If your baby was born with clubfoot, they may also have a rare genetic disorder called Gordon's Syndrome. The condition is characterized by stiffness and impaired mobility in the ankles because the tendons in the foot are too short, causing the joints to become fixed in a permanent flexed position. Both feet are usually affected with this disorder.
The exact cause of Gordon's Syndrome is unknown, but some reports suggest it may be inherited through an X-linked dominant manner. Most experts agree it is inherited through an autosomal dominant manner. Having just one mutated copy of the gene in each cell is enough to create the signs and symptoms of the disease. When a person with the autosomal dominant condition has children, each child has a 50% chance of inheriting the mutated copy of the gene.
Gordon's Syndrome may also present as a permanent fixation of several fingers in a bent position and cleft palate. In males scoliosis or undescended testicles may be present. The child's intelligence is not affected by the disease. The wrists, elbows, and knees can also be affected and the severity of the condition can range from individual.
Your child may have an abnormal splitting of the soft hanging tissue at the back of the throat, short stature, dislocation of the hip, abnormal backward curvature of the upper spine, drooping of the eyelids, webbing of the fingers and toes, abnormal skin patterns on the feet and hands, and a short webbed neck.
Prompt treatment after birth is crucial in treating this disorder as your child will have difficulties walking and developing. Typically podiatrists will prescribe casting, bracing, or physical therapy to realign the bones before recommending surgery.
Reference: Rare Diseases
If you have a foot deformity, call our Glastonbury or Middletown office to make an appointment.
Ayman M. Latif, DPM
Connecticut Foot Care Centers
Foot Deformity Doctor in CT
Podiatrist in Glastonbury and Middletown, CT
Visit our website, like our page on Facebook, and follow my tweets on Twitter.
Showing posts with label podiatrist glastonbury ct. Show all posts
Showing posts with label podiatrist glastonbury ct. Show all posts
Friday, July 12, 2013
Wednesday, June 12, 2013
Are Bunions Hereditary?
According to a new study published in the journal Arthritis Care and Research, many common foot deformities, like bunions, hammertoes, and claw toes are inherited, especially in those who are of European descent.
"These new findings highlight the importance of furthering our understanding of what causes greater susceptibility to these foot conditions, as knowing more about the pathway may ultimately lead to early prevention or early treatment," said study researcher Dr. Marian Hannan, of Harvard Medical School and Hebrew SeniorLife, who is the editor in chief of the journal in a statement.
Recent studies show that more than one third of older adults have bunions. In this study, researchers looked at bunions, lesser toe deformities, and plantar soft tissue atrophy in 1,370 study participants, with an average age of 66, who were part of the Framingham Foot Study. Researchers found that 31 percent of the participants had bunions, 30 percent had lesser toe deformities, and 28 percent had plantar soft tissue atrophy.
They found that bunions and toe deformities were heritable, but plantar soft tissue atrophy was not.
A previous study by the Arthritis Care and Research showed that bunions were more common as people aged and that women were more likely than men to have bunions.
Australian researcher Neil J. Cronin recently published a study on how high heels alter the biomechanics of the foot, says that high-heel wears should avoid towering heels when selecting shoes.
Wear heels "once or twice a week," Cronin told the New York Times, "or try to remove the heels whenever possible, such as when you're sitting at your desk."
Reference: Huffington Post and New York Daily News
If you have a foot deformity, call our Glastonbury or Middletown office to make an appointment.
Ayman M. Latif, DPM
Connecticut Foot Care Centers
Foot Deformity Doctor in CT
Podiatrist in Glastonbury and Middletown, CT
Visit our website, like our page on Facebook, and follow my tweets on Twitter.
"These new findings highlight the importance of furthering our understanding of what causes greater susceptibility to these foot conditions, as knowing more about the pathway may ultimately lead to early prevention or early treatment," said study researcher Dr. Marian Hannan, of Harvard Medical School and Hebrew SeniorLife, who is the editor in chief of the journal in a statement.
Recent studies show that more than one third of older adults have bunions. In this study, researchers looked at bunions, lesser toe deformities, and plantar soft tissue atrophy in 1,370 study participants, with an average age of 66, who were part of the Framingham Foot Study. Researchers found that 31 percent of the participants had bunions, 30 percent had lesser toe deformities, and 28 percent had plantar soft tissue atrophy.
