What Is A Stone Bruise?

Have you noticed a deep pain near your forefoot or under your toes?

What you likely have is called a "stone bruise", a deep contusion to a bone or associated soft tissue structures. Any injury to the foot or ankle can cause a stone bruise, which typically occurs at the forefoot or on the metatarsal fat pad of the foot. 

For the patient, a stone bruise usually feels like they are walking on a pebble. They will also describe their pain as being a deep bruise. Stone bruises happen quickly, are painful with weight bearing, and can be difficult to heal.
Stone bruises happen when there is blunt trauma or an impact injury to a bone or the soft tissue associated with it. Stepping on a protruding object will also cause a stone bruise. Stone bruises usually occur because you are walking barefoot or wearing flimsy shoes The impact is not usually strong enough to cause a fracture, but does bruise the soft tissue in the area. The heel bone, besides the forefoot, is a common place for this injury.
Stone bruises are treated with the R.I.C.E. method (rice, ice, compression, and elevation) and anti-inflammatory medications. When the bruise is severe, the patient's foot will be put in a boot or cast so it is non-weight bearing.
Patients should understand that this is an injury that does not clear up within a few days. Stone bruises affect tissues deep within your foot and require time, rest, and patience to heal.
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Country Singer Trace Adkins Breaks Foot

Friday April 19th country singer Trace Adkins tweeted a picture of his broken foot on Twitter, and wrote,

"This is gross. Broke my foot the other day. Still kinda hurts."
The country crooner didn't share details as to how it happened, but he did over share by further tweeting, "I also have a rash that I'm trying to get a good pic of. Having some difficulty." Ahh... we'll pass on that rash picture, thanks Trace.
Adkins has been a contestant on the Donald Trump show, All-Star Celebrity Apprentice, competing to win $250,000 for his chosen charity, the American Red Cross. He first appeared on Celebrity Apprentice in 2008 and was finished second to Piers Morgan. Adkins was motivated to raise money for the Red Cross after his family's home was destroyed by a fire in 2011 and his wife Rhonda's power of persuasion.
Last Sunday he convinced Trump to give ousted team member Brande Rodrick $20,000 for Promises to Kids, a charity that helps special needs children. Adkins reminded Trump how the former Playboy playmate's efforts helped raise more than $600,000 for the American Red Cross.
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Frankie Muniz Breaks Foot

Malcolm in the Middle star Frankie Muniz broke his ankle Monday, less than a year after twisting it last

May. 
The actor now drummer is refusing to let this injury stop him from touring with his band, Kingsfoil, which is travelling across the U.S. as part of a North American tour. 
Tuesday he tweeted, "Totally re-broke my foot yesterday playing basketball with @kingsfoil. 9 more shows left before we head to tour the United Kingdom!"
Muniz's health has been less than 100 percent this last year. Besides twisting his ankle last May, he announced on Twitter the day before he turned 27 he had suffered a mini stroke. "I was in the hospital last Friday. I suffered a "Mini Stroke", which was not fun at all. Have to start taking care of my body! Getting old!"
Muniz had been riding his motorcycle when the vision went in one of his eyes. He then had problems speaking. "I couldn't say words," Muniz recalled. "I thought I was saying them! My fiancee was looking at me like I was speaking a foreign language!"
We hope your health improves from here on out, Frankie! Stay safe and take care of yourself!
Reference: Contact Music
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Entourage Star Jerry Ferrara Sprains Ankle

Actor Jerry Ferrara sought medical attention Tuesday after spraining his ankle playing basketball. The

Entourage star shared pictures of his injury with Twitter followers and said he was going to have X-rays to see if there was further damage.
He tweeted, "This sprained ankle is giving me a great swap limp I don't quite deserve. Goin (sic) for X-rays now."
Ferrara refused to let the injury get in the way of his social life however. He was spotted at Los Angeles' RivaBella restaurant Tuesday night. He explained his limp to a videographer for TMZ.com, saying, "It's a little sprained ankle. (I did it while) playing basketball. Trying to actually attempt to be athletic, which I am not."
Ferrara has a history of getting injured while playing basketball. He had a cut beneath his eye after a run-in on the court last August.
Reference: Contact Music.
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Shoe Shopping Tips

