Foot Health Awareness
You may not have been aware that April is National Foot Health Awareness Month. Nevertheless, that is the case, and it provides the perfect reminder of how much we depend upon our feet to take us wherever we believe that we need to go. If you stop for a moment and consider where you have been today, it might be helpful to remember that your feet performed a vital role in escorting you to every destination.
It has been estimated that the average American takes between 5,000 – 7,000 steps each day. Even if your personal daily average is hovering around the 5,000-step level, that equates to 2.5 miles daily. Your feet are bearing the weight of your body as they undertake the repetitive motion and absorb the action of every step. All of which takes place regardless of the many different surfaces that you encounter during your daily journeys.
Your feet contain three different sections. This includes the forefoot, which is comprised your five toes and five additional bones that are referred to as your metatarsals. Your mid-foot is a group of bones that form the arches of your feet. Finally, there is the hindfoot which is the area of your heel and ankle. The bones work in coordination with your muscles, tendons, and ligaments, as these
Several previous articles have discussed injuries and unwanted conditions of your feet. However, the goal of this particular article is to focus on ways in which you can protect your feet from having these issues. National Foot Health Awareness month serves as a reminder that it is critically important for you to take good care of your feet, and to literally take steps (no pun intended!) to prevent health issues with your feet.
Taking Care Of Your Feet
You understand that your feet are critically important, and realize that if you suddenly are dealing with a problem that limits or prohibits your ability to use one of your feet for a period of time, then it can become extremely problematic. But what can you do to reduce the chances of an unwanted foot condition?
That can begin simply by checking your feet on a daily basis, in order to make sure that you do not find any surprises such as a cut, a sore, or an infected toenail. While you are focusing on your feet during this inspection, you can also wash them with warm water. However, you should make sure to also dry them when you, in order to avoid the possibility of an infection.
You can also apply lotion to your feet, although you should abstain from using any type of moisturizer inside the region between each toe because this is also an invitation for an infection to emerge.
Keeping your nails trimmed on a frequent basis is also beneficial because it will keep your nails from growing inward to your skin. It is wise to always wear socks with your shoes, and to avoid walking barefoot.
Also, your footwear should fit properly at all times, as shoes that are too tight can also create issues with your toes, particularly by causing an ingrown toenail. Wearing shoes that do not supply enough arch support can also increase the chances of dealing with blisters, or plantar fasciitis.
High heels that are worn for more than four hours can also increase the likelihood of contending with a number of issues including corns, calluses, plantar fasciitis, and metatarsalgia – which involves an inflammation that occurs at the bottom your foot.
At Orthopedic Associates We Can Help
Your feet provide the foundation for your body, and if you have any issues with your feet, of have any questions about your feet or your ankles, the professionals at Orthopedic Associates are ready to assist you.
That is why Orthopedic Associates offers a full spectrum of musculoskeletal care, along with in-house physical sports therapy, and state-of-the-art-technology including our digital imaging and open MRI, and an on-site surgical center for more patient convenience.
Our board-certified doctors – including foot specialist Michael J. Willenborg – have been practicing medicine for a combined total of 183 years of experience. This helps
Conditions of the feet that we treat include:
- Accessory Navicular
- Adult Acquired Flatfoot
- Bunion
- Bunionette Deformity (Tailor’s Bunion)
- Cavus Foot (High-Arched Foot)
- Charcot-Marie-Tooth Disease (CMT)
- Charcot’s Neuroarthropathy (CN)
- Claw Toe
- Clubfoot (Talipes Equinovarus)
- Complex Regional Pain Syndrome (CRPS)
- Corns
- Diabetic Foot
- Fracture of the Heel Bone (Calcaneus)
- Gout
- Hallux Rigidus (Stiff Big Toe)
- Hammer Toe
- Ingrown Toenails
- Jones Fractures
- LisFranc (Midfoot) Fracture-Dislocation
- Metatarsalgia
- Morton’s Neuroma
- MTP Synovitis (Capsulitis)
- Peroneal Tendon Tears
- Plantar Fasciitis
- Plantar Warts
- Posterior Tibial Tendon Dysfunction (PTTD)
- Rheumatoid Arthritis of the Foot
- Sesamoiditis
- Stress Fractures of the Footarsal Tunnel Syndrome (Posterior Tibial Neuralgia)
Our orthopedic experts are highly experienced in performing numerous types of treatments for your feet. These treatments include:
- Amniotic and Placental Graft
- Tissue for Surgery and Wound Care
- Anesthesia
- Bunion Correction with Scarf and Akin Osteotomy
- Bunionectomy
- Bunionette Deformity Correctionalcaneal Fracture Fixation (Open Reduction and Internal Fixation)
- Calcaneal Sliding Osteotomy (with Lateral Plate Fixation)
- Calcaneal Tongue-Type Fracture Fixation (Open Reduction and Internal Fixation)
- Cartilage Repair
- Charcot Foot Treatment Options
- Cheilectomy
- Cold Laser Therapy
- Computed Tomography (CT) Scan
- Cotton Osteotomy (Medial Cuneiform Opening Wedge Osteotomy)
- DuVries Arthroplasty
- Electromyography (EMG)
- Endoscopic Plantar Fasciotomy (EPF)
- Excision of Mortons Neuromas
- First MTP Joint Fusion/Replacement
- Fixation for LisFranc Injury
- Hammertoe Correction (PIP Joint Arthroplasty)
- Jones Fracture Fixation
- Kidner Procedure
- Lapidus Arthrodesis (with Medial Plate Fixation)
- Lapidus Procedure for Bunion Correction
- Lateral Column Lengthening (Evans Osteotomy) for Adult Acquired Flatfoot
- LisFranc Ligament Repair (Suture Button Technique)
- Magnetic Resonance Imaging (MRI)
- Mallet Toe Correction (DIP Joint Arthroplasty)
- Medial Calcaneal Sliding Osteotomy
- Metatarsal Fracture Fixation (Open Reduction and Internal Fixation)
- Metatarsal Head Resurfacing with Collagen Interpositional Grafting
- Midfoot Fusion
- Minimal Incision Toe Bone Spur Removal
- Multimodal Anesthesia and Pain Control
- Nerve Conduction Study (NCS)
- Partial Nail Removal (Matrixectomy)
- Plantar Fascia Release (Open Technique)
- Positron Emission Tomography (PET) Scan
- Pulse Dye Laser Wart Removal
- Radiofrequency Treatment for Plantar Fasciitis
- Intramedullary Memory Implant
- Subtalar Implant/Fusion
- Tarsal Tunnel Decompression
- Tendon Transfer/Repair
- Triple Arthrodesis
- Weil Osteotomy for Claw Toe
We encourage you to visit one of Orthopedic Associates two locations or request an appointment today to be on your way to feeling better.