They found that bunions and toe deformities were heritable, but plantar soft tissue atrophy was not.
A previous study by the Arthritis Care and Research showed that bunions were more common as people aged and that women were more likely than men to have bunions.
Australian researcher Neil J. Cronin recently published a study on how high heels alter the biomechanics of the foot, says that high-heel wears should avoid towering heels when selecting shoes.
Wear heels "once or twice a week," Cronin told the New York Times, "or try to remove the heels whenever possible, such as when you're sitting at your desk."
Reference: Huffington Post and New York Daily News
If you have a foot deformity, call our Glastonbury or Middletown office to make an appointment.
Ayman M. Latif, DPM
Connecticut Foot Care Centers
Foot Deformity Doctor in CT
Podiatrist in Glastonbury and Middletown, CT
Visit our website, like our page on Facebook, and follow my tweets on Twitter.
Wednesday, June 5, 2013
What Is Ollier's Disease?
Ollier's disease is a rare nonhereditary sporadic disorder that occurs in 1 in 100,000 people. It presents as
intraosseous benign cartilaginous tumors that develop close to growth plate cartilage. It is not clear if the disease is caused by a single gene defect or a combination of mutations, but the irregular distribution of tumors suggests that the disease is a result of mosaicism, or error in cell division that occurs before birth.
The disorder, named after French surgeon surgeon Louis Leopold Ollier, consists of numerous endochondromas which develop during childhood. The growth of these endochondromas usually stops after you have reached your full height, but the affected extremity is often shortened and bowed due to epiphyseal fusions. Those with Ollier's disease are prone to breaking bones, have enlarged toes, a bony mass on the toe, and complain of swollen, aching limbs. Ollier's disease typically affects just one side of the body and can transform into a malignant sarcoma. The hands and feet are most affected by Ollier's disease. Sometimes injury or trauma to the toe will result in the formation of the bony irregularity or prominence.
On an X-ray, streaks of low density will be seen on the long bones due to ectopic cartilage deposits. Over your lifetime, this cartilage will calcify in a snowflake pattern. Ollier's disease is often not diagnosed until the patient fractures a bone in their foot and the endochondromas appear on the X-rays.
Only when the tumors are aggressive and destroy bone tissue will they require further treatment. Pain when at rest is also a clue treatment is needed, as it is a sign of malignancy. Surgery can be done to remove the painful and problematic endocondromas. During surgery bone grafts are used to fill the cavity caused from removing the endochondroma.
If you have a foot deformity, call our Glastonbury or Middletown office to make an appointment.
Ayman M. Latif, DPM
Connecticut Foot Care Centers
Foot Deformity Doctor in CT
Podiatrist in Glastonbury and Middletown, CT
Visit our website, like our page on Facebook, and follow my tweets on Twitter.
The disorder, named after French surgeon surgeon Louis Leopold Ollier, consists of numerous endochondromas which develop during childhood. The growth of these endochondromas usually stops after you have reached your full height, but the affected extremity is often shortened and bowed due to epiphyseal fusions. Those with Ollier's disease are prone to breaking bones, have enlarged toes, a bony mass on the toe, and complain of swollen, aching limbs. Ollier's disease typically affects just one side of the body and can transform into a malignant sarcoma. The hands and feet are most affected by Ollier's disease. Sometimes injury or trauma to the toe will result in the formation of the bony irregularity or prominence.
On an X-ray, streaks of low density will be seen on the long bones due to ectopic cartilage deposits. Over your lifetime, this cartilage will calcify in a snowflake pattern. Ollier's disease is often not diagnosed until the patient fractures a bone in their foot and the endochondromas appear on the X-rays.
Only when the tumors are aggressive and destroy bone tissue will they require further treatment. Pain when at rest is also a clue treatment is needed, as it is a sign of malignancy. Surgery can be done to remove the painful and problematic endocondromas. During surgery bone grafts are used to fill the cavity caused from removing the endochondroma.
If you have a foot deformity, call our Glastonbury or Middletown office to make an appointment.
Ayman M. Latif, DPM
Connecticut Foot Care Centers
Foot Deformity Doctor in CT
Podiatrist in Glastonbury and Middletown, CT
Visit our website, like our page on Facebook, and follow my tweets on Twitter.
