Amongst all the exciting playoff basketball with March Madness, David Beckham will have plenty of time to watch all the action at home. He unfortunately suffered an Achilles Tendon rupture on March 14th during a match against Italian football club Chievo. Achilles tendon ruptures, although not too common, can be quite difficult to treat.
Achilles tendon tears/ruptures most frequently happen to the “weekend warrior.” They often happen to people who are a bit out of shape, and a few years removed from their heavy activity days. They go out for a random pick-up basketball or football game with friends, don’t warm up slowly and gradually, don’t stretch, and end up tearing their Achilles. They can also happen by overuse, improper footwear, certain drugs (such as steroids and an antibiotic class known as quinolones), and direct injury. People usually describe the injury as though they have been kicked in the back of the leg, hear or feel a loud pop, and feel a sharp and intense pain.
The Achilles Tendon functions as fibrous tissue that connects the heel to the muscles of the lower leg. It is a very strong tendon, but unfortunately has one downfall! There is an area known as the “watershed” region, which is where most of the tears occur. This is because it is an area of very poor blood supply, so it does not get as much nutrition from blood supply as the other areas. Depending on how bad the tear is, there are several different options for treatment.
If the tendon is only strained, then a regimen of rest, followed by strengthening and stretching can be implemented. In order to provide maximum rest, the foot and ankle can be casted or placed in some type of controlled motion boot. Not allowing the foot and ankle to move is crucial to hearling! If there is an actual tear, often times surgical intervention is necessary. They will cut out the part of tendon that is torn/damaged. At that point, with a small tear they can sometimes sew together the healthy portion of tissue, or with a larger tear they can use a graft or synthetic Achilles tendon to replace the one that was torn, and sew it in place of the tendon that was taken out.
Achilles tendon ruptures are an unfortunate injury to happen to anyone, but with proper care and treatment provided by your podiatrist, you can get back in to the game quickly!
The purpose of this blog is to raise awareness about common conditions associated with the foot and ankle. Any advice given, whether medical or legal, is an opinion. For legal counsel or podiatric care, one should see their local podiatrist or attorney. More information can be found at my website www.michiganfootdoctor.com
Tuesday, August 24, 2010
Running pains?
As the nice weather embarks upon us, we find ourselves venturing outside more often to enjoy the great outdoors. For those of us who are getting back in to running, or increasing the training regimine, you may notice some areas are beginning to hurt! If what begins as a fun run, turns into moans and groans, read along to see what you can do to ease your pain.
Many people often experience pain along the front of their shins when they run. These so called “shin splints” can have you doubling over in pain, and put an immediate stop to your run, and destroy your desire to do so again. Medial Tibial Stress Syndrome (shin splints) can also be caused by other activities, including jumping, dancing, and sprinting. It is often attributed that the pain comes from the muscle group that lies on the front of the leg, which acts to bring the toes up towards the sky (dorsiflex the foot). What causes this muscle group to become aggravated is forceful slamming of the heel against the ground. Through normal running motion, your anterior muscle group picks your toes up towards the sky while your foot coasts in the air so you don’t trip. As the heel hits the ground, the muscles on the front of the leg work to hold the toes up (dorsiflex), but are placed under a very forceful contraction. This causes a rapid response of the muscles to “fire back” to counteract the force. Over time (period of minutes to hours), the muscles become fatigued and irritated, and cause the pain that can span the front of the leg.
Another possible cause is over-powering of the calf muscles. Since the two muscle groups are antagonistic (work against each other), if one is markedly stronger than the other, it can make a big difference. There are also a few aggravating factors, such as over pronation of the foot (where the arch collapses), insufficient time for a warm-up, over-training, or a chronic compartment syndrome. This is when the swelling of the compartment in the leg that contains the anterior muscle group cuts off blood supply to the muscles, causing immense pain, numbness, and skin color changes.. This is a very serious condition, so if you have any concerns that you may have this, see your podiatrist immediately!
The good news is that this nagging shin splint problem is very easily treated in most instances. In most cases rest, ice and non-steroidal anti-inflammatory medication can relieve symptoms. It is definitely encouraged to make sure you are providing ample time for a warm-up, and gradually increasing training activity to allow for your body to respond to the demands placed on it. One other very helpful pain-relief tool is custom made orthotics, to ensure your foot is in a proper alignment.
With this knowledge, make sure to not let shin splints ruin your summer outdoor activities. Enjoy nature in all its glory, pain free!
