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Foot Care Tips (20)
November is the month of the Great American Smokeout and here at Superior Foot & Ankle Care Center we want to alert patients to the fact the quitting smoking can improve foot health. While most people are aware that stopping smoking will greatly reduce the risk of cancer and heart disease, they may not realize the role that smoking plays in other aspects of their health, including their feet.
When you smoke, your blood vessels constrict and your circulation is reduced. Quitting will bring the following benefits:
- Faster healing of foot infections and injuries
- Reduced down time after podiatric surgeries
- Decreased risk of complications accompanying other diseases that affect the feet such as diabetes
- Lower risk of developing peripheral artery disease
Most people who resolve to quit will hit points where the physical or mental craving for a cigarette can be intense. Here are some suggestions from the American Cancer Society on how to tame cravings:
- At least in the beginning avoid being in places where people are smoking. Spend as much of your free time as possible in public places where smoking is prohibited—movie theaters, libraries, malls, church, restaurants and museums.
- Take good care of yourself. Get enough sleep, eat a well balanced diet and drink plenty of water.
- Cut yourself some slack. Smoking is an addiction and it’s natural to feel irritable, depressed, angry or other negative emotions. Plan ahead to have ways to deal with the stress: exercise, a hot bath or shower, positive imaging and mediation.
- Switch from 1 or 2 big meals a day to 4 to 6 small ones. This will help keep your blood sugar up, your energy level balanced and reduce the urge to smoke.
- If you miss the physical aspects of having a cigarette keep oral substitutes handy such as lollipops, carrot or celery sticks or hard candy. Have a pencil, smooth stone or paper clip at the ready to hold in your hand.
- Keep a photo of those you love with you at all times. Look at it when you are tempted to smoke to remind yourself of why you want to reduce your risk of cancer, heart disease and other health problems associated with smoking.
- Phone a friend or a smoking cessation hot line when you need extra support or someone to talk to as you battle.
- Celebrate milestones—one day, one week, one month—that you go without a cigarette.
Quitting smoking isn’t easy but the benefits to your feet (and the rest of your body) are well worth it. If you have questions about other conditions that affect your feet, contact our podiatrists, Dr. Victoria Foley and Dr. Constance Omelas at our Long Beach office by calling: 562-420-9800.
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Are you taking your toes for granted? At Superior Foot & Ankle Care Center we find many patients do. Your toes help you maintain your balance and enable you to push off when your walk. If toes hurt or become deformed it can lead to serious disability. Below are 5 simple exercises that will keep toes flexible and help ease foot pain for conditions such as hammertoe, bunions, toe cramps, plantar fasciitis and more:
- Big Toe Pulls: In a seated position, place feet next to each other and place a thick rubber band around the two big toes. Pull them apart, moving each toe toward the little toes. Hold the position for 5 seconds. Repeat 10 times.
- Put a Cork in It: Take small corks and place them between each of your toes on one foot. Squeeze toes together and hold for 5 seconds. Do 10 repetitions with each foot.
- Marble Pick-Up: Sitting in a chair spread 20 marbles on the floor in front of you. Pick up each marble, one at a time, with the toes of one of your feet and deposit them in a bowl. After you pick up all 20 marbles, spread them back on the floor and pick up with the other foot.
- Towel Curls: While sitting, spread towel on the floor in front of you. Using the toes on both your feet pick up the towel by curling it toward you. Repeat 5 times. Relax toes and rest a few seconds between repetitions.
- Golf Ball Massage: When you’ve finished the above exercises, reward your feet by place a golf ball on the floor and rolling it under each forefoot for 2-3 minutes.
Of course toe exercises are not a cure or solution to chronic foot pain. If you are experiencing discomfort in your feet or toes, make an appointment at our Long Beach office so that our foot doctors, Dr. Victoria Foley and Dr. Constance Omelas can examine your feet and arrive at a correct diagnosis and appropriate treatment for your foot or toe pain. Contact us by calling: 562-420-9800.
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If you’re packing for a summer trip, your feet may not be the first thing on your mind, but at Superior Foot & Ankle Care Center we want to remind patients that if your feet are hurting on vacation, you won’t enjoy yourself. The good news is your feet won’t need their own bag, just a few small items that can have a big impact on comfort, health and safety of your feet. Here’s what to bring:
- Moleskin—it’s a good idea not to bring brand new shoes that you haven’t worn before on a vacation. Chances are you’ll be doing more walking than usual and when you’re away from your closet is not the ideal time to discover that the shoes you brought are uncomfortable. Sometimes, however, even previously comfortable shoes can start to rub if it’s especially hot and your feet are sweaty from the increased activity. Moleskin can save the day. Put a small piece on the part of your foot that is feeling irritated and it will hopefully help you get through the day without a blister. Of course, you should still change your shoes as soon as possible.
- Sunscreen—this is probably already in your travel bag, but make sure you remember to apply it to the tops and bottoms of your feet as frequently as you apply to the rest of your body. Don’t forget to reapply after swimming.
- Emery board and nail clippers—a rough nail can become torn and painful. Keep an emery board with you for filing and bring along your nail clippers too. Remember to clip toenails straight across to help prevent ingrown nails from forming.
- Extra socks—if your feet tend to sweat excessively or you know you’ll be in a warm place where you’ll be doing activities like hiking or sightseeing, change your socks as soon as you feel that your feet are damp. This will help prevent a case of athlete’s foot from becoming your vacation souvenir. Fungal and bacterial infections thrive in dark, damp places.
- Flip flops—use these around the pool or at the beach to prevent feet from coming in contact with fungi in public places. Don’t wear these as your everyday shoes however, or you risk injury and other painful foot conditions such as plantar fasciitis and flat feet.