Wednesday, May 29, 2013
The Sole of My Foot Is Abnormally Thick!
There are three types of patterns of palmoplantar keratodermas, which include:
*Diffuse
- Diffuse palmoplantar keratoderma is characterized by thick, even, and symmetric hyperkeratosis over the whole of the sole. They are present at birth or during the first few months of life.
- Diffuse epidermolytic palmoplantar keratoderma is one of the most common patterns of this condition. This too is evident at birth and is characterized by demarcated symmetric thickening of the soles, with a "dirty" snakeskin appearance.
- Diffuse nonepidermolytic palmoplantar keratoderma is an inherited autosomal dominant condition, present at birth, and is characterized by well-demarcated, symmetric keratoses, and a "waxy" appearance.
- Focal palmoplantar keratoderma is characterized by large, compact masses of keratin which develop at sites with recurrent friction. The pattern of calluses may be discoid or linear.
- Focal palmoplantar keratoderma with oral mucosal hyperkeratosis is an autosomal dominant keratoderma that represents an overlap with pachyonychia congenita type 1 without the typical nail involvement.
- Punctate palmoplantar keratoderma is characterized by tiny "raindrop" keratoses which involve the palmoplantar surface, but may be restricted in their distribution.
- Palmoplantar keratoderma and spastic paraplegia is an autosomal dominant or x-linked dominant condition that begins in early childhood with thick keratoderma over the soles.
- Palmoplantar keratoderma of Sybert is characterized by a glove-and-stocking distribution with severe symmetric involvement of the whole surface and is extremely rare.
- Striate palmoplantar keratoderma involves the soles at birth or during the first few years of life.
Wednesday, May 22, 2013
My Fifth Toe Is Constricted!
In the African Yorub language, ainhum means "to saw or file" and in Brazilian dialects it means "fissure". The exact cause of ainhum is unknown and it not caused by infection, parasites, fungi, bacteria, virus, and is not related to an injury. Doctors speculate that walking barefoot as a child may bring on this deformity, but ainhum also occurs in patients who have never walked barefoot. Since ainhum has been reported to occur within families, race and genetics may be one component. It has been linked to inadequate posterior tibial artery circulation and the absence of a plantar arch.
What is known as a groove will form on the lower and internal side of the base of the fifth toe, usually along the plantar digital fold. Over time, the groove will become deeper and more circular. The rate at which this condition spread varies, and may progress to a full circle within a few months or take many years. In roughly 75 percent of patients both feet are affected, though not necessarily to the same degree. There has been no case where it begins on another toe, but occasionally the third or fourth toes are affected. The distal part of the toe will begin to swell due to lymphatic edema distal and look like a small potato. When the groove deepens, compression of nerves, tendons, and vessels occurs and the bone will be absorbed by pressure. The toe's connection to the foot will become increasingly slender and will spontaneously fall off without bleeding. It usually takes about five years for autoamputation to occur.
About 78 percent of those affected have pain, which increases with gradual pressure
Little can be done for those with ainhum. Incisions across the groove have proven ineffective. Excision of the groove followed by a z-plasty can relieve pain and prevent amputation in Grade 1 and Grade 2 lesions. For Grade 3 lesions disarticulating the metatarsophalangeal joint has helped. Corticosteroid injections are sometimes helpful.
To prevent ainhum, avoid walking barefoot.
Reference: Wikipedia
If you have a foot deformity, call our Glastonbury or Middletown office to make an appointment.
Ayman M. Latif, DPM
Connecticut Foot Care Centers
Foot Deformity Doctor in CT
Podiatrist in Glastonbury and Middletown, CT
Visit our website, like our page on Facebook, and follow my tweets on Twitter.
Thursday, May 16, 2013
NFL Dreams Put On Hold Because Of A Bunion
Monday night Virginia Union athlete Kentrell Harris said that a bunion has put his NFL dreams on hold.
That's right. A bunion.
Harris is a 6-foot-4, 263 pound defensive end who had 6.5 sacks as a senior last year at Union. He was not selected during the NFL draft last month, but agreed to terms on a contract offer with the Oakland Raiders following the draft. When he arrived at rookie camp last week, his plans hit a snag.
The Raiders noticed Harris's bunion. "They already knew about it," said Harris. "But they looked at it, and they said to go ahead and get the surgery to fix it and they'd bring me back."