The purpose of this blog is to raise awareness about common conditions associated with the foot and ankle. Any advice given, whether medical or legal, is an opinion. For legal counsel or podiatric care, one should see their local podiatrist or attorney. More information can be found at my website www.michiganfootdoctor.com
Many people often experience pain along the front of their shins when they run. These so called “shin splints” can have you doubling over in pain, and put an immediate stop to your run, and destroy your desire to do so again. Medial Tibial Stress Syndrome (shin splints) can also be caused by other activities, including jumping, dancing, and sprinting. It is often attributed that the pain comes from the muscle group that lies on the front of the leg, which acts to bring the toes up towards the sky (dorsiflex the foot). What causes this muscle group to become aggravated is forceful slamming of the heel against the ground. Through normal running motion, your anterior muscle group picks your toes up towards the sky while your foot coasts in the air so you don’t trip. As the heel hits the ground, the muscles on the front of the leg work to hold the toes up (dorsiflex), but are placed under a very forceful contraction. This causes a rapid response of the muscles to “fire back” to counteract the force. Over time (period of minutes to hours), the muscles become fatigued and irritated, and cause the pain that can span the front of the leg.
Another possible cause is over-powering of the calf muscles. Since the two muscle groups are antagonistic (work against each other), if one is markedly stronger than the other, it can make a big difference. There are also a few aggravating factors, such as over pronation of the foot (where the arch collapses), insufficient time for a warm-up, over-training, or a chronic compartment syndrome. This is when the swelling of the compartment in the leg that contains the anterior muscle group cuts off blood supply to the muscles, causing immense pain, numbness, and skin color changes.. This is a very serious condition, so if you have any concerns that you may have this, see your podiatrist immediately!
The good news is that this nagging shin splint problem is very easily treated in most instances. In most cases rest, ice and non-steroidal anti-inflammatory medication can relieve symptoms. It is definitely encouraged to make sure you are providing ample time for a warm-up, and gradually increasing training activity to allow for your body to respond to the demands placed on it. One other very helpful pain-relief tool is custom made orthotics, to ensure your foot is in a proper alignment.
With this knowledge, make sure to not let shin splints ruin your summer outdoor activities. Enjoy nature in all its glory, pain free!
The purpose of this blog is to raise awareness about common conditions associated with the foot and ankle. Any advice given, whether medical or legal, is an opinion. For legal counsel or podiatric care, one should see their local podiatrist or attorney. More information can be found at my website www.michiganfootdoctor.com
Feet on Fire?
After spending time outdoors, ever notice that your feet are “feel like they are on fire?” Did you remember to put sunscreen on all the sun exposed parts, except your feet? There are important reasons to make sure you never leave your feet unprotected from the sun again!
Feet are an often a neglected area of the body when thinking of sun exposure. The consequences of forgetting to cover your feet can be not only painful, but also dangerous! Sunburn can be especially painful on the tops of ankles, feet and toes because skin is very sensitive there. You experience similar symptoms as with any burn; pain, redness, swelling, and eventually peeling or blisters. Sun burns are caused by ultraviolet (UV) radiations resulting in skin inflammation. The symptoms can start within 30 minutes of exposure, so always be sure to put on powerful sunscreen! UVA and UVB refer to different wavelengths in the light spectrum. UVB is more damaging to the skin and is more often the cause of skin cancer. Both UVA and UVB are also responsible for premature aging of the skin, wrinkles (photoaging) and sunburn. While sunburns to the feet are painful they can have, more devastating effects on your feet.
Sunburns can cause or exacerbate long term detrimental effects, including several different types of soft tissue tumors of your feet, which can be categorized into benign or malignant. Benign tumors are ones that may need to be biopsied to confirm their status. If these need treatment they usually heal uneventfully and biopsies do not reveal any cancerous cells. These benign tumors can include: eccrine poroma, ganglionic cysts, glomus tumor, intractable plantar keratoma, mucoid cyst, pigmented villonodular syntovitis, plantar fibromatosis, and synovial cysts. Malignant tumors of the foot are ones that are cancerous, and can be very dangerous if not treated quickly and properly. The malignant tumors of the feet include: malignant melanoma, kaposi’s sarcoma, and squamous cell carcinoma.
One treatment that is frequently used for lower extremity burns is the application of aloe lotion to soothe the burn. This can be applied as frequently as you would like, and is recommended to be applied at least three times per day while the burn is still in an active or acute phase. If the skin is blistering, or you feel you may have suffered third degree burns, you should seek medical attention. You should also be aware of any signs of heat stroke or heat exhaustion, as these can be a very serious systemic illness that can affect the functioning of your body and in severe cases of sunburn may lead certain organs shutdown!
Remember, apply suntan lotion to your feet and legs whenever you expect them to be in the sun for any extended period of time.
