AF&A Blog

With Nebraska’s impending move to the Big 10, this would be last time the Husker’s could attempt to get a conference win in Texas. The last few weeks of football have been tough here in Austin. The rest of the football world was looking at us as underdogs against the number 5 ranked Nebraska team. It was pretty obvious that Mack Brown and the Longhorn players didn’t pay any mind to all that talk as they prepared for this weekend’s game.

Every member of the UT team put forth the effort to bring home the win. Whether it was Garrett Gilbert picking up yards running, or the defense limiting Nebraska to less than half their average yards, the Longhorns won the game on the ground. Football cleats are especially designed for the traction and durability needed on play on the field, but it is those players feet that must stand up to the running game every Saturday. With over 200 rushing yards collected in this weekend’s win, those players’ feet need some TLC to optimize their play rest of the season. Key things such as applying heat and massaging your feet will increases the circulation and allow their body to bath the muscles in tendons in nutrition and healing growth factors.

After a long day of walking, your feet could also benefit from the same therapy athletes apply. Rest, stretching, and massaging are all things that can help your feet avoid and prevent injury. The Longhorn players benefit from having a team staff to provide the right physical therapy and physician care. You don’t have to be a college athlete to give your feet similar care. Take the time after a long day on your feet to rest and massage them, and be sure to visit AFAS on the first sign of pain or damage.

Until next time, keep those feet happy and healthy Austin! Hook ‘em horns!

Tonight’s game aside, the second week of NFL football is complete and along with it some players season. Only two weeks into the season the injury list for the NFL is quite long. With the hard hits on the run, it is no surprise that most of these injuries occur in the knees, ankle and feet.

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!

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!

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!

With winter in full swing, you are sure to be getting out to the slopes if you haven’t already. You’re probably wondering what your feet have to do with zipping down the mountain on a pair of skis. Well, if your feet are positioned properly, not much. The problem comes in, as with many things, if you don’t have a good foundation. You can avoid a lot of problems by knowing your foot type and having the proper equipment.

A custom orthotic may be the ‘proper equipment’ for daily life. A visit to Dr. Thomajan at Austin Foot and Ankle Specialists will identify your foot type and fit you to the proper orthotic. By wearing orthoses, your feet will be given the proper support in the proper places. These small corrections will allow all the muscle in your feet and legs to function as they should, strong and avoiding injury. This is the same idea you should keep in mind when you’re out on the slopes.

Skiing can be lots of fun if you feet are in the proper position. Make sure that your ski boots fit snuggling and support your ankles. The joints of your body, especially those of your leg, are the most likely places for sports injuries to occur. Ill fitting equipment is a sure way to invite injuries. Proper support for you foot and ankle will lessen the chance of injury. In the case that something does go wrong, an assessment by your podiatrist soon after can decrease the chance of any complications or further injuries. Until next time, stay safe on the slopes!

The beginning of the year is always a great time to start anew and attempt to change those bad habits for good ones.  Most of us should start an exercise program or find some way to get more exercise.  Whether just staying healthy or trying to combat diabetes, the benefit of exercise is great and we should all try to stay more active.  Whichever activity you chose to make part of your day will most likely involve you being on your feet a little more.  Because this is a change for your body and is putting more stress on your feet, it is not unlikely that you will find yourself in some amount of discomfort.  The increased pressure on you feet may exacerbate small problems that you paid no mind in the past.  Too often it’s the pain or discomfort that causes us to fall away from our plan of getting more exercise.  Don’t let your foot pain cause your activity plan to fall apart.    Plan a visit to Austin Foot & Ankle Specialists before you begin a new level of physical activity.  A quick Gaitscan can identify potential problems and put you in the proper shoe or shoe insert to help you avoid them.

Winter activities provide a few additional challenges to keeping your feet safe.  For starters, try to wear thick socks that will both keep your feet warm and allow excess moisture to wick away keeping them dry.  Remember to take extra time to properly ‘warm-up’ and stretch those muscles during cold.  Additionally, you should discuss your winter activities with your podiatrist and make sure you are using the proper shoes with the proper fit to protect your feet.

Start your new year on the right foot and visit Austin Foot & Ankle Specialists!