Tag: foot pain

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A Podiatrist’s Guide to Healing 3 Hiking Hazards

Hiking offers a fantastic way to connect with nature and exercise outdoors, particularly as the weather warms. However, uneven terrain, heavy backpacks, and increased mileage can all lead to painful injuries and ailments.

Step by Step Family Foot Care is well known for proven expertise and fact-focused relief. In part, that reputation stems from our enduring commitment to patient education, and this time around, we’re blogging about common hiking woes and how to handle them.

1.) Blisters:

These fluid-filled pockets on the skin typically appear from friction between your feet and socks or shoes. They’re most common during long hikes with new or ill-fitting footwear.

  • Conservative Treatment: Once a blister forms, resist the urge to pop it! Apply a sterile bandage to prevent infection, and wear well-fitting, moisture-wicking socks on future hikes.
  • Advanced Treatment: A podiatrist can safely drain large or painful blisters and provide a sterile dressing to promote healing. They can also recommend specialized blister pads or inlays to prevent further friction.

2.) Plantar Fasciitis:

This inflammation of the plantar fascia, a ligament stretching from your heel to your toes, presents as heel pain, especially in the mornings or after long periods of standing or walking. Plantar fasciitis often arises from increased stress on the plantar fascia due to uneven terrain or improper footwear.

  • Conservative Treatment: Stretching exercises for the plantar fascia and calf muscles might be combined with orthotics featuring arch support to distribute pressure more evenly.
  • Advanced Treatment: Your podiatrist might suggest night splints to keep your foot flexed while you sleep or corticosteroid injections to reduce inflammation.

3.) Ankle Sprains:

A misstep on uneven ground or a rolled ankle can cause the ligaments connecting your ankle bones to stretch or tear beyond their normal range of motion. This is often accompanied by pain, swelling, bruising, and difficulty bearing weight.

  • Conservative Treatment: Your podiatrist will likely recommend immobilization with a brace or cast alongside physical therapy exercises to regain strength and stability.
  • Advanced Treatment: In severe cases involving ligament tears, surgery might be necessary to repair damaged tissue.

At Step By Step Family Foot Care, we are dedicated to providing comprehensive podiatric services. Concerned about your foot health? Contact our office at (973) 917-3785 or visit our website to schedule an appointment with Dr. Debra Manheim. 

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It’s Time to See Your Podiatrist!

Let’s face it: Visiting the doctor isn’t always a top priority. Between hectic schedules and readily available over-the-counter remedies, DIY treatments can seem tempting. However, when it comes to your feet, neglecting potential issues can lead to bigger problems, additional complications, and unnecessary aches.

Step By Step Family Foot Care will always try to keep patients posted on what they can do to catch problems early or prevent them altogether. That’s why this blog will cover some key situations that merit calling your podiatrist right away! Read on to learn what to watch for.

Navigating Diabetes:

Athlete’s Advantage:

  • Athletes put their feet through the ringer, making them prone to injuries.
  • While minor aches might seem manageable, ignoring them can worsen into chronic issues. Seek professional help for suspected injuries to ensure a quick and safe recovery. Preventive care like gait analysis and proper footwear recommendations can keep you in the game longer.

Don’t Forget Fungi:

  • Athlete’s foot, despite its name, affects everyone.
  • While over-the-counter antifungals exist, stubborn toenail infections or recurring outbreaks require expert intervention.
  • Early diagnosis and targeted treatment from your podiatrist can nip the fungus in the bud, preventing spread and ensuring a lasting cure.

If your feet are trying to tell you something, listen up! Persistent pain, swelling, changes in appearance, or unusual sensations are all signs that warrant a visit to your podiatrist. Prevention is the best medicine, and regular checkups can save you time, money, and discomfort in the long run. Invest in your foot health – schedule a podiatry appointment today and step towards a confident, pain-free future!

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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Staying Active with Arthritis When Winter Weather Strikes

As frost settles in and winter gets going in earnest, seniors with arthritis feel the chill extend to their joints. Stiffness, aches, and even difficulty walking can make enjoying the season a painful challenge.

Step by Step Family Foot Care won’t leave you out in the cold! We’re invested in patient education as a crucial component of ensuring good outcomes, so with that in mind, we crafted this blog post to guide your steps toward a painless winter.

Cold Concerns

Lower temperatures and damp weather often exacerbate joint pain because reduced barometric pressure increases inflammation, while slippery surfaces add to the risk of falls. What can you do about it? Two steps make for a good start:

  1. Low-impact exercises like water aerobics, yoga, or tai chi can improve flexibility, strengthen muscles, and reduce pain.
  2. Maintaining a healthy weight can reduce pain and improve mobility. Excess weight puts extra strain on your joints, hampering your daily routines.

