Items filtered by date: May 2013

Last week was National Neuropathy Awareness Week across the United States, where one in 15 people are affected by peripheral neuropathy. In diabetes, which is the leading cause of peripheral neuropathy, damage occurs in what is called in a “stocking & glove distribution”. This means that nerve problems in diabetes begin in the feet, and subsequently affect the haTake Note of Neuropathy in Your Feetnds. In those with diabetes and neuropathy, good foot care is imperative maintaining foot function and avoiding wound and foot deformity development.

The best way to avoid and control the development of peripheral neuropathy, along with the many other health consequences associated with diabetes, is to control blood sugar. When blood glucose levels remain high, glucose is metabolized into substances called sorbitol and advanced glycation end products (AGEs). In nerves, sorbitol causes an increased amount of water to accumulate, resulting in swelling of the nerve. When AGEs accumulate in nerves, they are believed to cause the nerve to stiffen and be unable to glide and stretch as needed across joints. The combination of stiffening and swelling results in the nerve being compressed by surrounding tissue. With compression, blood supply is decreased and the symptoms of peripheral neuropathy begin. Early symptoms commonly felt include tingling, burning and numbness in the feet. These symptoms are often worse at night and may be severe enough to disrupt sleep.

With time and worsening of the neuropathy, the myelin sheath that surrounds the nerve and helps it to relay information about sensation and muscle movement decreases. This results in the loss of sensation in the feet that is extremely dangerous in individuals with diabetes. With sensation loss, the ability to protect feet from painful stimuli is lost, as well as the proprioceptive information that helps maintain balance. For this reason, regular checkups with your podiatrist are critical, as well as daily self-foot exams. Feet should be monitored for any cuts, abrasions, swelling redness, or changes in foot structure. Proper shoe fit is very important in individuals with sensory loss to avoid areas of repetitive irritation that could develop into an ulcer.

Please visit www.ColumbusFoot.com for more tips for healthier and happier feet or call 614-885-3338 (FEET) to schedule an appointment with a podiatrist in Columbus, Ohio. Columbus Podiatry & Surgery is located on the North side of Columbus, Ohio near Worthington.

Columbus Podiatry & Surgery has opened a new location in Gahanna, near Easton. Please call 614-476-3338 (FEET) for an appointment with a podiatrist in Gahanna, OH today.

Active moms around Ohio celebrated Mother’s Day in their own way this past Sunday. Some moms chose to spend the day on their feet at events like the Greater Columbus Ladies Only 5K Run in Grove City, Ohio. Other moms went for a bit more pampering for their toes, with spa treatments or kicking their heels up on the couch!

While pedicures are always a popular gift, there are many varieties of foot and ankle pampering to choose from. It is always important to be careful when visiting even a highly regarded nail salon. Be sure to ask that the foot bath has been disinfected in between each use. Bacteria grow in the moist areas of an improperly cleaned foot bath. It is also for this reason that pedicures should be avoided if an individual has any cuts or scrapes on their feet or legs. Even a small nick from shaving can be enough for bacteria to enter the body and cause serious infection. Nails should be squared in shape rather than rounded to prevent the development of painful ingrown toenails. Ingrown nails develop with curved nails that begin to grow out and dig into the skin folds in front of the nail, causing pain and irritation. In some cases, ingrown nails can also become infected. For those with a fungal toenail infection, the pedicurist may be able to help restore nails to a more normal thickness, but polishing fungal nails may do more harm than good. By painting fungal toenails (unless it is an antifungal nail polish!), the fungus is trapped under the polish and can flourish in the warm dark environment. One gift for moms with fungal toenails would be to treat them to a session of the PinPoint Foot Laser that is a painless therapy to effectively clear up fungal nails.

For active moms, who may have been gifted athletic shoe store gift cards or race entries, foot health should be a major consideration when using these gifts. Whether entering a race or trying a new shoe style, moderation is imperative. If the gift card is to be used towards new barefoot style of running shoes, mileage should initially be kept very low in the shoes to give the foot time to adjust. It is also crucial that moms and anyone else interested in trying out barefoot running educates themselves on the proper form required when wearing the “barefoot” or “minimalist” style of sneakers. Overtraining initially with improper form can easily lead to the development of foot injuries including stress fractures and tendonitis.

Regardless of how you chose to show your appreciation for mom, hopefully it involved giving her the day to relax and take care of her feet in any way she chose!

Please visit www.ColumbusFoot.com for more tips for healthier and happier feet or call 614-885-3338 (FEET) to schedule an appointment with a podiatrist in Columbus, Ohio. Columbus Podiatry & Surgery is located on the North side of Columbus, Ohio near Worthington.

Columbus Podiatry & Surgery has opened a new location in Gahanna, near Easton. Please call 614-476-3338 (FEET) for an appointment with a podiatrist in Gahanna, OH today.

