How Do Flat Feet Affect Your Body?

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As a podiatry practice, we know that your feet are the foundation of your overall well being. Lacking a healthy arch can have an impact on many areas of your body, literally from head to toe. Flat footedness is exactly what it sounds like. Mayo Clinic defines this chronic condition: “You have flat feet when the arches on the inside of your feet are flattened, allowing the entire soles of your feet to touch the floor when you stand up.” Being flat-footed may not cause you immediate issues—in fact, you may not even notice the change in your arches—but this disorder can seriously disrupt your body’s alignment. Austin foot doctor, Jeffery LaMour, strives to educate our patients about their podiatric health so they can take better care of their feet. Read on to learn how flat feet affect your body.

How to Tell if You Have Flat Feet

It may be difficult to tell for yourself if your arch has flattened, so it’s best to come and see Dr. LaMour if you suspect you suffer from this condition. However, Foot Smart offers a few tips to determine the state of your pads. If you “feel discomfort/pain in your feet and ankles…[or] feel uncomfortable walking or standing for long periods of time,” these could be symptoms of flat-footedness. In addition, if your “foot turn[s] outward at your ankle” or your “posture [is] strained, especially in your hips and lower back,” these could be outward indicators.

You can also “do this simple test on yourself: Get your feet wet. Stand normally on a flat surface where you can see the imprint of your feet, such as a sidewalk. Step away from your imprints and look at the wet marks.” The “inside curve of your foot” should be “missing,” since, if your feet are appropriately aligned, it would be elevated off of the ground. If you don’t notice a dry portion in your imprint, you should most definitely contact us for an appointment with Dr. LaMour.

Common Causes

There are many possible sources of flat-footedness. Of course, it is “normal in infants and toddlers, because the foot’s arch hasn’t yet developed,” explains Mayo Clinic. Certain abnormalities can lead the arches never to develop fully. In addition, Foot Smart notes that “weakened muscles in the foot, ankles, and lower leg from aging or weight gain” can flatten the foot, as can “standing or walking for long periods of time” in uncomfortable shoes “without proper arch support.” NHS also warns that you may have flat feet if you notice your” shoes…wear out quickly,” since “the feet rolling inwards to much (overpronation)” is associated with flat-footedness.

Also, failing to properly treat podiatric issues such as ankle sprains or fractures can cause long-term damage and result in flat-footedness. This is why it is particularly important to seek medical attention if you injure your feet or notice irregularities.

A rare but relevant form, called “tibialis posterior tendonitis,” is an adult-acquired flatfoot” that progresses due to swelling or tears in the arch, and typically causes greater discomfort than normal flat-footedness.

The Wide-Ranging Repercussions

Foot Smart describes the holistic effect of flat feet: “Because your feet help support your entire body, having strong arches is important to your body’s health. When those tendons and ligaments weaken, your arch collapses…with a fallen arch, your tendons and ligaments weaken and cause intense pain throughout your feet, ankles, and lower leg muscles,” as well as creating “a weakened posture and discomfort through your hips and lower back.” Improper posture can also cause head and neck problems over time.

In fact, in her Daily Mail article on the subject, Jenny Hudson reports: “many thousands…suffer headaches and other problems as a result of the effect that flat feet have on your posture…poor posture is linked to approximately one in four severe headaches” Furthermore, flat-footedness and its associated symptoms can worsen every time you walk, run, dance, or put any pressure on your fallen arches. Due to its ripple effect throughout your body, flat feet could affect any area.

Treatment Options

If you’re dealing with flat feet, Dr. LaMour will examine your arches, consider your general condition, and devise a customized treatment plan to help you. This could include simpler remedies such as wearing supportive tape or braces, putting orthotics in your shoes, doing physical therapy, or taking anti-inflammatory drugs. In severe cases, caused by bone or tendon damage, surgery may become necessary.

Do You Have Flat Feet?

The sooner you seek treatment for flat-footedness, the better, as it will be easier to address, and help you avoid the far-reaching effects of this condition. Dr. LaMour is here to help you take charge of your foot health and maintain a healthy arch. Contact our podiatric practice today to schedule an appointment and find out more about your feet.

