How Do High Heels Affect the Legs?
Scientists at Manchester Metropolitan University in Britain are asking for women who regularly wear high heels to volunteer for a study that will hopefully reveal the effect of such shoes on the leg muscles.
Up to this point, research has suggested that habitually wearing stilettos two or more inches high has a negative effect on the health of women's feet and legs. But definitive proof, which this study hopes to provide, has been lacking.
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Don't Rush Into Foot Surgery
If you have an annoying foot problem, the temptation might be to quickly choose the surgery option - especially if you're in a great deal of pain. But surgery is hardly the best course of action for everyone, according to Loan Lam, a Yale-trained podiatric surgeon in Marco, Fla.
"Every person, every patient is different," Lam says. "Not everyone needs surgery. You have to take the person as a whole," including the patient's social history, financial condition, personality and medical history.
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New Shoe Fashions a Podiatrist's Nightmare
The latest shoe fashions from the runways of Milan, London and New York perch a woman so precariously that she's in constant danger of losing her balance and taking a nasty and embarrassing fall. Not to mention the fact that her feet and toes, painfully flexed by the shoes for hours on end, could become permanently damaged.
The new shoe styles have the heels of a woman's feet high off the floor, as with traditional high heels - but there's no spike or pillar to support the heel. Instead, the woman balances on her toes and balls of her feet.
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Relief for Common Foot Problems
A recent issue of Mayo Clinic Women's HealthSource covers foot problems that are common in women, particularly as they age. Years of frequent high heal wear can cause permanent damage to tendons in the heel and shoes that are too tight can cause problems. Some of these suggestions address common concerns about feet and what to do for relief.
Blisters are caused by the friction of shoes against the skin. Blisters should not be ruptured, and applying a moleskin or bandage helps.
Bunions are misaligned big toe joints where the big toe slants toward the second toe. This can cause the joints to become swollen and tender, especially if aggravated by tight shoes. Wearing wider shoes, as well as cushioning pads or shoe inserts, can help.
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Five Foot Care Myths
The American College of Foot and Ankle Surgeons have heard all the myths about foot care. However, myths concerning health can have serious consequences if doctors aren't consulted to set the facts straight. Here are five podiatry myths that numerous patients have reported, and the truth behind them.
"Cutting a V notch into a toenail will relieve the pain of ingrown toenails." The reality of this myth is that cutting the nail does not affect the angle of the toenail growth. The nail will continue to grown downward into the skin and cutting a "V" may cause more problems and pain.
"If I can walk on my foot or ankle, it must not be broken." The truth is that it's very possible to walk on a broken foot or ankle but it depends on the severity of the injury and the individual threshold for pain. Continuing to walk on it can cause further damage.
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Foot Care for the Diabetic
By: Paul E. Eckstein, D.P.M.
Board Certified in Foot Surgery,
American Board of Podiatric Surgery, Specialist, Diabetic Conditions of the Foot
Diabetes is a complex metabolic disorder affecting 17 million people in the United States. Many people have diabetes but are unaware of their condition. Diabetics have an increased risk of heart disease, stroke, blindness, kidney disease and foot problems. .
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FOOT CRYOSURGERY
Jasmine Lewellyn kids that she is a shopaholic. She loves spending hours searching for the best fashion bargains, but her feet just can’t keep up.
“I love buying shoes and clothes. But I just have to go into a store and I start sweating, because of the pain,” says Jasmine Lewellyn. Foot cryosurgery offers relief from pain to thousands of patients like Jasmine.
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FOOT MELANOMA
As the mercury rises and warmer weather kicks into high gear we’ll all be spending more time out doors. But, this doesn’t come without a price. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, in the United States alone, one million Americans will be diagnosed with skin cancer this year. And now, new research has shown that foot melanoma is on the rise.
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