The Chester County Hospital Diabetes Day

Dr's Brad Jacobs and Chad Friedman from Podiatry Care Specialists, PC (with offices in West Chester, PA and Newtown Square, PA) were excited to attend Diabetes Day. It was the 16th Annual Diabetes Day, which was sponsored by The Chester County Hospital. This years location was at the Universal Technical Institute in Exton, PA. It was great for people with and without Diabetes to learn more about the condition and to help manage it.

We got a lot of interesting questions at our booth ranging from diabetic foot care to diabetic shoes. We talked about the differences of Diabetic shoes and regular shoes and the benefits of them. We also discussed what we have to offer to help with Diabetic Neuropathy. We got to meet other vendors while we were there which is a great team way to help and manage people with their Diabetes.

We were thankful to be there and hope to be there again next year. For more information on Diabetes and your feet please visit our web page.

http://www.podiatrycarespecialists.com/

Hershey's Mill in West Chester PA

Podiatry Care Specialists in West Chester, PA and Newtown Square PA, were happy to join the 1st Annual Health Fair at Hershey's Mill. The Senior Helpers of Chester County ran this spectacular event. Dr Theodore Mushlin, Dr Alexandra Grulke, and Fay Mushlin, Practice Administrator, attended the event to help spread the word about Podiatric foot care. In addition, Mark Fallecker from Aetrex Shoes, brought in the iStep Scanner (Please see previous blog on this) to scan the feet of the residents at Hershey's Mill. Some other attendees at this event were Genuardi's, (located on Boot Road in West Chester, PA), offering flu shots and giving out food, and Bayada nurses checking blood pressure and talking to the residents. It was a wonderful opportunity for the residents and very well attended.

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Toning Shoes...Fad or Bad?

There has been an increase lately in the number of shoe companies that are producing these toning shoes. Some of the common ones that are out are the Skechers Shapeups, Reebok EasyTone, New Balance and the MBT's. There are also making these in sandals now. These shoes are claiming to help solve knee and back problems, tone your legs, relieve tension in the neck and ease joint pain. What are all the thoughts on this? Since some of these products are fairly new, we dont have long term studies on them. Once more long term data is out on these we will get a better idea on how these products work over the long term.

I would not recommend these shoes/sneakers to run in. I am going to post a link to a study that was done on them. A team of exercise scientists from the Exercise and Health Program at the University of Wisconsin had studied the 3 shoes above.  They evaluated muscle activation in the toning shoes vs a New Balance Running shoe as well as exercise responses.

For the exercise response the researchers had 12 patients complete 12, 5-minute exercises on a treadmill that with different speeds and gradients(inclines) with the toning shoes and a running sneaker.  For the muscle activation response, 12 patients rotated shoes at random while having electrodes tied to different muscles on the body while doing similar exercises on the treadmill.

The results showed that none of the toning shoes showed a statistically significant increase in exercise response or muscle activation on the treadmill.

As of now, I think there needs to be even more research on these toning shoes. I like how this study was performed and how it showed that there was no difference in muscle activation or exercise response on a treadmill.

Here is the link for further reading.

http://www.acefitness.org/getfit/studies/toningshoes072010.pdf

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Exercise With Care

Recently as I have been going to the gym for a workout, or walking outside, I cant help to notice ones footgear. Whats amazing is what I see people wearing when running on the treadmill or using the elliptical. I see different forms of footwear ranging from what should be used, sneakers to things one doesn't want to wear in loafers, shoes, sandals and flats.  Its very important when exercising and going for walks or runs to have your foot supported and have good shock absorption.  You will not be able to get this with loafers, shoes, or sandals. You should always be in a good supportive sneaker when you are very active at the gym. You will not be as fatigued and you can prevent less problems with your feet!