Harris played last year with the bunion and thought he would be fine playing in the NFL. "I only missed one game. It didn't get too bad, but sometimes, it gets to a point where I can't put a shoe on," Harris said.
Harris will have surgery on the bunion tomorrow, and was told rehab can take from four to six months. This is not Harris's first time dealing with a bunion- he had surgery to correct a bunion on his right foot during his freshman year, and the recovery time was much quicker than the anticipated time.
"I'm hoping this one won't take as long as they say, so I can get back out there. It is real frustrating. You get a chance to do something you have wanted to do your whole life, and then you have a setback like this," Harris commented.
Harris was just one of two Division II players asked to play in the NFLPA Collegiate Bowl in January in Los Angeles.
Reference: Daytona Beach News-Journal
If you have a foot deformity, call our Glastonbury or Middletown office to make an appointment.
Ayman M. Latif, DPM
Connecticut Foot Care Centers
Foot Deformity Doctor in CT
Podiatrist in Glastonbury and Middletown, CT
Visit our website, like our page on Facebook, and follow my tweets on Twitter.
Harris is a 6-foot-4, 263 pound defensive end who had 6.5 sacks as a senior last year at Union. He was not selected during the NFL draft last month, but agreed to terms on a contract offer with the Oakland Raiders following the draft. When he arrived at rookie camp last week, his plans hit a snag.
The Raiders noticed Harris's bunion. "They already knew about it," said Harris. "But they looked at it, and they said to go ahead and get the surgery to fix it and they'd bring me back."
Harris played last year with the bunion and thought he would be fine playing in the NFL. "I only missed one game. It didn't get too bad, but sometimes, it gets to a point where I can't put a shoe on," Harris said.
Harris will have surgery on the bunion tomorrow, and was told rehab can take from four to six months. This is not Harris's first time dealing with a bunion- he had surgery to correct a bunion on his right foot during his freshman year, and the recovery time was much quicker than the anticipated time.
"I'm hoping this one won't take as long as they say, so I can get back out there. It is real frustrating. You get a chance to do something you have wanted to do your whole life, and then you have a setback like this," Harris commented.
Harris was just one of two Division II players asked to play in the NFLPA Collegiate Bowl in January in Los Angeles.
Reference: Daytona Beach News-Journal
If you have a foot deformity, call our Glastonbury or Middletown office to make an appointment.
Ayman M. Latif, DPM
Connecticut Foot Care Centers
Foot Deformity Doctor in CT
Podiatrist in Glastonbury and Middletown, CT
Visit our website, like our page on Facebook, and follow my tweets on Twitter.
Wednesday, May 8, 2013
What Can I Expect With Hammertoe Surgery?
Before your surgery, make sure you have scheduled time off. While you will likely not require the full six weeks off, take as much time as you need until you feel comfortable. Your normal routine will be interrupted and things will take longer to accomplish, or may not get done at all, so expect more time to do tasks.
Hammertoe surgery can be done on an outpatient basis in our office or a surgery center using a local anesthetic, sometimes combined with sedation. The surgery takes about 15 minutes to perform. Up to four small incisions are made and the tendons are rebalanced around the toe so that it no longer curls. Patients can usually walk immediately after the surgery wearing a special surgical shoe. Minimal or no pain medication is needed following the surgery.
Icing and elevation of the foot is recommended during the first week following the procedure to prevent excessive swelling and to promote healing. It is also important that the dressing be kept clean and dry to prevent infection. Two weeks after the surgery, the sutures are removed and a wide athletic shoe can replace the post-operative surgical shoes. Patients can then gradually increase their walking and other physical activities.
Keep your bandages on as long as your podiatrist recommends and try not to get them wet. We sell in our offices a bag that goes over your foot and makes showering and bathing more convenient. Your podiatrist will tell you to lay off the high heels and other shoes for a bit, or even completely, until you are recovered. Hammertoes may come back on their own, based on your foot mechanics and structure, so there's no need in speeding up the process with impractical shoes. And no one wants to have surgery again!
If you're an athlete, take your time getting back into your routine. When you feel pain in the surgical area, stop your activity immediately. You wouldn't want to undo all the good work you've done!
If you have a foot deformity, call our Glastonbury or Middletown office to make an appointment.
