According to the Center for Disease Control and Prevention, every twenty seconds someone loses a limb because of diabetes.  Hoping to change this number, scientists from the Southern Arizona Limb Salvage Alliance developed what they call a ‘Smart Sock’ that utilizes sensors and fiber optics to detect areas where ulcers may form.

Dr. Armstrong claims this invention was inspired by virtual reality video games. Although this technology is impressive, it is not expected to be available to the public until at least 2019. Until then, many people with diabetes and other systemic diseases are prone to amputation if their condition is left untreated.

If left untreated, systemic diseases can create permanent debilitations in your daily life. If you are contending with foot or ankle difficulty, see podiatrist Dr. Kevin H. Lapoff, DPM of Lake Worth Podiatry. Dr. Lapoff can treat your foot and ankle needs.

Systemic Diseases of the Foot

Systemic diseases affect the whole body, and symptoms usually are displayed in the feet. This condition can make a patient’s ability to walk unbearable.  Systemic diseases include gout, diabetes mellitus, neurological disorders, and arthritis.

Gout is caused by an excess of uric acid in the body. Some common symptoms include pain, inflammation, and redness at the metatarsal/phalangeal joint of the base big toe. Gout can be treated by NSAIDs to relieve pain and inflammation, and other drugs to lower the acid levels in the body.

Diabetes mellitus is an increase in the level of blood sugar that the body cannot counteract with its own insulin. When the body doesn’t produce enough insulin this is a factor in Diabetes.

Diabetes of the Feet

Diabetic Neuropathy may lead to damaged nerves and affect the feet through numbness and loss of sensation.

Peripheral Vascular Disease can restrict the blood flow to the feet, and often leads to amputation. 

If you have any questions, please feel free to contact our office in Lake Worth, FL. We offer the newest diagnostic and treatment technologies for all your foot ankle injuries.

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There is no sport that completely prevents the foot or ankle from becoming injured. In fact, even simple activities such as darts and pool might cause injuries to the foot. When an athlete does suffer from a foot injury, he needs to find a way to get back on his feet right away. Immediate results may be desired, but they are not always possible.

All foot and ankle injuries deserve immediate attention. When the foot or the ankle gets injured, muscles surrounding the bones can weaken or atrophy through disuse. While the bones heal on their own, it takes a more concentrated effort for an athlete to regain full use of his feet and ankles. A doctor may recommend that a person go through a course of physical therapy. The course of physical therapy treatment uses simple, repetitive isometric exercises. The use of the exercises will cause the body to rebuild the muscles and tendons in the area over time and restore the full range of movement.

When selecting ankle and foot rehabilitation services, an athlete needs to find a licensed sports therapist (other physical therapists work with more generalized conditions, and while these kinds of physical therapists are dedicated to their job, they do not necessarily understand the special demands of the athlete). A good sports therapist will take their time with a patient, and make sure that he or she understands the problem and the options available for treatment. As long as the doctor expects a person to return to the sport which he enjoys, the sports physical therapist will recommend the exact exercises a person needs to get back in the game.

Although the professional athlete needs a trained sports therapist, an amateur athlete or the weekend player can benefit from foot rehabilitation services for athletes as well. An ankle or foot injury does not have to cause a person go give up the game he loves entirely, so long as he or she seeks out a sports therapist.

Physical therapy may not always heal certain injuries perfectly, but it will more quickly and effectively help the afflicted person get better.  Less severe injuries may only take a person out of his favorite sport just for a little while, if he or she sees a sports therapist. If a full recovery is possible, it is definitely worth it to check out ankle and foot rehabilitation services. 

Women’s tennis superstar Victoria Azarenka will miss the 2014 French Open, as she continues to nurse a foot injury that has kept her on the sidelines since March.  She will also have to miss this season’s second Grand Slam event. 

“Hi Guys - Unfortunately I will not be able to compete in Roland Garros this year. Working hard on my recovery & getting back on the court” tweeted Azarenka.

Azarenka was last seen on the court at the Indian Wells, where she lost in the second round to Lauren Davis.  Before that, the only two tournaments she competed in this season were the Brisbane International and Australian Open.  Azarenka is hoping to be back to full strength by the U.S. Open in late August.

Physical rehabilitation is sometimes necessary to treat athletic injuries.  If you are suffering from a sports related injury, see podiatrist Dr. Kevin H. Lapoff, DPM of Lake Worth Podiatry. Dr. Lapoff will care for all of your foot and ankle needs.

Foot Rehabilitation for Athletes

Injured athletes are always looking for better, faster ways to aid their recovery and get back to the sport they love. To do this, podiatrists and physical therapists are often consulted so the injured athlete can get back onto the field as soon as possible. But rehabbing an injury is just as serious as the injury itself, and going through the motions of physical therapy or rehabilitation is a necessary process to keeping that injury at bay.

Sports Therapist or Physical Therapist?

If an athlete gets a foot injury, it is essential to receive foot rehabilitation to ensure proper healing. Sports therapists are more focused on athletic-related injuries than general physical therapists. It is important for an athlete to become healed properly because if they attempt to get back into their game before they are physically well, they could re-aggravate the original injury or even suffer a new one due to their weakened state.

Physical Therapy Gives Hope

Physical therapy helps to keep athletes as active as they are physically capable, which will get them ready to return to the field once their feet become healed.

