Starter Guide for Taping
We can use commercially developed braces and soft forms of splinting to support joints and soft tissue (ligaments and muscle) to limit pain, support function and, above all, provide continuing activity whilst limiting damage. Tapes adhered to the skin have been promoted as an adjective for achieving the same aim. In this article, I will bring some ideas into focus about taping (strapping). While you can undertake these at home, placement and technique are best applied with someone to aid your technique. Focusing on the shoulder, the knee and the ankle provides an idea of how assistance can be used and I have delved into my own experience as a patient.
The Magic of the Pelvic Floor
For the most part we are led to believe that many post natal issues are just ‘normal’ or par for the course of being a woman. Heavy periods, incontinence, painful sex, prolapse and suffering the symptoms of the perimenopause are all part of being a woman aren’t they? Much can be overcome by advice and implementing strategies early on.
Skin Cracks & Fissures in Feet
Skin fissures can affect all genders, but footwear design can be an influencing factor. The shoe that causes the most problems is the mule or a shoe design that has no heel counter or strap. This allows the heel to slip but can cause the skin to bulge over the edge of the heel. This extra tissue distortion causes skin the thicken and then crack. Cold and damp weather can affect the skin as much as overuse of these shoe designs.
Voices from Podiatric Medicine
Insights into the treatment of dancers and Olympic athletes, the nascent world of forensic identification, or the challenge of contributing to the intensive care of patients with Covid 19 during the dark days of the pandemic, all add to a fascinating and enlightening series of vignettes which cover the full scope of modern practice.
The Puppet Toe
Zandra’s toe was not dislocated, but untreated hallux valgus (bunion) deformities can cause this problem. The simplest approach is to straighten both the first and second toe together. If the toe problem arises later, as in Zandra’s case, we can deal with the second toe alone. Evidence is poor, so we must look at the broader picture. Do we know when hammer toes start to be notable in the human population?
Do corn plasters work on corns?
Today we know more about the humble corn than we have done in the past, but for many patients, sharp dissection on a cyclical basis is a quick fix, even if it is not permanent. Unlike a callus, however, your approach must be considered more cautiously. Part 1 covers some of the reasons why everyone needs to be aware that a corn may appear simple but may not be.
Hard skin on our feet?
If your foot is not conventional in shape, and you have bone prominences, the chances are these parts of the foot will be exposed to pressure. You may have to measure the largest foot and fit this, then use an insock (filler) to allow the smaller foot a better fit. Most shoe shops carry these insocks. Unlined shoes stretch better than lined shoes; you can push paper or shoe trees into the toe box to stretch the shoe. Professional stretching is less common than once available. Cobblers may offer a service to do this for you, or you can purchase a shoe stretcher for under £20 online.
The Softer Side of Podiatry
When it comes to skin – callus and corns occur in different degrees and can form extremely painful conditions, from splitting skin (fissures) to deeper ulcers, foreign indwelling damage and cysts. The nail bed harbours many problems and requires skill to navigate fleshy tumours and overgrown blood vessels, causing deformity and distortion known as hypergranulation.
Getting the best foot healthcare
This article focuses on getting the best foot care, but you can consider other relevant health concerns. Following some tips, you can check out some of the 70 key articles to support your quest for your foot problem at the bottom of this article.
The Fish Pedicure – good or bad?
CFP decided to look into this topic further and found some interesting facts. Yes, you can become infected from the doctor fish, as they are sometimes called, although the fish as Garra rufa fish and are found in the Middle East, such as Turkey, Syria, Iraq, Iran, the Far East – Indonesia. The Garra rufa belongs to the carp family. In their natural habitat, their suction helps them stick to rocks so they feed on plankton. In a town called Kangal, it was observed that the resident Garra rufa fed spared normal skin but ate psoriatic plaques. Let’s look at risk and potential reasons for scaremongering. Secondly, we need to feature the Garra Rufa fish.
The Bunion Corrector.
Patients often ask if this type of device is of value for their bunion, which does not mean the bump, but the deformity called hallux valgus. The splint actually has a purpose and function and could be valuable, but we have to specify some reservations because at best, it takes time for a painful joint to settle. The big toe (hallux) splint is often called a ‘night splint’ (illustrated as the main image) implying that it can only be worn at night. In reality, many designs can be used during the day but the one I intend to introduce is used as an adjunct to treatment and in some cases exercises.
The Social-Historian
My starting point was the 1960 state registration Act, and the reason for that was because Gerry Larkin’s examination of ‘chiropody’ had basically run from the 19th century up to 1960. Thus, the sociology of podiatry had already been written up until 1960, but nothing had followed since then. I saw the opportunity, and took it upon myself to be the person to undertake an analysis of the post-1960 profession, and that’s how it happened. There were other brief articles, mainly by the historian Colin Dagnall, which addressed certain features of the profession during those years, but nothing which specifically drew upon the sociology of the professions.
