Neomycin Allergen of the year

Lets talk about skin for brief moment. Some people may develop allergies to certain topical medications as well as certain chemicals in household cleaners or even the material in shoes/sneakers. When the skin has an allergic reaction it is a dermatitis, inflammation of the skin. According to MD Consult the American Contact Dermatitis Society has named "Neomycin" as the allergen of the year.  Neomycin is an the product Neosporin. Neosporin is a very common antibiotic cream used for simple cuts and lacerations. If you are noticing any redness, small red areas, pimple like areas, blistering after using Neosporin you should discontinue the product. This also should be with any topical creams or ointments that you apply to your skin.  If you are concerned whether or not you may be allerigic to Neomycin or Neosporin you can always  have a patch test which will test very common chemicals to see if you are allergic to them. 

http://www.podiatrycarespecialists.com/

David Beckham Achilles Torn

David Beckham, world known soccer player and who is married to former Spice Girl Posh Spice, sustained a devestating injury to his foot. He had ruptured his Achilles Tendon. The inury occurred during one of his recent games. The Achilles tendon connects the calf muscle to the back part of the heel bone. There is a common area in the Achilles tendon that has a decreased amount of blood supply called the watershed area. This usually occurs about 2cm-6cm from the area it originates in the heel bone. The injury can occur from a direct trauma to the area or a quick contraction from the calf muscle. This is most likely what has caused his rupture. It may take up to a year to gain full recovery from this type of injury. Conservative measures include being in a cast or brace for a few months to surgery where the tendon is repaired. Even with surgery, a cast or brace is usually needed. Physical Therapy is paramount after this type of injury to strengthen back the calf musle. There is always a risk of a re-repture of the tendon in any case of conservative or surgial treatment options. Athletes typically will have the surgical route because of a quicker healing time and may be more durable. It is always best to see your doctor to see which treatment is best for you. For more information please visit our website

Chad Friedman, DPM

http://www.podiatrycarespecialists.com/

Spring is almost Here

Wow, what a great weekend we had and a nice Monday. With the warmer weather also brings different shoe gear. Please remember, even if you were previously treated for Plantar Fasciitis or other heel pain, you may have a recurrence of this if you are back in your sandals, flip-flops, or going barefoot. As we have talked about many times before, the heel, the arch, and the whole foot need to be supported properly in order to prevent foot pain from recurring.

There are new sandals that are out there that actually have removable foot beds that we are looking into to see if these can help relive foot pain. We will keep you posted on these. One that we will have in our office are the Aetrex Sandalistas. The foot bed can removed to place in insert or an orthotic in there to help out.

For more information please visit our website or call to make an appointment

Enjoy the warmer days,

Chad Friedman, DPM

http://www.podiatrycarespecialists.com/

Dwight Freeney And Ankle Injuries

Congratulations to the Saints for winning Super Bowl XLIV! Lets talk for a minute about the Colts star defensive player, Dwight Freeney. He suffered from a torn ligament in his Right Ankle.  There was debate on whether or not he was going to play in the Super Bowl. He was able to, but he still had significant pain as the game went on and was not able to play the entire game. Lets discuss what the grading system is for Ankle Ligament injuries. These are usually caused by "rolling in " on the ankle.


Grade 1: Usually caused by stretching of the ankle ligaments on the outside part of the ankle. The ligaments are not torn. There is no instability of the ankle joint.   Treated best with Rest, Ice, Compression, Elevation (RICE).

Grade 2: There is more damage than a Grade 1 with partial tearing of the ligaments of the ankle. There is no instability of the ankle joint.  Treatment is the same with 1, but patients will require a brace, need to be immobilized in either a cam boot, Unna boot, and crutches or cane.

Grade 3: There is tearing of the ligaments of the ankle joint, there is ankle instability, along with swelling and pain. Treatment is the same as 2 but more aggressive in offloading the ankle and stabilizing it to prevent it from rolling in or out again. Soft tissue injuries can take a minimum of 2-3 weeks to heal.

Treatment options for Freeney probably ranged from physical therapy, tapings to support the ankle, and ankle braces. Continually playing on a damaged ankle without the ligaments having a chance to heal can have long term consequences such as but not limited to; frequent spraining of the ankle, arthritis, instability, and continued pain. It's always important to seek medical treatment if you have sprained your ankle for the right treatment protocol. Please visit our site for more details.

http://www.podiatrycarespecialists.com/

Moisturize Those Winter Feet

Brrrrrrrrrr. It’s winter time in the Southeastern Pennsylvania area. The harshness of the cold temperatures and gusty winds that occur during December, January, February, and even part of March wreck havoc on the body. The hands and feet are particularly vulnerable as the extremities are the farthest parts of the body from the heart. We protect our body from the cold by wearing warmer and layered clothing. Gloves, hats, and scarves protect the most exposed parts and are important elements for protection, especially as we get older. Something we commonly overlook is moisturizing our hands and feet, especially our fingertips and heels. The back of the heel is especially vulnerable to scaling and cracking. A crack through the skin is called a fissure and can result in a foot infection as there now is a portal of entry for bacteria to enter the body and grow. Diabetics and vascular compromised people are most at risk.
Treatment-Prevention and maintenance of the integrity of the skin surface is done through regular use of skin moisturizing agents. There are many products on the market as many of them do an adequate job. Some leave a greasy film and some are tacky, so choose one that you are comfortable with. I prefer to recommend ones that leave a smooth finish and will penetrate easily without a large amount used. It doesn’t matter which one you choose as long as it is applied at least once and preferably twice per day, especially in the winter. A pumice stone or callus scraper can be utilized prior to moisturizing, but never use any sharp instruments like scissors or razor blades. Free edges of skin should not be pulled. If there are many layers that need to be treated, seek a podiatrist’s help and not a pedicure salon. This is a serious condition and should only be performed by a well-trained professional.

http://www.podiatrycarespecialists.com/

By Bradford J. Jacobs, DPM

Barefoot Running Part 2

We briefly mentioned last week about the potential hazards and dangers of barefoot running. I thought that I would just add a few more interesting things about it. A study published in The Journal of Sports Medicine and Physical Fitness said that barefoot runners had less impact than runners in shoes. On the flip side to this, there has been no documented studies that show running with sneakers can cause foot problems or lead you to an injury. But if you can think about some of the stuff that I had posted last wee I will not recommmend doing it.  This is because it can lead to stepping on something, lacerations, increase in pain, and blisters just to mention a few.

Happy Running/Walking, but of course with sneakers on :)
Chad J. Friedman, DPM
http://www.podiatrycarespecialists.com/

Barefoot Running

There has been a lot of talk in the literature recently on barefoot running. In fact there was even a book written on the topic (Born to Run). Its going to be something that many people will begin to try or continue to do. For me, I will not be recommending it. Some of the reasons for this is the risk of stepping on something, contusions, sprains, strains, and possible fractures. Depending on your foot type, the foot should be constantly supported through all phases of gait. If not, it can cause other muscles to compensate for other muscles and lead to tendon problems or other stresses in the feet. The feet need good support to support the rest of the body. Think about this as well; could you imagine running on a track, concrete, or gravel barefoot? Imagine this even on a hot sunny day. Your feet would burn and increase your chance of developing blisters. And of course this would never be good in a diabetic or someone who has developed neuropathy of their feet(loss of sensation). We will continue to update you on more information that will come out with the topic, but for the time being it is something that I will not recommend.


Happy Running/Walking, but of course with sneakers on :)
Chad J Friedman, DPM
http://www.podiatrycarespecialists.com/