Celebrities like Kim Kardashian and Snooki have been chastised for wearing heels during pregnancy, and rightfully so. Both wearing heels and pregnancy shift a woman’s center of gravity; the resulting combination means that pregnant women are more likely to fall while wearing heels (which is exactly what happened to Snooki last year). In addition, wearing constrictive heels also worsens another problem that women suffer during pregnancy: swelling. With this in mind, I thought I’d share why this occurs and what pregnant women can do to reduce this common pregnancy problem.

Swelling in the legs and feet, (sometimes referred to as “cankles” – a combination of
“calf” and “ankles”) is a common problem during pregnancy. As women’s bodies change during pregnancy, they retain fluids. These fluids pool at the lowest point of gravity, causing the legs and feet to swell. This swelling increases as the day progresses, so pregnant women wishing to avoid swollen feet should take frequent breaks from long periods of standing. Sitting down and putting your feet up lessens the effect of gravity, and promotes the fluids to return to your body. Pregnant women (or their loved ones) can also try to massage the area, starting at the toes and moving towards the knee, to reduce swelling.

Shoe choice can also have a major effect on the amount of swelling. Pregnant women should wear comfortable, supportive shoes whenever possible. Heels are not only dangerous for pregnant women as explained above, but also can increase swelling because they can be constrictive and not allow fluids to go back to the rest of the body. Tight socks should be avoided for similar reasons; instead, compression stockings or support hose that are specially designed to return fluids to the body are available over the counter and from your doctor.

While some amount of swelling is normal during pregnancy, excessive swelling can be a sign of bigger problems. If you or a pregnant loved one is concerned about feet swelling or other foot issues during pregnancy, make an appointment with any of our doctors for an examination.

Eric Polansky, DPM

Those who watched the Elite Eight game of Louisville against Duke won’t easily forget the injury that guard Kevin Ware suffered during the game. After attempting to guard a shot taken by Duke, Ware landed awkwardly and fractured his tibia (shin bone). Those watching saw the bone protrude through the skin – this type of fracture is known as an “open fracture.” While fractures are a common sports injury, open fractures occur most often in contact sports like football. These fractures can occur in any bone, including the bones of the feet. Recently, UFC fighter Jon Jones suffered an open fracture of his big toe during a match against Tito Ortiz. Unlike Ware’s injury which stopped the game, Jones’ injury was not noticed until after the match was over.

These types of fractures are not only more gruesome than other fractures, but also more difficult to treat for two reasons. First the fact that bone is exposed increases the risk of infection. Before the fracture can be fixed, the bone must be cleaned to reduce the risk of infection. Second, whereas many fractures that don’t break the skin can be treated with a cast, the bone pieces in open fractures are often further apart and need to be held in place with special surgical hardware.

Open fractures can take between 6 months and a year to heal, which is more than the time required for fractures that don’t break the skin. While their injuries may have been gruesome, both Ware and Jones got prompt treatment to fix the fracture and should go on to heal just fine.

While open fractures may be more obvious than other fractures, all injuries with possible fractures need to be examined. Please make an appointment to see one of our four physicians at Advanced Foot and Ankle Care if you injure your lower leg or foot and suspect that one of the bones might be broken. If fractures are not properly identified and treated correctly, the bones may not heal, or they may heal in an inappropriate alignment, which can both be prevented with prompt care.

Dr. Jeffrey Carlson

Mankind has used light to treat diseases and various aliments for thousands of years now, so introducing our new cold laser therapy laser may not be new to some of you. Advanced Foot and Ankle Care has now acquired the Dynatronics cold laser to better our patients’ foot health in treating a variety of aliments including: ulcers (even those caused by diabetes), burns, skin flaps and grafts, broken bones, cartilage, tendon and ligament repair, arthritic pain due to osteoarthritis and rheumatoid arthritis, ankle sprains and plantar fasciitis.

The Dynatronics cold laser uses three types of light therapy: red, blue and infrared.

Red light helps promote the healing of skin wounds at low energy densities. Red light therapy is also one of the oldest forms of treatment ever conceived or used by humans.

Blue light helps kill bacteria and a number of skin infections including: MRSA and staph. Blue light therapy is rapidly gaining popularity because unlike UV, it does not have high propensity to damage normal tissue.

Infrared light is best for deep tissue injuries, pain relief, and resolution of inflammation and reduction of edema. Infrared light therapy is commonly used with red light at the same time.

At this time, cold laser therapy is considered cosmetic, therefore not covered by your insurance company. Advanced Foot and Ankle Care offers cold light therapy for $25 per treatment. Our patients are not required to see the doctor every session, therefore do not have to pay a co-pay at those sessions that they do not see the doctor. Typical treatments require 2-3 session per week until the area is healed.

Call our office and speak to one of our Patient Care Coordinators for more information or to schedule a consultation appointment with one of our four physicians at any one of our four locations: Troy OH, Piqua OH, Sidney OH, Huber Heights OH.

Dr. Eric Polansky, DPM

What do Albert Pujols, Kobe Bryant, and Eli Manning have in common? Besides all being athletes, they have all suffered from plantar fasciitis. Plantar fasciitis is the most common cause of heel pain in adults, and has affected many professional athletes during their career. Unfortunately, this condition also occurs in many adults who are not athletes, so read on to learn more about what plantar fasciitis is and how it is treated.

What is the plantar fascia anyway?

The plantar fascia is a thick band of tissue that runs from your heel bone to your toes. It helps support the arch of your foot. Plantar fasciitis results from stress to the tissue, and can be very painful.

What are the symptoms?

Most patients with plantar fasciitis complain of pain in their heels. Often, the pain is worst when getting out of bed in the morning, but gets better as you walk throughout the day. As the tissue stretches throughout the day, it becomes less painful to walk. Resting allows the tissue to return to its pre-stretched state, which makes the pain come back.

What treatments are available?

There are several treatments for plantar fasciitis. Conservative treatments include icing and stretching the plantar fascia. Orthotics and physical therapy might be needed for some patients. Others still might need a night splint, which is a device that keeps your foot in a fixed position overnight to help stretch the tissue.

Many patients know that corticosteroid shots in the heel can help with the pain of plantar fasciitis. While this is true, repeated shots to the plantar fascia can do more harm than good, so not all patients need cortisone shots.

Finally, it is important to talk to your doctor if you have heel pain, because several conditions can cause pain in the heel. If your heels hurt, make an appointment with any of our doctors for an examination and discussion on the best treatment options for you.

Eric Polansky, DPM

You asked for it, we answered! Advanced Foot and Ankle Care has just doubled their shoe selection!  Along with our shoe selection through Safestep, we have now picked up shoes made by Dr. Comfort. All Dr. Comfort shoes that are displayed on our walls in each of our four locations are all approved by Medicare and other insurances that cover therapeutic shoes.  If your insurance doesn’t cover therapeutic shoes, you are more than welcome to come in, pick out a pair and get them ordered all within minutes.

If you are diabetic and have Medicare or a Medicare supplement plan and haven’t ordered shoes this year, stop by or call our office to make an appointment with one of our four doctors. At this appointment, one of our doctors will evaluate your overall foot health and write a prescription to order a pair of shoes from our office!

If you are diabetic and have any other healthcare plan, give us a call to schedule an appointment, the doctor will then evaluate you and we can contact your insurance company to see if therapeutic shoes are a covered benefit for you.

If you have any questions regarding shoes and coverage, please give our Troy Piqua, Sidney or Huber Heights office a call, we would love to answer any questions!

Eric Polansky