For some people, walking into a shoe store or shoe department is completely overwhelming. They have no idea what to look for, what is best for their feet, or even what their size is! Buying shoes does not have to be difficult if you follow these tips:

1. Know your budget. Avoid impulse shopping. If you already have three pairs of brown flats, resist another pair, even if they are on sale. Fashion stylist and author Dawn Del Russo says, "Don't impulse buy. Instead, keep a list of the shoes you're actually looking for on hand and stick to it."
2. Shop at the end of the day. We've said it before, but it's worth repeating again and again. Your feet swell during the day, sometimes up to a half size, so go in the evening when you're most likely to get your truest fit. 
3. Know your arch type. Again, something else we've blogged before, but this is an important factor in shoe selection. So how do you find out what kind of arch you have? Take a piece of white paper and wet your foot, stepping on the paper. If you see most of your footprint, you have flat feet. If you have a high arch, most of your footprint will be missing. Those with normal arches will leave a balanced footprint.
4. Try on three sizes. Sounds like a waste of time, right? No! Just because you are one size in one brand doesn't mean that you will be the same size in a different brand. Footwear designer Anyi Lu of Anyi Yu International says, "Many people are stuck on the numbers, but different brands- and even different shoes within a brand- vary. Your feet will tell you what size to buy." And listen to your feet- if the shoes are too small or too big, try a different size. 
5. Can't walk in it? Don't buy it. They'll be lovely shoes for the moments when you are sitting, but who wants to sit all the time in pretty shoes? 
6. Make friends with the sales associates. Rebecca Raleigh, a LA fashion stylist educator says, "They'll help you find exactly what you're looking for within your price range. Sometimes they'll give you an extra little discount if you really hit it off." Some will even alert you to upcoming sales and discounts. "Yes, the associate wants that commission, but the most important thing to them (or should be) is building a relationship with you so you'll become a repeat customer,"says Raleigh. 
7. Wear something decent. Don't go shoe shopping in sweatpants or running clothes. You're going to feel better about yourself and your shoe purchase when you look cute. 
8. Consider wedges. Ok, so Vogue Magazine recently said that platforms were out, but we would argue that some high heels, especially stilettos, are always a "no". High heels make preexisting conditions like hammertoes, bunions, and heel pain worse, while causing blisters, ingrown toenails, neuromas, sprains, and many other foot problems. Jacqueline M. Sutera, D.P.M. of Manhattan says, "While the American Podiatric Medical Association recommends a heel height of 2 inches or less, for people seeking a bigger boost, a wedge can be a great option! If the shoe has a platform, the front height will basically make it so you're wearing a shorter heel. Plus, wedges have a larger surface area to distribute your body weight across, giving you that much more support."
9. Forget trends. Don't try to make a trend work for your body type when it clearly does not. If you have short legs, an ankle boot is going to make your legs look even shorter. 

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DWTS Maksim Chmerkoskiy Needs Ankle Surgery

If Maksim Chmerkoskiy ever wants to dance with the stars again, he's going to need surgery on his ankle.
Chmerkoskiy sat out the most recent season to pursue other entertainment gigs, which included a stint on the soap opera General Hospital.
Producers of DWTS desperately want Chmerkoskiy to return next season, but sources close to the show's bad boy dancer say that isn't possible until he has surgery on one of his ankles.
The wear and tear of working with untrained dancers each season has taken its toll on Chmerkoskiy. The injury can't be blamed on a specific incident in the ballroom. DWTS would consider even having Chmerkoskiy back as just a choreographer, and not as a dancer.
Reference: TMZ
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Ancient Shoes Found In Egypt

