The National

Since Orlando is only a couple hours away, I was excited to see that the National Scientific Seminar of the American Podiatric Medical Association was to be held in Orlando this year.  I decided that I would attend my first national conference and just returned home to Spring Hill.  Podiatrists from all over the country came to Orlando this past weekend.  I must say I was very impressed with the conference.  I have, of course, attended many conferences more regional in the past, but this one was so much bigger.

In addition to well respected speakers, the exhibit hall was great.  I have again found products and services to make the practice and care I provide to my patients even better.  I am eager to get to the office Monday morning and get to work!

Tom Hanks Makes an Announcement

Earlier this week, on late night TV, Tom Hanks announced that he has been diagnosed with diabetes.  He talked about lifestyle changes he needed to make and also a little about how the disease effects the body.  I have had a few patients over the years that presented with foot problems that lead me to suspect that he or she could be a diabetic.  The patient usually knew something wasn't quite right but was completely unaware that this disease was present.

One of the earliest signs of diabetes in terms of the foot would be numbness or tingling.  Diabetes is a disease of high blood sugar and this high blood sugar can cause several problems with the body.  Diabetic neuropathy is caused when nerve fibers are damaged by the high blood sugar.  This can be uncomfortable as a bothersome numbness in the feet but also can lead to pain.  Besides the discomfort, this loss of feeling can but a patient at risk for injury.  For example, a stone in the shoe can cause a sore.  A person without diabetic neuropathy would remove his or her shoe and remove the stone, but a diabetic patient may not even know that there is a stone in his or her shoe.  Left in the shoe the stone can lead to a sore or ulceration.

If you think you have diabetes you should see a physician for testing.  Symptoms are not just tingling in the feet but also weight loss, increased thirst, and increased urination.

This is NOT recommended

Just when I thought I had seen it all, I read this story online from "Runner's World": Keith Levasseur ran Saturday's Baltimore Marathon in 2:46:58 while wearing flip flops.  Apparently, he performed the stunt for the Guinness Book of World Records.  Looking closely at the picture, they are some of the more supportive flip flops, but still I find this to be insane.  To top it all off, he finished 39th out of over 3000 runners.

Flip flops are a popular shoe all over the country, and here in Florida they can be worn essentially all year.  However, these shoes are not created to walk in for long distances or even wear long-term.  Historically, they are to protect feet to get to the beach from your car over hot pavement or to prevent you from picking up a wart or athlete's foot in a public shower or pool.

These shoes can lead to all sorts of problems such as heel pain and also provide no protection for the top of the foot or the end of the toes.  I have seen several painful toenail injuries from the wearing of these shoes.

I know I will not make many people give up their flip flops but I recommend them only for limited periods of time and certainly prefer my patients wear ones with an arch in the sole.  Our shoe store and all of our offices have available sandals and flip flops that are better for you feet than the "traditional" flip flop.

Kobe Bryant's "Mild Foot Discomfort"

I admit that I am not a huge basketball fan, but I do keep an eye on the sports headlines.  Being a podiatrist, a recent headline caught my attention.  It turns out that yesterday Kobe Bryant missed both LA Laker practices with "mild foot discomfort."  I am sure one of the greatest basketball players of all time will be closely evaluated but anyone can take note of this headline.  Foot pain is not normal!  If Kobe Bryant would have tried to "work through it" he could have made the condition much worse.  I can not tell you how many times I see a patient who waited several months or even a year with significant foot pain.  This patient is much harder to treat as the condition has often worsened.  As with most things the sooner you deal with an issue, the easier it is to resolve.  Moral of the story: foot pain is not normal and we should take it seriously.