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How we can check your sensation

If blood sugars are high over long periods of time, it can disrupt the function of the nerves. One may lose feeling in their hands and feet. This may cause a tingling sensation in these areas. At worse it can be very painful and keep people up at night. One initial test that we can begin with is with a small object called a Semmes-Weinstein. It is used for early detection of peripheral neuropathy in patients with Diabetes. Its a noninvasive and a NON-PAINFUL test. There are areas we press on the skin with this monofilament to check if a patient can feel it or not. The areas an red in the picture are common areas we will check on the feet. If they are unable to feel it this may be an early sign of neuropathy or loss of sensation. It is important to check because if you are unable to feel the bottom of your feet, you may be more susceptible to stepping on something you are unaware of or developing a skin ulcer that you cannot feel and become infected. As always it is very important to see your Podiatrist for a daily check on your feet if you are diabetic.  For more information please visit our website:

Chad Friedman, DPM

http://www.podiatrycarespecialists.com/

Checking your feet

If you are Diabetic, or even Borderline Diabetic, it is very important to check your feet regularly during the day. Its also important to check inside of the shoes/sneakers you wear for any foreign objects in there. Its important to check them midday and at night before you go to bed. If this is difficult to inspect the bottom of your feet, use a mirror to look at the bottom. Things you want to be on the look out for are any new cuts, red areas, rough areas, cracks, and fissures. Even though they might not be a problem or cause pain, they are potential areas that can lead to this. Its a good idea to get a baseline look at your feet form a Podiatrist to educate you on things that can be done to prevent ulcers or amputations from happening. Please visit our webpage for more information or call for an appointment.

Chad Friedman, DPM

Ingrown Nails

Are you suffering from a painful ingrown nail? The best treatment that you can do is see your Podiatrist right away. NEVER use over the counter products as this can make your nail more infected and painful. Early treatment that one can do is soak the toe that is painful in warm water with Epsom Salt ( 1 tbs. Epsom salt to 1 quart of warm water) for 15 minutes. After this apply an antiobiotic cream such as Polysporin with a bandaid. Typically the earlier you seek treatment for this painful condition the easier it may be to remove the offending nail border and not have to be on oral antibiotics. A lot of times people will get immediate relief once the corner of the nail is removed.

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By, Chad J. Friedman, DPM

Barefoot Running Part 2

We briefly mentioned last week about the potential hazards and dangers of barefoot running. I thought that I would just add a few more interesting things about it. A study published in The Journal of Sports Medicine and Physical Fitness said that barefoot runners had less impact than runners in shoes. On the flip side to this, there has been no documented studies that show running with sneakers can cause foot problems or lead you to an injury. But if you can think about some of the stuff that I had posted last wee I will not recommmend doing it.  This is because it can lead to stepping on something, lacerations, increase in pain, and blisters just to mention a few.

Happy Running/Walking, but of course with sneakers on :)

Chad J. Friedman, DPM

http://www.podiatrycarespecialists.com/

Barefoot Running

There has been a lot of talk in the literature recently on barefoot running. In fact there was even a book written on the topic (Born to Run). Its going to be something that many people will begin to try or continue to do. For me, I will not be recommending it. Some of the reasons for this is the risk of stepping on something, contusions, sprains, strains, and possible fractures. Depending on your foot type, the foot should be constantly supported through all phases of gait. If not, it can cause other muscles to compensate for other muscles and lead to tendon problems or other stresses in the feet. The feet need good support to support the rest of the body. Think about this as well; could you imagine running on a track, concrete, or gravel barefoot? Imagine this even on a hot sunny day. Your feet would burn and increase your chance of developing blisters. And of course this would never be good in a diabetic or someone who has developed neuropathy of their feet(loss of sensation). We will continue to update you on more information that will come out with the topic, but for the time being it is something that I will not recommend.


Happy Running/Walking, but of course with sneakers on :)
Chad J Friedman, DPM

http://www.podiatrycarespecialists.com/

Happy New Year

Podiatry Care Specialists, would like to wish everyone a Happy and Healthy New year!

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