Several months ago we blogged about the prosthetic toes that were found in a pyramid, and now several pairs of shoes, in excellent condition, were found in a jar in an Egyptian temple in Luxor.
Seven shoes were found in the jar, three pairs and one single shoe. Two pairs, measuring seven inches, were worn by children and were tied together by using palm fiber string within the single shoe. The other pair of shoes was nine inches long and worn by an adult who limped.
Archaeologist Angelo Sesano wrote in a report published by the journal Memnonia that the shoes were "deliberately placed in a small space between two mudbrick walls." Whoever put the shoes there obviously never returned to collect them, and they remained hidden for millennia.
The shoes were rediscovered in 2004 by an archaeological team led by Sesana, who gave Andre Veldmeijer, an expert in ancient Egyptian footwear, access to the photographs.
"The find is extraordinary as the shoes were in pristine condition and still supple upon discovery," wrote Veldmeijer in the most recent issue of the Journal of American Research Center in Egypt. Unfortunately, after being recovered, the shoes became brittle and "extremely fragile."
Veldmeijer concluded that the shoes were foreign made and likely expensive. Sandals were typically worn in Egypt, but the style and quality of these shoes were such that "everybody would look at you" and "it would give you much more status because you had these expensive pair of shoes," said Veldmeijer, who is the assistant director for Egyptology of the Netherlands-Flemish Institute in Cairo.
The shoes would have been tied together using a technique researchers call "tailed toggles." Leather strips at the tops of the shoe would form knots that would be passed through openings to close the shoes. The strip of leather would have then been decoratively hung down. The shoes themselves where likely made of bovine leather.
The single shoe had what is called a "rand", a device that was thought to be used first in medieval Europe. A rand is a folded leather strip that went between the sole of the shoe and the upper part and reinforced stitching. This would have been used during muddy weather because it makes the seam more resistant to water.
On the single shoe Veldmeijer also found a "semi-circular protruding area" that would have been a sign of someone with a bunion.
On the pair of adult shoes, Veldmeijer found the left shoe had more patches and evidence of repair that the shoe on the right. "The shoe was exposed to unequal pressure," and the person who wore it "walked with a limp, otherwise the wear would have been far more equal."
Those who owned the shoes kept up with repairs and didn't throw them away like we do in our culture. "These shoes were highly prized commodities," Veldmeijer said.
Reference: Live Science
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Oilers' Hemsky Done For Season

With the playoffs not a possibility for the Edmonton Oilers, Ales Hemsky has been moved out of the lineup.
He decided to miss the last eight games to see if there would be any improvement on his foot injury, a condition he has been trying to play through for the last month. Hemsky has nine goals and 20 points in 38 games.
Hemsky was hit by a puck last month during the game against the Detroit Red Wings, and was toughing it out through games and practices. He missed some practices, two games, and was taking pain medication and getting shots so he could play.
"I had it for a little while. I blocked a shot in Detroit on the big road trip. It's been a struggle since then," said the 29 year old winger.
"I decided to play with the injury and I don't want to make any excuses but it's been a struggle. I was in a lot of pain," Hemsky told the media last week. "I will take a week without playing and try to regroup and get ready for next week hopefully."
Hemsky hasn't been seen on the ice since, so it's highly unlikely he'll return to play.
Coach Ralph Krueger said, "Due to the fact that it's actually gotten worse on him, it's time for a break. He was showing a lot of courage. He was there for the team and wanted to play- kudos to him for trying to play through it. He's reached a point where we needed to take a step back."
Hemsky was asked by the team to not divulge exactly what the injury is and has had several MRIs. It's suspected he has a broken bone in his foot. He will probably be healthy for off-season work.
Reference: NHL
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Will Kenneth Faried Be Healthy For The NBA Playoffs?

Denver Nuggets forward Kenneth Faried was carried off the court Sunday against the Portland Trail Blazers

after rolling his ankle during a shot attempt during the first quarter of the Nuggets' 118-109 win. He hit the ground the a deafening scream.
X-rays were negative and the team has listed him day-to-day with a left ankle sprain. Faried had an MRI Monday which revealed damage to his anterior talofibular ligament.
Faried expects to play in the postseason, telling Chris Dempsey of the Denver Post that "I'm going to play." With that said, Faried would need to be at 100 percent. He is the team's leading rebounder, has started all 80 games during the 2012-2013 season, and is their third leading shot blocker. Faried averages 28.1 minutes per game, with 11.5 points per game and 9.2 rebounds per game, eighth in the NBA in both rebounds per game and offensive rebounds per game.
But Nuggets fans will tell you it's not the number of rebounds Faried gets, it's how it gets them. Faried is an aggressive player who loves crashing into the boards with abandon. He flies through the air but also plays physical basketball and runs the floor in transition.
The Nuggets are also one of the best offensive teams this season, averaging 105.9 points per game, but are also one of the worst defensive teams in the NBA, allowing 101 points per contest.
So will Faried be ready for the beginning of the playoffs? We'll see, but he's pretty determined to play.
Reference: Bleacher Report
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Evolution Explains High-Heels

