July 2017

Injuries are a common problem for athletes of all sports. It is important that you take preventative measures so that you can avoid encountering any injuries such as sore knees and sprained ankles. One of the most common causes of injuries for runners is overuse. Overuse injuries are the result of pushing your muscles, tendons, and bones past the limit they are used to. A tip to avoid overuse injuries is to ease your way into a new running routine so that you are not doing too much, too soon. Another helpful tip is to replace your sneakers after every 500 miles of use, since worn-out sneakers make you much more susceptible to injury.

Exercising your feet regularly with the proper foot wear is a great way to prevent injuries. If you have any concerns about your feet, contact one of our podiatrists of Canonsburg Podiatry Associates. Our doctors will treat your foot and ankle needs.

How to Prevent Running Injuries

Many common running injuries are caused by overuse and overtraining. When the back of the kneecap starts wearing out and starts causing pain in your knee, this is commonly referred to as runner’s knee. Runner’s knee is a decrease in strength in your quadriceps and can occur if you’re not wearing properly fitted or supporting shoes. To prevent runner’s knee, focusing on hip strengthening is a good idea, as well as strengthening your quads to keep the kneecaps aligned.

What Are Some Causes of Running Injuries?
- One cause of a common running injury is called iliotibial band syndrome.
- Plantar fasciitis is also another common injury.
- Stress fractures can occur from overtraining, lack of calcium, or even your running style.

Best Ways to Prevent Running Injuries
- Wear footwear that fits properly and suits your running needs.
- Running shoes are the only protective gear that runners have to safeguard them from injury.
- Make a training schedule. Adding strengthening exercises as well as regular stretching can help keep you strong and limber and can lessen the possibility of injuries.
- Stretching keeps muscles limber; this will help you gain better flexibility.

If you have any questions please feel free to contact our office located in Canonsburg and McMurray, PA . We offer the newest diagnostic and treatment technologies for all your foot and ankle needs.

If you are experiencing problems with blisters, it is important that you are aware of how to properly care for them. One of the most important rules of blister care is to not pop it yourself. Another important tip is to avoid wearing the shoes that caused you to get the blister in the first place. Applying an ice pack or a bag of frozen vegetables has been shown to help alleviate some blister-related pain. Typically, blisters heal on their own within a week. Nevertheless, there are cases in which a blister causes its victim more pain than what is normal. If your blister keeps reoccurring in the same area, or becomes infected, you may need to see a podiatrist.

Blisters are prone to making everyday activities extremely uncomfortable. If your feet are hurting, contact one of our podiatrists of Canonsburg Podiatry Associates. Our doctors can provide the care you need to keep you pain-free and on your feet.

Foot Blisters

Foot blisters develop as a result of constantly wearing tight or ill-fitting footwear. This happens due to the constant rubbing from the shoe, which can often lead to pain.

What Are Foot Blisters?

A foot blister is a small fluid-filled pocket that forms on the upper-most layer of the skin. Blisters are filled with clear fluid and can lead to blood drainage or pus if the area becomes infected.

How Do Blisters Form?

Blisters on the feet are often the result of constant friction of skin and material, usually by shoe rubbing. Walking in sandals, boots, or shoes that don’t fit properly for long periods of time can result in a blister. Having consistent foot moisture and humidity can easily lead to blister formation.

Prevention & Treatment

It is important to properly care for the affected area in order to prevent infection and ease the pain. Do not lance the blister and use a Band-Aid to provide pain relief. Also, be sure to keep your feet dry and wear proper fitting shoes. If you see blood or pus in a blister, seek assistance from a podiatrist.

If you have any questions, please feel free to contact our office located in Canonsburg and McMurray, PA . We offer the newest diagnostic and treatment technologies for all your foot care needs.

Some of the most common complaints people have with their feet are pain, ingrown toenails, cracked heels, and fungus. When it comes to foot pain, many people are unaware that flat shoes can be just as bad as high heels. Flats do not offer any support for the foot, which can cause those who wear them to experience a lot of pain. Ingrown toenails are often the result of cutting your nails incorrectly; instead of cutting your nails in a rounded shape, you should cut them straight across. If you are trying to cure your cracked heels, you should know that they are caused by a lack of moisture in the feet. A helpful tip is to always moisturize and treat your feet the same way you would want to treat the skin on your face. If you want to get rid of toenail fungus, you should always treat it in its early stages, instead of letting it progress into something much worse. If you have any questions about any of these common foot issues, you should speak to a podiatrist right away.

Everyday foot care is very important to prevent infection and other foot ailments. If you need your feet checked, contact one of our podiatrists from Canonsburg Podiatry Associates. Our doctors can provide the care you need to keep you pain-free and on your feet.

Everyday Foot Care

Often, people take care of their bodies, face and hair more so than they do for their feet. But the feet are a very important aspect of our bodies, and one that we should pay more attention to. Without our feet, we would not be able to perform most daily tasks.

It is best to check your feet regularly to make sure there are no new bruises or cuts that you may not have noticed before. For dry feet, moisturizer can easily be a remedy and can be applied as often as necessary to the affected areas. Wearing shoes that fit well can also help you maintain good foot health, as well as making it easier to walk and do daily activities without the stress or pain of ill-fitting shoes, high heels, or even flip flops. Wearing clean socks with closed shoes is important to ensure that sweat and bacteria do not accumulate within the shoe. Clean socks help to prevent Athlete’s foot, fungi problems, bad odors, and can absorb sweat.

If you have any questions please feel free to contact our office located in Canonsburg and McMurray, PA . We offer the newest diagnostic and treatment technologies for all your foot and ankle needs.

Hammertoe is a type of foot deformity that occurs when the toe begins to bend or buckle, and it is sometimes caused when the feet constantly rub against footwear, like high heels. Consequently, this condition is more commonly found in women compared to men. Laurie Keegan, a sufferer of hammertoe, has this to say about the condition: “I can't do the things I want to do. I get on the treadmill and I can only be on there for about 20 minutes. It's just too painful. I can't continue.” Fortunately, surgery can be done to repair hammertoe, but you should consult with your podiatrist before you begin to seek it as an option.

Hammertoe

Hammertoes can be a painful condition to live with. For more information, contact one of our podiatrists from Canonsburg Podiatry Associates. Our doctors will answer any of your foot- and ankle-related questions.

Hammertoe is a foot deformity that affects the joints of the second, third, fourth, or fifth toes of your feet. It is a painful foot condition in which these toes curl and arch up, which can often lead to pain when wearing footwear.

Symptoms

• Pain in the affected toes
• Development of corns or calluses due to friction
• Inflammation
• Redness
• Contracture of the toes

Causes

Genetics – People who are genetically predisposed to hammertoe are often more susceptible

Arthritis – Because arthritis affects the joints in your toes, further deformities stemming from arthritis can occur

Trauma – Direct trauma to the toes could potentially lead to hammertoe

Ill-fitting shoes – Undue pressure on the front of the toes from ill-fitting shoes can potentially lead to the development of hammertoe

Treatment

Orthotics – Custom made inserts can be used to help relieve pressure placed on the toes and therefore relieve some of the pain associated with it

Medications – Oral medications such as anti-inflammatories or NSAIDs could be used to treat the pain and inflammation hammertoes causes. Injections of corticosteroids are also sometimes used

Surgery – In more severe cases where the hammertoes have become more rigid, foot surgery is a potential option

If you have any questions please contact our office located in Canonsburg and McMurray, PA . We offer the newest diagnostic and treatment technologies for all your foot and ankle needs.