AF&A Blog

With ‘deep sadness’, tennis pro Serena Williams has decided to listen to her doctor and not play in the US Open. This is obviously a difficult decision for her as friends have noted this is one of her favorite tournaments to play in.

This is also a big headline as she is the number one ranked player in the world. Her absence also prevents her sister Venus and her from defending their doubles title. Though not a happy decision, we here at AFAS feel she is making the best decision. Returning to any activity before allowing proper time for healing will only increase the risk or re-injuring, cause more extensive damage, or leave one with permanent deficits.

The injury that will prevent Serena from competing occurred in early July. While dining at a restaurant, her foot was injured by a broken glass. This type of injury involves a sharp, foreign body. Any foreign body carries inherent risk of infection and your Podiatric physician will clean the wound clean promptly. Depending on factors such as the type of object and the depth of the wound, you may be prescribed antibiotics. A sharp object, like broken glass, can cut tendons, blood vessels, or nerves. The recoveries for injuries such as these are varied. Tendon injuries typically require 6 weeks to heal, with additional time to be toned back to their original strength. It is important to follow your doctor’s instruction when you are recovering from any type of surgery. If Serena Williams can sit out the US Open, you can surely keep yourself off you feet long enough to heal properly. Until next time, keep those feet happy and healthy Austin!

While not a local story, we’re sure you have heard about the man who had his toe bitten off. No, it is not a story that has been passed around the campfire, but rather a Michigan man’s experience earlier this month. The headline “Dog eats Rockford man’s big toe, saves his life” is pretty odd but not entirely out of place in the Midwest. If you take the time to read the article, you’ll see that an Illinois woman had the same thing happen to her only 2 years ago!

But what does all this have to do with the AFAS blog? Well, it gives us a perfect opportunity to talk about diabetes and the associated complications. The man from Michigan was delaying getting checked for fear he might have diabetes. By delaying the diagnosis, the nerves of his feet became so damaged that a small injury to his toe became infected and spread into the bone. This type of infection, osteomyelitis, can spread quickly becoming life threatening.

Diabetes is complicated disease, but you will stay healthier longer by managing your sugars and regular visits with your healthcare team. Simple injuries to your feet can progress quickly if you don’t maintain vigilance. Wearing protective footwear, even while at home, is a good way to protect your feet. Another important step to take is to have your yearly diabetic foot exam. Don’t wait for your family pet to try and help, rather opt for a quick visit to AFAS. Dr. Thomajan can do a lot to keep you on your feet and avoid complications. Until next time, keep those feet happy and healthy Austin!

You have decided enough is enough. That nail has become so painful; you are going take care of it right now! Grabbing a pair of nail clippers buried in your bathroom drawer you prop your foot on the tub and test the limits of your pain tolerance. That ingrown nail of yours has come back time and time again even with your attempts to trim it back. Unfortunately, you there is a pretty good chance you didn’t use proper technique to avoid infection and you probably don’t have a good understanding of the anatomy you are digging into.

A better idea would be to visit a foot specialist like Dr. Thomajan. Four years of medical education beyond college as well as several years of residency training at a hospital allows podiatrists to diagnose and treat a variety of pathologies of the foot. The particular issue of an ingrown toenail too often is complicated by infected or inflamed before making an appointment at AFAS. Don’t wait for this to happen! Remember that pain is never normal and an easy in office procedure, under toe anesthesia, can be done to eliminate the offending nail. One of the most important parts of this procedure is the cleanliness needed to avoid infection, something that bathroom surgery doesn’t afford. Next time you find that ingrown nail causing you pain, opt for a visit to AFAS and put those old nail clippers away! Until next time, stay happy and healthy Austin!

….says the title of a recent online article from Live Science. A recent July publication of research in the Journal of Experimental Biology took a closer look at the long term use of high heels. The article is a quick read, but since you are reading our blog, we will give you the short of it. After following 11 women who wore high heels 5 days a week for 2 years, they found the calve muscles of these women shortened and the associated tendons to be stiff and thickened. This led to pain while walking without heels; the pain and muscle/tendon changes in these women were a direct contrast to the women they followed who did not wear heels.