As we blogged about a month ago, men were the first to wear heels, a trend started by the Sun King, Louis

XIV. After time, the fad spread to women and men eventually stopped wearing heels altogether. 
We posted this post to our local Patch, and one of the comments we got was, "So why did women not give up heels like men did?" A new study published in the journal Evolution and Human Behavior may have the answer!
The University of Portsmouth team was led by psychologist Paul Morris, who says that while footwear preferences are based on cultural norms, the popularity of high heels comes from a deeper impulse. It's how the footwear changes the mechanics of a woman's gait.
Morris and colleagues conducted two experiments using a point-light display. 15 men and 15 women watched dotted outlines of 12 women as they walked for four minutes apiece, two minutes in flats and two minutes in high heels. The participants were then asked to rate how attractive they found the women.
"For all walkers, the attractiveness score was higher in the heels condition than in the flat condition," reports the researchers. Both men and women believed women to be more attractive in heels than in flats.
In the second experiment, 82 women and 38 men watched the same 12 women do the same four minute walk split between high heels and flats. This time, they were asked to judge if the walkers were men or women. When wearing flats, 28% of women were incorrectly called men, but in high heels, that number went down to 11%.
So why such a difference? Researchers say that participants found when the women wore high heels, they "walked in a fashion more characteristic of the female gait." They took "smaller, more frequent steps" and the reduction in the length of their stride had "increased rotation tilt of the hips."
High heels, therefore,  point out the differences in how men walk and how women walk. The way women walk makes them appear more feminine (or less feminine, as in the case of the flats) and stimulates "sexual arousal in males" along with increased female attention (those who are spotting competition). 
This happens either consciously or unconsciously, but this information states that the impulse to wear high heels goes beyond fads. Morris and his colleagues concluded that a woman walking in high heels is a "supernatural stimulus", meaning an enhanced version of a stimulus found in nature. 
Reference: Pacific Standard. 
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Knicks' Prigioni Sprains Ankle

The Knicks had another rough day yesterday, their final regular season game. They were hoping for a quiet day, but got anything but.
The day began with Rasheed Wallace announcing his retirement (again) and ended up with point guard Pablo Prigioni spraining his ankle, Chris Copeland injuring his shoulder, and Iman Shupert getting a cramp in his knee. 
And they've somehow made it into the playoffs.
Prigioni's injury is the one to be most concerned about and Coach Mike Woodson couldn't be sure if Prigioni would be ready for Saturday's playoff opener at 3 p.m. against the Boston Celtics. "Don't know," Woodson said. "I really don't know."
Knicks fans were likely cringing after last night's game, wondering if their first chance at the playoffs in more than 10 years would be swept away in the first round. Injuries this season have made the roster a revolving door of players. 
Woodson is depending on the contributions of Tyson Chandler and Kenyon Martin, who is recovering from a foot injury of his own. Regulars Carmelo Anthony, Jason Kidd, Raymond Felton, and J. R. Smith sat out Wednesday night in the hopes of staying healthy for the playoffs. 
Prigioni is listed day-to-day after rolling his right ankle trying to pull up on a drive to the basket late in the first quarter. X-rays were negative. Woodson had said before the game that he was planning on starting Prigioni against the Celtics Saturday. 
Since being put in the starting lineup, Prigioni had been a much needed spark for the Knicks, who have gone 16-2 with him starting. 
Reference: Newsday
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Brook-Alexander Match Cancelled