Now, let’s tackle two common forms of arthritis that you might face. First up is Osteoarthritis (OA). This “wear-and-tear” arthritis affects the cartilage in your joints. To slow its progression:

  • Strengthen supporting muscles. Strong muscles take pressure off your joints, easing pain and improving stability. Try isometric exercises targeting your legs and ankles.
  • Explore pain management options. Consult your podiatrist about pain management strategies like non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs), corticosteroid injections, or even certain nutritional supplements for longer-term relief.
  • Consider custom orthotic devices. They can provide necessary support, bolster the foot’s mechanics, and provide cushioning to minimize discomfort.

Then there’s Hallux Rigidus. This form of degenerative arthritis affects the big toe joint, causing pain and stiffness when bending. For relief:

  • Wear wider shoes with cushioned soles. Allow ample space for your toe joint to move comfortably. Consider stiff or rocker-bottom soles and ditch high heels for good.
  • Physical therapy or ultrasound therapy modalities are solid conservative choices for relief.
  • In severe cases, surgery to remove bone spurs or realign the joint might be necessary.

Step By Step Family Foot Care is here to assist you with any of your podiatry needs! To consult 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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Step Into Better Health: 4 Ways Footwear Can Be Your Podiatric Powerhouse

For the expert team at Step by Step Family Foot Care, it’s no secret that proper footwear plays a crucial role in maintaining foot health. However, we often notice patients themselves are unaware of the benefits that the right pair of shoes or the perfect insole can confer!

With that in mind, we’ve crafted this blog post to address four unsung benefits that proper footwear can provide to your hardworking feet. Check out the info below.

1. Biomechanical Analysis: Decoding Your Foot’s Secret Language

  • Podiatrists use advanced technology to assess your gait, posture, and pressure distribution, uncovering hidden clues about how your feet function.
  • This detailed information becomes the blueprint for personalized footwear solutions, like…

2. Functional Orthotics: Architects of Foot Comfort

  • Custom-made orthotics aren’t comparable to over-the-counter, standardized shoe inserts.
  • They’re carefully crafted, based on your unique biomechanical analysis, to subtly correct misalignments and support your feet’s natural movement.
  • This can both alleviate pain and prevent future problems like bunions, hammertoes, and more.

3. Diabetic Shoes and Insoles: Protecting Precious Feet

4. Beyond the Prescription: Everyday Footwear Choices Matter

  • While specialized footwear plays a vital role, everyday shoe choices matter, too!
  • Choose shoes with wide-toe boxes, breathable materials, and good arch support.
  • Ditch the sky-high heels and narrow sandals for supportive flats or low-heeled options. Remember, your feet deserve comfort, even when you’re strutting your stuff.

Dr. Debra D. Manheim founded Step by Step Family Foot Care to provide “patient first” foot care to individuals of all ages. Our office is conveniently located on Route 46 East in Parsippany, next door to the Waterview Park and Ride. We offer office hours most weekdays and are available on Saturday mornings as well. Contact us for your appointment today!

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Heal Your Hammertoe

If you notice that one or more of your smaller toes are bending up at the middle joint, you may have a hammertoe. A muscle and ligament imbalance in the toe joint causes this deformity. The middle joint can bend up and stay in this position.

Hammertoes often run in families but may also be caused by wearing shoes that do not fit properly. The unattractiveness isn’t the only thing that brings patients in – they can also be painful and cause problems with walking. Blisters and calluses may develop when the elevated middle joint rubs against your shoes.

Diagnosing and Treating Hammertoes

To confirm our diagnosis of hammertoes, we will give you a thorough medical exam and take x-rays right in our office. We have several conservative treatment options based on the severity of the deformity:

  • Anti-inflammatory medication can ease pain and swelling.
  • For acute pain, cortisone injections will help.
  • Custom-fitted orthotics that fit inside your shoe can relieve pain and prevent the hammertoe from worsening.
  • In the early stages, when the toe is still fairly flexible, splinting may help.
  • Switch to low-heeled shoes with wide-toe boxes and keep at least one-half-inch space between your toes and the tip of the shoe.

If the above methods don’t help, we may recommend surgery to realign the toe.

Keep Hammertoes from Getting Worse

  • Wear supportive, low-heeled shoes that are wide in the toes with plenty of room before the front of the shoe.
  • Try non-medicated over-the-counter hammertoe pads to relieve pressure from the top of the toe joint.
  • Massage the toe and apply ice packs to ease pain and swelling.
  • Try toe exercises like picking up a marble with your toes and scrunching a towel with the toes.

