Foot Notes-Tips and Advice from Cumberland Foot & Ankle Centers

Think of the things you do every day.  You brush your teeth.  You have a meal or three.  You make your bed.  You drive your car, you go to work.

Now let's go more basic.  Every day, you stand up.  You put on shoes.  You walk.  

You probably don't give too much thought to the things on the first list, but you think about them some.  You shop for toothpaste, decide where to go for lunch, buy Egyptian cotton sheets and haggle at least once or twice with a salesperson.  But you don't think about the second list at all.  Your feet, they're just there - ready to take you wherever you need to go, right to the very last step.

But your feet want some attention.  In fact, they are probably screaming out for some TLC right now.

April 1st marks the start of National Foot Health Awareness month, and this is a perfect time to renew your focus on your feet - even if you don't have a foot fetish.  To get on that path though, you need to start paying attention to your feet...every day. 

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At Cumberland Foot & Ankle Centers, we offer the newest in innovated care for every disorder that affects the feet and ankles. Our providers- Jonathan Moore, DPM, Pamela Jensen-Stanley, DPM, Christopher Miller, DPM, Jamie Settles Carter, DPM and Denita McDonald, ARNP - are experienced, highly trained and well-known in the medical community for providing conservative but effective solutions and excellent outcomes. Once we’ve exhausted all options for treating your problem “biomechanically,” we provide the same level of capability and experience with surgical solutions.  

Follow MyHappyFoot on Twitter and Like Cumberland Foot & Ankle on Facebook. During the month of April we will be sharing a daily foot note packed full of tips and advice on how to get and keep your feet healthy. Then at the end of the month the tips will be compiled into a calendar for your reference.

We encourage you to schedule an appointment in celebration of Foot Health Awareness Month!  Contact your local Podiatrists at Cumberland Foot & Ankle Centers.  606-679-2773 or toll free    1-800-600-6740.  We have many convenient locations: Somerset, Corbin, Stanford, Russell Springs,Monticello, and Whitley City. 

Kentucky has been placed in the so called “Diabetes Belt”.  Kentucky is included in that list along with Alabama, Florida, Georgia, Arkansas, Louisiana, North Carolina, Ohio, Pennsylvania, South Carolina, Tennessee, Texas, Virginia, West Virginia and the entire state of Mississippi.

The Center for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) has dubbed southeastern United States as the “diabetes belt”.  Almost 26 million people in the United States have diabetes.  Almost 12% of the people who live within the diabetes belt have the disease compared to 8.5% in the rest of the country.   From the health surveys, the CDC found people living in the diabetes belt were more likely to be overweight and obese and have inactive lifestyles, which are factors of having this disease.

Diabetes affects all systems of the body including the neurological, vascular, dermatological and muscular systems. One of the most vital ways to prevent complications associated with diabetes is to educate yourself.

When was the last time you had your feet examined? If you have diabetes, routine foot care with a podiatrist should be as regular as your checkups for your eyes and kidneys. When you are a diabetic it is easier to prevent problems than to treat them later on.

Diabetes and Your Feet: Foot Care Tips

• Always keep your feet warm. As a diabetic you may lose the ability to notice if your feet or cold. However, you should never use a heating pad on your feet; you could get a burn and not feel it.
• Do not smoke or sit with your legs crossed. Both of these activities can decrease the circulation to your legs and feet.
• Always keep your feet moisturized. Apply moisturizer to the tops and bottoms of your feet daily; avoid putting it between your toes.
• It is important to wash your feet daily with soap and warm water. Don’t soak your feet this can cause your feet to dry out. And be sure to dry your feet really well, especially between your toes.
• Never attempt to trim calluses on your own. Even the smallest nick can result in a sore.
• Most importantly, check your feet every day. This allows you to notice complications promptly and seek appropriate medical attention.

Cumberland Foot & Ankle Center's associate physician Dr. Jamie Settles Carter says “If you have diabetes it is important to establish care with a podiatrist (foot and ankle specialist), even if your diabetes is controlled, you should visit a podiatrist at least once a year.”  Having diabetes can affect your feet in two ways nerve damage and poor blood flow. “But having additional foot problems not related to diabetes can make treating and healing those problems difficult” says Dr. Carter.  These problems can included bunions, hammertoes, ingrown toenails, corns and calluses or other types of foot deformities.

All the doctors at Cumberland Foot & Ankle Center are trained in advanced diabetic foot and ankle care. This includes routine care, such as trimming toenails, wound treatment and healing, amputation prevention and a diabetic shoe program.

If you or a loved one has diabetes and would like more information or to schedule an appointment   fracture contact your local Podiatrists at Cumberland Foot & Ankle Centers.  606-679-2773 or toll free    1-800-600-6740. Find us on Facebook and Twitter. ! We have many convenient locations: Somerset, Corbin, Stanford, Danville, Barbourville, and Williamsburg. 

Consumers Beware

Orthotic Advertising on Radio and TV
You may have heard advertisements on the local radio or television commercials promoting "custom fit" orthotics you can get at discount department stores. While these devices are not bad, we feel that they are extremely over-priced. You can get over the counter (OTC) devices that we feel are more effective for most people for less than $40.00. Our advice is to be very careful - you should never pay more than $50.00 for an "orthotic" unless it is made from a cast or a mold of your foot by an experienced and skilled medical professional.

