Foot Care One

Friday, January 27, 2012

State-of-the-Art Nail Treatment at Bay Harbor Podiatry Group

When is it time to finally treat that unpleasant growth in your toenails? If you’ve noticed unhealthy changes in your toes’ nail growth or have been experiencing any discomfort, then it’s already time to stop putting off treatment. Before the problem worsens to the point where invasive procedures become necessary, the best approach for treating unsightly foot conditions like toenail fungus is with preventive strategies. And thanks to the top-of-the-line treatment methods available today—like the Cutera Laser treatment offered exclusively to Southern Californians at the Bay Harbor Podiatry Group—giving your toenails the cosmetic overhaul they need and encouraging long-term healthy growth has never been easier.

You might first believe that surgical removal is the only option for toenail fungus since getting rid of the infection can become a challenging task. Onychomycosis, also known as nail fungus, is caused by common fungi like dermatophytes that are present everywhere in the atmosphere and are capable of quickly spreading infection. Everyone is susceptible to toenail fungus anytime they come into contact with the dermatophytes which thrive off the keratin inside nails, leading to discolored nails that can become thick, brittle, and prone to breakage. Not only can it cause embarrassment, toenail fungus can be painful and very uncomfortable for walking or even wearing shoes. At the first sign of physical change or discomfort, contact your doctor about treatment options so that you may have a chance of reversing the infection and eliminating the need for any serious procedures.p>

There are three forms of simple treatment that can all be effective, but each comes with its own results.

Firstly, you may be prescribed oral medications to combat the infection. By entering the bloodstream, oral medications can directly reach the infection and treat it at the source. Typically, the medication is taken for a number of weeks, and the infection can be eradicated altogether—restoring normal, healthy nail growth. However, medications may not be for everyone. Some patients may experience side effects like headaches, nausea, upset stomach, or skin irritation, and sometimes even liver damage or heart failure in patients with preexisting conditions. Some patients who are already taking other medications or want to avoid these unwanted side effects may prefer an alternative to the oral drugs.

Topical medication is another option that can be helpful since it is applied directly onto the infected nail, and there are typically no side effects. However, topical medication is not as powerful as oral drugs. Most of the time, topical medication is not capable of penetrating the thickness of an infected nail, and therefore cannot always reach the source of the infection. Topical medication is usually administered in combination with another treatment method.

Recently approved by the FDA, the cutting-edge technology of the Nd: YAG laser from Cutera has now made treatment easy, fast, safe, and extremely effective. Dr. Mittleman and staff at Bay Harbor Podiatry Group first used the PinPointe Laser on patients with onychomycosis which produced positive results, but in April 2011 have since upgraded to the newer Cutera Laser. “The Cutera Laser has proven successful in 70–80% of cases,” says Dr. Mittleman. The aiming beam of the laser can be adjusted for size, intensity, and amount of time that it is applied to each nail—so treatment can be customized to each patient’s needs. The light technology discourages the fungi’s ability to thrive, causing the infection to naturally reverse its growth. Patients notice changes even after just one treatment session with the laser, and there are virtually no side effects. Some patients will need a number of sessions spread out over time in order to completely eliminate the infection, but some patients will only need as few as two to three sessions total (sessions last 10–20 minutes each). The soft, pulsating light does not cause pain, but a warming sensation throughout the nail (and sometimes a hot pinch toward the end that quickly subsides). After the procedure, patients are able to immediately resume their usual activities without any interference or discomfort.

"Dr. Mittleman has been very nice, friendly, and thorough as he answers all my questions, and patiently!" says Bridget, a Cutera Laser patient. "I’ve been happy with the treatment. I like it because the other treatment for toenail fungus is an oral medication that has a lot of bad side effects. I just don't want to risk those side effects—and besides the temporary burning sensation, there are no side effects with the laser."

The intelligent laser technology targets only the affected area on the nail and not the surrounding areas, so treatment is extremely effective and safe. As the infected nail grows out over time, the new nail growth will appear healthy and clear. Nails grow slowly, so complete nail health will be achieved anywhere from 6–12 months following treatment.

Elimination of the infection is highly likely with the use of the laser technology. However, everyone is always prone to getting infected with toenail fungus again since the dermatophytes are always present in our surrounding environments. If you’re ready to start having beautiful, healthy nails again, talk to your doctor about your treatment options.

To make an appointment for the Cutera laser treatment available at Bay Harbor Podiatry Group, call (310) 540-1213.

Labels: healthy nails, infected, infection, laser, treatment

Monday, December 26, 2011

Nutrition for Your Foot Health

Who would have thought that your diet can affect the health of your feet? The condition of your feet can actually tell you a lot about your overall health and indicate a lack of certain food groups or vitamins in your diet. Injuries like stress fractures in the feet, for example, are often the first sign of osteoporosis—the progressive bone loss disease that affects a high number of post-menopausal women. Patients experiencing stress fractures in the feet need to increase their calcium intake.

