This little piggy...

This little piggy ran a mile. This little piggy swam three. This little piggy bench pressed. This little piggy danced free. And this little piggy showed up everyone else in the gym. But how did these piggys get so strong?? Because their owner never forgot to work them out before and after the physical actives the owner participated in.

When exercising, feet are usually forgotten to be warmed up and cooled down with the rest of the body. Rarely are they considered a body part that needs to be strengthened. They are smaller than other parts of the body, attract less attention, and are usually out of sight and out of mind. But these little guys under go a huge amount of impact during a work out or a physical activity.

Stretching and strengthening feet is a very important way to prevent foot injury from occurring during the everyday life not and in the future. This is also a very effective way to help relieve foot pain if an injury has already occurred. A little tender love and care is important to keep your feet healthy and pain free enough to get you the places you need to go.

Here are a few stretches, exercises, and massage techniques to keep your piggys marching on.


Stretches:
- Toe Raises: Hold onto a wall for support. From flat foot, rise up so you are standing on your toes only. Hold for 5 seconds. Repeat 10 times.
- Toe Points: Sitting down, flex the arch of the foot so the toes are pointed into a straight line and the heel is close to the back of the leg. Hold for 5 seconds. Repeat 10 times
- Toe Curls: Sitting down, scrunch all your toes together so they are pointing away from the top of your foot. Hold for 5 seconds. Repeat 10 times.

Exercises:
- Toe Squeezes: Hold a toe separator between your toes. Squeeze for 5 seconds. Repeat 10 times. This exercise is great for people with Hammer toes of suffer from toe cramps.
- Towel Scoop. While standing, place a towel on the floor, pick it up with only your toes. Repeat 5 times.

Massage techniques:
1. Apply an ample amount of lotion to feet.
2. Start by massaging the length of your feet up and down. Repeat 3-5 times.
3. Cup your heel and gently assist your foot in rotating the ankle. Repeat 5 times both directions.
4. Hold toes in one hand and heel in another. Gentle bring toes back towards your shins. This will stretch the calf. Hold for 3-5 seconds and repeat 5 times.
5. Gently grab each toe individually and pull directly away from foot to stretch and lengthen the toe. Hold for 3-5 seconds and repeat 5 times.
6. With your thumb, in circular motions, gently rub and apply pressure to the arch of your foot. Continue for 60 seconds.
7. To finish, once again massage the length of your foot 3-5 times.

Broken Bones

Broken bones or fractures in the foot are common due to all the repetitive stress the foot goes through from normal day to day activities. It can also occur from strenuous sport activities or blunt trauma such as an object falling on it. The two types of traumatic fractures are displaced and nondisplaced fractures. If a fracture is displaced that means the two fragments or pieces become separated and are no longer aligned with each other. This makes the healing more difficult and might require surgery to realign them. A nondisplaced fracture usually will heal with just rest and taking weight off the foot. Signs and symptoms of a traumatic fracture include hearing a snap at the time of the injury, pain at the site of the injury, and swelling with bruising. Also, just because you can walk on it doesn't mean its not broken.
Unlike a traumatic fracture, a stress fracture is a tiny hairline fracture usually caused by repetitive stress. It usually affects athletes and runners. Common symptoms are pain after normal activity, pain that goes away after resting, and swelling without bruising. Rest and immobilization is usually enough to treat a stress fracture.
Because of the various types of fractures and correlating symptoms, it is best to have your foot evaluated by a podiatrist if you had a recent injury, to make sure you get the correct treatment.

Tailor's Bunion

A tailor's bunion, also called a bunionette, differs from a regular bunion by its location. It is located on the outside of the foot as opposed to a traditional bunion which is located on the inside of the foot. It is due to either an enlargement of the head of the fifth metatarsal, which is the end of the long bone that attaches to the little toe or due to the fifth metatarsal moving outward towards the side of the shoe. Just as with a regular bunion, this can become painful with shoe rubbing causing redness and swelling.
A bunionette can easily be diagnosed by a podiatrist using x-rays to determine the extent and cause of the deformity. There are a variety of non-surgical treatment options that can be used to treat the condition. These include padding, shoes with a wide toe box, anti-inflammatory oral medications, and corticosteroid injections around the joint. In the case where conservative treatment isn't enough to alleviate the pain and discomfort, the podiatrist will select the appropriate surgical procedure to correct the deformity. Visit your local podiatrist if you have questions or concerns regarding your tailor's bunion.

Giant Hobbled by Heel Pain

Eli Manning, quarterback of the New York Giants, was recently diagnosed with plantar fasciitis. Plantar fasciitis is caused when the thick band of tissue running along the bottom of the foot, the plantar fascia, becomes inflamed. Symptoms include severe stabbing, burning, or aching sensations in the bottom of the foot and/or in the heel. These symptoms usually occur during weight bearing movements but may be present even when just standing. It’s obvious to see how this would cause difficulty for a quarterback to do his job. The QB sought council after he was diagnosed and immediately started treatment. He is hoping to practice with his team on Wednesday but for now his pain and ability to play is being judged day to day.

Being a quarterback for a professional football team is not the only profession where plantar fasciitis can cause problems. Almost any job or activity where frequent walking or standing on hard surfaces can cause this ailment. Pregnancy, obesity, and several other sports tend to make people prone to this injury as well.

Luckily for Eli and anyone who may suffer from plantar fasciitis, there is hope. There are several treatment options offered by podiatrists to correct this problem. Foot and heel pain does not have to be part of everyday life when correct council is available. Treatment can take anywhere from 6 to 18 months. When plantar fasciitis is caught in its early stages the recovery rate is dramatically reduced. Pain in the foot during the first few steps of the day (especially when first getting out of bed) is an early warning to call a podiatrist and get the feet checked out.

Take care of your feet today… so they can continue to take you the places you need to go tomorrow!

Do you have an ingrown toenail?

Are you experiencing pain on the side of your toenail? Is there redness or swelling along with the pain? If so, you might have an ingrown toenail. An ingrown toe nail is a common disorder that occurs when the nail curves down and grows into the skin. The nail can irritate the skin causing pain, redness, and swelling. If an ingrown nail causes a break in the skin, bacteria can develop causing an infection in the area.
Some causes of ingrown toenails are cutting the nails too short or wearing shoes that are too tight. Loose shoes can also contribute to it. It can also occur from trauma or activities that involve repeating pressure on the toes such as kicking or running.
Home treatment is not recommended for an ingrown toenail, especially if the patient is high risk such as a diabetic or has poor circulation. A podiatrist can perform a quick in-office procedure to remove either a portion or the entire nail along with various techniques to remove or destroy the nail root to prevent the problem from recurring.
If you are suffering from an ingrown toenail don't endure it any longer. Call and make an appointment with your local podiatrist to get you pain free.