AF&A Blog

With Thanksgiving fresh in our memories, Christmas is fast approaching. We hope you enjoyed your Thanksgiving meal and spent a little time throughout the month to educate yourself about diabetes. Dr. Thomajan has written a book to help you learn more about this disease and if you still don’t have it, be sure to get a copy of this free book with this weblink.

We have talked before about wearing the proper footwear for the activity you engage in. With the fast approaching holidays and New Year, it is a fairly safe bet to assume that most of us will be doing some traveling to be with family and friends. Whether you travel by car, plane, or train, it is important to wear comfortable and supportive footwear. A comfortable pair of ‘tennis shoes’ are likely the best option as discussed in the AFAS e-newsletter. Sign up to receive it here under inquiry type.

Two things to keep in mind when wearing for comfort are size and lacing.

Our bodies are always changing and your foot size is something you should check periodically. If there is not a thumbs width of space between your toes and the tip of your shoe, you need to find a larger size. Those funny looking devices you stand on at shoe stores, are called Brannock devices, and are made to measure your foot. As you should stand upright, their use requires a second person and the measurement should be from the heel to the ‘ball’ of your foot. Make sure whoever measures you does it accurately, or better yet, next time you visit AFAS be sure to have your foot measured properly. Once you have the right shoe size, you may want to consider an alternative lacing pattern. The ‘normal’ lacing pattern, or what you might see out of the box, is perfectly fine most of the time. When you are sitting for long periods of time, such as an airplane flight or long car ride, you feet may swell. Consider lacing your shoes to help better accommodate these changes. You can find information on lacing patterns here.

Take a moment to sign up for out E-newsletter while you are here and check back with us throughout the month as we talk about different things to keep in mind while you’re traveling this holiday season. Until next time, keep those feet happy and healthy, Austin!

There is so much media attention paid to the ‘barefoot running trend’ that it seems necessary we visit this topic once more as the summer comes to an end. Lack of footwear obviously opens your foot up to injury from random objects. The development of shoes like the Nike Free and Vibram Five Fingers may help to keep you out of Dr. Thomajan’s office for removal of glass shards or other objects stuck in your foot. These new types of footwear offer some protection but still lack the support of ‘traditional’ footwear. If you haven’t taken the time to slowly allow your body to adapt to this footwear or have not been devoted to the proper training regime, you may need to schedule an appointment for a completely different reason.

While you may be able to avoid getting objects stuck in your feet, the position of your foot may prove to be more problematic. Each one of us has a different variation in foot structure. Some feet will function fine without the support of footwear. Unfortunately, it is much more likely that your foot structure requires some type of support from shoes. The body will attempt to compensate for any lack of support but often the results can be painful or with changes in the way you walk or run. A visit with Dr. Thomajan can help you decide if barefoot running is for you. Part a visit to AFAS may include GAITSCAN computerized assessment in addition to physical examination of your feet.

Our goal here at Austin Foot and Ankle Specialists is to educate you about keeping your feet healthy. There are two books that Dr. Thomajan has written to help do that. Both deal with special issues concerning foot health. ‘Keep Running!’ is most relevant to our discussion of barefoot running. Request your free copy today and learn the best things you can do to avoid injury while running. Until next time, keep those feet happy and healthy Austin!

You don’t have to go very far these days to run into an advertisement for toning shoes. On a recent visit to the store, I noticed almost a fifth of the shoe section was devoted to these types of shoes! It’s high time we take a closer look at their design and claims so that you can make an informed decision next time you go shopping.

The first question everyone asks is “Do they work?” A fair question for any device you are shelling out your hard earned money for. Well, let’s say they accomplish what they are designed for. These shoes create an unstable surface to walk on and your muscles have to help you maintain balance in addition to walking forward. Over long periods of time these added tasks can increase fatigue and lead to injury. Many of these shoes claim to shape your legs, tighten your abs, and help you become more fit. While these shoes may help to some extent, there is no getting around good old physical activity.

Each brand of shoe accomplishes their toning regime a little differently. A shoe made by Reebok claims to offer the benefit of a balance ball workout in their shoe. This is a prime example of the instability we discussed previously. Other shoes marketed by Sketcher and Fila have pretty strange shape. While it may appear to be a new design, this sole is actually a type of shoe modification used by orthopedists and podiatrists for decades. We have a very technical name for this type of modification, a heel to toe rocker sole. The times when these modifications are required are no laughing matter. Rarely prescribed for health individuals, these shoes are most often used in people who have lost motion at the ankle and middle of the foot. This type of sole is thickest in the middle causing a decrease in the forces of the heel striking the ground and increasing propulsion as the toes leave the ground. Pain, such as it associated with arthritis, is another place to allow the shoe to perform the motion that the ankle and foot should do. Eliminating or limiting the natural motion of the foot and ankle in a healthy individual can emphasize some muscle groups but cause problems in others.