If you do injure your foot while you are away be sure to seek treatment promptly and follow up by contacting our Long Beach, CA office for an appointment when you return. Our podiatrists, Dr. Victoria Foley and Dr. Constance Ornelas will want to check your foot and be sure that it is healing properly.
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Who doesn’t like showing off one of the season’s newest colors on their toes? Besides, getting a professional pedicure is a relaxing treat. Bacterial and fungal infections, such as athlete’s foot and fungal toenails, however, are not particularly enticing. At Superior Foot & Ankle Care Center we want our patients to be able to enjoy this pampering experience safely and so we have compiled some tips below to help prevent infections.
First, however, it’s important that you inspect your toenails and make sure that you do not currently have any problems. If you have a toenail that is discolored, thick or crumbly, do not attempt to cover it up with nail polish. These may be signs of a fungal infection that requires treatment. If the appearance of one of your nails is concerning you, contact our Long Beach office by calling: (562) 420-9800 and let our podiatrists, Dr. Victoria M. Foley or Dr. Constance Ornelas examine your toenail. Fungal infections will not go away without treatment.
If your nails are all clear and you wish to have a professional pedicure, observe the suggestions here to minimize any risk of fungal or bacterial infections:
- Bring your own nail tools and flip flops. The ideas is to not come in contact with items that have touched other people’s feet. Fungal toenail and bacterial infections are spread by direct contact.
- Look for a license. Reputable salons are licensed by the state, which means they adhere to specific health and sanitary standards. The license should be prominently displayed in the salon.
- Check out the cleanliness of your salon. Foot baths and tools should be cleaned and disinfected after each customer. Nail technicians should wash their hands before starting on a new client and the floors, work stations and rest room should all be clean.
- Refrain from shaving your legs 24 hours before getting a pedicure. Shaving creates tiny cuts in the skin which can allow bacteria to enter. For this reason, if you have any open cuts or blisters on your toes, feet or legs, you should also wait until they have healed before getting a pedicure.
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Did you know that a significant number of foot and ankle conditions are caused or made worse by being overweight? Plantar fasciitis, arthritis, flatfeet, tendonitis and stress fractures all have excess weight as a risk factor. In addition, carrying more pounds than you should can affect your knees, hips and back which can then lead to secondary foot problems due to changes in your gait to compensate for pain in these other parts of your body. Lastly, overweight patients are more likely to develop high blood pressure, heart disease and diabetes—all of which pose serious medical threat to your feet (not to mention the rest of your body). March is National Nutrition Month and here at Superior Foot & Ankle Care Center we would like to offer these tips to improve your diet and attain or maintain a healthy weight:
- Let’s eat in—cooking meals at home puts you at a nutritional advantage. You can control the ingredients and calories in the dishes you prepare. Good food doesn’t have to be complicated. Learn some simple dishes and up the flavor quotient with herbs, spices and citrus fruits instead of fats and creamy sauces. Choose broiling or grilling over frying as your cooking method.
- Portions matter—how much you eat is almost as important as what you eat. Ask your doctor what amount of calories you should be consuming everyday to maintain a healthy weight. Check the serving sizes in the nutrition facts for the foods you eat and adjust to your daily intake if necessary. Try using a smaller plate to automatically scale back on portions.
- Variety is the spice of life—mix up your menus. Be sure to include a colorful array of different fruits and vegetables each week. By doing so, you’ll go a long way toward ensuring that you are getting all the different nutrients you need. Explore food from different cultures.
- Add some action—try to be physically active for some part of every day. This doesn’t mean you have to go to the gym or play on a team. Take the stairs, pull weeds, walk while you talk on the phone in your office—just get moving. This will help burn calories and increase fitness. Exercise can also help fight heart and other disease.
Our podiatrists, Dr. Victoria Foley and Dr. Constance Omelas, believe in a total body approach to good health. If you have questions about your weight and your feet or are experiencing pain or discomfort in your feet currently, contact our Long Beach office for an appointment.
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At Superior Foot & Ankle Care our foot and ankle surgeons, Dr. Victoria Foley and Dr. Constance Omelas, want to be your partners in podiatric care. Being partners means working together to provide you with the best foot health care possible. Your visit to us can be much more fruitful and your treatment faster and more effective if you help us from your end. Here are 5 ways that you can assist us in making sure you get a prompt diagnosis and effective treatment plan:
- Pinpoint the problem. If you are experiencing pain or discomfort in your feet or ankles do a little self-sleuthing to gather as much information as possible. Ask yourself these questions: how would I describe the pain (sharp, aching, dull)? How long have I had this pain? Where exactly on my foot does it hurt? Did the condition come on suddenly or gradually? What increases the discomfort (exercise, cold weather)? Have you ever had this pain before? If yes, what treatments have you had previously? Take notes if it’s easier to remember. The more specifics you can give us the faster and more accurate a diagnosis you are likely to receive.
- Come in when it hurts. If your problem is constant (such as an ingrown toenail or athlete’s foot) or you’ve injured your foot, this tip doesn’t apply. But if you have pain that comes and goes, try to replicate the situations when pain occurs just before your appointment so we can examine you when you have symptoms.
- Don’t forget your shoes. If you know your foot is worse after wearing certain shoes bring them in so we can figure out the correlation. Otherwise, wear or bring the shoes you use most often.
- Follow the treatment plan! This may seem obvious but if you don’t follow our instructions–wearing a brace, staying off your feet, taking medication, going to physical therapy—it will be difficult to know if the diagnosis is correct or if your condition is improving.
- Talk to us. If there are issues after your appointment or you have questions, contact our Long Beach office by calling: 562-420-9800. If the medication is upsetting your stomach, you are confused about something the foot doctor told you to do or you have a new symptom you’re concerned about, we want to hear from you.
Together, we can ensure that your feet stay healthy and take you where you want to go for many years to come.
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