Walking is one of the most effective exercises you can do. It strengthens the heart while also burning calories. Walking is also good for any age, and any level of athlete. Even the most active people can get a quality workout from a brisk walk. So why is it so effective? Walking involves a number of different groups of muscles, it improves circulation, decreases your stress level, and almost anyone can do it. An upbeat walk can burn up to 500 calories per hour. And since it takes about 3,500 calories to lose a pound, you could expect to lose 1 pound for every 7 hours you walked. One hour per day of walking is recommended, but this should be achieved in a gradual manner. Beginners should start by walking 5-10 minutes at a time, moving up to 30 minutes a walk. It’s best to add no more than 5 minutes at a time so your muscles and heart can catch up to the change in activity.
The only real equipment you need for this effective workout is a good set of shoes. Try and not underestimate the importance of this. Shoes are built with the activity in mind. Basketball shoes come up higher for more ankle stability. Tennis shoes are built for side to side motion on a court. Running and walking shoes are made for heel to toe movement. Playing tennis in running shoes gives you a lack of stability and could lead to injury. Even if you plan to only walk, running shoes are great for this. They are actually built with more cushioning technology than a walking shoe because running puts more impact on your joints. Remember if you have been prescribed a set of orthotics; try them on with your new athletic shoes to ensure a good fit. If you aren’t sure of your needs, come see your local podiatrist. If your feet are stopping you from this effective workout, be sure to see Dr. Grimm or Dr. Pattison of Foot Associates of Central Texas.
Wednesday, November 17, 2010
Pediatric Fractures
You see it all the time. Little Jimmy is crutching around school with a lime-green cast. All his friends are signing it. He’s out of soccer for four weeks. According to a recent journal article, pediatric fractures are on the rise. However children are more agile and actually able to avoid more injuries than adults can. Children have different biomechanics as well as increased elasticity (returns to shape) and plasticity (stays bent).
Broken bones can show up in the young athlete, especially when the intensity of the training changes. In kids under 10, acute fractures can result from just jumping 3 or 4 feet off the stairs or couch. Also, be weary of a child that thinks they “sprained” an ankle. Straining the ligaments on the outside of the ankle is hard to do for children, and is more likely to be a fracture of the fibula, the outside leg bone.
Bone fractures can be tricky with children due to the presence of growth plates. These serve as the area where new bone is formed and is how many of our bones increase in length. Sometimes these can be damaged with certain fractures and may lead to partial or complete growth arrest, with a possible angular deformity. There’s a system for these known as the Salter-Harris Classification. This rates the fracture as well as its involvement with the growth plates.
To diagnose a pediatric fracture, your podiatrist will want to obtain a careful history and thorough physical. They will also want to examine x-rays of the foot and leg to evaluate the condition. If further studies are needed, a bone scan, CT scan, or MRI may be ordered. Depending on the fracture, the area of interest will be put in a cast or brace. For your children’s foot and ankle needs, be sure to come by and see Dr. Grimm or Dr. Pattison.
Broken bones can show up in the young athlete, especially when the intensity of the training changes. In kids under 10, acute fractures can result from just jumping 3 or 4 feet off the stairs or couch. Also, be weary of a child that thinks they “sprained” an ankle. Straining the ligaments on the outside of the ankle is hard to do for children, and is more likely to be a fracture of the fibula, the outside leg bone.
Bone fractures can be tricky with children due to the presence of growth plates. These serve as the area where new bone is formed and is how many of our bones increase in length. Sometimes these can be damaged with certain fractures and may lead to partial or complete growth arrest, with a possible angular deformity. There’s a system for these known as the Salter-Harris Classification. This rates the fracture as well as its involvement with the growth plates.
To diagnose a pediatric fracture, your podiatrist will want to obtain a careful history and thorough physical. They will also want to examine x-rays of the foot and leg to evaluate the condition. If further studies are needed, a bone scan, CT scan, or MRI may be ordered. Depending on the fracture, the area of interest will be put in a cast or brace. For your children’s foot and ankle needs, be sure to come by and see Dr. Grimm or Dr. Pattison.
Nail Polish
As winter approaches, it’s almost time for vacation. Maybe not for you, or even the kids in school, but for those toenails you’ve been overworking all summer. Guys, you can skip out and read up on past blogs because the women are guiltier of this one. With women in Texas wearing nail polish on those open toes almost year-round, their toenails take quite a bit of abuse. Nail polish has a chemical called formaldehyde in it. This is the stuff they use in new car glues and cadaver preservative. It dries and damages your toenails. Nail polish remover has acetone in it, which is a chemical that also damages toenails. And this damage isn’t microscopic either. You can see it in the form of white spots on the nail’s surface. These are points of weakness that make them more susceptible to infection.
The point of all this nail weakness talk is to help prevent against fungal infections from forming. So as it gets a little cooler, your podiatrist recommends giving your nails a breather when you’re covering them up with closed toe shoes anyway. No one will see them, I promise. This gives your toenails a bit of a recovery period. That means no base layer either. The clear layer is just as bad as the hot pink one.
There is such a thing as good polish however. They are made from natural elements and lack the threatening chemicals. Some women have said they aren’t as effective as the real deal but it beats fungus infecting your toe nails. If you suspect that your polish is causing problems, come by and see Dr.Grimm or Dr.Pattison for your footcare needs.
