Swimming and your feet

Everyone is starting to return to Florida for the seasonal upgrade in weather.  Fire up the pool warmer, and get ready to swim.

 Swimming is known for being an activity that is less damaging to the joints of the knee, foot and ankle, and can even offer a means of exercise for athletes of other sports with certain foot injuries!

Just about the worst thing a runner can hear is that they are injured and going to have to take time off from running.  Luckily, swimming can help soften this blow by offering an alternative way to get some cardiovascular activity.  Stress fractures are small fracture that occurs from excessive force on normal bone and can force runners to talk a break from running for several weeks.  For the runner with a stress fracture, swimming is often a great alternative that will not bear weight on the injury.  Swimming can also help an athlete ease back into their favorite sport after other serious injuries.  For example, after a peroneal tendon tear, swimming can help to make the transition from being immobilized in a cast or a CAM walker boot to normal running or other weight bearing sports go more gently by allowing the muscles to slowly adapt.  

Swimmers should also be careful to take care to avoid injuries that can occur from intense pool training.  Ankle pain is a common complaint from the repetitive motion the ankles are forced through while swimming.  The Achilles tendon, which is responsible for flexing the foot, may also become irritated from the repetition and develop Achilles tendonitis.  While the Achilles is doing much of the work, the extensor tendons on the top of the foot can also become irritated by being tightly pulled.  By taking care to stretch the feet and ankles properly and always listen to your body when working out, these injuries can be minimized.  Swimmers also need to take extra care to avoid developing warts, Athlete’s foot, and fungal nails from bacteria and fungus that may live in locker rooms and poolside surfaces where other bare feet have deposited them.  If these conditions do develop, see us at Family Foot and Leg Center for an urgent evaluation, as to help prevent spread to others. 

Dr Timm, DPM, FACFAS

Board Certified by the American Board of Foot and Ankle Surgery in Foot and Reconstructive Rearfoot and Ankle Surgery.

6 Secrets to Manage Foot Arthritis

Arthritis is the leading cause of disability in the United States.  Almost half of people in their sixties and seventies suffer from arthritic foot pain.  There is no cure for arthritis, but there are many types of treatments available that focus on pain management.  Osteoarthritis typically occurs in older individuals, or people that have had a previous injury.  Osteoarthritis is a degenerative joint disease. Over time the cartilage between joints wears down leading to inflammation, swelling, and pain.  In younger individuals that develop osteoarthritis there is usually a history of previous injury, family history of osteoarthritis, or obesity.  

The foot consists of 33 joints, but there are a select few that are more prone to osteoarthritis than others.  The ankle, the great toe, 3 joints in the hindfoot (talocalcaneal, calcaneocuboid, talonavicular joints), and the midfoot (metatarsocuneiform joint) are the most commonly affected joints.  Osteoarthritis can also be caused by abnormal foot structure, such as flat foot or a high arch.
Some people believe that cold, damp weather exacerbates their osteoarthritis, and some even say they can predict the weather.  Common symptoms of osteoarthritis include: stiffness, limitation of the joint, swelling, difficulty walking and tenderness that is persistent.  Osteoarthritis is a chronic condition, and can be debilitating.

There are many great treatments available, but here are just a few solutions for osteoarthritic foot pain that you can try prior to seeing us at the Family Foot and Leg Center:

1.      See me at least once a year to monitor changes, and modify treatment
2.      Comfortable and supportive shoes are necessary, and sometimes orthotics or ankle braces are also helpful
3.      Weight loss
4.      Anti-inflammatory medications such as NSAIDS (ibuprofen) or corticosteroid injections that can be given by your podiatrist
5.      Physical therapy and exercises
6.      Try a topical medication that has capsaicin, an ingredient that can help reduce pain

Dr Brian Timm
Board Certified by American Board of Podiatric Surgery