Delayed Big Toe Surgery!
I look at why there is a discrepancy between being admitted to a private hospital through the NHS. In this case we need to get to the ‘heart’ of the problem. Additionally revision surgery and expectations are discussed with Tom in my conclusion.
Selling & Misselling Orthoses
At ConsultingFootPain my colleagues and I try to take the mystique out of foot health science and recognise it is easy to confuse patients. For example, pronation is yet another word based around anatomical movement.
Sports magazines and journals, podiatrists and others use the word pronation all the time. However, do we know or understand the importance of the term, which can be used to confuse? In addition, there is another angle to this word and one that is often attributed to flat feet.
Sun and Skin Warnings
David explains a solar damage on the face, his consultation and treatment during the Covid experience as part of a case history for the readership at consultingfootpain.co.uk
Threats to Rafael Nadal’s Future?
For you or I, who are low key in our activity, relative to athletes in peak condition, this condition may settle and you can live with the condition adequately. However, the types of forces Nadal creates with tennis foot and ankle contact on the court are akin to the problems beset by Andy Murray with his hip joint. Murray’s hip was more amenable to surgery than Nadal’s foot will be. The reason athletes can push themselves is their competitive streak, motivation, and extreme fitness, long training and ethics to be better than everyone else – this allows them to compensate for the type of problems the regular person would give up on a long time ago.
Musings about corns and callus
My favourite story comes from space
Scott and Don had been in space for 300 and 365 days respectively. Their blogs recorded interesting experiences. Because astronauts are not walking around on the ground under the force of gravity they don’t have to wear shoes in space.
“The calluses on your feet in space will eventually fall off so, the bottoms of your feet become very soft like newborn baby feet. But the top of my feet develop rough alligator skin because I use the top of my feet to get around here on space station when using foot rails.” Scott Kelly
Contact dermatitis and plants
Summer certainly attracts more plants and visitor activity than other seasons. Yet, even as I write this article, I feel itchy. We need to know what to avoid and if we are unfortunate to have a contact rash, we should know what to do. One point about the 10 plants I have picked is that many originate outside the UK while others remain in North America. Given the serious concerns with Japanese Knotweed for example, demonstrates that boundaries do not guarantee that you will come across something that has a kick in its leaf, stem or sap. Skin and respiratory problems arise in some but not all.
A dying healthcare system
Consultants split their time between the NHS and the independent sector, although some remain loyal to the NHS alone. Surgeons often make up their salary in this system, taking away an essential NHS resource – experienced professionals. This was the deal that Bevan had to negotiate. It is true that junior consultants have found it harder to follow their senior colleagues into the independent sector but eventually they trim back their hours if they want to work this sector.
Arthritis and the big toe
I confess I am not keen on the word arthritis as it conjures up a disease of the worst kind. So let us use the phrase ‘arthrosis’ because the term means a condition associated with deterioration of any joint, not just the big toe. Severe forms of arthrosis come under a wonderful term – the arthritides (arth-rit-eedees), which sounds like a member of Jason and the Argonauts crew in Greek mythology. Rheumatoid arthritis and gout are two such conditions which are highly destructive. Already you can see Latin and Greek in our language. Medical people love to make everything sound complicated and a bit of old language helps!
Starter Guide for Taping
We can use commercially developed braces and soft forms of splinting to support joints and soft tissue (ligaments and muscle) to limit pain, support function and, above all, provide continuing activity whilst limiting damage. Tapes adhered to the skin have been promoted as an adjective for achieving the same aim. In this article, I will bring some ideas into focus about taping (strapping). While you can undertake these at home, placement and technique are best applied with someone to aid your technique. Focusing on the shoulder, the knee and the ankle provides an idea of how assistance can be used and I have delved into my own experience as a patient.
The Magic of the Pelvic Floor
For the most part we are led to believe that many post natal issues are just ‘normal’ or par for the course of being a woman. Heavy periods, incontinence, painful sex, prolapse and suffering the symptoms of the perimenopause are all part of being a woman aren’t they? Much can be overcome by advice and implementing strategies early on.
Skin Cracks & Fissures in Feet
Skin fissures can affect all genders, but footwear design can be an influencing factor. The shoe that causes the most problems is the mule or a shoe design that has no heel counter or strap. This allows the heel to slip but can cause the skin to bulge over the edge of the heel. This extra tissue distortion causes skin the thicken and then crack. Cold and damp weather can affect the skin as much as overuse of these shoe designs.
The Puppet Toe
Zandra’s toe was not dislocated, but untreated hallux valgus (bunion) deformities can cause this problem. The simplest approach is to straighten both the first and second toe together. If the toe problem arises later, as in Zandra’s case, we can deal with the second toe alone. Evidence is poor, so we must look at the broader picture. Do we know when hammer toes start to be notable in the human population?
Do corn plasters work on corns?
