Keep Your Feet Feeling Young

There are several systemic diseases that podiatrists will often diagnose before your primary care doctor due to how those particular diseases present. One of these disease that podiatrists are likely to diagnose before any other doctor is gout.

Gout is caused by elevated uric acid levels in your body that precipitates to form little crystals that deposit in your joints, tendons and surrounding tissues. This occurs often after having a high protein meal or when you may be dehydrated. (After the upcoming Super Bowl, I’ll see lots of gout attacks from too much wings and beer in my Houston podiatry practice!) The most common joint that gout affects is the big toe (contributing to over 75% of all gout attacks). When someone is experiencing a “gout attack” they have severe pain in their big toe which becomes red, tender, hot and swollen. When an individual experiences a gout attack it is so painful that even the weight of sheets on the big toe can make someone scream!

Due to the intensity of pain that is associated with a gout attack, people are forced to go to a doctor to help alleviate the pain. If someone is experiencing a gout attack for the first time and it manifests in the big toe they are likely to go to their podiatrist because they likely think they have broken their toe. This is one reason why podiatrist can be the first person to diagnose you with gout.

Although it is usually a chronic disease that will randomly come back over the years, there are many medications and lifestyle changes that can be made to help control gout from attacking again. If you even experience a gout attack visit your podiatrist. He can prescribe medication to alleviate the pain quickly. Sometimes, a cortisone injection will help and other times he may refer you to a rheumatologist. There are few physicians better equipped than a podiatrist to handle a painful attach of gout.

I am a HUGE Disney fan! Keeping up with road races, I’ve always been intrigued by the “Goofy Challenge” which is when a marathoner completes the Donald Duck Half Marathon on Saturday and the Mickey Mouse Marathon on Sunday for a 39.3 mile experience. My friend Barry Tobias completed his first Goofy Challenge and was good enough to share his thoughts of training and the race itself:

There’s a reason they call it the Goofy Challenge. Every January Disney World hosts the Mickey Mouse Marathon weekend. For those who are willing to step up to the challenge, you can sign up to run both the Donald Duck ½ on Saturday and the Mickey Mouse full on Sunday. In all seriousness, it’s not that goofy of an idea. After running a number of marathons it was clear that breaking any speed records is beyond my ability, additionally pursuing goals of ironman races still needs a bit of time to transition into, and ultra-marathons…well that’s just crazy! The goofy run seemed to be the right ‘next move’.

Somehow I was able to convince my running buddies to sign up with me and months later training started. Like all marathon training, I have found that training with friends is the key to success, if not more so for the goofy challenge. I took my typical 16 week training plan and moved the medium mid-week run to the day before the weekly long run. The biggest challenge we faced was dragging ourselves out of bed early on both weekend days to run. Surprisingly, only the first couple back-to-back runs were bad. Amazingly enough our bodies got used to this schedule pretty quickly and after the third or fourth week we were physically comfortable with this schedule. The one noticeable difference in these runs was that the long one was not as fast as they were when they were the only weekend runs we did. Our medium runs we’d run at our normal pace and then on the long run back off about 20-30 seconds/mile, which seemed to help a lot. Honestly, the slower run was probably more of a natural response from our bodies than a mental decision to slow down. Of course, our best runs were those that were cut short and ended at IHOP instead.

The actual race itself was “memorable”. As most of those in the southern states dealt with the Arctic freeze by staying in bed, we (along with 17000 other people each day) spent it waiting to run. As we stayed at a Disney resort, we had to be on the bus and over to the start area by ~4am for a 5:50am start. Saturday we spent the 2 hours sitting under ponchos getting nailed by sleet. The run itself was not bad, although only ~2 miles were through Disney parks, the majority was spent in parking lots and streets. I believe what made the runs so much easier than expected was keeping the mentality that “Saturday’s run was nothing but a training run and we did that every week, so no biggie.”