It makes sense that your feet experience the first symptoms of illness or injury. After all, we subject them to carrying all our weight every day (and any extra weight you might carry throughout the day, like babies, groceries, equipment, or backpacks). For runners, dancers, pregnant mothers, older adults, and individuals with diabetes, osteoporosis, or HIV/AIDS—the need for mindful "foot health" is the same. Our feet need good nutrition that supports healthy bone growth and blood circulation so our lower extremities like calves, ankles, and feet can all benefit from the supply of oxygen and nutrients as well as the removal of carbon dioxide and other waste.

The body needs a constant refueling of calcium since calcium is depleted during natural body functions daily. Maintain bone quality by consuming the proper amount of calcium that your bones need each day. According to the American Orthopaedic Foot & Ankle Society, children ages 9–18 years, as well as pregnant or nursing women 18 years or younger need 1,300 mg of calcium per day. Adults ages 19–50 (especially pregnant or nursing women) need 1,000 mg of calcium per day. Adults over the age of 50 need 1,200 mg of calcium per day. The best resource for calcium is milk and other dairy products which can supply you with 300 mg in a single serving. For those who are lactose intolerant, a proportionate amount of calcium can come from lactose-free yogurt or cheese, as well as seeds and nuts. Sardines, salmon, and other fish contain high amounts of calcium as well as necessary omega-3 fatty acids. Dark leafy greens, like collard, kale, broccoli, turnip greens, bok choy, and cabbage are great sources of calcium along with multiple other vitamins and nutrients to help you stay active and encourage circulation. Soy products and fortified foods are other rich sources of calcium. Don’t forget about the all-important need for healthy sunshine: Vitamin D is essential to bone growth, calcium absorption, and prevention of debilitating diseases. Your doctor might recommend a calcium or Vitamin D supplement if it is necessary to compliment your diet.

Alcohol and smoking are major causes of bone weakening. Drinking more than 1–2 alcoholic beverages a day can lead to osteoporosis, and smoking significantly reduces blow flow to the feet.

In addition to a healthy diet, practice regular exercise with an intensity level that matches your lifestyle to improve blood circulation. Exercise for 30 minutes every day; weight-bearing exercises like swimming, yoga, walking, dancing, and bicycling are terrific workouts to improve your foot health. Avoid activities that demand lots of jumping or running to prevent harsh pressure or shock to your feet. When resting, keep your feet elevated and always try to have your feet covered by socks or shoes to keep them from becoming too cold and losing circulation.

Not only will a better diet help reduce the risk of foot injuries, but it will reduce your risk of high cholesterol, high blood pressure, diabetes, osteoporosis, restless leg syndrome, and varicose veins—all of which affect foot health. Without a nutritional diet and exercise, both healthy individuals and those with any of the aforementioned conditions can face serious injury or infection in the feet. Prevention is key to sustaining lifelong health. Your entire body will be grateful for your nutritional habits, including your happy feet.

*Photo credit belongs to http://www.flickr.com/photos/lamazone/2560823713/

Labels: diet, exercise, Foot care, Foot nutrition, healthy, improve circulation

Wednesday, December 21, 2011

Bay Harbor Podiatry Group Volunteer at CareNow/LA Free Clinic

Over 50 million Americans are without health care today, even though health care is considered a standard of living. Each day, 2.2 million residents of Los Angeles County go without basic health care and preventive treatment, and instead suffer with chronic pain, injuries, infections, diseases, and lower quality of life. Yet this month, CareNow—a national non-profit founded by Dan Manelli—brought its free mega-health clinic to Los Angeles in an effort to provide quality care and treatment to the underserved families and vulnerable individuals living without health insurance and services. Over 7,000 doctors and nurses of all specialties, including the team at Bay Harbor Podiatry Group, donated their time to serve 3,750 patients for free over the course of four days at the Los Angeles Sports Arena.

The event drew national media attention and celebrity support, having been sponsored by The California Endowment and serving as the filming location of a special episode of "The Dr. Oz Show" with the well-known preventive medicine expert greeting patients and doctors alike throughout the clinic.

Bay Harbor Podiatry Group's Dr. Marc G. Mittleman, Dr. Roland J. Carroll, and Dr. Randall W. Leyking contributed their time and services to the everyday Angeleno who, among the rest of California natives, comprise the highest rate of uninsured citizens in the nation. The majority of procedures performed were to treat conditions considered to be preventable, yet the lack of affordable health insurance for these patients delayed their much-needed treatment. For patients who visited Dr. Mittleman and his staff, treating podiatric problems was critical to identifying the presence of underlying serious life-threatening conditions, such as diabetes. Following the CareNow clinic, these citizens were also equipped with referrals and access to nearby clinics to continue their efforts toward preventive healthy living or to receive follow-up treatment. Thanks to CareNow and its volunteer medical, dental, and vision professionals, these patients were able to take advantage of the clinic's free medical services, immunizations, educational and counseling services, and seminars on leading lifelong healthy, nutritional lives—and in doing so, took charge of their own lives.

