Do you Dogs hurt!!!

Custom Foot Orthotics to protect from injuries

Last week in one of my many trips to the local Costco I noticed a booth setup inside that was selling custom orthotics. While this wasn’t the first time I had seen such a booth, or a company making a similar claim, I was surprised with their claim of fixing foot problems in a matter of minutes and for a fraction of the price. So what makes a “custom” made orthotic from Costco different from one from a podiatrist’s office? To the untrained eye the differences may be undetectable.

For the reader who has been to the podiatrist’s office and has custom-made orthotic,s the answer may be simple. However, for the rest of us there might be a few differences that we aren’t aware of. When your podiatrist makes you a custom pair of orthotics they will begin with a biomechanical exam of the foot and the way you walk. Next, the podiatrist will hold your ankle in a neutral position and apply plaster to get an imprint of your foot. The plaster is one of the most important parts of the whole orthotic process. It’s at this stage that the podiatrist can make subtle adjustments to the orthotic that make it truly custom. Once the plaster has setup, the podiatrist will send the imprint to a lab where the orthotic will be made of a number of different materials depending on what the orthotic is intended for.

You will notice a big difference between the custom made orthotic and the Costco orthotic. Many people take their orthotics out of one pair of shoes and put them in different pairs. This becomes extremely important when a patient puts their orthotics in a pair of running shoes. There are many injuries that can happen to a person by having an ill fitting orthotic or pair of shoes. Most runners complain of getting a deep dark bruise or collection of blood under the toenail. This can occur due to and orthotic that isn’t firm enough to hold the foot in place thus allowing jamming of the toes into the end of the shoe. Blisters also can be a  problem that plagues runners. If you put a Costco insert in a pair of running shoes and the fit isn’t perfect, it can rub on your foot in a funny position and cause blisters.  The next couple problems are a bit more serious. Our tendons are protected by small, thin coverings that are filled with a very fine fluid. The purpose of the covering is to reduce friction. If the orthotic doesn’t do its job properly and the foot is not held in the correct position the covering can become inflamed and painful. Finally some runners have experienced fractures of certain bones in the feet due to abnormal forces on the foot.

So why is it so important to be custom fit? When your podiatrist makes you a custom pair of orthotics they not only custom make them for your feet, but also for the types of shoes that you will be wearing them in.  If the orthotics need a few more adjustments after you get them, your podiatrist can accommodate that. There are many new materials that work well for active people. The materials now days are light, strong, and can handle an active lifestyle. If you are training for a race or starting a new workout routine, listen to your feet.  If you take care of them, they will take care of you!

If you have questions or need to see a physician call our office: 518-273-0053 or visit our website @ : http://www.capitaldistrictpodiatry.com/

Pesky Ingrown Toenails!!!

How to deal with pesky ingrown toenails…

            Liam Neeson  keeps a  very busy schedule. Most of the time we see him on his feet running after a bad guy, or jumping in and out of cars during a suspenseful chase scene in one of his action packed thriller movies. As we sit in a full movie theater, enjoying his work, do  we ever think to ourselves what is one thing that could put a stop to his suspenseful chase quicker than anything? Let me answer that question with another. Who has ever had an ingrown toenail? Anyone who answered yes to that question will know the excruciating pain that can put a stop to almost any situation, even if you are a big time movie star.

            Our toenails provide protection and stability to our toes. How many people think about their nails and the care of their nails during a busy day? Most people never think of them unless they are getting a pedicure. In fact, our nails go unnoticed until the toenail starts to grow into our toes. This is known as an ingrown toenail. Many people are susceptible to ingrown toenails and may not even know it. With all the new fashions in shoes going to the narrow toe and high heel, more and more women are at risk of developing an ingrown toe nail. With the narrowed space in the end of the shoe there is an increased amount of pressure on their toes which can cause the toenails to grow into the skin and cause a lot of pain during the day.

            Women are not the only ones at risk.  More and more men are starting to work out on their lunch breaks or before work. With the increase in activity comes an increased risk of an ingrown toenail. Men need to check their feet regularly. A good time to do so is after the shower. Check the borders and length of the nails to make sure they are not growing into the skin. A long toenail can run into the end of athletic shoes and cause trauma to the nail which can result in an ingrown toenail.

Liam Neeson had such a hard time with  ingrown toenail pain that he started to get pedicures. While getting a pedicure to check for ingrown toenails seems a bit extreme, it is important to check your feet daily. If you are concerned about ingrown toenails, Dr. Pandya, a New York Podiatrist can be of great help.  A podiatrist is a doctor that is specially trained on problems of the feet and how to best correct them. It would be in the best interest of the patient having foot or toenail pain to consult this kind of specialist.  If you are having ingrown toenail pain now or would like to review options about preventing an ingrown toenail call Dr Pandya at (518)-273-0053.  You can visit his webpage at www.capitaldistrictpodiatry.com

MY heel hurts!!! Owie!!!