Sunday was slightly better in that there was no sleet or rain. Unfortunately the temperature was quite colder. Sitting around huddling under mylar blankets that we got after the ½ marathon run, we shivered our way through 30 deg F weather, only to have the temps drop to ~27 (plus wind-chill that came near the end of the race) during the run. It was so cold that by the time we got to the water stops, the PowerAde drinks were icing over and all the spilled water at the water stops turned the streets into an ice rink. The full marathon took us through ~4-5 miles through all four Disney Parks, entertainment by a number of Disney characters and music kept us going. Mad props have to go out to the spectators and volunteers who all battled the cold to support our runs. The last mile through EPCOT was run to the theme song of the Olympics, which is the greatest song that exists to put some kick into very tired muscles. Overall I think Disney did a very good job organizing the race (sans the cold and lack of heat lamps). I’m still trying to decide if shaking hands with former President Bush at Houston’s 23rd mile or high-fiving Goofy at the end of 39.3 miles is more memorable.

It may have been goofy, but running the Goofy Challenge was a great experience. If anyone is looking for a step up in challenges after a marathon, I highly recommend it. 39.3 miles in two days seems daunting, but with some slight modifications to one’s training schedule and of course, good friends to keep you company, it is worth taking on that challenge. And if that still isn’t enough, may I suggest dressing up in a full blown costume of your favorite Disney character, you’ll be the most popular runner out there…and it may keep you warmer!

-Barry Tobias (4:21:12)

On a recent episode of Ellen, Jenny McCarthy was one of the celebrity guests. When they introduced her she came walking in wearing a pair of 4-inch high heel shoes, which seemed very difficult for her to walk in. When she sat down the first thing Ellen asked her was why she was wearing shoes that were so difficult to walk in and Jenny replied that these are the only shoes she can find right now because very high heeled shoes are what is “in”.

Although we all know that high heel shoes can make a woman’s legs and butt look flattering, wearing high heel shoes definitely has its share of disadvantages as well. The first thing to realize about high heel shoes is that no matter what size you are wearing those shoes are too small for your feet! High heels don’t have laces to hold you feet in so in order for these shoes to stay on your feet you must wear shoes that are too small for you in order for them to suction your foot into the shoe will you walk.

High heel shoes can lead to many foot and ankle problems. One of the most obvious problems that many women are very familiar with is blisters. When you wear high heels you have a greater chance of developing blisters on your feet because the shoes are too small for you. This causes the shoes to rub on your usually bare skin creating blisters.

Another common injury that occurs from wearing high heel shoes is ankle sprains. A lateral ankle sprain is the most common type of ankle sprain which occurs when the outside of your foot rolls under you causing stretching and tearing of the ligaments in your ankle.

The last common injury that high heels cause that most women are not aware of is bunions! Studies have shown that women who wear high heel shoes have a greater incidence of bunions. If you notice yourself starting to get a bunion then stop wearing high heel shoes immediately. If you choose to ignore this problem then it will only get worse and eventually your foot will no longer be able to fit into those cute little high heel shoes that you like so much.

Even though high heel shoes are undoubtedly fashionable right now they can leads to some serious foot and ankle injuries. It is understandable that women may be required to wear high heels at certain points during the week but the key is to try and minimize the time when you are cramming your feet into your high heeled shoes.

On January 16, 2010, Scholl College of Podiatric Medicine (SCPM) in conjunction with Rosalind Franklin University of Medicine and Science (RFUMS) hosted the 23rd Annual Dance for Diabetes at the Millennium Knickerbocker Hotel in Chicago, Illinois. This annual event helps raise money to donate to the American Diabetes Association (ADA) to help fund research on preventative medicine and education on Diabetes.

Scholl College of Podiatric medicine has been dedicated to raising money for the American Diabetes Association for the past 23 years due to its close professional tie to diabetes. Ask any podiatrist out there about diabetes link to their profession and they will go on for hours about how diabetes affects the lives of many of their patients.

In the past 20 years diabetes has become an epidemic in American society. Currently affecting more then 24 million people in the United States, Diabetes is projected to keep increasing in prevalence over the next decade if the Americans do not change their lifestyles. The reason for the huge increase in the number of people diagnosed with diabetes is strongly correlated to obesity rate of this country.