 

Holiday Heels and Heel Pain

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With the holiday season in full swing, there’s a lot to look forward to: special sugar cookies, brightly decorated trees, beautifully wrapped gifts, and cheer-filled events. The holidays are a great time to bust our your favorite sparkly dresses, and elegant coats. However, your cute, seasonal holiday high heels could put a damper on the festivities if they hurt your heels. Austin foot doctor, Jeffery LaMour, has made it his mission to help our patients enjoy the holidays without wrecking their feet. Our podiatry practice believes you don’t have to sacrifice your joyful holiday fashion for healthy, comfortable feet. In the following blog, we explain what to avoid in your seasonal shoes and our recommendations for better options.

The Science Behind Heel Pain

Every person’s feet are different, but there are a few key factors that could impact whether or not you suffer from heel pain after a night with your favorite stilettos. These include:

  • Sizing. You may be tempted to take advantage of year-end shoe sales, but if you end up purchasing heels that are too large or too small, you’re only making the problem worse. It’s better to sacrifice a shoe deal than have your feet wobble or be constricted all night. Remember that different brands can vary in their sizes, and it’s important to measure your feet every few years to get an update on your actual size.
  • Understanding your unique feet. Some have wider or narrower feet, while others suffer from calluses or bunions that could interfere with your heels. Style Caster’s Meghan Blalock writes: “a podiatrist would be the best way to know your foot type and what’s going on.” However, if you can’t come to our office right away, she recommends this technique: “Wet your foot and step onto a piece of construction paper. When you make an impression, it will show you how much your foot is flattening or how high of an arch you have. You can look at a person’s foot type and see why they are having pain.”
  • Stability. Sometimes, the most fashionable shoes are barely there at all. Thin little stilettos may be attractive, but they provide little to no support for your feet, virtually guaranteeing heel pain. The less shoe material there is, the more pressure it puts on your unprotected feet. Blalock advises: “the thicker the heel, the better…avoid thin soles, opting instead for a platform…[and] try a shoe with more coverage up top.”
  •  Your heel-wearing activities. What you do after you strap on your stilettos also has a bearing on your heel pain. In an article for Shape, Illinois podiatrist, Megan Leahy, notes: “If you have a choice between standing on a rug or standing on a wood floor, go for the softer surface. Standing on a rug is like having a cushion in your shoe.” If you plan to be standing or walking most of the night, you’d do well to go with a more sensible shoe. In addition, Blalock urges: “take breaks. Kick your shoes off throughout the day and stretch your ankles and toes.”

Paying attention to these elements can help you prevent your holiday heel pain.

Our Pro-Podiatric Picks

Some people say: “beauty is pain.” Dr. LaMour and our team couldn’t disagree more! It’s hard to have a good time when your heels are hurting, and healthy feet are gorgeous. Fortunately, there are many foot-friendly fashions available today. A few of our selections include:

  • Dr. Joan Oloff’s shoe brand. According to ABC News, Dr. Joan Oloff is “a California podiatrist and shoe designer who decided to rethink the structure of her shoes.” While regular heels concentrate your body weight and pressure on certain areas, Dr. Oloff explains: “In my heels, your weight is evenly distributed throughout the foot. So because your entire foot is sharing that load, you don’t fatigue, the muscles don’t fatigue.” Becky Worley at ABC describes Dr. Oloff’s pumps as “beautiful and comfy.”
  • Worley also recommend shoes “from another podiatrist, Marion Parke…designed with intricate buckles and rich suede…exceedingly comfortable for the level of couture they provided.”
  • For a less expensive option, Worley writes highly of “Corso Como 4-inch heels: more reasonably priced in the $100 range and very comfortable…[a] favorite among the corporate dress crowd.”
  • In her TODAY article “Hip, hip, hooray for high heels that don’t hurt,” Charla Krupp names “BEST STILETTO. Kate Spade ‘Karolina,’ $250…[a] four-inch stiletto” that is “so comfy that one of our testers didn’t want to take them off, let alone give them back!” This shoe is also a multipurpose dress shoe dazzler, in “black patent leather” with “rounded toes.”
  • Julie Lopez Shoes. Good News Network reports on this brand, designed for women with bunions, but “a comfortable, fashionable heel for all women!…Hand crafted in Italy…[these heels] are wider in the fore-foot but still look great.” They’re also complete with “tiny slits in the sides that offer a bit of expansion that [Lopez] called Flex Innovation Technology.”