We here at AFAS have tried to make you aware of some dangers of unstable shoes in past blogs. We wanted to put a little more emphasis on the dangers associated with high heels and some things you can do to avoid them. While we probably would not recommend heels for a healthy foot, we do understand the cultural and fashion ties to this footwear. We do not propose you eliminate heels, but rather take the time to stretch out your leg muscles after a long day wearing a pair. Shortened muscles and stiff tendons are more likely to be injured so do not discount this information lightly. A visit with Dr. Thomajan can educate you on ways to correct associated problems and keep your legs healthy. Until next time, keep those feet happy and healthy Austin!

With the warm weather out there and the convenience of ‘slipping them on’, you may find yourself wearing flip flops or sandals frequently. It may be time to reconsider the ‘ease’ of putting them on if you find yourself in discomfort. Very few sandals available offer the support that other foot wear can. As we have mentioned before, without the proper support and padding, you feet are more prone to damage. Pain in your heel can be happen for multiple reasons but two big ones, plantar fasciitis and calcaneal stress fracture, can be due to lack of support and lack of padding.

The best thing you can do is to avoid either of these maladies from affecting you. Try to wear your flip flops or sandals sparingly; or if you must wear them, invest in ones that offer more support and padding to your feet than the flat soled, inexpensive types that you can find almost anywhere. Since it is well into the summer months, you may already find yourself with nagging discomfort or pain in your feet. If so, don’t delay and schedule a visit to AFAS. Remember that pain is never normal and you shouldn’t just accept it. You and Dr. Thomajan can discuss the problems that you are having and find the best solution for you. Inspecting your footwear and visiting a foot specialist can keep you on your feet without pain. Until next time, stay happy and healthy Austin.

If you’re a frequent visitor to our website, you may have noticed a free book offer link in the left had margins. We here at AF&A are always trying to improve the health and well being of our patients. Keeping the old adage ‘an ounce of prevent is worth a pound of cure’, we do our very best to educate you about proper foot care and ways to avoid injury. We hope that information provided in the books by Dr. Thomajan will help you to be pro-active in your own health.

Running is a fun and easy activity that requires little equipment. Whether enjoying the occasional jog or are thinking about starting exercise program, you should always take care to avoid injury. Dr. Thomajan’s book talks about some common injuries and precautions you can take to Keep Running.

Diabetes affects your whole body. Your feet, unfortunately, take the brunt of increased weight and vascular problems that often occur during the course of this chronic disease. Anyone who is living with diabetes needs to be extremely diligent and pro-active in their foot health. A good place to start is requesting Dr. Thomajan’s book.

Visit the AFAS homepage and click on the icon. You will be directed to a form to fill out after clicking the link. After choosing one of the two books and entering the remainder of the information sit back and wait for your book to arrive by mail. Until next time, keep those feet happy and healthy Austin!

Hopefully everyone had a great holiday weekend and took time to appreciate Independence Day! The end of the holiday weekend also brought around the final matches of soccer’s World Cup. If you’ve been keeping tabs on the games, then you know that Spain and Netherlands will be facing off in the final match on Sunday. After an hour of running and fancy foot work, Spain’s first world cup final came about, with sixteen minutes left, by Carles Puyol utilizing his head to score the winning goal. You don’t have to be a diehard soccer fan to appreciate the athleticism displayed in these matches and the huge demands these players ask of their feet.

These demands are met only by utilizing the proper foot wear and extensive practice. For the ‘weekend warrior’ who likes to play soccer, neither of these requirements may be adequately addressed. Soccer is one of very few sports that require minimal equipment. Anyone who plays needs to make sure that good shoes, in addition to the ball, are part of that equipment. Soccer cleats may not always be designed with the best internal support and this is the part most important for your feet. Utilizing the proper insert or a custom designed orthotic can make any off the shelf pair of cleats into the best gear you can use to prevent injuries.

For the any early teenagers or younger, there are added challenges to avoiding injury during soccer. Many bones in a teenager are not fully hardened yet. In the case of the “heel bone”, there in an area of cartilage that can become problematic for young children; especially when the shoes offer inadequate padding. Remember, pain is never normal…..not even ‘growing pains’. Implement the RICE principle and make a visit to see Dr. Thomajan if pain ever becomes a problem. Until next time, stay happy and healthy Austin!

