AF&A Blog

….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!

With summer in full swing, we want to use this blog to talk about prevention. You can prevent many foot problems by taking steps to protect the skin of your feet. One step, which has been mentioned before, is the use of sun block. Another we would like to discuss is the use of moisturizer. By taking care to keep the skin of your feet healthy, you can avoid damage and drying that can lead to more serious problems.

As we mentioned in our “By the skin of your feet..” blog a few weeks ago, sunscreen is as important to the skin of your feet as it is to the rest of your body. Use a sun block with an SPF factor of at least 15 and be sure to reapply if you are in the sun for prolonged periods of time. The three types of ‘skin cancer’ are all associated with increased exposure to the sun. Take the easy step of applying sun block and keep the sun from damaging your skin.

The warm weather may have you wearing more open backed shoes and sandals. These types of footwear allow the padding of your heel to spread out and hasten drying or callus formation. You may have applied lotion to your dry feet with little resolution. This can be especially troublesome if you are living with diabetes, kidney disease, or circulation problems. Dry heels can lead to fissures, poor healing and further complications in these situations. Lotions are typically inadequate to moisturize the thick and dry skin of your feet. Creams and emulsions made specifically for feet are often the better choice. Keep your feet moisturized and your skin intact by utilizing some of these products.

The use of sun block and moisturizers can do a lot to maintain the integrity of the skin covering your feet. If you already have thickened, cracked heels, it is important to see a podiatrist. Dr. Thomajan will need to remove some of the thickened skin for proper healing to occur in this case. As they say, an ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure. Until next time, keep healthy and happy Austin!

What in the world are we talking about? Are you asking yourself, ‘how in the world can stretching alleviate my heel pain?’ Well, that’s why you are going to read today’s blog.

You may be tired of hearing how stretching has many health benefits, but when it comes to pain in your feet the results can be easily seen. Often the heel pain your experience in the morning is due to tightness of the tissue the spans the arch of your foot, the plantar fascia. Simple stretches including rolling a tennis ball under your foot, pulling your foot towards you (by looping a town around it) while seated with your legs out, or standing with the ball of your feet on a book with your heel on the ground all can do a lot to limit pain in your feet. The classic ‘runner’s stretch’ against a wall or any other stretch that targets your calves can also help. There are also some products that allow you ice & stretch simultaneously. Perform these stretches before you start your day and before you go to sleep for best results.

While the causes of heel pain can involve many factors, stretching is something you can try before seeking podiatric care. Other things you can do include making sure your shoes have proper arch support or losing weight, both which help to avoid putting undue stress on your plantar fascia. These helpful hints should not be a substitute for a good medical evaluation. If this pain persists more than a few weeks, we here at AFAS want to encourage you to seek the help of Dr. Thomajan. Don’t let foot pain interfere with your daily life, make an appointment today. Until next time keep 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!