Ayman M. Latif, DPM
Connecticut Foot Care Centers
Foot Deformity Doctor in CT
Podiatrist in Glastonbury and Middletown, CT
Visit our website, like our page on Facebook, and follow my tweets on Twitter.
Wednesday, May 1, 2013
I Have A Hard Lump On Top Of My Foot
It's likely you've heard of ganglion cysts, soft, squishy lumps that appear on your feet. But maybe you've
noticed on the top of your foot a hard, bony bump. That certainly doesn't sound like it's a ganglion cyst, does it?
Because it's not! So what is this hard bump then? It's called a saddle bone deformity, or a metatarsal cuneiform exostosis. You're probably thinking to yourself, "But I've never ridden a horse before or come anywhere near a saddle! So how did I get this deformity?"
This deformity gets its name from where it appears on the foot. That fancy medical name tells us that it's on the metatarsals, the long bones that connect to our toes; cuneiforms are joints at the base of the metatarsal at midfoot; exostosis is a bony growth. So, we get the saddle name because this bony growth "saddles" the peak of the arch.
So how did you get it? Do you have high arches? Those with high arches are prone to this deformity, as well
as those with poor foot mechanics. If you've had an injury to this area before, you foot may develop the deformity. Finally, if the cuneiform joint moves around a lot, the bone may have formed to stop the joint from moving.
The bone buildup of the saddle bone deformity is typically not painful. However, it is the complications caused by the condition that make it uncomfortable. You'll find it difficult to put on shoes. During the summer, when you're likely to have open-toed shoes on, you'll feel it less, but with cooler weather and closed-toe shoes, your foot will hurt. This is because the shoe not only presses down on the bony bump, but also the peroneal tendon below. You may experience arch pain in your first and second toes.
To tell if you have a saddle bone deformity, try the Tinel's sign. Take your index and middle fingers and lightly tap the bump. If you have the deformity, you'll feel a tingling sensation around the top of your foot or in your toes. This is because of the pressure on the peroneal nerve.
If you're not experiencing a lot of pain, I would recommend changing your shoes to ones that do not rub or irritate your feet. However, if you are experiencing a lot of pain, your podiatrist will recommend removing the bony growth. It's a procedure that lasts less than one hour and you'll be able to put pressure on your foot immediately, which is unlike most foot surgeries. It will take up to six weeks to heal, but you'll feel better than new afterward!
Reference: eHow and Healing Feet.
If you have a foot deformity, call our Glastonbury or Middletown office to make an appointment.
Ayman M. Latif, DPM
Connecticut Foot Care Centers
Foot Deformity Doctor in CT
Podiatrist in Glastonbury and Middletown, CT
Visit our website, like our page on Facebook, and follow my tweets on Twitter.
Because it's not! So what is this hard bump then? It's called a saddle bone deformity, or a metatarsal cuneiform exostosis. You're probably thinking to yourself, "But I've never ridden a horse before or come anywhere near a saddle! So how did I get this deformity?"
This deformity gets its name from where it appears on the foot. That fancy medical name tells us that it's on the metatarsals, the long bones that connect to our toes; cuneiforms are joints at the base of the metatarsal at midfoot; exostosis is a bony growth. So, we get the saddle name because this bony growth "saddles" the peak of the arch.
So how did you get it? Do you have high arches? Those with high arches are prone to this deformity, as well
The bone buildup of the saddle bone deformity is typically not painful. However, it is the complications caused by the condition that make it uncomfortable. You'll find it difficult to put on shoes. During the summer, when you're likely to have open-toed shoes on, you'll feel it less, but with cooler weather and closed-toe shoes, your foot will hurt. This is because the shoe not only presses down on the bony bump, but also the peroneal tendon below. You may experience arch pain in your first and second toes.
To tell if you have a saddle bone deformity, try the Tinel's sign. Take your index and middle fingers and lightly tap the bump. If you have the deformity, you'll feel a tingling sensation around the top of your foot or in your toes. This is because of the pressure on the peroneal nerve.
If you're not experiencing a lot of pain, I would recommend changing your shoes to ones that do not rub or irritate your feet. However, if you are experiencing a lot of pain, your podiatrist will recommend removing the bony growth. It's a procedure that lasts less than one hour and you'll be able to put pressure on your foot immediately, which is unlike most foot surgeries. It will take up to six weeks to heal, but you'll feel better than new afterward!