The point of all this nail weakness talk is to help prevent against fungal infections from forming. So as it gets a little cooler, your podiatrist recommends giving your nails a breather when you’re covering them up with closed toe shoes anyway. No one will see them, I promise. This gives your toenails a bit of a recovery period. That means no base layer either. The clear layer is just as bad as the hot pink one.
There is such a thing as good polish however. They are made from natural elements and lack the threatening chemicals. Some women have said they aren’t as effective as the real deal but it beats fungus infecting your toe nails. If you suspect that your polish is causing problems, come by and see Dr.Grimm or Dr.Pattison for your footcare needs.
Sever's Disease
Heel pain is never normal, even in children. Many people write this off as “growing pains,” which can be true, but each case should be individually examined. One of the most common causes of heel pain in young growing athletes is Sever’s disease. This is an overuse and repetitive injury to the growth plates in the calcaneus, or the heel bone. The calcaneus is one of the first body parts to fully mature and this happens around early puberty. When this happens, bone is growing faster than muscles or the tendons that hold the muscles to the bone. This causes the muscles to become tight.
Symptoms of Sever’s Disease can include a painful or tender heel, discomfort when the heel is squeezed, the young athlete limps, or the pain can is more severe during the sport. This is directly related to the overuse of bone and tendons in the heel. This may show itself at the beginning of the season, and may be more common in those children that are overweight, as well as those who over-pronate.
Your podiatrist will recommend R.I.C.E (rest, ice, compression, elevation) for the initial pain. Upon examination, they will look at the child’s gait and possibly an x-ray to make sure no other fracture is responsible for the heel pain. Orthoses may be recommended to prevent the over-pronation. The disease can be self-recovering, meaning it will go away when the bone finishes growing. In the meanwhile the condition could recur until then. However your podiatrist take a look so they can ease the symptoms as your child grows. And remember, for this and any other foot condition your child may have, let Dr. Grimm and Dr. Pattison of Foot Associates of Central Texas take a look.
Symptoms of Sever’s Disease can include a painful or tender heel, discomfort when the heel is squeezed, the young athlete limps, or the pain can is more severe during the sport. This is directly related to the overuse of bone and tendons in the heel. This may show itself at the beginning of the season, and may be more common in those children that are overweight, as well as those who over-pronate.
Your podiatrist will recommend R.I.C.E (rest, ice, compression, elevation) for the initial pain. Upon examination, they will look at the child’s gait and possibly an x-ray to make sure no other fracture is responsible for the heel pain. Orthoses may be recommended to prevent the over-pronation. The disease can be self-recovering, meaning it will go away when the bone finishes growing. In the meanwhile the condition could recur until then. However your podiatrist take a look so they can ease the symptoms as your child grows. And remember, for this and any other foot condition your child may have, let Dr. Grimm and Dr. Pattison of Foot Associates of Central Texas take a look.
Monday, November 1, 2010
Black Toenails
Whether you just finished running a marathon, or came back from a walk with the dog, you may have noticed a little surprise when you took your shoes and socks off. That toenail looks blue and black. And it’s not from any cold weather. Who put that there?
Black toenails usually form from the toe hitting the end or top of the shoe. This can happen in avid runners, occasional walkers, and soccer players just to name a few. If shoe gear is too small or too roomy, the end of the toe repeatedly slides forward and hits the end or top of the shoe. This again stresses the importance of not only the right type of footwear, but the right size too. For athletic shoes, many specialty running stores can help you in this process as well as recommended a lacing technique to help your foot from sliding forward.
So a black toenail is pretty much bruise under the nail. Blood from small capillaries leaks out and develops a bruise or blister. Sometimes this can be enough blood to lift the toenail up or cause pressure under the nail. This is usually the part where you pay more attention because this is what can cause pain. Your podiatrist may want to evaluate it to make sure the blister doesn’t become infected with bacteria or fungus. The doctor will possibly proceed to pierce the nail to drain the fluid. In some cases the nail may need removed to hopefully grow back as a normal nail again. This lessens the chance for an infection and it relieves the pressure and therefore the pain. It may take about 5-6 months to grow back as toenails grow longer around 1 mm per month. For this and any other concern, remember to come by and see Dr. Grimm or Dr. Pattison at Foot Associates of Central Texas.
Black toenails usually form from the toe hitting the end or top of the shoe. This can happen in avid runners, occasional walkers, and soccer players just to name a few. If shoe gear is too small or too roomy, the end of the toe repeatedly slides forward and hits the end or top of the shoe. This again stresses the importance of not only the right type of footwear, but the right size too. For athletic shoes, many specialty running stores can help you in this process as well as recommended a lacing technique to help your foot from sliding forward.
So a black toenail is pretty much bruise under the nail. Blood from small capillaries leaks out and develops a bruise or blister. Sometimes this can be enough blood to lift the toenail up or cause pressure under the nail. This is usually the part where you pay more attention because this is what can cause pain. Your podiatrist may want to evaluate it to make sure the blister doesn’t become infected with bacteria or fungus. The doctor will possibly proceed to pierce the nail to drain the fluid. In some cases the nail may need removed to hopefully grow back as a normal nail again. This lessens the chance for an infection and it relieves the pressure and therefore the pain. It may take about 5-6 months to grow back as toenails grow longer around 1 mm per month. For this and any other concern, remember to come by and see Dr. Grimm or Dr. Pattison at Foot Associates of Central Texas.
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