Tales of foot surgery and big toe problems
I have tolerated the ‘bump’ on the side of my foot for many years now & apart from early joint change pains, I can’t say that it has troubled me greatly apart from obviously restricting the wearing of certain shoes. Now having been a Podiatrist for 40 years myself, I have seen the consequences of my patients’ bunions, some of whom have avoided surgical treatment, & others who have had both unsuccessful & successful procedures in the past.
Pain with failed healing after injury
Everyone knows about pain – it hurts, but what if that pain does not subside, or pain medication fail. In this article, I will introduce you to a pain known as the ‘sympathetic pain syndrome’.
Pain arises because of insult or injury. A process known as inflammation kicks off, and clinicians recognise redness and swelling as part of the so-called cardinal signs.
The foot bug that got out of hand
Wills liked to garden but developed a small tear in the skin at the base of his calf tendon. This soon developed into a serious leg infection which endangered his leg and life. With hospitalisation, he required a skin graft. His tale is one of warning and hope.
The concept of diagnosis
Fascinated by a problem with my pond leaking I realised this was a useful medium to describe how we might go about diagnosis with a few descriptions of the elements that can be applied to our human workings (physiology).
Old shoe new shoe
Let’s look at the everyday shoe. When should our old shoes be replaced for new shoes? If you are like me shoes last a long time, but then we all have our favourites which might wear down faster. My blue trainers looked sad as the outer coat (the Uppers) were speckled with garden shed paint having been replaced as my best friend. Conversion to a workhorse is economically sound as you can keep shoes going for longer even if they are past their best. When should you chuck them out? How can you keep them lasting longer? This is the subject of my article this month.
Footwear can be tricky
As a child of the late fifties, I had my feet measured with loving care. It was an independent shoe outlet called Pomfret’s. As the years went by the father moved on and left it to his son John, a smart forty-something man with tight but neatly creased trousers, and sharp-pointed slip-on shoes. His haircut might have come from the days of Elvis Presley.
Why look after our feet?
This brief overview of foot health might help readers understand a little more about why we should look after our feet.
Are walking poles another fad?
As far as health is concerned a walking aid provides stability by increasing support for the body under our feet. Walking aids offer different benefits and so I thought I would compare two types of movement. One is called trekking, the other Nordic walking. The aids or poles used are therefore called trekking poles or Nordic walking poles. For many, it might seem using a pole or a stick appears as a weakness. Serious walkers benefit from such aids.
Revision surgery and the first toe
In this series we are discussing revision surgery and the first toe, often associated with a painful bunion. The joint surface was damaged but the left side less than the right. Bunions frequently have loss of the surface of cartilage resulting in stiffness. The surgeon must decide which of the 150+ operations is best suited.
The Story of the Professional Dancer
Professional dancing is a tough career. Not only does it require absolute dedication and sacrifice of education and some pleasures, but such extreme focus can lead to a plethora of injuries that can linger into later life. The life span of a dancer at the top of her game is dependent on many factors. Jenny Murray agreed was interviewed for ConsultingFootPain and agreed to share her experience as a professional dancer. She took me back through some her career and we discussed what this meant to her and of course for her health in particular