Diabetes is a disease that really affects the entire body but has special effects on the lower extremities which is why diabetics are frequent visitors to Podiatry offices. Diabetes leads to peripheral neuropathy which causes diabetics to lose sensation in their extremities. Peripheral neuropathy can lead to ulcerations of the feet which can lead to further complications such as infection.

Due to the fact that podiatrists see the devastating side effects of diabetes in their patients many of them become very passionate about raising awareness for Diabetes prevention and research. Undoubtedly this is why SCPM students and faculty work so hard every year to raise money through Dance for Diabetes to donate to the ADA. This year the college was pleased to announce that they donated $21,278 to the American Diabetes Association which is the second largest amount raised by the college in the last 23 years and the most donated since SCPM merged with RFUMS. Congratulations to the all the students and faculty at Scholl College of Podiatric Medicine for raising awareness for a cause that they feel so passionate about. Hopefully Dance for Diabetes will be a tradition that lives on for many years to come.

With the start of a New Year and the end of all the holiday parties and family get togethers people start to focus on getting themselves in shape and healthy for 2010. Keeping your feet healthy in 2010 will definitely help to keep you happy for the year. Below are ten facts you should know about your feet in 2010 in order to keep your body health and happy the entire year.

1) Structure – The standard foot has 26 bones and 2 sesamoid bones which are small, irregular bones under the base of your big toe.

2) Flat Feet vs. High Arched Foot – Flat Feet (Pes Planus) is a condition in which you have less of an arch on the bottom of your foot. There are 2 types of flat feet: rigid and flexible. A rigid flat foot is the type that commonly leads to further biomechanical problems. High arched feet (Pes Cavus) is when you have an increased arch which may require you to need good support in your shoes to prevent them from hurting.

3) Diabetic Feet – If you or someone in your family has diabetes then make sure that they monitor their blood glucose levels closely. It has been shown that uncontrolled blood glucose levels can lead to peripheral neuropathy, numbness or nerve pain in the feet and legs, and ulcerations of the feet.

4) Smoking and Feet – Smoking can lead to many terrible side effects but one that many people don’t know about is peripheral arterial disease (PAD). Smoking decreases the circulation of blood to your feet leading to loss of hair on the extremities and can also result in loss of sensation.

5) Athlete’s Foot – If you are an athlete of any kind then one thing you should always be trying to avoid getting is athlete’s foot, which an infection of the foot caused by a fungus. Of course, you don’t really need to be an athlete to get this. To avoid getting athlete’s foot it is important to wear moisture wicking socks while you workout to prevent your feet from getting too moist. It is also important for everyone to dry their feet thoroughly after they get out of the shower.

6) Nail Fungus – Nail fungus can be cosmetically troubling due to the ugly discoloration of the toe nails. If you think that you have nail fungus it is important to go to a podiatrist who can provide you easy ways to eliminate it.

7) Bunions – A bunion is when the tip of your big toe points toward your second toe causing a bump on the inside of your foot. Bunions can be caused by a person’s inherent foot mechanics and is often inherited. It is important to seek medical help as early as possible if you have a bunion to prevent it from getting worse and requiring surgical correction.

Weight and Feet – With an ever increasing incidence of obesity in the US population, a link has been discovered between foot pathology and weight. The more you weigh the greater incidence of developing diabetes, plantar fasciitis, and osteoarthritis.

9) Shoe Gear – What kinds of shoes you wear is very important to the health of your feet. Avoid wearing high heels and flip flops at all costs as they do not properly fit and support feet and try and wear gym shoes with good arch support as much as possible.

10) Plantar Fasciitis – This is one of the most common foot pathologies. Plantar fasciitis is irritation and swelling of the thick tissue of the bottom of the foot. It most commonly presents as heel pain and may occur in conjunction with a heel spur. Most cases are well managed with medication and custom orthotic devices.

Your feet are the base that supports your entire body. Make sure that you keep your feet healthy in 2010 in order to ensure that your can do all the activities you are looking forward to this year.