Matchroom Sport promoter Eddie Hearn announced Monday that welterweight Kell Brook will not challenge titleholder Devon Alexander because of a stress fracture in his right foot. 
Alexander was to make his first title defense against England's Brook on May 18th in the Showtime televised card headlined by the Lamont Peterson-Lucas Matthysse welterweight bout at Boardwalk Hall in Atlantic City, NJ. Brook had been trying to work through the injury and was receiving treatment, but was finally advised not to fight.
"Kell has recently developed pain in his right foot," Hearn said in a statement. "Following specialist review and investigations over the last ten days he has been diagnosed with a stress fracture of his right fourth metatarsal and further injury of his right navicular, both of which require ongoing treatment, including withdrawal from full training.
"As a result of these injuries and the time required to recover, he has been advised that he will not be medically fit to fight on May 18th. Obviously, this is a huge blow and Kell is devastated, but we have had to make the right decision for Kell Brook the fighter. We will speak with (Alexander promoter) Golden Boy and hope to reschedule the bout in the near future."
This is the third time the fight has been postponed. Brook (29-0, 19 KOs) suffered an ankle injury late last year and the original fight on January 19th in Los Angeles was postponed. It was rescheduled for February 23rd in Detroit, but Alexander (24-1, 13 KOs) severely strained his right biceps, delaying the match till May 18th.
The IBF, the organization whose title Alexander holds, may decide to drop Brook and move on to the next challenger. Whatever happens however, Alexander will remain on the card for the May 18th bout, chief executive Richard Schaefer of Golden Boy says.
"It is very unfortunate that this fight is off again," Schaefer said. "Seems to me like it's a fight that is not supposed to happen. We will be talking to Team Alexander, the IBF, and (Showtime) trying to identify a replacement opponent which would be acceptable to all parties involved. The show must go on, and it will."
Alexander trainer Kevin Cunningham was not as kind as Schaefer, saying, "Can you believe this clown Brook? Devon boxed 10 rounds (Thursday) and is looking sharp. He's ready to go May 18th with Brook or without him."
Alexander is a former junior welterweight titlist from St. Louis and won a welterweight title with a unanimous decision against Randall Bailey on Oct. 20th in New York.
Reference: ESPN
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Nene Sits Out Last 2 Wizards Games

Washington Wizards player Nene is relieved to see the end of this season. 

His problems began last summer before the Olympic Games when the plantar fasciitis in his feet was so bad he had to withdraw from Brazil's team. All season long his routine after games has increased from resting one foot in a bucket of ice to soaking both feet. 
Nene, tired of giving a mummified look because of the pain in his feet from plantar fasciitis, decided to sit out the last two games for the Wizards. He made it through 61 games in his 11th professional season, no small physical or mental feat. 
"How tough? Tough enough to think about the end of my career? Yeah, that's how tough it was," he said. "It was so hard to play the way I did it. I thought to end my career because it's so painful, my body can't support. I'm glad I finished the season, but the way I suffer, I hope, never again."
Unfortunately we've seen so many players this season fall to plantar fasciitis and have severe pain because they are not resting as long as they should be. When you have a schedule like these basketball players do and suffer from plantar fasciitis, it is necessary to rest more than two or three games. The constant pounding up and down the court just aggravates the condition.
Nene is owed $39 million over the next three years and said conversations with his wife Lauren and business manager Alex Santos convinced him to keep going. The 6-foot-11 Brazilian is motivated by his son Mateos and his faith in God, but acknowledges that he needs to rest this spring and summer in order to be healthy for next season. 
"To play through pain, that's not necessary. For what? I'm going to sit down. Let the young guys play. They need the work," Nene said.
Coach Randy Whitman was surprised to hear that Nene was going to sit out the final two games. "News to me," he said. But he too feels that Nene needs to rest and get healthy. "It's a big summer for him to work on his body and then when the summer rolls around here, we're hitting the floor running right from the start and we didn't have that luxury with John (Wall) or him this year," Whitman said. "We have to have our main guys healthy and playing as many games as you can to get to that level of playoffs."
Nene was acquired from Denver in March 2012 in a three-team deal and has missed 44 of 117 possible games, largely because he has not been able to properly rest his left foot. This season he has shot just 48 percent from the field, his lowest in any season he has played more than 35 games. He averaged just 12.6 points per game and committed more than two turnovers per game for the second season in a row. 
Reference: Washington Post
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Chemotherapy and My Toenails

When we have a patient in the office who is a cancer survivor, you cannot help but have the utmost respect and sympathy for them. To know the struggles they have gone through, beating the odds, makes you humble. 
Typically we don't see cancer patients for foot or ankle related problems, but sometimes we will see them after their treatment is over. They've often come in because of toenail problems, but have no idea where those problems came from. 
Often doctors will forget in their long list of side effects of chemotherapy to tell them that toenails will become disfigured, discolored, grow thick, smell, and even fall off. Patients will usually expect hair loss of some sort, but don't usually expect other things to fall off, like toenails. 
Chemotherapy drugs like Adriamycin, Taxol, 5-Fluorouracil will cause damage and bombard the tissue that keeps our toenails in place, a process called onycholysis. When the nail becomes detached, it allows dermatophytes , the bugs that cause fungal toenails, to burrow under the nail and cause fungus. And these are not the kind of bugs anyone would like. 
Here are some things you can do to help keep your toenails looking their best while you have chemotherapy:

