Author: Step By Step Family Foot Care

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Your Guide to Healthy Feet

At Step By Step Family Foot Care, we enthusiastically encourage our patients to be proactive about the health of their feet. Your feet are the foundation of your body. We take them for granted most days, but healthy feet enable you to stand, walk, run, work, shop, and do almost every other activity you love. There is much you can do to keep your feet fully functioning and prevent podiatric disorders. Let’s take a closer look.

Choose Your Shoes Wisely

Shoes that are well-made and fit properly are essential to maintaining your feet’ health. Get your feet professionally measured. Don’t be surprised if one foot is larger than the other – this can happen! Always buy shoes to accommodate the larger foot. Choose footwear styles with these features:

  • Roomy toe box (you should be able to wiggle all your toes freely)
  • Heel heights of two inches or less, but not completely flat
  • Good arch support
  • Cushioned insole and heel cup

Your shoe choice can minimize your risk of bunions, hammertoes, plantar fasciitis, and other foot problems, so choose carefully!

Don’t Neglect Daily Foot Care

Washing your feet daily with warm, soapy water and drying feet completely can go a long way toward preventing bacterial and viral infections like athlete’s foot. Apply talcum or anti-fungal powder in the morning and a thick moisturizer at night. Keep nails trimmed, and be sure that the nails are not growing into the skin of the nail bed and becoming ingrown.

Never Ignore Your Pain

Pain, numbness, burning, swelling, bruising, and tenderness in your feet are all your body’s way of telling you there’s a problem. Putting off seeking treatment can often lead to worsening the condition and even developing secondary disorders. Contact us if you are concerned about an issue with your toes, feet, or ankles.

Step By Step Family Foot Care is here to assist you with your podiatry needs! To make an appointment with Dr. Debra Manheim, call us at (973) 917-3785 or visit our site to schedule an appointment. The staff at our Parsippany office is ready and eager to help.

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Say Goodbye to Fungal Infections

Summer means sweat, and sometimes sweat can lead to bacteria and infection. How can you avoid a fungal foot infection this season? The best solution is prevention and protecting your feet from the microbes that cause the infection in the first place. Fungus loves warm, moist environments, such as those of your shoes. Keeping your feet and shoes dry and bacteria-free is most important for avoiding Athlete’s foot and toenail fungus, but there are plenty of other solutions.

How to Get Rid of Toenail Fungus Today:

1. Avoid direct contact with microbes by protecting your feet

Public showers, bathrooms, locker rooms, and such are teaming with microbes. Wear shower shoes or sandals to protect your feet from microbes.

2. Trim your toenails properly

Trimming them straight across or on a slight curve and keeping them a little long will help prevent ingrown toenails that can be the precursor to a frustrating fungal toenail infection.

3. Wear breathable, lightweight socks and shoes

Choose those made of breathable materials to allow moisture to evaporate instead of building up.

4. Keep your feet clean and dry

Wash your feet daily with mild soap. Take the time to dry them before putting on your socks and shoes. It will help keep microbes from growing.

5. Use medicinal lotions, sprays, and powders in your shoes and on your feet

Antifungal products can be applied to your feet and inside your shoes to kill the fungi directly.

Do you think you have a fungal infection? Call us as soon as possible! Don’t delay treatment.

Step By Step Family Foot Care is here to assist you with any of your podiatry needs! To make an appointment with Dr. Debra Manheim, call us at (973) 917-3785 or visit our site to schedule an appointment. The staff at our Parsippany office is ready and eager to help.

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Common Pediatric Foot Problems

Unfortunately, when our children are experiencing foot pain, they don’t always tell us or are too young to communicate their pain. Not addressing foot pain until the problem worsens can lead to more challenging conditions and treatment plans. This is why keeping an eye on your child’s feet is crucial. Step By Step Family Foot Care is here to make that easier for parents.

Top 3 signs that your child’s feet need your attention:

1- Skin Looks Different

Sores and spots can develop anywhere on the feet. Red spots on the soles of the feet are a sign of an infection called hand, foot, and mouth disease. If you notice scaly spots on your child’s toes, your child could have athlete’s foot. And fleshy, elevated bumps that won’t heal are possibly warts that can be permanently removed.

2- Other Changes in Appearance

Examine your child’s ankles, feet, and gait. Note any blisters, redness or oozing, sudden pain, swelling, awkward gait, abnormal wear in their shoes, nail discoloration, changes in their skin, or redness. Also, note if any moles change in shape, size, or color.

3- Pain Doesn’t Go Away

Any pain that doesn’t go away with time is not normal. For instance, children are not safe from heel pain, particularly if they’re active in sports. Younger children have a growth plate in their heels, and walking can become painful when injured. Some children also suffer from arch pain, which may indicate flat feet. Even if your child can walk with their pain, it’s still possible they may have a tiny bone fracture.

