AF&A Blog

is worth a pound of cure.” No question most of us have heard this adage many of times. As a member of your healthcare team, it is a phrase worth repeating here at Austin Foot & Ankle Specialists.

You may feel quite healthy and walk around most days without much worry as to the many steps you take. The occasional achy foot or heel pain is just attributed to a little over use. That pain in your back only happens after running for several miles, so you just avoid that type of exercise. Each of these situations may appear quite benign and for all intensive purposes are immediately without consequence. Unfortunately, your entire body weight is supported by a single limb as you walk, or both as you stand, and multiplied over hundreds and thousands of steps can turn the slightest imperfection into a future problem.

Achy feet or heel pain may be caused by small imbalance of tendons or muscles, which addressed early, can be corrected with non-invasive methods. That back pain could be a manifestation of what is happening in your feet and legs. A small difference between the length of your legs many not be a problem in your daily walking, but the added compression and weight of running amplifies this difference resulting in back pain. The earlier small abnormalities, or those ‘little aches and pains’ are examined, the better the outcome on your health. When addressed early, orthosis and taping can be used to corrected these problems and keep the need for future surgical intervention small. Keep yourself healthy and schedule a ‘foot check-up’ with Dr. Thomajan today!

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!

No, no, we are not talking about some crazy college ritual, but rather the bare foot running movement that seems to be popping up in the media now a days. Obviously, man walked around barefoot long before shoes were even an idea and this ‘theory’ of running without shoes is not a new one. The theory behind this movement, in short, is that shoes weaken the muscles that support your foot and ankle allowing runners to increase their performance by running without shoes. Scientific studies to support these claims are quite limited and often originate in other countries. Because of these short falls, yet the continued interest, we at Austin Foot and Ankle Specialists want to point out a few things that you should be conscious of if this is something you are considering.

The protection value of foot ware should be the first thing to think of. While you may think the area or machine that you are running on is free of foreign objects that could damage your feet, how many have us a swept up all of a broken glass only to find a small shard weeks later? Secondly, many factors, such as hydration, can affect the amount of padding on the bottom of your feet and in high impact activities, like running, it may prove to be inadequate. A good pair of running shoes provides proper protection and padding to allow for safe running. Good shoes are designed to complement your foot and ankle while you are running. As was mentioned in previous blogs, the ankle is an area of great force benefiting from proper support.

While you always hear that you should ‘consult your doctor before beginning or changing any exercise program’, embarking on this type of running program should definitely involve a consultation with your podiatrist. Until next time stay healthy Austin!