1. Clip your toenails straight across. This will prevent splitting of the toenail, which can allow bacteria and fungus in.
2. Keep your toenails clean and moisturized. If you insist on getting pedicures while you have chemotherapy (which we would caution against), make sure the instruments have been properly sterilized in an autoclave, not just in a solution.
3. Don't pull or pick at loose cuticles. Carefully cut them with scissors.
4. Wear wide shoes that have plenty of room in the toe box to avoid bruising toenails. Wide shoes also allow your feet to breathe. 

If you get a toenail problem, see a podiatrist right away, as an infection around or in the nail can be very painful.
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Picking Out Shoes For the Office

There is nothing worse than spending a long day at work on your feet, and getting home with terrible foot pain. Picking out the right shoes for work is not only as important as matching your outfit, but making sure your feet will be comfortable throughout the day. Wearing stilettos may be a good idea in the morning, but factor in your walk from the parking garage to your building, getting to your office, and all of your daily walking and by the end of the day you'll want to throw those stilettos down 18 flights of stairs.
"If you don't work with heavy equipment or aren't on your feet a lot, you may think the most important thing to consider when choosing work shoes is how professional they look. But even if you're just walking from meeting to meeting or from the train station to your office, ill-fitting or non-supportive shoes can cause discomfort, injury, and long-term health problems. It's important to make good footwear choices, whatever your profession," said president of the American Podiatric Medical Association Joseph Caporusso, D.P.M..
Here are some tips the APMA recommends when looking for dress shoes that are both professional and comfortable:

• Get your feet professionally fitted. Your shoe size will change over your lifetime, and the size you were when you were 20 may not necessarily be the same size you are when you're 40. Feet should be measured once a year. If you have one foot that is large than the other, go with the larger foot. And get fitted at night, when your feet are at their largest. 
• Check to make sure the shoe is supportive. The padding in the sole should be thick under the ball of the foot and conform to your foot's shape. Shoes should only bend at the ball, and should not easily twist. 
• Look for natural materials, as man-made materials cause the foot to sweat, rub, and chafe in the shoe.
• Look for the APMA's Seal of Acceptance on certain models of shoes, which means they have been evaluated by podiatrists and found beneficial for your foot's health.

"Women may be especially at risk of footwear-related discomfort. A recent APMA survey found that 53 percent of women experience foot pain. High heels are a must-wear for many female professionals, but can cause discomfort and injury if precautions aren't taken," says Caporusso.
Women who still want to wear heels but are looking to decrease their discomfort should follow these tips:

• Stick to wedges instead of stilettos. The wider heel has better support for the ankle.
• Limit heel height to no more than 2 inches. 
• Avoid shoes with pointy toes. Look for shoes with rounded or square toe boxes that provide plenty of room for your toes. If you can't wiggle your toes in pointy shoes, then forgo them.
• Wear your heels for just a few hours during the day. Consider bringing flats or athletic sneakers with you to wear from the car to the office or during lunch time. 
• If you're having pain in your back, legs, neck, or shoulders, take a look at your shoes. Extreme heel heights cause changes in pelvic alignment. 

Remember, foot pain is not normal and you do not have to suffer! By making good, smart choices in footwear you can avoid many foot ailments your colleagues will face.
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Foot Tips For While You're On Vacation