Treating foot pain in children may be as simple as purchasing shoes in the next size up or as complex as surgery. If your child complains of foot pain or other issues, don’t wait – contact us to schedule an appointment.

Step By Step Family Foot Care is here to assist you with your podiatry needs! To make an appointment with Dr. Debra Manheim, call us at (973) 917-3785 or visit our site to schedule an appointment. The staff at our Parsippany office is ready and eager to help.

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Steer Clear of Injuries This Summer

Summer’s just around the corner, and with that comes extra time outside playing sports, hiking, visiting the beach, and enjoying the sunshine with your loved ones. While these activities are fun and exciting, it’s important to know that they can also put extra stress on your feet and ankles.

Keep a close eye on your feet this summer to avoid some of the injuries below:

Achilles Tendonitis

Achilles Tendonitis occurs when the Achilles tendon becomes inflamed due to overuse, stress, injury, or degeneration. It can cause intense lower-leg pain or a chronic dull ache in the back of the lower leg. An increase in exercise intensity or duration can also lead to this injury.

Plantar Fasciitis

Plantar Fasciitis is characterized by heel pain. This is when the plantar fascia, the thick band of tissue that runs along the bottom of the foot between the heel and the toes, is inflamed. Usually, this occurs due to stress from intense running or poor shoe support.

Ankle Sprain

When the ankle bones twist with too much force, the ligaments surrounding the outside of the bones may tear. If the sprain is not correctly diagnosed and treated, it may create permanent, lasting ankle trouble. It can cause moderate to severe pain, making it difficult to stand or walk.

Heel Spur

Spurs are outgrowths of the bone. They most commonly occur in the heel and usually develop in areas under constant pressure. Repeated running on hard surfaces and wearing footwear that does not correctly support the arch can put extra stress on the heel, leading to heel spurs.

Stress Fracture

Stress fractures are small fissures or cracks in the surface of the bone and usually occur in the forefoot or the area from the mid-foot extending to the toes. Stress fractures are quite common for athletes or anyone who engages in rigorous sports involving a lot of running. It can often cause pain and swelling in the lower leg and should be checked by a specialist.

Step By Step Family Foot Care is here to assist you with any of your podiatry needs! To make an appointment with Dr. Debra Manheim, call us at (973) 917-3785 or visit our site to schedule an appointment. The staff at our Parsippany office is ready and eager to help.

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Diabetes and Your Feet

Diabetes

April is National Foot Health Awareness Month! Our feet do so much for us, and we often take that for granted. If you suffer from diabetes, it’s especially important to keep a close eye on the health of your feet and put extra time and effort into taking care of them. Amputation and surgery may be your only solution if you aren’t careful. How can you prevent it? Let’s take a closer look.

The Trouble with Diabetes

With diabetes comes high blood sugar. Over time, this can damage your nerves and blood vessels, primarily in your feet. Nerve damage creates numbness, tingling, pain, or even loss of feeling in your feet. If you can’t feel any pain in your feet, it’s hard to tell when a potential problem will show up. You might be walking around with a wound or infection for weeks without realizing it, especially if it’s occurring on the underside of your foot!

Pay Close Attention

Even small cuts or blisters can become serious foot ailments when it comes to diabetes. One of the best ways you can prevent that is by regularly checking your feet for unusual findings. Here are some things to look out for:

Wounds can get infected, and because diabetes affects the way you heal, it’s easy for complications to arise. Infections and poor blood flow can lead to gangrene. In worst-case scenarios, amputation and surgery are necessary. If you spot anything questionable, contact your podiatrist as soon as possible!

Keep Your Feet Safe

Luckily, there are some simple steps you can take to prevent a worst-case scenario situation. Controlling blood sugar is at the top of the list, as it will help lessen damage to your blood vessels and nerves. Alongside that, here are other ways to keep your feet healthy:

  • Check your feet every day.
  • Wash your feet every day.
  • Work alongside a podiatrist to keep your feet pain-free.
  • Wear well-fitting shoes and clean socks.
  • Never walk barefoot.
  • Look into orthotics.

Step By Step Family Foot Care is here to assist you with any of your podiatry needs! To make an appointment with Dr. Debra Manheim, call us at (973) 917-3785 or visit our site to schedule an appointment. The staff at our Parsippany office is ready and eager to help.

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What Is Gout?

Gout

Over 3 million Americans are affected by gout each year, making it a very common condition that not many know much about. So, what is it? Gout is a painful form of arthritis, with the big toe joint usually being most affected. It can create tenderness, inflammation, and redness, making it difficult to walk and participate in our everyday activities. Gout has a lot to do with what we eat and with March being National Nutrition Month, we thought it was the perfect time to go over some quick facts.

