Whitby Family Footcare

Whitby Family Footcare

Whitby Family Footcare

I want to thank Elaine Petreman who invited me to speak on "Foot Care and Diabetes" yesterday afternoon at St Mark's Church in Peterborough, ON. Over a 90 minute period I answered many questions posed by the attendees during an interactive presentation. There were many sponsors present at the event. Elaine along with Greg Mather organized a great event. They both volunteer for the Peterborough chapter of the Canadian Diabetes Association and should be commended for helping to educate people about their diabetes. The discovery of insulin was a very important discovery by the medical researchers at the University of Toronto in 1921. Their discovery has saved countless lives around the world.  Unfortunately, diabetic complications such retinopathy(eye), nephropathy(kidney), neuropathy(nerve) and macrovascular(blood vessel blockage) are common problems that occur in diabetics with uncontrolled blood glucose.  The prevention of diabetic foot ulcers can save the heath care sy...

The US Open tennis men’s semi final matches have been entertaining. The afternoon match between Roger Federer and the eventual winner Novak Djokovic was a long hard battle. I am currently watching Andy Murray and Rafael Nadal playing an exciting match. Many of the rallies have been long in duration with some incredible ball placements. During the match I noticed that Andy Murray was wearing an ankle brace which appeared to be an AirCast A60™ ankle brace. The brace he was wearing was a protective ankle brace. This ankle brace allows him to sense if he is about roll over on his ankles. Andy Murray suffered an ankle roll over injury during the French Open in May 2011. This past ankle injury does not appear to be hindering his play in the US Open. If you suffer have from an ankle sprains while playing recreational or competitive sports you can understand how your ability to run, start, stop, turn, jump or land is compromised. Assuming no breaking of bones has occurred during...

 Running shoes are used by the vast majority of runners. During the past 2 years you may have watched someone barefoot running on the sidewalk, running track or grass field. Barefoot running differs in a number of ways from runners wearing running shoes. 1.       Barefoot runners adopt a different style of running. A barefoot runner will initially strike the ground with the ball of the foot which is followed by gradual lowering of the heel to the ground. This results in the initial impact force being greater underneath the ball of the foot but is reduced by the gradual lowering of the heel to the ground.   2.       A runner wearing running shoes will initially strike the ground with their heel or mid-foot which is followed by a gradual lowering of the forefoot to the ground. This results in the initial impact being greater underneath the heel followed by an increase in force underneath the forefoot as the heel lifts off ...

I have treated many children with foot problems over the past 26 years. One of the childhood foot problems that I have treated is in-toeing. In-toeing occurs in about 2 out of every 1000 children. Many parents become concerned when they see their child’s feet pointing inwards while walking, especially if it is associated with tripping. Other concerns include the abnormal shoe wear on the outside of the toe box due to scuffing of the toes while walking, the child complaining of being tired after walking or the child asking to be carried instead of walking. My goal as a chiropodist is to inform the concerned parent that in-toeing almost always self corrects as the child grows towards adulthood. If you watch the majority adults walk you will notice their feet will point straight ahead or outward. In-toeing ("pigeon toes") describes a position where the feet turn inward instead of pointing straight ahead during walking or running. In-toeing happens from birth ...

I decided to write about shin splints after discovering it was the most read topic on my website this past month. On reflection, I should not really be surprised, because spring weather leads to increased physical activity and overuse injuries. Shin splints are common among runners, race walkers and individuals who participate in soccer, football, lacrosse and dance. Shin splints are a non specific diagnosis for lower leg pain. One common cause of shin splints is periostitis. Periostitis is an inflammation of the periosteum. The periosteum is a dense connective tissue covering the shin bone or tibia. Periostitis results from an overuse injury that usually develops gradually over a period of weeks to months. Periostitis can also occur after one excessive bout of exercise. The periosteum serves as an attachment site for the muscles originating on the tibia. Muscle overuse causes the periosteum to pull away from the tibia causing inflammation. Periostitis of the tib...

