Its that time of the season....

For warmer weather to finally arrive. More and more people will be active this time of the year to be outside and play. One of the biggest concerns that we see is the Weekend Warrior Syndrome. What is that you may ask? Well that is if you have not been active and just get right into an activity that you have not prepared yourself for in years. Example, you used to play basketball as a teenager. Now you are in your 40's and want to play that pickup game again with your friends. You have not stretched or done any physical activity in years. You start that pickup game without stretching or warming up your body. You then make that run at the end of the court, as your teammate dishes off that pass to you and you pivot the wrong way and you hear a pop sound. This actually may have been your Achilles Tendon that had ruptured. And depending on the severity of that rupture, it can take you a full year time frame of recovery to get any better. So please, make sure you are not the typical Weekend Warrior and remember to stretch and slowly progress into activity if you have not done so in a while

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Stretching Exercises

Lets talk a minute on some of the stretching exercises for heel pain. This is one of the most important things that needs to be done on a consistent basis to feel better. We tell our patients that its a lifestyle change. One of our favorite stretching exercises is to take a water bottle, put it in a freezer so you have a frozen water bottle. Now, while you are sitting down, watching TV or reading a book, roll it under your heel and arch area for 10-15 minutes. Try and do this at least twice a day. Another easy exercise is to to have a towel on the floor and practice curling your toes to pick up the towel. Still have that pain first thing in the morning when getting out of bed? Try this one, the towel stretch. The key with this is to make sure that your knees are straight so that you can feel the stretch in your calf muscle. Hold this stretch for 10 seconds and repeat it 5 times. Another one to do as much as you can is the wall stretch. The key with this one is to make sure that both heels are on the ground and your toes are pointing to the wall. Hold this for 10 seconds and repeat it 5 times. Its ALWAYS a good idea to stretch out both calf muscles. What may happen with one side hurting, the other limb gets more pressure with walking and the weight shifts to your other side. This can actually cause foot pain to begin. So start with these to try and help relieve some of that heel pain. Remember, 90% of heel pain can be treated conservatively.
For more information please visit the following website:
http://www.podiatrycarespecialists.com/

Camwalkers

If anyone watched Dancing with the stars they had a quick look at a Cam walker boot on one of the contestants. Cam walkers, depending on the foot and ankle condition, are taking the place of fiber glass casts. They can be used from simple strains and sprains to stable fractured bones in the foot. The pros of the Cam walker boot are that they can be easily removed during the day, not as bulky as a cast, can prevent skin irritation and breakdown, can allow for various increments for range of motion, and a rocker bottom design for easy walking. Some of the cons for the Cam walker boot are compliance with use, and limb length discrepancies. Due to the elevation of one limb, it can cause opposite limb problems such as knee, and low back. This generally can be resolved with a lift in the other shoe. Other uses of Cam Walker Boots include:
Stable fractures of the foot, Achilles Tendon problems, Peroneal tendons, acute ankle sprains, posterior tibial tendinitis, sports injuries, post op courses and more. As always please visit our website for more information
http://www.podiatrycarespecialists.com/

Dancing With the Stars

Wow 3 people were out for Dancing with the Stars. Wondering if it could be foot or ankle related. Remember, having foot pain is not normal. There are a number of different things that can be done to eliminate these problems if you are having them. Be sure to check out: http://www.podiatrycarespecialists.com/ for more info

College basketball

I bet all those Syracuse and U Conn players are dealing with a lot of heel and foot pain after their 6 overtime marathon last night. Luckily for them and other people, there are ways to get rid of their heel and foot pain.