What these stores and companies call "custom fit" just means that they use a machine to scan the shape, pressure points and size of your foot. They then give you a recommendation of what pre-packaged insole to purchase. Using the word "custom" seems to be misleading to potential customers - these are not custom made orthotics -they are simply very overpriced over-the-counter arch supports.

There is high quality, doctor recommend off-the-shelf orthotics on the market and they can be purchased at Cumberland Foot Health Solutions, your total foot care center. Most cost about $30.00.

Just be careful. If you have a foot problem, see your local podiatrist at Cumberland Foot & Ankle for a diagnosis - not a clerk in a shoe store. And NEVER spend more than $50 on an arch support or orthotic unless it is made from a cast of your foot by a trained medical professional.

If you are interested in more information on custom othothics or the doctor recommended over the counter orthotics; contact Cumberland Foot & Ankle at 606-679-2773, toll free 1-800-600-6740 or Cumberland Foot Health Solutions, located in Somerset. at 606-678-9864. Follow us on Facebook and Twitter.
Cumberland Foot & Ankle Center has ten convenient locations to serve you in: Somerset, Barbourville, Corbin, Danville, London, Monticello, Russell Springs, Stanford, Whitley City and Williamsburg.

The feet and legs are one of the most overlooked areas in relation to skin cancers. The most common areas are between the toes, on the soles of the foot and around the nails.

Skin Cancers of the feet and legs are related to not only sun exposure, but, also caused from viruses, exposure to chemicals, chronic irritation or inheritance.

The feet and legs are commonly exposed during the spring and summer months and most commonly forgotten when we consider sunscreen application. Unfortunately, the most common skin cancers of the feet are malignant melanomas which have the potential of losing your limb or your life.

The most common finding is the change of appearance in a mole, such as irregular shape or margin, color changes, increase in size, bleeding or ulceration. Any lesion in question should be monitored and biopsied. This can be done during a routine foot evaluation and screening. Unfortunately, some lesions that appear benign are cancerous thus, early screening and biopsy is essential to ensure that these potentially malignant lesions are not missed.
The most common skin cancers of the feet and legs include the following:

1. Basal Cell Carcinoma- common on the top of the foot or front of the legs where there is sun exposure. These are the least aggressive, appear as pearly white bumps or patches that may ooze or crust and may look like an open sore. Easily treated by excising.
2. Squamous Cell Carcinoma- this is the most common lesion of the foot that appears as a scaly bump or plaque, can be mistaken as a callous with recurrent cracking or bleeding. It is usually painless and may itch. It can also be mistaken as a plantar wart, a fungal infection, eczema or ulceration.
3. Malignant Melanoma- one of the deadliest skin cancers known. It is known as "The Green Masquerader." Commonly it is brown and black in color but roughly one third are pink or red and do not have brown pigmentation. These may resemble moles, but upon close inspection have asymmetry, irregular borders and alterations in color. Nonsurgical treatments are rarely effective and must be detected early to ensure patient survival. Melanomas may resemble benign moles, blood blisters, ingrown nails, plantar warts, ulcers caused by poor circulation, foreign bodies or bruises.

Skin Cancers in the lower extremities have a different appearance from those arising on the rest of the body. Podiatrists are lower extremity specialists that can recognize and treat abnormal skin conditions of the legs and feet.

If a lesion is identified that may need further evaluation, a biopsy will be performed and evaluated. If the lesion is then determined malignant, your podiatrist will recommend the best course of treatment.

For prevention, protect your feet and legs with appropriate shoe wear and sunscreens and present to your podiatrist if you have any questionable changing moles, lesions, ulcerations, and calluses for early evaluation and treatment.

If you are interested in more information on skin cancer or are concerned you may have skin cancer on your feet contact your local Podiatrists at Cumberland Foot & Ankle Centers. 606-679-2773 or toll free 1-800-600-6740. We have ten locations near you: Somerset, Barbourville, Danville, London, Monticello, Corbin, Russell Springs, Stanford, Williamsburg, and Whitley City. Follow us on Facebook and Twitter to stay informed and watch for contests and prizes.
By: Dr. Pamela Jensen-Stanley
Article can also be found in the February issue of the Southern Kentucky Health & Family Journal.

By now I'm sure that you have all heard about the newest trend in fitness

footwear....Shoes that actually tone your legs as you walk. Even Kim Kardashian has jumped on this bandwagon. Sounds great, right? Well, here's the truth on the shoes that sound too good to be true.

Toning shoes (there are various types made by many different companies) all work in the same basic way. They take away the flat sole of a tennis shoe that we are all used to and instead use either a "rocker bottom" design or multiple "circles" on the bottom of the shoe. This creates some instability when you walk which in turn causes the muscles of your ankle and leg to work harder, and in different ways, to stabilize you. By working these muscles in different ways, it helps to burn more calories and tone your legs at the same time.

Toning shoes can be great for people with heel pain or pain across the ball of your foot because they alleviate pressure in these areas. They are also great for people that have to stand on their feet for 8+ hours per day. However, they are not recommended for people with weak or unstable ankles (people that feel like their ankles give out on them) or people with balance issues because they create added instability and can lead to falls or other injuries like ankle sprains.

If you are still unsure if these shoes are right for you, just ask your friendly Podiatrist at Cumberland Foot and Ankle Centers...They would be happy to help! We have many convenient locations: Somerset, Corbin, Stanford, Danville,Barbourville, and Williamsburg. Contact us at 606-679-2773 or toll free 1-800-600-6740. Find us on Facebook and Twitter.
By: Dr. Jamie Settles Carter