Posts for: December, 2014
Maintaining healthy feet and legs is a must-have for anyone, but especially for athletes.
Whether you’re an avid runner or your child plays high school football, being active is a wonderful way to stay fit and healthy. While sports have its obvious advantages, there are also some cons to these otherwise fun activities. Sometimes injuries occur during the heat of the game and you need someone to turn to who can help treat your foot, ankle or leg problems. That’s where your Nashville sports podiatrist comes in.
What kinds of problems do you treat?
We offer a full range of podiatric treatments in Nashville, so we treat everything from Achilles tendonitis and sprains to Athlete’s foot, bunions and fractures. When you come in with a sports-related injury, the first thing we will do is run certain physical tests to check your lower limb function and to see where your pain originates. We will check your posture and alignment and determine if there are any structural imbalances. We will also obtain proper imaging to assist in diagnosing your problem (i.e. x-rays, MRI, CT Scan). From there we will provide you with a diagnosis and treatment plan.
How do you treat sports-related injuries?
Since there are some many different diagnoses, it’s difficult to tell you exactly what treatment would work best for you and your foot problems; however, here are some of the standard rules of treatment that we tend to follow:
- Over-the-counter medications
- Orthotics
- Physical therapy
- Alternative therapies
- Surgery
Here is some advice we recommend athlete’s take seriously if they want to stay in the game and off the bench:
Check your shoes: make sure your athletic shoes have good support and fit properly. If you’re involved in high-impact sports, you want a shoe that can really provide sturdy protection for your ankles and feet so they don’t take a beating.
A good rule of thumb for runners: most athletic tennis shoes begin to break down around the 300 to 400-mile mark. For other athletes, examine the outsoles of your shoes. If they are starting to smooth over, they are losing their tread. That means it’s time to get a new pair!
Condition your body: Even if your sport isn’t in season, it’s important to still keep your body strong and flexible. This means participating in pre-season conditioning so that you don’t risk injury the next time you start playing again.
Always warm-up: You should always warm up for about 5 to 10 minutes before getting on the field. This includes a low level of cardiovascular exercise that mimics the movements of your chosen sport.
Use proper equipment: Besides shoes, it’s important that you have the proper protective gear for your sport. This includes helmets, padding and face masks. Make sure these items aren’t worn, cracked or broken. They should be in pristine condition if you expect them to provide the best protection.
Call Foot & Ankle Specialists of Nashville Today!
If you’re an athlete worried about aches and pains, then give our Nashville office a call. We know what to do to get you back on your feet and back in the game.
Are you a patient of Foot & Ankle Specialists of Nashville? If so, we would love to hear about your experiences below!
Lots of ladies (and even some gents!) like to polish their piggies with lovely lacquers. But in recent years,
some have become concerned that the rainbow on your toes could perhaps be harmful to your health. Your
Tennessee foot specialists at Foot & Ankle Specialists of Nashville and The Nail Spa at FAC want to make sure you’re
fully informed about the safety of your manicure in Nashville.
What are the dangerous claims about nail polish?
Certain brands and colors of nail polish were tested in a 2012 California study to see if they contained various dangerous chemicals. Remember dissecting frogs back in junior high? The animals were preserved in the chemical formaldehyde, a known carcinogen, and a known ingredient in some nail polishes.
Formaldehyde is used in polish as a hardening agent, while DBP (dibutyl phthalate) provides sheen and flexibility to the formula and toluene evenly suspends the color. These two are known to cause birth defects and should probably be avoided by pregnant women. Additionally, they can also lead to developmental issues so some pediatricians recommend not painting the nails of children, especially ones that bite their fingernails.
What is the reality?
The Nashville foot doctors at Foot & Ankle Specialists of Nashville don’t want you to worry too much, though. Unless you’re around nail polish fumes for extended periods of time, your risks aren't terribly high. Since the study was published, many of the companies, largely lesser-known names, have said they’ve removed these chemicals from their products, while others simply no longer state that their polishes are free of these materials.
However, with major brands such as OPI, the some most serious risks are irritation to the eyes, lungs and skin. As any frequent polisher knows, these are traditionally mild and go away quickly.Nail polish is, overall, a relatively safe product. As with any chemical, it must be used with caution in order to avoid any possible negative effects. Research a brand to make sure it doesn’t use any harmful materials
any only use as directed.
When getting your manicure in Nashville, choose wisely. The specialists at Foot & Ankle Specialists of Nashville and The Nail Spa at FAC want to ensure you are in good health from head to painted toes.