Benching an NBA Superstar Faster Than Foul Trouble

Tony Parker, Kobe Bryant, and even Shaq have all fallen victim to a condition that is receiving some national spotlight right now. This condition also plagues over 100 million Americans each year. Can you guess what it is? If you were going to say Plantar Fasciitis you would be correct.

    So what is Plantar Fasciitis? Plantar Fasciitis involves the long thick tissue that runs the length of the bottom of the foot. The tissue starts at the heel bone and extends toward the toes. Patients with Plantar Fasciitis will commonly complain of heel pain. Patients generally notice the greatest amount of pain first thing in the morning when they get out of bed. During the night, as we sleep, the thick band of tissue will tighten up and loose its elasticity. We could compare this to an old rubber band that has lost the ability to stretch. As the rubber band is pulled, it requires more and more force. Much like the rubber band, patients will also lose some range of motion when moving their toes toward their shin. This motion pulls on the tissue and is quite painful.  Athletes are highly susceptible to Plantar Fasciitis due to the nature of their activities. People who increase their physical activities too quickly or run, are at an increased risk in developing Plantar Fasciitis. Also, those athletes who carry out the same physical activities day in and day out have an increased risk of stretching and pulling the tissue in the bottom of the foot and acquiring Plantar Fasciitis.

What can be done to help both the athletes and non-athletes alike? A Podiatrist, such as Dr. Pandya, has extensive training and experience when it comes to dealing with the feet. He can help alleviate the symptoms associated with heel pain and Plantar Fasciitis. Dr. Pandya has treated many cases of Plantar Fasciitis, and will be able to assess your individual situation and find a solution that both fits your lifestyle and relieves your heel pain. Don’t continue living with the discomfort of Plantar Fasciitis, Dr. Pandya can be reached at (518)273-0053 or on the web at www.capitaldistrictpodiatry.com .    

Diabetic foot care

The months of August and September hold much anticipation for avid tennis fans. Many fans will venture to the US Open in New York City. Upon arrival, they will file into the Arthur Ashe stadium, find their seat, and wait for great matches to take center stage. Fans will be engulfed in pure tennis enjoyment  with all the excitement of watching the tennis greats such as Federer, Nadal, and Djokovic battle it out in this historic stadium. As a tennis fan, have you ever stopped and thought why the stadium carries the name of Arthur Ashe? Who was he? Besides being a great Tennis player, and the first African-American male to win a grand slam event. Ashe was also heavily involved in the activities of the apartheid in South Africa. Something you probably didn’t know about Arthur Ashe is that he was diabetic.     

Our bodies have the responsibility of breaking down the food that we eat into much smaller units of energy that our cells can use. Insulin is produced in the Pancreas, which aids in the uptake of the energy into our cells so they can use it for their everyday functions. People who have Diabetes can have one of two problems with their insulin. The first problem is a lack of insulin in the Pancreas. People who have Type 1 diabetes don’t make enough insulin for their cells to uptake the units of energy and carry out daily activities. The second type of diabetes deals with the receptors on the cells. The Pancreas makes insulin, but the cells don’t know that the insulin is there due to the lack of receptor. In both types of diabetes the cells can’t get the energy they need and start to break down other tissues in the body for energy.

What risks are associated with diabetes? One major concern that all diabetic people need to keep in mind is foot care. As the cells are starved, diabetic people will start to develop neuropathy. Neuropathy is a term that means loss of sensation in the extremities. Imagine walking all day long with a rock or piece of glass in your shoe and not knowing it was there.  In addition, people with diabetes can have decreased blood circulation to the feet.  This can lead to deep ulcerations that will require treatment from a podiatrist.  Dr.Tejas Pandya, a podiatrist in the New York area is well educated on diabetes and has a great amount of experience in treating diabetic patients.

 Many people don’t realize that they are at risk for ulcers or other foot related problems due to diabetes until it is too late. People need to check their feet frequently for things that look abnormal. Corns, calluses or even blisters can be early warning signs of future foot related problems. If you notice these things on your feet or other abnormalities, give Dr. Pandya a call at (518)-273-0053. Dr. Pandya can also be reached on the web at www.capitaldistrictpodiatry.com . Early detection of diabetic related foot problems is the key to a successful recovery.   

Metatarsal fractures

How many times have you heard a person say they have broken their foot? Have you ever wondered what exactly that means? In the normal foot there are 26 different bones. So when a person says they have a broken foot there are many options as to which bone it could be. In this blog we’ll be discussing the fractures that can happen to the bones of the midfoot known as the metatarsals.