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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Don’t Ignore Your Bunion

Are you dismissing the new — or old — bump on the side of your big toe joint? What you see is most likely a bunion, a type of progressive toe deformity. To your surprise, it may not be causing pain. We encourage you, however, to visit a podiatrist regardless of how your toe feels at the time. A bunion is a toe deformity because the bones in the big toe joint are out of alignment. The misalignment will only continue to worsen. If you consider ignoring this condition, listed below are three reasons to reconsider.

Pain May Be Persistent

While some patients aren’t bothered by this condition, others may have a different story. Bunions can become very painful, especially if they are rigid. In the early stages of progression, this type of deformity can be flexible. During this phase, the greatest opportunity is to make improvements without considering surgery.

Other Toes May Be Impacted

The growing size of a bunion can impact the surrounding toes. They, too, can become misaligned. We want to help you prevent the impact on other toes. It is best to monitor the alignment and take steps to prevent it from worsening.

Calluses Can Grow

As your bunion grows, you can guarantee it is rubbing against the inside of your shoe. This friction is the top cause of a callus, a spot of thickened skin. It is your body’s defense against exposure to too much friction. If you aren’t paying attention, your bunion can bring on many other problems.

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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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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4 Tips for Reducing Fall Risk in Older Adults

fall prevention, senior foot care

As we get older, our bodies tend to lose strength, balance, and flexibility, thus increasing the risk of falling and injury. Anyone can have a fall, but older individuals are most vulnerable. Seniors need to be proactive with their foot health to diminish the risk of falls.

September is National Falls Prevention Month, and at Step by Step Family Foot Care, we know how your foot health can play a significant role in preventing dangerous falls.

Here are some tips to help people reduce their risk of falling.

  1. Stay in shape. Regular exercise improves overall foot health. It strengthens the muscles and improves balance and flexibility, making injuries and falls less likely. Keeping a healthy weight also helps to reduce the stress on your feet.
  2. Annual eye exam. Low vision can increase the risk of falling and injury. An annual eye exam from your optometrists can play a significant role in reducing falls. Don’t ignore foot pain. If your feet hurt, you risk losing your balance as you try to alter the way you walk to avoid the problem. Foot pain is not normal – be sure to discuss any pains, aches, and symptoms with your podiatrist.
  3. Remove hazards at home. Over half of all falls occur at home. Inspect your home for any risks that could lead to a fall or injury. Make sure you have good lighting all around the house. Clear any clutter such as cords or small furniture items from the main living space. Make sure to clean up any spills on the floor immediately. Install handrails for the stairways and grab bars for the toilets and showers.

If you think that you or your loved one are at risk for falls, visit our office in Parsippany, New Jersey. Our board-certified podiatrist, Dr. Debra B. Manheim, can evaluate you for any risk factors and provide you the best advice on fall risk prevention so that you can get back to the life and activities you enjoy. Contact us at (973) 917-3785 to schedule your appointment today.

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Keep Your Feet Fit for Summer Fun Indulgences

Summer activities expose our feet to many risks and hazards. However, that does not mean that one should deprive oneself of all the fun that this season has to offer.

Being careful and making sensible choices can help protect our feet from harm. At Step by Step Family Foot Care, we advise our patients to keep their eyes open for the following:

  • Fungus and bacteria: Infections are thriving during summertime and spread easily if not treated immediately. Fungal toenails, athlete’s foot, blisters, warts, and calluses are common occurrences and should be treated as early as possible.
  • Heel pain: This pain is ascribed to the most popular summer footwear i.e. flip-flops. These airy and easy-to-slip-on shoes provide the least support to your foot arch, causing your heels to come under stress due to excessive weight. It is advised to wear shoes that provide adequate support or use orthotic inserts for appropriate distribution of your body weight on your feet.
  • Sprains: The chances of sprains and stress fractures increase if you wear uncomfortable shoes for long durations or during intensive physical activity. Shoes with a stronger grip, softer insoles, and proper arch support are highly recommended to prevent injuries and pain.
  • Wounds and cuts: Wearing open shoes or being barefoot increases the risk of being injured by splinters and sharp objects. If you suffer a cut or a wound, make sure you have it cleaned up properly and use an antiseptic to prevent infection. It is advised to keep your wounds open and dry to avoid pus and bacterial infections.

If you encounter any of the above conditions and feel that your feet are not improving or healing properly, we urge you to visit our Parsippany, NJ office or call us at (973) 917-3785 to schedule an appointment. Our board-certified podiatrist, Dr. Debra B. Manheim will conduct a thorough examination and administer the appropriate course of treatment to restore the health of your feet.