Reference: eHow and Healing Feet.
If you have a foot deformity, call our Glastonbury or Middletown office to make an appointment.
Ayman M. Latif, DPM
Connecticut Foot Care Centers
Foot Deformity Doctor in CT
Podiatrist in Glastonbury and Middletown, CT
Visit our website, like our page on Facebook, and follow my tweets on Twitter.
Wednesday, April 24, 2013
The Doma, A Two-Toed Tribe
The Doma, also known as Vadoma, or Wadoma, are a tribe living in north Zimbabwe, in the Urungwe and Sipolilo areas on the Zambezi river.
A small minority of this tribe have something in common: they have a foot deformity condition called ectrodactyl. Ectrodactyl is a condition when the three middle toes are not present on the foot; only the outer two toes are present and turned in. This has resulted in the tribe being called "two-toed" or "ostrich footed".Ectrodactyl is an autosomal dominant condition derived from a single mutation on chromosome number seven. Those who have this deformity are not handicapped and integrate well into the tribe. The condition continues because of the small genetic pool among the Vadoma and tribal law that forbids marrying outside the tribe. It is believed this deformity may be a help in climbing trees.
Ectrodactyl is also known as a split foot malformation and it can be described as "claw-like". Those with ectrodactyl can also have hearing loss. It does occur throughout the world, in 1 in 90:000 births while limb defects occur in 1 in 1000 births. Ectrodactyl occurs in animals as well, affecting cats, dogs, mice, salamanders, cows, chickens, and others.
The Vadoma are an example of the genetic effects of a small population size and genetic defects with their deep inbreeding. They are also an isolated tribe, and have developed and maintained ectrodactyl better than other groups.
If you have a foot deformity, call our Glastonbury or Middletown office to make an appointment.
Ayman M. Latif, DPM
Connecticut Foot Care Centers
Foot Deformity Doctor in CT
Podiatrist in Glastonbury and Middletown, CT
Visit our website, like our page on Facebook, and follow my tweets on Twitter.
Wednesday, April 17, 2013
What Shoes Are Good For My Bunion?
High heels. Stilettos. Pointy-toed shoes. Too-tight shoes. Too-small shoes. Yes, these are all shoes that will aggravate a bunion, yet my patients with bunions don't seem to realize the damage they are doing.
While bunions are not caused by the shoes you put on your foot, if you already have a bunion, you will be helping the deformity to progress much quicker. Here's why your favorite shoes are causing your bunion to get bigger:
- Tight shoes. Peep-toe and pointed-toe shoes are bunion's best friends! The tight and small toe box compresses toes together and leads to a slight or severe realignment of the big toe, which is a bunion. Try this: take your hand, and with your other hand, squish your fingers together. Now hold it there for 8 hours. How do your fingers, especially your thumb, feel after that? Probably not so good.
- High heels. Yes, we know, high heels make you feel sexy and feminine. How does that bunion make you feel? Still sexy? It's certainly very sexy to look at, isn't it??? Any time you put your feet in shoes higher than two inches, you are shifting your entire body weight forward, creating this massive pressure, up to seven times, and weight on your toes and balls of your feet. Ever wake up in the night and your arm has fallen asleep because you were lying on it funny? That's how your feet feel at the end of the day, after being in high heels.
- Flat feet. Flat feet are often something you cannot help- flat feet can be genetic. People with flat feet often wear ballet flats, which are just as bad as high heels and pointy-toe shoes as aggravating bunions! Ballet flats have no arch support and this makes a primo environment for a bunion to worsen.
Reference: APMA
If you have a foot deformity, call our Glastonbury or Middletown office to make an appointment.
Ayman M. Latif, DPM
Connecticut Foot Care Centers
Foot Deformity Doctor in CT
Podiatrist in Glastonbury and Middletown, CT
Visit our website, like our page on Facebook, and follow my tweets on Twitter.
Wednesday, April 10, 2013
Will Yoga Help My Bunion?
When you have a bunion, you're sometimes so desperate to avoid pain, you'll try anything. Over-the-counter
remedies, medications, and herbal remedies, anything that will make that bunion stop hurting. Sometimes these remedies will help relieve the symptoms and pain, but they will not stop the progression of the bunion.
