Extra Weight Can Affect Your Feet

Your feet are the foundation for your body and they often take a beating! On average, feet take 8,000 to 10,000 steps a day and just walking puts the pressure of one and a half times your body weight on your feet. It is even more when running and if you are overweight, your feet are under some serious strain.

The American Podiatric Medical Association warns that our feet are the most vulnerable part of our body for injury. Being overweight increases the risk for injury even further. Dr. Tejas Pandya, foot and ankle specialist in Troy, NY encourages patients if they are gearing up to lose some weight, to keep feet as an important reason to do so.

How can weight hurt your feet?

Adding weights to a workout routine can help build and strengthen muscle but added weight can be detrimental to feet. Muscles, tendons and ligaments can become stretched and weaker. There are many ways that extra weight affects foot and ankle health. Arches can collapse and feet can flatten from the pressure of added weight. This can cause the plantar fascia to be strained. This tendon runs from your heel to your toes and the strain can result in plantar fasciitis and heel pain.

Tendonitis, ankle pain, arthritis and gout are additional foot conditions seen at Dr. Pandya’s podiatric office with patients who are overweight.

What can be done?

For the majority, weight loss is not solved overnight. If you are in the process of losing weight, you can help keep your feet healthy and pain free by selecting supportive footwear. If you have a pronation problem where your ankles lean inward, it can be more severe when overweight. Custom orthotics made for your foot structure can help support your feet and keep them better aligned.

If you have foot or ankle pain due to being overweight, see Dr. Pandya for treatment. Call us today at ((518) 273-0053 or visit our website at www.capitaldistrictpodiatry.com.

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All About Ankle Sprains

Many children are scared of things going bump in the night. When you bump into or trip over something in the night and an ankle sprain occurs, it can definitely be a scary situation.

In reality, an ankle sprain can happen to anyone at any time. It is a common injury and roughly 25,000 people experience a degree of an ankle sprain every day. Dr. Tejas Pandya, foot and ankle specialist in Troy, and Clifton Park, NY treats patients with ankle sprains on a regular basis.

What happens?

When the ligaments of the ankle unnaturally twist and are pushed beyond their limits, a sprain has happened. You might even hear a “popping” sound followed by pain, swelling and bruising. There are levels of severity and they correlate to the level of damage that occurs. The damage also dictates the type of treatment needed and the length of recovery to be expected.

What should you do?

First off, observe the basic first-aid rule of RICE. Rest your ankle, ice the injury, add compression bandages to immobilize the ankle, and elevate your foot. When symptoms do not improve, it is important to see a podiatrist such as Dr. Pandya. Symptoms of a sprain are similar to a broken bone and he can accurately diagnose the degree of injury.

The rehabilitation process is key in gaining back foot and ankle health. Ankle sprains that are not properly treated could lead to chronic problems and pain. An ankle sprain could take weeks to months to fully heal, so you should pace yourself when attempting to get back into regular activity. Keep your ankles strengthened with good warm up before activity, stretching exercises and proper footwear.

Visit our website at www.capitaldistrictpodiatry.com to find more information about ankle injuries and call our office at (518) 273-0053 to schedule an appointment.

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The A, B, C’s of Children’s Foot Care

Taking care of your body when you are young often pays off in many ways as you get older. Wearing sunscreen and limiting exposure keeps your skin youthful and lessens risks of skin cancer. Avoiding smoking keeps lungs clear and healthy and eating well maintains healthy weight and provides the necessary nutrients your body needs.

The same is true for foot health and it often starts in childhood. Since children aren’t always aware, it is important for parents to know how to keep their children’s feet healthy and help them avoid problems later in life.

Walking on toes or having feet turned in (in-toeing) are common in children but if these symptoms persist, it is important to seek treatment. Dr. Tejas Pandya, foot specialist in Troy, NY has treated many children and often something as simple as orthotics can help correct these problems. 

The growth plates in children’s bones actually don’t finish closing until between the ages of 13-17. Because of this, children’s feet are more at risk for injury if there is too much stress put on them. Dr. Pandya advises parents to closely monitor their children’s feet if they are in sports and to limit how many sports are played at one time. Children may not complain of pain if they are really competitive and others may mention the slightest of symptoms. In either case, take note of your children’s activities and seek treatment as soon as anything is noticed.

A couple other important tips are to make sure your children are clipping toenails in a way to avoid ingrown toenails and help them choose good footwear. Their feet are constantly growing so check their foot size often and provide them with supportive shoes for school and for sport.

Contact Dr. Pandya at Capital District Podiatry if your child has any foot needs. Call our podiatric office at (518) 273-0053 or visit our website at www.capitaldistrictpodiatry.com to schedule an appointment.

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Gout: An Unwanted Gift During the Holidays

It is a terrible way to end a great day. After a holiday feast with friends and family, you find yourself suddenly awake in the middle of the night with excruciating pain in your feet. The visitor? Gout.

The basics.

Gout is a form of arthritis that develops when uric acid in your body builds up and causes joints to become inflamed. The big toe, knee and ankle joints are commonly affected. Warmth, redness and throbbing pain will arise and the affected joint will be extremely sensitive to any kind of pressure. There are acute and chronic cases of gout as well. Some may have one attack and be safe from another. Others can have further attacks that take even longer to resolve.

Can I take measures to avoid this problem?

The answer is “Maybe.” Gout can run in families so you may be predisposed and unable to escape an attack at some point. It is more common in men and typically affects women after menopause. People with diabetes, obesity, kidney disease, anemia and leukemia are at a higher risk of experiencing this condition.

Diet is definitely an important factor in regards to prevention. Since the holidays typically offer a buffet of foods, it is important to remind you of the triggers for gout, especially if you suffer with a lack of self-control when it comes to holiday food! Foods rich in purines should be avoided. Sardines, oils, liver, peas, gravies, mushrooms, spinach, asparagus and cauliflower are just a few examples. If you aren’t the cook, ask the host if any of these are in the foods being offered.

Alcohol is another trigger to be aware of. Many holiday parties are flowing with alcoholic beverages but overindulgence in alcohol affects how your body is able to eliminate uric acid. Beer in particular has been found to trigger a gout attack. One or two small servings should be safe but if having an attack, alcohol should be completely avoided.

Dr. Tejas Pandya has helped many patients in the Clifton Park and Troy areas of New York. He can suggest appropriate anti-inflammatory medications, cooling lotions and custom made shoes that can help alleviate symptoms. Visit www.capitaldistrictpodiatry.com for further information.

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