All About Gout

As stated above, gout is a form of arthritis that normally affects the big toe joint, but it can affect other joints, too. It begins when your body has abnormally high levels of uric acid.

Our bodies naturally produce uric acid, but we get it from different foods, as well. When our bodies have excess levels of uric acid, it creates sharp crystals in our joints, tissues, and bloodstream. This can be disastrous for our joints, which is where gout comes in. With gout, you’ll likely experience severe pain, swelling, and redness in your joints.

What About Uric Acid?

When we eat foods rich in purines, our bodies are more likely to develop gout. Which foods have high levels of purines? Things like…

  • Red meat
  • Shellfish
  • Beer
  • Red wine
  • Brandy
  • Food and drinks high in fructose sugar, like soda

To prevent gout, limit your intake of purine-rich foods, exercise daily, and maintain a healthy weight.

Treating This Condition

If you have gout, you’ll likely have to take some sort of medication to combat your symptoms. Some will reduce any inflammation you have, while others prevent pain from gout attacks by lowering the amount of uric acid in your bloodstream.

Step By Step Family Foot Care is here to assist you with any of your podiatry needs! To make an appointment with Dr. Debra Manheim, call us at (973) 917-3785 or visit our site to schedule an appointment. The staff at our Parsippany office is ready and eager to help.

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Is It Time to See Your Podiatrist?

Podiatrist

Visiting your doctor isn’t a particularly fun activity, even if the visit is necessary. These days people prefer the comfort and flexibility of at-home treatments and over-the-counter medications versus professional treatment for their affliction or injury. In some cases, seeing your doctor in person isn’t required and you can successfully recover at home. But other times, it’s best to call your podiatrist for help. Here are some of the top circumstances in which scheduling an appointment with your foot doctor is especially important.

You Have Diabetes

If you have diabetes, you likely deal with daily numbness and poor circulation in your feet from nerve damage. When this happens, it becomes harder to tell if you’ve injured yourself, due to loss of feeling. Foot and ankle ailments frequently go undetected and can lead to long-term damage. This is why it’s crucial to see your podiatrist daily when you have diabetes! Frequent visits will not only help keep your feet in check, but your foot doctor will also be able to help you with any side effects you’re experiencing. Orthotics and insoles are a popular choice for diabetics, which you can get fitted for right in our office.

You Play Sports

Athletes are no strangers to injuries. While some injuries are unavoidable, some can be avoided with special precautions and a good foot care routine. Trying to treat an injury at home can do more damage to your feet, which is why you should always call your podiatrist if you suspect you have one. If you play a sport or work out frequently, taking good care of your feet and ankles can not only help with your performance but keep you active for years to come. A podiatrist can help ensure you’re in the best foot health you can be in.

You Have a Fungal Infection

Despite its name, not only athletes catch athlete’s foot. Athlete’s foot is one of the most common fungal infections you can have. Even though there are a wide variety of at-home treatments available, foot or toenail fungus can be difficult to treat on your own. If you suspect you have a fungal infection, call your foot doctor!

Step By Step Family Foot Care is here to assist you with any of your podiatry needs! To make an appointment with Dr. Debra Manheim, call us at (973) 917-3785 or visit our site to schedule an appointment. The staff at our Parsippany office is ready and eager to help.

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Winter Foot Pain

Foot Pain

As we get into the thick of the winter, many are experiencing some frustrating foot pain that seemingly has no root cause. You may be wondering why this is occurring. Foot pain is unfortunately common during the winter and there are a range of reasons why! Here’s a breakdown of where cold weather foot pain comes from and what you can do about it!

Where It’s Coming From

If you’re not actively healing an injury and practicing daily foot care habits, you may be confused as to why you have mild to moderate pain. But it’s not that strange! Here are some of the top reasons why this could be happening to you:

  • Cold weather: Bitter winds are known to lead to sore, achy limbs. Cold weather causes your body to slow blood circulation to your arms and legs in an attempt to preserve your body’s core temperature. This can result in cold feet and joint pain!
  • Gaining weight: It’s important to eat well and enjoy yourself during the holidays. But did you know that weight gain can lead to poor foot health? Extra weight can put more pressure on your feet, leading to more wear and tear.
  • Wearing the wrong shoes: One of the biggest causes of foot problems is wearing ill-fitting shoes. If you don’t take good care of your feet by wearing comfy, supportive footwear, you can end up with blisters, bunions, and hammertoes. Winter is a time when a lot of people go skiing or ice skating, which can be fun, but if you don’t wear the right kind of boots, you can easily injure yourself.