Some patients will ask if exercise will help their bunion, and while there are several types that will, most exercise will aggravate your bunion. For all yogies out there, good news! Yoga is one type of exercise that will help alleviate the symptoms of bunion pain.
Yoga instructor Jennifer LaRue Huget was asked by a client if yoga would reverse the progression of her bunion. The client had heard that by putting the affected foot up against a slanted wall or board and stretching out the other leg, you could stop bunions from forming.
Huget looked up in her favorite health book, Yoga as Medicine by Timothy McCall, but couldn't find the answer she was looking for. So she called McCall, editor of Yoga Journal, and asked him. He had never heard of the pose her client was talking about, but had heard of a pose that may help spread out the toes and metatarsals (Stand with feet side by side, a few inches apart and step the affected foot forward. Sickle your foot inward and rotate the heel inward and lower it down.).
McCall had heard of a woman whose bunion stopped progressing after she practiced a certain yoga move, but he couldn't remember which move it was. But, he acknowledged that bunions are a bone problem, and likely wouldn't be healed by yoga.
Yes, bunions are a bone problem with little that can be done to stop its progression. Patients who wear high heels or tight shoes can slow progression by switching to other shoes, and orthotics are often found to be helpful, but bunions are a mechanical problem with the bone.
"Once bones become altered, that wouldn't be very easy to change," says McCall, even with yoga and strength building exercises. "Spreading the toes and metatarsals, creating space, perhaps could undo some of the damage" done by wearing too tight shoes.
McCall feels that "People want to apply yoga in a quick-fix way. But to help with most chronic conditions, you need to establish a pattern of regular practice over the long term. If you have a bunion and you do yoga almost every day for the next several years, you will certainly feel better. But I don't think your bunion will be fixed."
Dr. Rock Positano, a nonsurgical foot specialist at the Hospital for Special Surgery in NYC, agrees. "When you develop a bunion, the big toe is not functioning as well as it should. So other parts of the foot, like muscles, tendons, and ligaments, have to take up that slack. Yoga gives more strength and flexibility to the area around the bunion and takes some of the stress off the big toe, making the foot work more efficiently. Anything that gives the foot more stability and more flexibility is good for a bunion deformity because it allows the other parts of the foot to pick up the slack for what the big toe is not doing."
I would have to agree as well. When starting a yoga regimen, I would not go in expecting that your bunion is going to be cured- the progression will reverse and it will disappear. The only way a bunion can be "reversed" is through surgery. Your pain, discomfort, and symptoms however, may be alleviated and you may be able to go longer before having surgery.
Reference: Washington Post and Allure.
If you have a foot deformity, call our Glastonbury or Middletown office to make an appointment.
Ayman M. Latif, DPM
Connecticut Foot Care Centers
Foot Deformity Doctor in CT
Podiatrist in Glastonbury and Middletown, CT
Visit our website, like our page on Facebook, and follow my tweets on Twitter.
Some patients will ask if exercise will help their bunion, and while there are several types that will, most exercise will aggravate your bunion. For all yogies out there, good news! Yoga is one type of exercise that will help alleviate the symptoms of bunion pain.
Yoga instructor Jennifer LaRue Huget was asked by a client if yoga would reverse the progression of her bunion. The client had heard that by putting the affected foot up against a slanted wall or board and stretching out the other leg, you could stop bunions from forming.
Huget looked up in her favorite health book, Yoga as Medicine by Timothy McCall, but couldn't find the answer she was looking for. So she called McCall, editor of Yoga Journal, and asked him. He had never heard of the pose her client was talking about, but had heard of a pose that may help spread out the toes and metatarsals (Stand with feet side by side, a few inches apart and step the affected foot forward. Sickle your foot inward and rotate the heel inward and lower it down.).
McCall had heard of a woman whose bunion stopped progressing after she practiced a certain yoga move, but he couldn't remember which move it was. But, he acknowledged that bunions are a bone problem, and likely wouldn't be healed by yoga.
Yes, bunions are a bone problem with little that can be done to stop its progression. Patients who wear high heels or tight shoes can slow progression by switching to other shoes, and orthotics are often found to be helpful, but bunions are a mechanical problem with the bone.
"Once bones become altered, that wouldn't be very easy to change," says McCall, even with yoga and strength building exercises. "Spreading the toes and metatarsals, creating space, perhaps could undo some of the damage" done by wearing too tight shoes.
