AF&A Blog

Several months ago we blogged about an injury to tennis star Serena Williams. To refresh your memory, she cut her foot on a piece of glass at a restaurant after winning Wimbledon. The injury and repair lead her to sit out the US Open where she would have defended the doubles title she won with her sister. We all have tough decisions to make concerning our health and one can easily empathize with the tough decision she made to sit out that tournament. Unfortunately, she began training too much and too soon after her surgery. Last week she announced that she will not play for the remainder of this year.

She reported last week that after a morning practice she felt pain in her previously injured foot and consulted her doctor. After imaging the area, it was concluded that she had restrained the injured tendon. She admitted that she had been attempting to get back in shape to play and may have trained too hard. This could happen to anyone who is trying to get back to daily activities quickly after surgery.

By attempting to return to tennis too quickly, she has lengthened her recovery time and possibly set the stage for further injury. She admitted that she had been training a lot over the last few weeks in order to get back into competition. This is easily understandable to anyone who must set aside their livelihood to recover from an injury. In Serena’s case, the decision to ‘get back to work’ may have cost her much more money in future winnings than the tournaments she had already passed on. This can hold true for anyone healing from foot surgery. You may feel you need to get back on your feet ASAP and return to your normal activities, but doing so puts you at risk for an even longer healing time with more varied results. Always be sure to follow your doctor’s recommendations for post-op care and subsequent physical training. By taking the time to heal properly, you can avoid further problems that can occur.

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

A few days from now the world descends upon Zilker Park for 3 days of music. The Austin City Limits Music Festival has become a yearly event in Austin since 2002. This year’s headliners, The Eagles, Muse, MIA, and others, are a testament to the diversity of our great city. Austin City Limits is probably the best known PBS television show. Originally aired from UT Austin in 1976 with Texas music flair, the diversity of the content has made it one of the longest running live music shows on television. While the label “Live Musical Capitol of the World” is self proclaimed, the number and diversity of performers that visit Austin support it.

If you are planning on attending any part of the festival, we here at AFAS hope you take care of yourself while you are there. Here are a few simple reminders we would like to give you to keep you on your feet and enjoying the performances. Firstly, drink plenty of water. While you spend the day out in the warm Texas sun, you need to stay hydrated. Plenty of fluids (not including beer) are the best way to avoid heat stroke, dehydration, or other problems caused by too much sun exposure. Be sure to grab your two 32oz bottles of water before you depart. A second reminder is to use a dose of sun block throughout the day to keep sunburn at bay.

We have talked before about appropriate foot wear for your activity. While the beautiful weather may be beckoning you to wear flip flops or sandals, these would not be your best option. Your feet need something more like a tennis shoe. As you walk about part of the 350 acres that comprise Zilker Park, your feet could really use the support. If you don’t take care of your feet this weekend, be sure to come by AFAS to fix your aches and pains.

^{Until next time, keep those feet happy and healthy 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!

Hopefully, everyone had a great, injury free holiday weekend. With the weather being great here in Austin, we are sure everyone is spending more time outdoors and more time on their feet. It is always good to get more physical activity, but this time a year is often more injury prone. Why, you may ask? Well, chances are you were a little less than your active normal self over the winter months and through the holidays. Anytime there is a change in your activity level, your muscles, bones, and tendons are at increased risk for injury. A sedentary week followed a weekend softball game or 5 mile run is a good way to open the door to injury. Try taking a short walk on your lunch break or after dinner. Even a few simple stretching or strengthening exercises before you start your day can go a long way in injury prevention.

This is a great time, while you’re feeling well, to visit Dr. Thomajan at AFAS. A custom running or gait analysis can identify any problem areas in your feet that can easily be addressed with either a custom or over the counter orthotic. This is also a good step to finding the ‘proper’ shoe for your ‘foot type’. Taking the time to find out where those problem areas are now can keep you on your feet and help you avoid having to visit us due to an injury. Just a few sentences ago I mentioned simple exercises, well Dr. Thomajan and all of us here at AFAS can help you find the right exercise program for your foot type and specific concerns for avoiding injury. These are just a few of the things we can do to keep you pain free and active. Click here to schedule an appointment with Dr. Thomajan. Until next time, stay healthy Austin!

Fashion? Podiatry blog? No, you didn’t click on the wrong link. You may be thinking this is a far cry from the sort of topics you find on the 

^{Austin Foot & Ankle Specialists blog} , but think again. We talk about the right kind of foot wear fairly often but very few of us wear the type of shoe that is best for your feet on every day. In fact, more often than not your ‘dress’ shoes are not going to accommodate orthotics and probably are not the best fit for your foot. This may be especially true for many women’s shoes which may often put fashion before function.

We know that you are never going to wear a pair of tennis shoes with your slacks. There may even be a few of you reading this thinking ‘you can have my high heels, when you pry them from my cold, dead fingers’. Well, maybe you are not that extreme, but we want to offer you a little bit of advice when selecting and wearing those stylish shoes. First off you should always make sure they are a good fit. Your toes should not be crammed into the front, but rather have about a finger’s width of space between the tip of your toes and the tip of the shoe. This is important because as you walk, your foot slides forward in your shoe. Your toes need somewhere to go or they will take the brunt of this motion getting smashed to the front with every step. Secondly, since we mentioned high heels earlier, a quick suggestion: use them sparingly. Walking on your toes or the ball of your foot frequently, can be painful and lead to a variety of problems later on. Remember Austin, you should never ignore your feet hurting. Making sure you have a good fit and visiting Dr. Thomajan should help to keep your feet pain free!