In this blog, I will discuss the benefits and risks of wearing MBT™ footwear if you have a specific foot and lower leg problem.  To help answer this question, I have summarized feedback from various chiropodists and podiatrists from Canada and the USA gathered by Dr. Chris MacLean, Director of Biomechanics at Paris Orthotics Ltd in Vancouver, BC. Some of the benefits of wearing MBT shoes are definitely due to the rocker shaped outer sole.  A pilot study in 2005 by Department of Orthopaedic Surgery at the Edinburgh Royal Infirmary used pressure sensing insoles inside of MBT footwear while the study participants were either standing or walking. They compared the pressure readings in the MBT™ shoes to pressure readings inside of a flat soled running shoe. The study specifically compared the peak pressures of the heel, midfoot, ball of the foot (forefoot) and toes between the two shoe groups. Results of this study showed: 1.        MBT’s de...

Over the past year,  I have been asked on several occasions to express my opinion on the benefits and risks of wearing  unconventional footwear such as  MBT™ (Masai Barefoot Technology) shoes , Sketchers “Shape Up”™ shoes and other similar shoes.   I have reviewed research presented at scientific seminars, talked to a MBT footwear medical representative and I have also received feedback from a few patients over the past year who have used MBT shoes or other similar shoes.  In this blog I will discuss the design of MBT footwear and its effects on the thigh and lower leg muscles while standing and walking in MBT footwear.  I will also discuss the effects on ankle joint motion while walking in MBT footwear. MBT footwear was developed in Switzerland in 1996 and came to North America in 2003.  The unstable MBT shoe has been promoted as the original “barefoot” function shoe. This shoe has a rounded sole starting from the heel and continues ...

The alarm clock radio has just rang and your day is about to begin. You dread your first step out of bed because it is going to be painful but you have perfected a method to keep as much weight off of your painful heel.  You realize the pain will get a little better as the day goes on but you also know that when you get home and sit down but have to get up again its going to be painful!  Does this sound familiar? If you are reading my blog,  you may already know that you may have plantar fasciitis or heel spur syndrome.  Heel pain occurs because the plantar fascia pulls away from its attachment under the heel bone.  This pulling away occurs with every step you take while walking.  The plantar fascia has role in keeping your foot stable as you lift you heel off the ground while walking. The plantar fascia helps to resist your foot from bending. To give you an idea of what I am describing, I want you to take your hand and place it with your ...

Custom foot orthotics (CFO) are prescription medical devices designed to stabilized and control the function of the foot and its alignment with the lower leg. CFO's are used to treat or prevent injury caused by excessive motion or a lack of motion in the foot and lower leg. Your prescription CFO device is tailored to your needs and activities. Your CFO is not just a piece of plastic. Chiropodists/podiatrists are trained to prescribe custom foot orthotics. The prescription CFO is based on the findings from the description your complaint, your medical history,  a detailed biomechanical examination of your foot and lower extremity, a gait analysis of your walking pattern. All of this gathered information is used to formulate a prescription.  Your prescription could include an addition such as an accommodation to relieve pressure that is causing callus on the bottom of your foot.  Some additions can encourage joint motion or prevent joint motion. Ultimately, the pres...

The beginning of a new year is a chance for all of us to start fresh. Some of us will begin to exercise as a new year’s resolution. At the best of times, sticking to an exercise program can be difficult for most people. Injuries to your feet can hinder your ability to exercise and may cause you to give up your new year’s resolution. I routinely see a number of new patients seeking help for various types of foot and lower extremity ailments after starting a new exercise program. An unstable foot structure coupled with the introduction of new stresses on the foot due to exercise can cause knee, ankle, heel, arch and forefoot pain. It is important to realize your body tissues have adapted to your sedentary lifestyle. Any new exercise program will cause stretching, pulling, twisting and bending to your ligaments that connect your bones together and the muscles and tendons that move your bone joints.  This new activity will change the length of these body  tissues cau...