McCall feels that "People want to apply yoga in a quick-fix way. But to help with most chronic conditions, you need to establish a pattern of regular practice over the long term. If you have a bunion and you do yoga almost every day for the next several years, you will certainly feel better. But I don't think your bunion will be fixed."
Dr. Rock Positano, a nonsurgical foot specialist at the Hospital for Special Surgery in NYC, agrees. "When you develop a bunion, the big toe is not functioning as well as it should. So other parts of the foot, like muscles, tendons, and ligaments, have to take up that slack. Yoga gives more strength and flexibility to the area around the bunion and takes some of the stress off the big toe, making the foot work more efficiently. Anything that gives the foot more stability and more flexibility is good for a bunion deformity because it allows the other parts of the foot to pick up the slack for what the big toe is not doing."
I would have to agree as well. When starting a yoga regimen, I would not go in expecting that your bunion is going to be cured- the progression will reverse and it will disappear. The only way a bunion can be "reversed" is through surgery. Your pain, discomfort, and symptoms however, may be alleviated and you may be able to go longer before having surgery.
Reference: Washington Post and Allure.
If you have a foot deformity, call our Glastonbury or Middletown office to make an appointment.
Ayman M. Latif, DPM
Connecticut Foot Care Centers
Foot Deformity Doctor in CT
Podiatrist in Glastonbury and Middletown, CT
Visit our website, like our page on Facebook, and follow my tweets on Twitter.
Wednesday, April 3, 2013
What Is Podoconiosis?
The history of the condition goes back to the 19th century, when parasitic filariae were discovered to be the cause of elephantiasis, also known as tropical lymphedema. It was believed, at the time, that filaria was the sole cause of the disease, but it became apparent that the distribution of the two conditions did not overlap and scientists recognized that some forms of elephantiasis were not associated with filariae. Ernest W. Price, a British surgeon living in Ethiopia in the 1970's and 1980's studied the lymph nodes and vessels of those afflicted with the disease. Using a light microscope, he discovered macrophage cells weighed down with micro-particles in the lymph nodes of the affected extremity. Then, using an electron microscope, he found the presence of silicon, aluminum, and other soil metals. Price demonstrated that the lymphatic vessels of these patients experienced edema, and eventually collagenization that leads to complete blockage.
The primary symptom of podoconiosis is swelling and deformity of the feet and ankles. The swelling can be either soft and fluid, or hard and fibrotic. Multiple firm nodules will develop over time, as well as hyperkeratotic papillomata that resembles moss. Because of this, podoconiosis is also known as Mossy Foot. Before lymphatic failure, the patient may exhibit itching, burning, hyperkeratosis, plantar edema, and rigid digits. Like with elephantiasis, fusion of the toes, ulceration, and bacterial infection may occur. The disease has an acute component where some patients have moments of foot and ankle warmth, firmness, and pain.
Podoconiosis is most commonly seen in highland areas of Africa, India, and Central America. The highest rates of occurrence are in Uganda, Tanzania, Kenya, Rwanda, Burundi, Sudan, and Ethopia, where the prevalence is as high as 9%. Nearly four million people worldwide suffer from this disease. The incidence of podoconiosis increases with age, due to the cumulative exposure to irritant soil. It is rare to see podoconiosis in children 0-5 years old, and the incidence rapidly rises in the 6-20 age group, with the highest percentage in the 45 plus age group.
Prevention and treatment are characterized by avoidance of the irritant soil . Wearing shoes is the most crucial thing in preventing this disease and further deformity. In Rwanda, where the incidence of the disease is high, the government has banned walking barefoot in public to curtain soil-born disease like podoconiosis.
Even once the disease has begun, vigorous daily washing with soap and water, application of an emollient, and the nightly elevation of the affected extremity has been shown to reduce swelling and disability. Compression wrapping has been shown to be effective in other forms of lymphedema, but this therapy has not been proven in podoconiosis.
If you have a foot deformity, call our Glastonbury or Middletown office to make an appointment.
Ayman M. Latif, DPM
Connecticut Foot Care Centers
Foot Deformity Doctor in CT
Podiatrist in Glastonbury and Middletown, CT
Visit our website, like our page on Facebook, and follow my tweets on Twitter.
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