Dr. LaMour can offer further recommendations at your next appointment.

In addition, we can custom-make orthotics to make your heels that much more optimal. These personalized podiatric inserts fill the gaps in your heels and support your feet to help prevent pain.

Your Foot Doctor is Here to Help

With our expert assistance, you don’t have to deal with a “heel hangover” after your holiday events. For more advice and podiatric care, contact our office today. We look forward to scheduling your next appointment.

Top 4 Causes of Ankle Pain

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Our ankles are one of the most sensitive areas of our bodies. Most people have probably experienced ankle pain at least once in their lives. It isn’t always easy to identify exactly what’s causing that sharp sting or dull ache in your ankle, however. That’s where your Austin foot and ankle doctor, Jeffery LaMour, comes in. Our experienced, knowledgeable team is happy to help you diagnose and treat any podiatric issue so you can enjoy healthy feet. In this week’s blog, we cover the top four causes of ankle pain, so you can prevent, spot, and treat them.

1. Achilles Tendon Conditions

In the Greek legend, a man named Achilles was completely invulnerable, except for a single spot on his heel. Many modern Americans deal with the same difficult area. The so-called “Achilles tendon” spans from the bottom of he heel up through the calf. Disorders having to due with this tissue often cause ankle pain. Athletes sometimes struggle with Achilles tendinitis, damage and aching due to overuse. A more advanced version of this injury is Achilles tendon rupture. According to Mayo Clinic, this occurs when the “strong fibrous cord that connects the muscles in the back of your calf to your heel bone” tears, or ruptures, “completely or just partially.” Ankle pain is a symptom of both conditions, as well as other injuries relating to the Achilles tendon.

2. Fracture

The ankle is the meeting place of three major bones: the talus, tibia, and fibula. If any one of these breaks, you may experience ankle pain. More severe fractures may be obvious, but if you’re suffering from persistent discomfort and can’t figure out why, you may have a smaller, hairline break in one of these bones around your ankle.

3. Arthritis

Although there are many kinds of arthritis, the vast majority of them can cause ankle pain. The Arthritis Foundation explains: “actually, ‘arthritis’ is not a single disease; it is an informal way of referring to joint pain or joint disease,” and notes: “more than 50 million adults and 300,000 children have some type of arthritis,” making it quite common, regrettably. Since the ankle is a crucial, and often especially sensitive, joint, it is often affected by arthritic conditions. Ankle pain could be a sign that this joint has begun to break down, swell, become infected, or suffer from some other sort of disorder.

4. Sprain

WebMD reports: “Every day in the U.S., 25,000 people sprain their ankle.” This type of injury is so common that patients tend to label virtually any kind of ankle pain a “sprain,” but it does have a more specific, exact definition. Mayo Clinic defines it: “a sprained ankle is an injury that occurs when you roll, twist, or turn your ankle in an awkward way. This can stretch or tear the tougher bands of tissue (ligaments) that help hold your ankle bones together.” Chances are, if you’re dealing with ankle pain, you’ve suffered a sprain. However, since the ankle is a delicate joint and there are many potential causes, it’s important to get it checked out by a foot and ankle doctor like Jeffery LaMour. In addition, a simple sprain could lead to further complications if not appropriately addressed.

Dr. LaMour Can Assist with Your Ankles

Of course, it’s possible that the cause of your particular ankle pain isn’t on this list. If you’re experiencing discomfort at this joint, we strongly recommend you come in for an appointment at our Austin practice. Dr. LaMour will conduct a thorough examination of your ankle, perform any necessary diagnostic tests, pinpoint the source of your discomfort, and provide a customized treatment plan designed just for you.

