the cabinet area of your kitchen all together.  Prepare a weeks worth of meals before you have surgery.
4. Three days of doing nothing.  If you can give me 3 days of laying in bed or on the couch with your foot above your heart, ice behind your knee, and barely take any steps; I can assure you that swelling, pain, and ultimately recovery time will all be much less.  The better behaved you are following the directions the first 3 days, the better your bunion surgery experience will be.

I want your surgical experience to go as smooth as possible.  The way to make sure this happens is to be prepared before you have surgery.

Even though feet are like snowflakes, no two are the same; that lump or bump at the base of the your big toe and curling toes are getting painful.  Surgery does not fit into your plans with all the demands on you right now.  Maybe your busy schedule has you traveling where you pick up a magazine and notice the toe separator sock toting all the benefits of wearing this $20 sock that will straighten your hammertoes and bunion forever.  Seriously?!

I want everyone who reads this to memorize this next sentence.  I am here to make your feet better!  If a $20 sock would alleviate bunions and hammertoes, don’t you think that everyone in the world would use these?  I don’t want to take someone to surgery who can be fixed by wearing a sock to sleep.  Let’s face the facts, bunions and hammertoes are deformities.  There is an alignment problem with your bones.  Stretching the muscles will not change how your bones are lining up.

Reviewing the options for hammertoes and bunions other than surgery:

1. changing your shoe style to avoid pressure on the painful area
2. padding your painful bunion or hammertoe so that it doesn’t rub on your shoe
3. anti-inflammatory medicine such as ibuprofen to relieve pain as needed

That’s all the options.  Notice that there is no splinting option because splinting doesn’t work.  I really wish it did, but it doesn’t. 

If you have painful bunions and hammertoes and want to get a real opinion what can be done, come to Desert Foot Surgeons.  We fix feet!

I often get asked when to change shoes especially running shoes.  There are few standards established by the manufacturers.  This article has the most scientifically based answer I have seen.

Please read.

http://well.blogs.nytimes.com/2013/02/18/when-to-retire-a-running-shoe/?smid=tw-nytimeswell&seid=auto

From my friends in Tucson.  They do a nice job on their blog.  Please check the link:

http://diabeticfootonline.blogspot.com/p/diabetic-foot-facts-and-figures.html

Cosmetic foot surgery most often involves hiding the scar.  When surgically straightening a hammertoe, it is easiest to place the incision on the top of the toe.  This leaves the scar in an area where you can see it every day.  Worse yet, if you are one of those people who does not scar well, other people can see the scar.  In these photos you can see before and after surgery.  What do you notice besides the pink toenails instead of the french pedicure?  Surgery was performed on the 2nd and 4th toes.  Remember to begin counting with the big toe as number 1.  The 2nd toe is still a little bit swollen since this is only 6 weeks after surgery, but it is shorter and the “bumpy” appearance and pain are gone.  If you notice the 4th toe before and after, look at the toenail.  You can tell the toe is less turned after surgery because you can see more of the toenail.  What you can’t see are the scars.

You may be a candidate for cosmetic foot surgery to correct your hammertoes.