We hope to have given you enough information for you to make an informed choice your next visit to the shoe store. You should always remember to ‘ease’ your way into any new footwear or orthoses. Start with limited wear, increasing slowly as time progresses. Until next time keep those feet healthy and happy 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.

With summer vacation just a few weeks away, we at AFAS wanted to give you a few thoughts to keep in mind when outfitting your little ones’ feet.

First off, kids grow fast, so making sure that they have the right sized footwear is most important. Many times, in adults as well as children, putting on the right sized shoe can solve a lot of problems. Checking that there is extra room in front of the shoe will stop the toes from becoming compressed while walking and it is an easy way to make sure they haven’t out grown that pair. Just be sure the shoe fits….before you wear it.

Secondly, the type of shoe is important. We know it gets hot out there and it is easy enough to slip on a pair of flip flops before heading outside. Depending on the day’s activity, this could be a bad choice, especially for your little ones. Children rarely sit still for long and tennis shoes or sandals that Velcro on would be a better choice than the thin soles and loose fit of flip flops. Additionally, a full day on their feet definitely calls the proper support, offered by tennis shoes, to avoid fatigue and possibility of injury.

It is important to remember that children are not ‘little adults’, especially when it comes to growth and development. Many of the ‘bones’ in your child’s feet will not become hardened, or fully ossified, until many years after they have been walking. In those critical years of growth and development, it is important that your child have the right kind of shoes. Keep in mind that pain in your child’s feet is never normal and should be addressed by a Podiatric physician. If there is ever concern over your child’s feet, foot wear, or the way they walk, don’t hesitate to make an appointment at AFAS. Until next time, keep those kids happy and healthy Austin!

In a previous blog, we first addressed barefoot running and a few issues to be aware of with the expansion of this ‘new’ idea. The protection and padding of your feet were two issues we discussed in one of last month’s blogs. True barefoot running should be approached with extreme caution as these two factors can limit or stop your training all together. These obvious problems are eliminated by the use of foot wear such as the Nike Free® and the Vibram Five Fingers®. Both shoe types attempt to blend the support & protection of traditional foot wear with the flexibility & proprioception (feeling/sensing) of barefoot running. By offering protection and minimal support, the idea is that your foot will function more naturally and strengthen themselves in all the right places. The use of this type of footwear has big advantages over no foot wear at all.

There are many people who have found barefoot running or use of the Free® or Five Fingers® to be quite beneficial to their running regime. One should use extreme caution if you are thinking of throwing out your running shoes for a pair of these barefoot styles. As with most changes to your footwear, such as the addition of inserts or orthotics, you should begin to use them slowing. Begin by using them for a short portion of your entire run running (for instance, in the last half mile or so) and if you find this is comfortable slowly increase the distance or amount of time that you wear them. This allows your body time to adapt and help to eliminate any problems that would occur with a quick transition. Before we go, it is important to remember your foot type. Not all shoes work for all people. A visit with Dr. Thomajan at Austin Foot and Ankle Specialists will help you identify your foot type. This will give you a ‘map’ of the type of foot wear best suited to your foot, for what activities , and when or how often to use them. Until next time keep your feet happy and health Austin!

In the last Austin Foot and Ankle Specialists blog, we talked about some concerns to be aware of with the idea of barefoot running. Hopefully, we have convinced you to wear proper footwear while exercising. With this in mind, let us talk about the type of footwear you should be using. A good running shoe or tennis shoe should have a good rubber sole, for traction, with extra stability in the center to support the middle, or arch, of your foot. If the activity you are involved in requires a lot of quick turns and twists, as in basketball, then I higher back portion will offer some ankle stability. Even when dressing for business or a formal function, it is important to look for shoes that are both comfortable and provide traction. Not only can slipping and falling be embarrassing, but the possibility of injury is great.

So, you are probably wondering what all that has to do with ‘magic shoes’? Well, that particular phrase may not be in the advertisement, but the claims of a particular ‘new’ type of footwear come awfully close. These ‘new’ shoes appear to be a marketing spin on a type of shoe modification occasionally implemented by podiatrists. This type of modification, a ‘rocker bottom’ orthosis, can be added to an individual’s footwear when motion of particular joints are painful or could further damage. A healthy individual with no foot problems wearing them may actually create problems of joint or muscle limitations. We as consumers are always being enticed with the latest, greatest and need to be armed with good information. There are a plethora of products out there to help you get in shape or ‘shed the pounds’ but very few can compete with a good pair of shoes and a regular walk or run!