The purpose of this blog is to raise awareness about common conditions associated with the foot and ankle. Any advice given, whether medical or legal, is an opinion. For legal counsel or podiatric care, one should see their local podiatrist or attorney. More information can be found at my website www.michiganfootdoctor.com
Feet are an often a neglected area of the body when thinking of sun exposure. The consequences of forgetting to cover your feet can be not only painful, but also dangerous! Sunburn can be especially painful on the tops of ankles, feet and toes because skin is very sensitive there. You experience similar symptoms as with any burn; pain, redness, swelling, and eventually peeling or blisters. Sun burns are caused by ultraviolet (UV) radiations resulting in skin inflammation. The symptoms can start within 30 minutes of exposure, so always be sure to put on powerful sunscreen! UVA and UVB refer to different wavelengths in the light spectrum. UVB is more damaging to the skin and is more often the cause of skin cancer. Both UVA and UVB are also responsible for premature aging of the skin, wrinkles (photoaging) and sunburn. While sunburns to the feet are painful they can have, more devastating effects on your feet.
Sunburns can cause or exacerbate long term detrimental effects, including several different types of soft tissue tumors of your feet, which can be categorized into benign or malignant. Benign tumors are ones that may need to be biopsied to confirm their status. If these need treatment they usually heal uneventfully and biopsies do not reveal any cancerous cells. These benign tumors can include: eccrine poroma, ganglionic cysts, glomus tumor, intractable plantar keratoma, mucoid cyst, pigmented villonodular syntovitis, plantar fibromatosis, and synovial cysts. Malignant tumors of the foot are ones that are cancerous, and can be very dangerous if not treated quickly and properly. The malignant tumors of the feet include: malignant melanoma, kaposi’s sarcoma, and squamous cell carcinoma.
One treatment that is frequently used for lower extremity burns is the application of aloe lotion to soothe the burn. This can be applied as frequently as you would like, and is recommended to be applied at least three times per day while the burn is still in an active or acute phase. If the skin is blistering, or you feel you may have suffered third degree burns, you should seek medical attention. You should also be aware of any signs of heat stroke or heat exhaustion, as these can be a very serious systemic illness that can affect the functioning of your body and in severe cases of sunburn may lead certain organs shutdown!
Remember, apply suntan lotion to your feet and legs whenever you expect them to be in the sun for any extended period of time.
The purpose of this blog is to raise awareness about common conditions associated with the foot and ankle. Any advice given, whether medical or legal, is an opinion. For legal counsel or podiatric care, one should see their local podiatrist or attorney. More information can be found at my website www.michiganfootdoctor.com
Are your feet flat?
Do you notice your feet are as flat as a pancake when you walk? Does it seem like the only arch you see is at your local McDonalds? The more important question is, are your flat feet painful? Many people notice that they have flat feet, but never have any pain. As our flat-footed friends age, their feet oftentimes become painful. What is the root cause of all these flat feet?
Flat feet areoften be called by another term, known as pronation. Pronation is described as when the arch collapses during weight bearing, and the inside of the ankle seems to roll towards the ground. Pronation can be from a flexible flat foot, when the arch collapses as the foot hits the ground, or a rigid or structural flat foot, which stays flat no matter what stress the foot encounters.
There are many causes of flat feet. Some include obesity, pregnancy and repeated pounding ones feet against hard surfaces. If a close relative has flat feet the odds are good that you may develop this condition! There also is a higher association of developing flat feet if you have rheumatoid arthritis. Some other causes besides a congenital abnormality (something you’re born with) are a bone fractures or dislocations, torn or stretched tendon s, or neurologic weakness.
Flat feet can present differently in children and adults. In kids, flat foot usually presents as flexible or hypermobile flat foot. This condition is rarely painful. The prudent podiatrist may recommend custom molded orthtics to support the arches as their feet grow. If the Achilles tendon (along the back of the foot/lower leg) is tight, then this foot type can become problematic. Children very rarely a have a rigid flat foot, which is usually from a coalition (bones that do not move and are fused together). Adult acquired flat foot is usually more of a progressive deformity. The tendon on the inside of your ankle, the posterior tibial tendon, that goes into the foot weakens and sometimes even tears resulting in severe pain and total collapse of the arch.
What type of symptoms will you experience? Your feet can become painful when standing for long periods, or they may tire easily, with pain in the arch or heel. Oftentimes there is a chance of swelling in these areas. You may experience difficulty with moving your feet or heels. Sometimes difficulty or pain develops when you try to stand on your toes.