Do You Suffer from Ankle Pain?

We can help you understand why and provide the treatment you need to find relief. Contact your Austin foot and ankle doctor today to schedule an appointment. We look forward to meeting you!

Healing Cracked Heels and Dry Skin

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Most of us never even consider the skin of our heels—that is, until they become dry and cracked. Dealing with scratchy, dehydrated, broken heel skin can be uncomfortable and embarrassing. As the Institute for Preventive Foot Health explains, “cracked heels, also called ‘heel fissures,’ are a fairly common foot condition,” unfortunately. While “for many people they are merely a nuisance or cosmetic problem,” they can also become “painful” or even “bleed.” Austin podiatrist, Dr. Jeffery LaMour, and our team are here to help you handle any foot-related condition you come across. Read on to learn more about cracked heels and dry skin.

The Hassles of Heels

Even people who don’t otherwise have dry skin can suffer from cracked heels. In their article on the subject in Foot Vitals, Dr. Marc Katz and Dr. James Milidantri note: “The skin on our feet is naturally dry, unlike the skin on the rest of the body. The skin on our feet has no oil glands, so it relies on hundreds of thousands of sweat glands to keep our feet moisturized.” Heels are especially prone to this dry sensitivity, which can progress into split skin. Knowing that all heels have this tendency, it’s important to take particularly good care of yours.

Symptoms

Dry heel skin comes in several stages. Foot Smart describes: “One of the first signs of dry, cracked heel is formation of thick, discolored callus tissue that may cause pain with everyday pressure-related activities like walking or running.” Your skin may also turn red, yellow, or white, peel, flake, itch, or develop a rash. At this point, it is incumbent upon you to remedy your skin before it worsens. If you fail to treat this roughening skin, “you may eventually notice small or even deep breaks that may cause bleeding to occur.” This development could make being on your feet uncomfortable or even impossible. Furthermore, if still not handled, this open heel skin may swell or become infected, inflicting further damage on your feet.

Causes

There are many potential sources of dry, cracked feet.

Many include behavioral factors, such as:

  • Bathing in very hot water.
  • Using moisture-stripping soaps.
  • Turning up your home’s heating system, which can dry out the air.
  • Exposing your heels to excessive sun.
  • “Standing for prolonged periods of time, specifically on hard floors,” according to Live Strong.
  • Wearing “thin-soled shoes that expose the heel of the foot,” per LiveStrong.

Fortunately, these are relatively easy to avoid, thus protecting your pads in the process.

Chronic conditions, such as eczema, psoriasis, thyroid disease, obesity, kidney problems, deficiencies in certain vitamins, or diabetes may also contribute to this disorder. In addition, many patients’ heels tend to become drier as they get older.

Healing Heels

Fortunately, dry skin and cracked heels are typically quite simple to treat, especially if you catch this condition early enough. If your skin is beginning to become dry, simply ceasing risky behaviors (such as extra-hot showers or wearing thin-soled shoes) could do the trick. Dr. LaMour also recommends soaking your feet for 15 to 20 minutes in warm water and carefully exfoliating the skin with a loofah. You can also use a foot moisturizing lotion daily, particularly those with peppermint. If you’re willing to try an overnight treatment, you can also apply petroleum jelly to your heels, sealing it with thick socks while you sleep and it soaks in. Dr. LaMour only suggests this approach, however, if your heels have no open skin.

If dry, cracked heels have begun to take a toll on your ability to walk, putting bandages over the affected areas may help them heal. Dr. LaMour can also fit you for a custom-made orthotic to help take the pressure off of your heels.

In severe cases, Dr. LaMour and our team can help you treat bleeding or infection with prescription medications or procedures, as needed. However, we hope to help you handle your feet such that this isn’t necessary.

Contact Your Austin Podiatrist Today

Do you suffer from dry, cracked heels or another bothersome foot condition? Austin podiatrist, Dr. LaMour, can help. Contact our podiatry practice today to find out more and schedule an appointment.