Many Americans will be heading off to warmer locales during the spring vacations this month, looking to get an early start on their summer tan, and get away from it all for a bit. They've packed their bags with every thing they need, from bathing suits, to beach blankets, to sunscreen, and shorts. They know to stay away from tap water in some vacation destinations and have likely packed Pepto-Bismol just in case.
But the one thing those going on vacation are probably not thinking about is the most important thing to ensure they have a good time: their feet! Think about it: without your feet how will you get to the beach, walk around Disney, or get through airport security?
"Foot health is especially important to travelers," says American Podiatric Medical Association president Dr. Joseph Caporusso. "If your feet hurt or you sustain an ankle injury, your whole vacation could be ruined. Plus, poor foot health can have a detrimental effect on your overall well-being."
Here are some tips to keep your vacation foot and ankle healthy!
When getting ready to arrive at the airport, remember that you will have to remove your shoes for airport security. However, don't be tempted to wear flip-flops just because they're easy to slip off and on.
"Flip-flops are never a great walking shoe, and if you have to walk long distances from gate to gate or from your gate to ground transportation, or if you have to hurry, flip-flops could lead to problems," Caporusso says.
Wearing flip-flops means that you will go barefoot through airport security- yuck! You'll leave your feet exposed to sharp, exposed, or uneven surfaces, and of course, germs. If you think shoes with laces will be too cumbersome, select shoes that can slip off and on easily and always wear socks.
If you're driving to your destination, foot comfort is key, especially when going long distances. Look for shoes that won't slip off the gas or brake pedals and potentially cause an accident. And don't take your shoes off when driving, as they can become lodged under the pedals. In some states it is illegal to drive barefoot.
After months of cold, dreary, snowy weather, nothing can be better than a warm, beach location during April vacation. Your spirits immediately brighten and you're more carefree. In your moments of "Let's go to the beach now!" you may forget to apply sunscreen to your feet and ankles. Cover the tops, toes, ankles, and even soles of your feet. Limit how long you walk barefoot, as you can be exposed to ringworm, plantar warts, athlete's foot, sunburn, and other infections and injury. Never walk barefoot in pool areas or locker rooms, as these are breeding grounds for fungus and infection.
When packing your bag or pocketbook for vacation, include these items:

• Moisturizer to keep feet hydrated.
• Sterile bandages to cover minor cuts and abrasions.
• Antibiotic cream to treat skin cuts and irritations. 
• Blister pads to apply to affected area. If you're prone to blisters when walking on vacation, especially when wearing new shoes, apply the blister pad before heading out for the day.
• Pain relievers like Motrin or Advil to treat pain.
• Nail clippers and emery boards.
• Sunscreen and aloe vera in case of sunburn. 

"No one wants to spend their vacation with sore feet- or worse yet, at the doctor's office," says Caporusso. "Taking care of your feet while traveling can help ensure your vacation stays on track and the only things you bring home are great memories and souvenirs."
If you believe have a foot problem and do not currently see a podiatrist, call one of our six locations to make an appointment.
Connecticut Foot Care Centers
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Is Wearing Heels During Pregnancy A Good Idea?

Why is it celebrities think they can get away with things and it will never catch up with them? 

Jessica Simpson recently said that she's been having foot-related pain during her second pregnancy and has stopped wearing her beloved high heels. A source close to Simpson told US Weekly, "Jessica is no longer wearing heels. Her feet are swollen and hurt, and high heels hurt her back." Oh, cry us a river- no heels for a couple of months! Boo hoo. 
Simpson told Jimmy Kimmel that this pregnancy has been much more complicated than her first. "It's a totally different pregnancy. I just feel awful. I've been vomiting. The crazy thing is I never knew a wiener could make me nauseous," Simpson said, letting slip that she and fiance Eric Johnson are expecting a boy.
She tweeted on March 29th, "Practicing walking in flats around my house" and posted a picture. Yay you, Jessica!
Simpson also gave up her high heels during the third trimester of her first pregnancy as well. She told US Weekly a month after making her first pregnancy public, "I went to the doctor yesterday, and he said, 'You're gonna need to get out of those heels!' I was like 'Excuse me! I'll be delivering in these heels!'" Wonderful attitude, Jessica.
Shortly before her daughter Maxwell's birth last May, Simpson tweeted, "I can't wait for the day I can walk in heels again! My feet feel homesick!"
Besides your feet swelling significantly during pregnancy (who wants to see a swollen foot stuffed into a high heel, anyway?), hormonal changes can loosen joints in the feet, creating the perfect conditions for bunions. The likelihood of tripping in high heels is higher, since your sense of balance has shifted. Has she been hearing any of the Sarah Jessica Parker news lately, about how she gave up high heels because they created deformities and damage to her feet? That'll be you next, Jessica.
We can add to the woe-are-my-high-heels club Kim Kardashian, who has also been spotting without her traditional stilettos. She recently said that she's had to give up her high heels because none of them fit anymore. The adjustment from heels to flats has made her "sad" (really, sad? How do you feel about starving children in third world countries, Kim?) but hopes things will return to normal after the baby is born. "My foot is so swollen. I will say. It really is. And I'm sad. You know, because all my shoes don't really fit me anymore. But I heard it goes back. Hopefully." Good thing you have the money to buy new sensible shoes.
Duchess of Cambridge Kate Middleton originally sparked this talk of wearing high heels during pregnancy when her famous black suede heels got caught in a grate during a St. Patrick's Day festival. An outpouring of opinions from podiatrists and medical professionals all came to the same conclusion- put the heels away during pregnancy.
"When you're pregnant, you're going to change the center of gravity... Fall over you're going to hurt yourself and the baby," said Beverly Hill Podiatric Surgeron Stanley Orwasher.
Pediatrician Jennifer Shu agrees with Dr. Orwasher, saying "As you get further along in the pregnancy you'll probably want to go to a lower heel, because your center of gravity will be constantly changing and walking in heels will be harder to manage. Usually at about 25 weeks I recommend going to a lower heel, especially if you're having a lot of back pain."
Lorraine Jones, a member of the UK's Society of Chiropodists and Podiatrists says that seven in ten British women have suffered heel pain, foot and arch pain, and swollen feet and ankles during pregnancy. "Many of the pregnant celebrities you see wearing high heels in magazines are attending events so, like them, try to keep your high heeled, high fashion shoes for a special occasion and stick to a more supportive shoe on a daily basis."
If you believe have a foot problem and do not currently see a podiatrist, call one of our six locations to make an appointment.
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Obesity Increases Gout Risk

