Foot and Ankle Doctor Blog Space

What are custom orthotics?

Custom orthotics are devices that are custom molded to your feet. They fit comfortably inside your shoes and are designed to reduce stress and strain on the feet, knees legs hips and back. Orthotics will help improve your gait making walking and running more comfortable. Orthotics will help to correct your body’s misalignments also known as “biomechanical or structural deformities.” Most people that have biomechanical deformities will develop symptoms that usually present as pain in the joints, muscles or tendons.

Think of wearing orthotics as similar to wearing eyeglasses. When you wear your glasses they help correct your sight by placing corrective lenses in front of the eyes. This helps your eyes function as close to 20/20 vision. Orthotics help the body function in a similar way by helping to restore normal biomechanical function in your feet and legs.

There are a variety of types of custom orthotics, the two main types are: functional orthotics and accommodative orthotics. Functional orthotics help re-align the feet and legs. They reduce, or control abnormal motion that may be causing pain in the foot, leg and back. Accommodative orthotics are made out of softer material and they are designed to absorb shock and reduce pressure. They are less effective in controlling abnormal motion, they simply cushion and pad ulcers, painful calluses, bony prominences and other pathologies of the foot.

If you have pain or discomfort and think you can benefit from orthotics come see Dr. Nejad or Dr. Dardashti at Foot & Ankle Doctors, Inc.

 

The VIP’s of wound healing

According to APMA (American Podiatric Medical Association) approximately 15% of individuals with diabetes will develop an ulcer. Celebrities like Halle Berry and Tom Hanks are diabetic and it is important for them or any person with diabetes to check their feet daily and ensure they do not have any open lesions. Wound healing is slowed when you have diabetes so it is important to treat wounds promptly. There are three important factors Dr. Dardashti checks when a patient presents with a wound and they can be summarized as “VIP.”

V is for vascular, for a wound to heal you need an adequate blood supply to provide proper nutrients to the injured area in order for healing to take place

I stands for infection, an infected wound needs to be treated with antibiotics before the wound can heal itself

P stands for pressure; some wounds on the feet are in places that are constantly subjected to increased pressures when walking. This chronic pressure will cause the tissue to breakdown resulting in a wound, thus it is important to relieve pressure from a wound to allow it to properly heal.

Dr. David Dardashti

Morning Heel Pain

Do you ever wake up and have pain in your feet after stepping out of bed? Do you have foot pain when walking barefoot? You may have a condition known as plantar fasciitis. The plantar fascia is a long band of tissue that stretches from your heel along the length of the arch and inserts into the toes helping to support the arch of the feet. When this band of tissue becomes aggravated or strained it becomes inflamed. The inflammation of this ligament is called plantar fasciitis.

Overpronation is the most common cause of plantar fasciitis. Pronation is an inward rolling movement of the foot that naturally occurs when walking or running. When pronation occurs in excess amount it is termed overpronation, which results in excessive inward rolling, stretching and flattening of the foot resulting in increased stress on the plantar fascia. Plantar fasciitis is a common cause of heel pain in runners because they pull and stretch this band of tissue causing microscopic tearing. Overweight individuals can also experience plantar fasciitis because they put a lot of pressure and force on the band causing small tears leading to inflammation and pain. Most people with plantar fasciitis experience a stabbing pain at their heel with the first few steps it the morning, or after getting up from sitting for an extended period of time. The pain tends to get better after moving around.

If the underlying cause of plantar fasciitis is left untreated it can progress into chronic heel, knee, hip or back pain. Plantar fasciitis can be easily treated if caught early. If you experience any of these symptoms see your local podiatrist or come see us at Foot & Ankle Doctors, Inc.

 

Dr. Farshid Nejad

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