For more information about Foot Rehabilitation for Athletes, follow the link below.

If you have any questions, please feel free to contact our office in Lake Worth, FL. We offer the newest diagnostic and treatment technologies for all your foot ankle injuries.

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U.S. Army lieutenants held a study that attempted to correlate the frequency of injuries while running and the amount of force used when the foot hits the ground. The reason for this study is to try and lower the rate of running injuries among soldiers in the military.  

To hold this test, 1027 Army men and women were monitored as the researchers examined their record of injuries and running techniques. The study would ultimately come to the conclusion was that the amount of force used while running had no relationship to any injuries sustained by the runners.

Running injuries can happen to even the most cautious person. If your foot or ankle was injured while running, see podiatrist Dr. Kevin H. Lapoff, DPM of Lake Worth Podiatry. Dr. Lapoff can treat your foot and ankle injuries.  

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. Runner’s knee usually is treated with strengthening exercises focusing on the quad muscles and sports orthotic. To prevent runner’s knee, focusing on hip strengthening is a good idea, as well as strengthening your quads to keep the kneecaps aligned. Physical therapy can help you learn the best exercises to heal runner’s knee.

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

If you have any questions feel free to contact our office in Lake Worth, FL. We offer the latest in diagnostic and treatment technology to meet your needs.

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Gout is a form of arthritis that is unusually painful. A slight touch can send shooting pain. The most common area for gout to occur is in the metatarsal phalangeal joint of the big toe. Other areas of the body frequently affected by gout are the knees, elbows, fingers, ankles and wrists.
Gout occurs when there are elevated levels of uric acid in the blood. This condition is called hyperuricemia. Hyperuricemia is a genetically pre-disposed condition about 90% of the time and occurs because the kidneys do not produce the correct amount of uric acid. Children of parents who have had gout will have a 20% chance of developing it themselves. The excess uric acid in the blood forms crystals that deposit in between joints causing friction with movement.

Symptoms of gout caused by this friction include pain, redness, swelling, and inflammation. Fever and fatigue may occur as well, although these symptoms are rare. The pain can be worse during the night when the body’s temperature lowers.

Gout can be diagnosed clinically by a doctor’s observation of the redness, swelling, and pain. More definitive tests can be performed by the doctor as well. Blood tests check for elevated uric acid levels in the blood. The synovial fluid in the joint can also be withdrawn through a needle to be checked for uric acid crystals. Chronic gout can be diagnosed by X-ray.

Treatment given for acute gout diminishes the symptoms. Non-steroid anti-inflammatory drugs such as Colchicine and other corticosteroid drugs will stop the swelling, redness, and inflammation in cases of acute gout. If gout becomes chronic, there are multiple ways to combat it. Lifestyle changes and changes in diet may be necessary, as well as preventative drugs.

Gout can be aggravated by a sedentary lifestyle. Exercise will reduce probability of future cases of gout. Certain foods cause or increase the risk of gout and their consumption should be avoided or kept at a minimum. These foods include red meat, alcohol, sea foods, and drinks sweetened with fructose.

Lifestyle changes and diet that help prevent gout include exercise and certain foods that help decrease the chance of gout recurring. Gout preventative foods include Vitamin C, coffee and some dairy products. New drugs have been discovered that inhibit the body’s production of certain enzymes. These are the enzymes that produce uric acid. Lowering your levels of uric acid will greatly reduce the chances of developing further cases of gout.

East Orange resident Roselle Hartsfield has a lot to live for. The 84 year old mother to seven, grandmother to fifteen and great-grandmother to seven, Hartsfield has contended with diabetes since her 50’s, and is well aware that her long-term well-being is at risk.

“I have glaucoma in my eyes and two years ago, two of my toes got so badly infected that I had to go into a hyperbaric chamber for 39 days to avoid amputation,” she said. Although there have been many advances in diabetic care, diabetics need to do what they can do monitor their health with vigilance. Conscious of this, Hartsfield is determined to ensure her health is accounted for in order to avoid amputation or worse.

Diabetes is a very serious condition that can result in amputation or worse if left untreated. If you are diabetic, visit podiatrist Dr. Kevin H. Lapoff, DPM of Lake Worth Podiatry. Dr. Lapoff can treat your diabetic feet.   

Diabetic Foot Care

Diabetes affects millions of people of all ages each year. Diabetes damages blood vessels in many parts of the body, including the feet. When damage occurs to nerves in the feet, they may be unable to send the proper signals to the peripheral nervous system, resulting in a condition known as neuropathy. Once a diabetic patient develops neuropathy, it is imperative that the feet are well taken care of to avoid possible amputation of the feet.

The Importance of Caring for Your Feet

- Regularly check your feet for bruises or sores.
- Wear socks that fit your feet; socks shouldn’t be tight.
- Wear properly fitting shoes that are comfortable.

Patients with diabetes should have their doctor monitor their Hemoglobin A1C levels as this test lets the physician know how well the blood sugar levels have been controlled during the past 3 months. It is important to keep the blood sugar levels in a normal range (70-110mg/dl). It is advisable to visit a podiatrist if the diabetic patient is experiencing any conditions involving the feet.

For more information about Diabetic Foot Care, follow the link below.

If you have any questions feel free to contact our office in Lake Worth, FL. We offer the latest in diagnostic and treatment technology to meet your needs.

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