As a youth, I spent some time around the family auto body shop. The smells of thinners, paints, and various chemicals were overpowering and I was required to keep my distance. These memories were triggered recently by similar scents coming from a nail salon. Walking past such an establishment recently, the door swung open and the strong chemical scent caused me to become a little light headed. I thought this an excellent topic for this week’s blog as nail polish is used so frequently.

The strong chemicals contained in polish (formaldehyde), removers (acetone), and the like may help complete your style, but may also be damaging your nails. Repeated and frequent use can weaken your nails and make them more prone to infection. But, you are just covering up that unsightly fungal nail? You may only be making the problems worse. Fungus tends to grow in warm, dark places and by covering your nail with polish you have just helped it become darker. Additionally, the removal and reapplication may have weakened enough to allow the fungus to spread.

If you have concerns that you may have a fungal nail, make a visit to AFAS. Many over the counter treatments are ineffective and seeking out a professional will be better to rid you of this problem. There are multiple treatment options that you can discuss with Dr. Thomajan and he will be able to plan which will be most effective for you. If fungus is not an issue, you should still consider using a more ‘nail friendly’ polish than the ones commonly found at your local salon. Products such as Nova Nail Rx actually help to strengthen your nails and as well as avoid fungal infections. Nova Nail Rx is available in a variety of colors and can be found in the office as well as our online store. Other ‘nail friendly’ polishes and removers can be found at our online store.  Healthy nails mean happy feet. Until next time, stay happy and health Austin!

You may brush it off because it only happens sometimes. Maybe the tips of your fingers tingle sometimes as do your toes. A little annoying perhaps, but nothing that stops your daily activities. Nothing to worry about, you may be thinking. Think again!

This is a sign of neuropathy, or your nerves inability to perform their job properly. Often a late complication of uncontrolled diabetes, your feet and hands, fingers and toes are the first parts affected. These sensations can eventually lead to complete loss of sensation and many associated problems. It is at the early stages that the reasons should be investigated.

Hopefully, you go to your family doctor for your yearly check up. These regular visits can help to identify problems like this early. Detecting diabetes early allows for proper intervention and lifestyle modification, things that will help maintain your health while living with this condition. If you do have diabetes, it is important to have a CDFE (comprehensive diabetic foot exam) every year with your podiatrist. This check-up involves a variety of tests to assess your sensation and assure that you are not affected by neuropathy. One of these tests, the ENFD (endothelial nerve fiber density) exam allows for early assessment of neurologic deficits. These early tests can help prevent the tingling before it starts.

With the help of your podiatric physician, you should be able to slow or stop the progression and complications associated with neuropathy. One treatment that may be suggested after your visit to AFAS is Neuremedy. This supplement has been used for many years to assure your nerves are receiving the proper care and nutrition. The sooner you seek medical care, the better the options for treatment.

Tingling toes should not be your first symptom, but if it is a regular occurrence don’t delay in making your appointment at AFAS. Keep those feet happy and healthy Austin!

Blisters on your feet are a common injury, especially for the athlete. A foot blister results when frictional forces cause layers of your skin to separate and fill with fluid. Shoe and foot types, increased moisture, and increased activity can all increase chances of this happening. Since we all need to stay fit, similar to any athlete, tricks for preventing a problem like this are useful for all of us.

Making sure that you have the proper shoe fit is the first thing you can do to avoid blisters. Blisters on your toes can often be avoided by checking that there is a thumbs width of distance between the tip of your shoe and your longest toe. Walking around in your shoes should allow you to notice any problem areas that may be associated with your foot ‘type’. If there is no apparent problem with the shoe other than making a particular part of your foot uncomfortable, you should talk to Dr. Thomajan about a custom orthotic. This may help your foot to function better and avoid future blisters.

It is important to examine your insoles as well. They may simply be ‘worn out’ and replacing them with new, more protective insert, may eliminate the problem. Moisture also increases the chances of blister formation. By wearing socks that wick away sweat or using proper drying agents, you can help decrease your risk of blister formation. Lastly, slowly working up to extended activities can not only help your feet adjust and prevent blisters, but can also prevent a wealth of other acute injuries.

Until next time, keep those feet healthy and stay happy Austin!