Today we know more about the humble corn than we have done in the past, but for many patients, sharp dissection on a cyclical basis is a quick fix, even if it is not permanent. Unlike a callus, however, your approach must be considered more cautiously. Part 1 covers some of the reasons why everyone needs to be aware that a corn may appear simple but may not be.
Hard skin on our feet?
If your foot is not conventional in shape, and you have bone prominences, the chances are these parts of the foot will be exposed to pressure. You may have to measure the largest foot and fit this, then use an insock (filler) to allow the smaller foot a better fit. Most shoe shops carry these insocks. Unlined shoes stretch better than lined shoes; you can push paper or shoe trees into the toe box to stretch the shoe. Professional stretching is less common than once available. Cobblers may offer a service to do this for you, or you can purchase a shoe stretcher for under £20 online.
The Softer Side of Podiatry
When it comes to skin – callus and corns occur in different degrees and can form extremely painful conditions, from splitting skin (fissures) to deeper ulcers, foreign indwelling damage and cysts. The nail bed harbours many problems and requires skill to navigate fleshy tumours and overgrown blood vessels, causing deformity and distortion known as hypergranulation.
Getting the best foot healthcare
This article focuses on getting the best foot care, but you can consider other relevant health concerns. Following some tips, you can check out some of the 70 key articles to support your quest for your foot problem at the bottom of this article.
The Fish Pedicure – good or bad?
CFP decided to look into this topic further and found some interesting facts. Yes, you can become infected from the doctor fish, as they are sometimes called, although the fish as Garra rufa fish and are found in the Middle East, such as Turkey, Syria, Iraq, Iran, the Far East – Indonesia. The Garra rufa belongs to the carp family. In their natural habitat, their suction helps them stick to rocks so they feed on plankton. In a town called Kangal, it was observed that the resident Garra rufa fed spared normal skin but ate psoriatic plaques. Let’s look at risk and potential reasons for scaremongering. Secondly, we need to feature the Garra Rufa fish.
The Bunion Corrector.
Patients often ask if this type of device is of value for their bunion, which does not mean the bump, but the deformity called hallux valgus. The splint actually has a purpose and function and could be valuable, but we have to specify some reservations because at best, it takes time for a painful joint to settle. The big toe (hallux) splint is often called a ‘night splint’ (illustrated as the main image) implying that it can only be worn at night. In reality, many designs can be used during the day but the one I intend to introduce is used as an adjunct to treatment and in some cases exercises.
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Starter Guide for Taping
We can use commercially developed braces and soft forms of splinting to support joints and soft tissue (ligaments and muscle) to limit pain, support function and, above all, provide continuing activity whilst limiting damage. Tapes adhered to the skin have been promoted as an adjective for achieving the same aim. In this article, I will bring some ideas into focus about taping (strapping). While you can undertake these at home, placement and technique are best applied with someone to aid your technique. Focusing on the shoulder, the knee and the ankle provides an idea of how assistance can be used and I have delved into my own experience as a patient.
Sun and Skin Warnings
David explains a solar damage on the face, his consultation and treatment during the Covid experience as part of a case history for the readership at consultingfootpain.co.uk
Winter is coming again
Welcome to my article ‘Winter is coming!’ where I will cover a bit about options to protect feet from the cold without the usual hard sell. Please click on my self-help advice sheet. An article on Trench Foot reminds us that this condition is not one relegated to the past.
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.
Protect your bunion
simple protection can be of great assistance in preventing later problems
The Irritating Little Toe
In this self-help article, the irritating little toe problem is discussed. Usually the problem will settle within a week of self prescribed care. I have chosen this subject as the condition is slightly different from the usual fungal infection affecting the toe. Before panicking and thinking you are unclean read this article from ConsultingFootPain.
Getting the best from clinical information
ITelling a story is powerful and better expressed than many clinicians can offer. There is a balance between downplaying risks and the impact of having a particular treatment. Today it is the patient who must decide which pathway to travel.
What should you ask from a fact sheet?
If you have read my short article Getting the best from clinical information here is the follow-up article offering a little more meat. What should you ask from a fact sheet? The answer must be equally simple. Factsheets should be well written, have few spelling mistakes and be easy to read. They should be laid out well and ideally not photocopied to death. Well, presented factsheets show the clinician cares as much about you as the information that is offered.
Helping your bunion yourself
At Consltingfootpain helping yourself to start with intelligently is my aim but with the understanding that there is always professional support as well. Knowledge makes your ability more able to understand and manage a condition such as a bunion.
Feet and your first aid kit
When asked about what to have in a first aid kit, I wrote this article for a reader to help support her after a number of incidents in the kitchen. First aid and second aid are considered…
Voices from Podiatric Medicine
Insights into the treatment of dancers and Olympic athletes, the nascent world of forensic identification, or the challenge of contributing to the intensive care of patients with Covid 19 during the dark days of the pandemic, all add to a fascinating and enlightening series of vignettes which cover the full scope of modern practice.