In the news lately, Ben Roethlisberger was reported as having a fracture on the 5^th metatarsal. The 5^th metatarsal is located on the outside portion of the foot. If a patient had a metatarsal fraction and went to see a podiatrist, the podiatrist would first determine the severity and type of the fracture. The 5^th metatarsal is a common place for stress fractures to occur. If the patient has a stress fracture, they will complain of aching in the outside portion of the foot. This type of fracture can result from repeated use such as athletics, work, or other hobbies. Your podiatrist can treat this condition and resolve the associated daily discomfort.

Another type of fracture that a patient may experience on the 5^th metatarsal is known as a Jones fracture. In this type of fracture, the bone is broken just past the head and neck portion as seen in this radiograph. This type of fracture is more painful than other types due to the pulling of the muscles and tendons on the broken bones. As for treatment, your podiatrist will need to determine the age, activity level, and needs of the patient when treating this situation. Treatments may be surgical, non- surgical, weight bearing, or non- weight bearing.  Metatarsal fractures can affect many different types of people: pro athletes, runners, or people who are doing repetitive movements every day. If you are suffering from foot pain, or other problems dealing with the feet Dr. Pandya can be reached at his office by dialing (518) 273-0053 or on the web at www.capitaldistrictpodiatry.com.

Healing your foot pain with blood therapy

Platelet-rich plasma (PRP) therapy is a relatively new technique that is being used in the treatment of musculoskeletal injuries. PRP promotes and stimulates a more complete revascularization due to connective tissue. This in turn produces a gradient through which the epithelial cells can migrate and start the healing process.

So how does the therapy work? In our blood, we have red blood cells, white blood cells, and platelets. Doctors will take a small amount, about 30 ml, and put it in a centrifuge. The blood is then spun until the different parts of the blood are separated out. The doctor will then remove the platelets that have risen to the top and inject them into the injury site. Once the platelets are injected, they release growth factors that aid in the healing of injured tissues. PRP therapy has been receiving some news in the media lately due to its use in professional sports. If you watched the 2008 US Open held at Torrey Pines, you would have seen Tiger Woods limping around the golf course with a badly-injured knee. After that tournament, Tiger underwent PRP therapy to help with the healing process of his surgically-repaired knee. The use of PRP therapy is also seen in other sports as well. For example, Hines Ward and Troy Polamalu allegedly received PRP therapy before last year’s Super Bowl.   

PRP therapy isn’t just for the professional athlete. Many patients are receiving PRP therapy for torn tendons, muscles, and ligaments. Lately in the press, PRP therapy and HGH have been confused. HGH is considered to be a performance- enhancing substance, which PRP is not. PRP therapy isn’t to be confused with Human Growth Hormone (HGH).  PRP therapy is a newer technique that can greatly aid in the healing and recovery of injuries.

If you are suffering from foot pain associated with an injury, Dr. Pandya can help and may possibly be able to use this therapy.  If you would like to visit his webpage, he can be found on the Internet at www.capitaldistrictpodiatry.com.

Big Bump on My foot

What is that bump on the side of your foot? How many times have you been out in public and seen a person with a big toe that points inward toward the other toes? Have you ever wondered what that is or what the cause of something like that could be? In our feet, there are joints where the bones come together. In a normal foot without a bunion, the bones fit together nicely with smooth cartliage in between the bones. In a person with a bunion, that “bump” on the side of the foot, the bones no longer line up correctly, and the cartliage is no longer smooth. The most common location for a bunion is at the base of the big toe. You may have heard your podiatrist, Dr. Pandya, refer to this joint as the metatarsalphalageal joint. Who is at risk to develop a bunion? Generally, those who have a family history of bunions will have the greatest risk of developing a bunion. Also, patients with flat feet, excessively flexible tendons and ligaments, or abnormal bone structure may also have an increased risk of a bunion.                                                  

            So what can you do to relieve bunion pain? In reality, there are some good options that your podiatrist, Dr. Pandya, can offer to alleviate bunion pain. conservatively, bunions can be treated with a change in shoes. If a change in shoes isn’t really an option for the patient, orthotics can be prescribed to correct the biomechanical deformity. Rest, ice, and medication are also good ideas; however, these options really just treat the symptoms of the bunion instead of the underlying problem, which is the bone deformity.

Your podiatrist, Dr. Pandya, can operate on your bunion to correct it and alleviate the everyday pain associated with it. Bunions are a growing epidemic due to the busy lifestyle and poor shoe choices that many Americans face everyday. If you are suffering from a bunion, or any type of foot pain, your local podiatrist, Dr. Pandya, will be able to assess the problem and find a solution to best suit you. If you are struggling with bunion pain, you can get in contact with Dr. Pandya and his practice at (518)-273-0053, or you can reach his webpage at www.capitaldistrictpodiatry.com.