Because of the 3,222 preventative medical procedures performed at CareNow/LA, the patients, physicians, and the overall health care system will all benefit from the decrease in occurrences of emergency medical treatment and health care resources. The main goal of the free clinic was to instill an ever-present sense of prevention among the clinic's guests as a way to keep the cost of health care down and the quality of living up.

For those CareNow/LA patients who were treated by the Bay Harbor Podiatry Group, appointments and consultations for ongoing treatment will be available. Visit footcareone.com or call (310) 540-1213 to learn more.

References/Resources:

http://carenowusa.org/la/diary/index.html

http://carenowusa.org/news/article_101811.html

http://carenowusa.org/news/article_102011_abc.html

http://carenowusa.org/whowe.html

*All Photo credits/rights belong to CareNow/LA

Labels: Bay Harbor Podiatry, CareNow/LA, Free Clinic, Volunteer

Wednesday, November 2, 2011

Are Barefoot-style Shoes Really Good for You?

Who would have thought that those funny-looking sock-like shoes with five separate compartments for each toe would become so popular? Barefoot-style shoes, also known as minimalist shoes, have quickly exceeded the sales growth of nearly any other shoe in the market in recent years. In 2010, minimalist shoes experienced double-digit sales growth, according to OIA Vantage Point and Leisure Trends, with brands like the Vibram FiveFingers ($75.00–$125.00) taking the fitness world by storm. Barefoot enthusiasts would swear to you that the minimalist style of the shoe allows for greater stability and balance, lowered risk of injury, and improved overall body tone. Minimalist shoes can be worn for a variety of exercises too, including water sports, yoga, hiking, weightlifting, and even running.

But are minimalist shoes actually good for your health, or is the barefoot trend just hype?

According to a recent study sponsored by the nonprofit group The American Council on Exercise (ACE), the shoes have mixed results among runners. Minimalist shoes are designed to imitate barefoot running, but provide the protection needed to prevent abrasion to the soles of the feet from terrain and urban environments. Unlike traditional running shoes, the minimalist shoes lack the over-cushioning and excess support which can hinder flexibility and cause high-impact shock to the joints (the leading cause of injuries in runners). Yet when experienced runners have been conditioned for many years to run in traditional running shoes with a heel-strike gait, adapting to the new ball-strike gait needed in the minimalist shoes (which, once learned, is said to eliminate impact-related injuries) can pose a challenge.

To test how the minimalist shoe matches up to the traditional running shoe as well as barefoot running, ACE and a team of researchers from the University of Wisconsin, La Crosse’s Exercise and Health Program enlisted 16 healthy young adult female recreational joggers to experiment the various running styles. For two weeks, the participants were asked to wear a pair of FiveFingers (<5 oz.) while running up to 20 minutes per day and three days a week in order to become acclimated to running in minimalist shoes prior to the experiment. The researchers also encouraged the participants to attempt running in a forefoot-strike pattern while wearing the shoes. Once back in the lab, the researchers used 3-D motion analyses and ground-reaction force measurements on the participants as they ran in traditional running shoes and minimalist shoes (in random order), followed by barefoot running. The participants ran 20 meters in all running styles, for 7 experiments each (totaling 21 tests per person).

In their analysis, the researchers found all of the participants to be rear-foot strikers while wearing traditional running shoes. However, when the participants ran in minimalist shoes or barefoot, about half of them switched their gait to a forefoot strike. Even though the participants were given time to practice running in the forefoot-strike pattern, the experiment showed just how hard it is for the body to readjust basic motor functions. Those runners who maintained a heel-strike gait while in the FiveFingers or barefoot had an even higher risk of injury—like loading which causes new stresses to the lower muscles not previously felt—than those associated with traditional running shoes, most likely due to over-exposure or lack of cushioning. However, those who were able to learn the forefoot-strike gait while in FiveFingers or barefoot experienced greater flexion, allowing for better impact absorption which decreased their lower extremity injuries. Overall, barefoot running for all the runners was shown to cause less pronation. Like barefoot running, the FiveFingers also caused less knee flexion in all the participants, which is known to lower risk of injury.

The biggest culprit for running-related injuries while in the minimalist shoes, the researchers note, was non-adaptation of the forefoot strike, along with overuse of the shoes without allowing for acclimation. As a recommendation, the researchers suggest that runners who do not experience chronic pain or injury from running should stick with their traditional running shoes. Yet for runners with chronic pain, they may consider the minimalist shoes to avoid their risk for injury, but while taking gradual steps to adjust to the new running style. ACE experts highly recommend the minimalist shoes for fitness training purposes, but also recommend caution when considering the shoes for running.

If used correctly, minimalist shoes can create an assortment of positive physical changes, including better impact absorption, strengthened muscles, less stress on the joints, improved strides, decreased running time, and improved proprioception, balance, and form. Yet if heel-strike runners run in the minimalist shoes, they may face even more severe injuries than before. It all depends on timing: your ability to pace yourself while transitioning into the minimalist shoes, and willingness to take baby steps toward a successful barefoot lifestyle.