A study published last September by The American Journal of Medicine says that gaining too much weight in early and mid-life can drastically increase your chances of getting gout.
Janet W. Maynard, MD, MHS at Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine in Baltimore, MD and colleagues found cumulative incidence of gout by age 70 years for women at 3.6 percent among those who were overweight at the baseline and 7.9 percent among those with obesity at the baseline. Women who have a healthy weight at baseline had a gout incidence of 1.9 percent, and those who were considered morbidly obese had an incidence of 11.8 percent.
The study included 6263 women aged 45 to 65 years and without a history of gout, accepted between 1987 and 1989 in the Atherosclerosis Risk in Communities Study. During the nine year study, 106 women developed gout. Those considered obese were twice as likely to get gout than those considered non-obese.
Early adult obesity, before 25 years of age, among women correlated to a 2.8 times increased risk of gout, compared to those who were not obese at 25.
The researchers concluded that, "In a large cohort of black and white women, obesity in early- and mid-adulthood, and weight gain during this interval, were each independent risk factors for incident gout in women."
A different study, led Ronenn Roubenoff, MD, MHS and colleagues, was published in The Journal of American Medical Association and used men as subjects. Their study associated obesity, excessive weight gain in young adulthood, and hypertension with increased risk of gout.
In their report, the researchers state, "prevention of obesity and hypertension may decrease the incidence and morbidity from gout; studies of weight reduction in the primary and secondary prevention of gout are indicated."
A possible reason for the increase in gout is the consumption of sugar-sweetened soft drinks, which have already been associated with the obesity epidemic in the United States. Soft drinks often contain fructose, which leads to the formation of gout-promoting uric acid.
If you believe have a foot problem and do not currently see a podiatrist, call one of our six locations to make an appointment.
Connecticut Foot Care Centers
Podiatrists in CT
Visit our website, like our page on Facebook, and follow our tweets on Twitter.

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Spring 2013 Shoe Trends

Embroidered Heels: Embroidery gives a shoe a special and fun touch. Some shoes are completely embroidered, while others just have a small portion. Look for birds to be a big theme in this style.

Lace Heels

Mesh/Sheer Heels

Mixed Patterns: Not going to be for everyone- they're a bold fashion statement. Also known as mixed media, these shoes combine three different materials, are colorful, and show the designer's playful side.

Iridescent Heels: Designers are using it on both snakeskin and patent leather.

Color: Nectarine: Nectarine has a soft coral touch and is flattering to many skin tones. Nectarine was listed on Pantone's Spring 2013 Fashion Color Report.
If you believe have a foot problem and do not currently see a podiatrist, call one of our six locations to make an appointment.
Connecticut Foot Care Centers
Podiatrists in CT
Visit our website, like our page on Facebook, and follow our tweets on Twitter.

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