Vim & Vigor - Summer 2014 - Gwinnett Medical Center - (Page 40)

through it. This is especially true, he says, if your spine already curves forward more than normal. High heels also exert pressure on the fat pads under the ball of your foot, causing intense localized pain called metatarsalgia. Stilettos, distinguished by thin, tapering heels, create even greater instability, and can make your foot wobble and cause ankle sprains. THE FIX: Consider platforms, wedges or chunky high heels; they offer height but also, typically, more cushion. Critically, they spread the load and impact of each step across a greater surface area, Rajagopalan says. CULPRIT 2 TIGHT SHOES CULPRIT 1 HIGH HEELS "A normal arch acts as a shock absorber for the entire body," explains Bal Rajagopalan, MD-aka Dr. Raj-a Beverly Hills, Calif., orthopedic surgeon and a medical consultant for ABC News. "Each time you take a step, you're loading up to ﬁve times your body weight onto that foot. A 6-inch heel typically has a 60 percent angle, which not only overloads the forefoot but also deforms the arch and reduces shock absorption and leads to inﬂamed nerves in your toes." It can also shorten the calf muscles, which may cause inﬂammation of the Achilles tendon, resulting in painful tendinitis. Eventually, all this distortion creates structural instability, Rajagopalan says, and can cause compression in the spine, which impinges the nerves running The majority of today's high-fashion footwear is designed with a narrow, pointed proﬁle that doesn't bear much resemblance to the feet most of us were born with. Stufﬁng your feet into an unrealistic contour can make toes curl and cause "pump bumps," knotty bone protrusions on the side of the heel. The repeated friction or pressure of ill-ﬁtting shoes also can lead to corns (raised hard skin), calluses (diffuse patches of hardened skin) and bony enlargements (bunions) on the side of the big toe. THE FIX: Do your feet hurt badly? Get a foot specialist (a podiatrist, a pedorthist or an orthopedic physician) to evaluate them. When deformities like corns and hammertoes become severe, Rajagopalan says, they typically require surgery to repair. You can prevent this by wearing shoes that accommodate a narrower heel and a wide forefoot, or decrease pressure at friction points. TOES AND NOSE Each pair of human feet contains about a half-million sweat glands, so if you lace them up all day in a pair of nonbreathable shoes, they're likely to get sweaty. Sweat causes the bacteria count inside of your shoes to increase, leading to stinky feet. The solution: Wash and dry your feet thoroughly, every day; wear socks made of wool or synthetic fibers designed to wick moisture; and rotate your shoes daily. Besides creating an odor, sweat can also lead to athlete's foot (tinea pedis), a fungus that loves dank places like shoes and locker room shower stalls. It can make your feet itch like crazy. This problem doesn't go away on its own; treat it with an antifungal balm or straight tea tree oil. 40 SU M M E R 2 014

Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of Vim & Vigor - Summer 2014 - Gwinnett Medical Center

Vim & Vigor - Summer 2014 - Gwinnett Medical Center
Contents
Phil’s Feature
3 Ways to Give
Summer Numbers
Stress SOS
The Truth About Sunscreen
The Transformers
Get Your Head in the Game
The Journey Continues
On the Cover
The Foot Follies
Friendly Fat
Virtual Health
PrimeTime Health
Back in the Swing
And the Beat Goes On
Out of the White Coat
Transforming Healthcare

Vim & Vigor - Summer 2014 - Gwinnett Medical Center