Lessening The Pain

So, what can you do to help ease the stress? Here are some of our best tips for treating cold-weather foot pain:

  • Call your podiatrist if you’re experiencing ongoing or severe pain
  • If you run into a minor injury, follow R.I.C.E. (rest, ice, compression, and elevation)
  • Stretch your feet daily
  • Wear comfortable shoes
  • Bundle up with thick socks and insulated boots
  • Maintain a healthy weight by eating a balanced diet

Step By Step Family Foot Care is here to assist you with any of your podiatry needs! To make an appointment with Dr. Debra Manheim, call us at (973) 917-3785 or visit our site to schedule an appointment. The staff at our Parsippany office is ready and eager to help.

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Recovery From an Ankle Sprain

Ankle Sprain

It doesn’t take much to get an ankle sprain. Whether you roll your ankle during a workout or step wrong on uneven ground, accidents happen all the time. When you overstretch one of the ligaments in your ankle, it results in a sprain. Sprained ankles are one of the most common injuries you can face in your lifetime and podiatry offices are no stranger to them. Most people stick to at-home treatments for their injuries, which can work in some mild cases.

However, there are plenty of complications that can arise if your sprained ankle is more severe, and you don’t seek treatment. Without proper rest and recovery, you can expect it to not heal well and create long-term issues as you age. Not only are you more susceptible to further injury and repeated sprained ankles, but you’ll likely have a limited range of motion and ongoing pain.

Diagnosing a Sprained Ankle

How can you tell if you’ve sprained your ankle? For a diagnosis, it’s best to seek out the help of a professional. Contact your podiatrist if your ankle doesn’t feel better after 2-3 days of rest – they can help heal your injury. But if you want to have a better understanding of what you could be dealing with, look for these signs and symptoms:

  • Swelling
  • Bruising
  • Pain
  • Tenderness
  • Joint instability
  • Loss of range of motion
  • Difficulty putting weight on your ankle

Recovery From Your Injury

So, you’ve been diagnosed with an ankle sprain (or suspect you will be). What’s next? You’ll likely be working alongside your podiatrist for up to a few months, depending on the severity of your injury. They’ll give you an x-ray to rule out further damage and injury to your foot, bones, and tendons.

Your foot doctor will determine a specific treatment plan depending on your injury. This usually involves applying the RICE regime (rest, ice, compression, and elevation), using bandages or splints, and certain foot and ankle exercises after you’ve healed. For more severe cases, surgery or a physical therapist may be recommended.

If you suspect you have a sprained ankle, it’s crucial to seek help from a podiatrist ASAP! Letting it “heal” on its own without proper treatment is a recipe for disaster. Step By Step Family Foot Care is here to assist you with any of your podiatry needs! To make an appointment with Dr. Debra Manheim, call us at (973) 917-3785 or visit our site to schedule an appointment. The staff at our Parsippany office is ready and eager to help.

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Five Ways to Say Thank You to Your Feet

Happy Thanksgiving! We hope your start to the holiday season is enjoyable. Thanksgiving is naturally a time when people like to reflect on their everyday life and consider what they’re most grateful for. Our feet do so much for us, but they’re often neglected when it comes to self-care. This Thanksgiving, we’re encouraging everyone to spend some time giving their feet extra TLC. What better way to show gratitude and appreciation for your feet than with an at-home foot care routine? We’re sharing five of the best ways you can give your feet some love this November!

Trim

First things first. Are your toenails trimmed properly? For the best results, cut straight across the nail and file down any rough spots with a file. Rounding the edges or cutting too short can cause ingrown nails! If trimming your nails is difficult, see if your podiatrist offers this service or go to your local nail salon. Another thing to keep in mind – never share nail tools with others!

Soak

What’s better than a nice foot soak? Foot soaks have so many benefits. Not only are they great for moisturization, decreasing inflammation, and getting rid of odor, but they’re the perfect way to relax after a long day. Fill your tub or a big bucket with lukewarm water up to your ankle. Next, add Epsom salts, black or green tea bags, vinegar, or essential oils to amp up the experience and benefits. Allow your feet to soak for up to 30 minutes before drying.

Exfoliate

With the weather cooling down, dry skin may seem to be inevitable. But exfoliation is one of the ways you can keep your feet itch and flake-free! Use a gentle washcloth or sponge and some mild soap during your shower. Alternatively, you can get a pumice stone if you suffer from calluses.

Massage

The best treat for your feet? Daily foot massages! This is especially helpful for those who deal with foot conditions that cause soreness, pain, or inflammation. For even more benefits, consider reflexology.

Moisturize

Incorporate some lotion into your foot massage or apply it after your shower! Moisturizer can not only help with dry feet but calluses and corns as well. Just be sure to avoid applying in between your toes!

Step By Step Family Foot Care is here to assist you with any of your podiatry needs! To make an appointment with Dr. Debra Manheim, call us at (973) 917-3785 or visit our site to schedule an appointment. The staff at our Parsippany office is ready and eager to help.