What type of treatments can be done? There are several methods of conservative treatment that can be implemented. To begin with your doctor will probably start with shoe modifications and custom molded orthotics, designed specifically to your feet, and non-steroidal inflammatory medications such as ibuprofen. Corticosteroids can also be injected into painful joints, along with rest, ice decreasedactivity, short leg casts, and custom designed ankle support braces. Depending on the severity and type of flatfoot you have, your doctor may put you on a stretching regimen for to lengthen your tight Achilles Tendon/Gastrocnemius (calf muscles). If the above treatments are ineffective,a course of physical may be indicated. When conservative measures have failed surgical intervention may be necessary. Some of the surgical procedures that can be performed include an arthrodesis (fusion of the major moving joints of the feet to correct the position of the foot/arch), osteotomy (cutting, shifting and /or reshaping a bone for better alignment), and/or tendon transfer (where a tendon in the foot/ankle is transferred to another area of the foot. The podiatric surgeon may also want to lengthen your Achilles tendon/calf muscles sometimes using several very small incisions.
If your feet are flat as a board, and causing you pain, make sure to consult your podiatrist. He or she will be able to properly diagnose this condition, and other foot/ankle ailments may be causing your pain. Pain free feet are happy feet so make sure you keep your feet happy throughout the summer months!
The purpose of this blog is to raise awareness about common conditions associated with the foot and ankle. Any advice given, whether medical or legal, is an opinion. For legal counsel or podiatric care, one should see their local podiatrist or attorney. More information can be found at my website www.michiganfootdoctor.com
Flat feet areoften be called by another term, known as pronation. Pronation is described as when the arch collapses during weight bearing, and the inside of the ankle seems to roll towards the ground. Pronation can be from a flexible flat foot, when the arch collapses as the foot hits the ground, or a rigid or structural flat foot, which stays flat no matter what stress the foot encounters.
There are many causes of flat feet. Some include obesity, pregnancy and repeated pounding ones feet against hard surfaces. If a close relative has flat feet the odds are good that you may develop this condition! There also is a higher association of developing flat feet if you have rheumatoid arthritis. Some other causes besides a congenital abnormality (something you’re born with) are a bone fractures or dislocations, torn or stretched tendon s, or neurologic weakness.
Flat feet can present differently in children and adults. In kids, flat foot usually presents as flexible or hypermobile flat foot. This condition is rarely painful. The prudent podiatrist may recommend custom molded orthtics to support the arches as their feet grow. If the Achilles tendon (along the back of the foot/lower leg) is tight, then this foot type can become problematic. Children very rarely a have a rigid flat foot, which is usually from a coalition (bones that do not move and are fused together). Adult acquired flat foot is usually more of a progressive deformity. The tendon on the inside of your ankle, the posterior tibial tendon, that goes into the foot weakens and sometimes even tears resulting in severe pain and total collapse of the arch.
What type of symptoms will you experience? Your feet can become painful when standing for long periods, or they may tire easily, with pain in the arch or heel. Oftentimes there is a chance of swelling in these areas. You may experience difficulty with moving your feet or heels. Sometimes difficulty or pain develops when you try to stand on your toes.
What type of treatments can be done? There are several methods of conservative treatment that can be implemented. To begin with your doctor will probably start with shoe modifications and custom molded orthotics, designed specifically to your feet, and non-steroidal inflammatory medications such as ibuprofen. Corticosteroids can also be injected into painful joints, along with rest, ice decreasedactivity, short leg casts, and custom designed ankle support braces. Depending on the severity and type of flatfoot you have, your doctor may put you on a stretching regimen for to lengthen your tight Achilles Tendon/Gastrocnemius (calf muscles). If the above treatments are ineffective,a course of physical may be indicated. When conservative measures have failed surgical intervention may be necessary. Some of the surgical procedures that can be performed include an arthrodesis (fusion of the major moving joints of the feet to correct the position of the foot/arch), osteotomy (cutting, shifting and /or reshaping a bone for better alignment), and/or tendon transfer (where a tendon in the foot/ankle is transferred to another area of the foot. The podiatric surgeon may also want to lengthen your Achilles tendon/calf muscles sometimes using several very small incisions.
If your feet are flat as a board, and causing you pain, make sure to consult your podiatrist. He or she will be able to properly diagnose this condition, and other foot/ankle ailments may be causing your pain. Pain free feet are happy feet so make sure you keep your feet happy throughout the summer months!
The purpose of this blog is to raise awareness about common conditions associated with the foot and ankle. Any advice given, whether medical or legal, is an opinion. For legal counsel or podiatric care, one should see their local podiatrist or attorney. More information can be found at my website www.michiganfootdoctor.com
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