Nurses should be celebrated year round for their contributions to the health and well-being of patients, and this week Nurses Week has health care centers acknowledging those contributions. In the care of foot and ankle conditions, nurses often play a huge role in following through with treatment plans. Many patients with chronic wounds or ulcers on their feet require the assistance of a home nurse to aid in dressing changes and care in the interval between visits to the podiatrist.

The first goal in the treatment of a chronic wound is to identify the cause of the wound’s inability to heal. There are three phases of healing that all wounds must go as they close: the inflammatory, proliferative and remodeling phase. In these phases bacteria and dead tissue are first cleared from the wound, then skin cells and blood supply are restored, and finally strength is developed in the healing tissue. When one of the components needed to proceed through of any of these phases is lacking, healing becomes stalled. Infection, poor blood flow, excessive pressure and poor nutrition are a few of the major factors that can cause impaired healing. Infection is treated with antibiotics and physically removing the infection from the wound by debridement. Poor blood supply often requires a visit to a vascular specialist who can “unclog” or “reroute” blood flow so that it may reach the wound area. Poor blood return, or venous insufficiency, is most often treated with pressure dressings that will stop blood from pooling in the legs. Pressure must be addressed by offloading a wound with padding, and often special shoe gear. In individuals with diabetes, excessive pressure that occurs when there is neuropathy, or lack of sensation, causes a higher risk of wound development and difficulty healing.

Dressing a wound contributes to the healing process by aiding in the removal of the harmful factors that impair healing, activating healing and adding cells and molecules that will improve healing. The ideal moist wound environment will promote skin and blood vessel cell growth, promote the removal of bacteria and dead tissue by cells in the body and impede the development of further dead and unhealthy tissue. Dressings will also protect the wound from trauma and bacteria. In a wound in which there is an excessive amount of drainage, frequent dressing changes are necessary to attain the ideal healing environment. Nurses and home health aides play a key role in assisting patients at home in applying dressings as needed between visits to their podiatrist.

Please visit www.ColumbusFoot.com for more tips for healthier and happier feet or call 614-885-3338 (FEET) to schedule an appointment with a podiatrist in Columbus, Ohio. Columbus Podiatry & Surgery is located on the North side of Columbus, Ohio near Worthington.

Columbus Podiatry & Surgery has opened a new location in Gahanna, near Easton. Please call 614-476-3338 (FEET) for an appointment with a podiatrist in Gahanna, OH today.

Beginning at the end of March, the Center for Disease Control released its second set of “in your face” style of ads highlighting the terrifying consequences of smoking cigarettes. The ads running throughout April and May show people whose lives have been personally affected by smoking. One individual prominently featured in the ads, a former smoker named Bill, unfortunately was forced to undergo a below knee amputation after the combination of smoking and diabetes caused severe disease in his lower extremity. Smoking has a huge impact in the health of the foot and ankle, much like it does elsewhere in the body.

Smoking releases a molecule known as norepinephrine, which triggers blood vessels to constrict, or narrow. When the already small vessels in the foot constrict, oxygen and the cells that fight infection and aid in healing are unable to reach tissues. Each cigarette smoked has been shown to cause oxygen levels to fall and remain low for 30 to 50 minutes. This is of great concern in those with a foot wound or incision after surgery, in which blood flow and oxygen are vital to skin healing.

Each cigarette contains more than 4,000 chemicals. Some of these chemicals include carbon monoxide, methanol (which is found in rocket fuel), ammonia, and nicotine. Nicotine has been shown to decrease the molecules that are responsible for growth of new blood vessels and development of osteoblasts, or bone building cells. Carbon monoxide further contributes to the decrease in tissue oxygen caused by vessel constriction, by taking oxygen away from the molecule it is normally transported in in the blood. It is for these reasons that quitting smoking is imperative for individuals with foot problems. Studies have shown that there is a 2.7 times higher risk of bone not healing in smokers compared to non-smokers undergoing foot surgery. Prior to foot surgery involving bone, smoking should be stopped at least 6 weeks prior to the procedure if possible.

In individuals with diabetes or other disorders affecting their blood vessels, smoking is even more dangerous. Pressure ulcers develop when sensation is diminished and the normal feeling of pain associated with a wound is not present. Tissue healing is impaired and there is a heightened risk of infection developing. Combined with smoking, such risks are furthered increased. Individuals with diabetes who notice a foot wound, whether they are smokers or not, should contact their podiatrist immediately. Early treatment can prevent infection and worsening of the wound that can potentially lead to a need for amputation. Bill’s story in the smoking ads is a scary one, but by sharing it he may be able to prevent others from suffering a similar fate of amputation.

Please visit www.ColumbusFoot.com for more information or call 614-885-3338 (FEET) to schedule an appointment with a podiatrist in Columbus, Ohio. Columbus Podiatry & Surgery is located on the North side of Columbus, Ohio near Worthington.

Columbus Podiatry & Surgery has opened a new location in Gahanna, near Easton. Please call 614-476-3338 (FEET) for an appointment with a podiatrist in Gahanna, OH today.