Winter Foot Care

Whether you have a snowy winter season or not, it’s important to keep your feet warm in the colder months. Unavoidable weather conditions make it a dangerous time to have a foot injury. Ice and snow also increase your risk of ankle sprains and fractures. That’s why Drs. Frank Killian and Sameep Chandrani of Mercer-Ocean Podiatry, PC, have put together this winter care guide. If you have any questions or concerns, talk to our staff in Hamilton Township and Toms River, NJ.


 


The best tip for keeping your feet toasty is wearing the appropriate shoes. Slips and falls are huge hazards in the winter months. Try not to make risky shoe choices, like high heels. We recommend shoes that are low-heeled or boots. These provide you with the necessary traction. It makes the difference between slipping outside and a normal day! You don’t want to end up with a foot injury. You also need to invest in properly insulated footwear. You need water-resistant or insulated shoes to stay warm. It’s the best practice for preventing frostbite. This is especially true if you suffer from any medical conditions that affect your blood flow.


 


Keeping your feet dry is the best way to stop fungal infections in their tracks. Moisture breeds fungal infections, which develop between the toes. This includes Athlete’s foot. Wear appropriate socks for the weather. Water-resistant socks keep your feet protected from the elements.


 


Lastly, the best thing you can do is schedule an appointment with your Hamilton Township and Toms River, NJ, podiatrist. If you suffer an injury, see us right away. While you wait, follow the RICE principle: rest, ice, compression, and elevation. Feet exposed to the elements for longer amounts of time can be soaked in warm water. This allows for the gradual re-acclimation.


 


Don’t let the cold weather stop you from a great holiday season! Schedule an appointment at Mercer-Ocean Podiatry, PC. Drs. Frank Killian and Sameep Chandrani are here for your podiatry needs. We have two offices, one in Hamilton Township and the other in Toms River, NJ. You can visit our website to schedule your appointment. You can also call each office. For Hamilton Township, call 609-585-3200. To call Toms River, dial 732-557-4266.

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

Clipping Toenails

Clipping your toenails correctly is the key to avoiding an ingrown nail. But many people are misinformed about this basic aspect of footcare, and during the summer, people are paying more attention to their bare feet and wondering how to trim their nails correctly. If you’re diabetic, this may be something that you’ll always need to be cautious about, but for most people at Mercer-Ocean Podiatry in northern New Jersey, the following advice will keep their toes safe and presentable. It’s a good idea to have separate clippers for the toenails and fingernails. Toenail clippers are a little larger, and using separate clippers will reduce the spread of bacteria. The toenails should be clean when they’re cut, but unless they’re extremely thick, they shouldn’t be wet. A wet nail is at greater risk of tearing. As you cut, go straight across, using a few small trims. You don’t want your nails to be rounded off, or they’ll be at greater risk of growing into the skin and causing a hangnail. Inst
Read more

Sever's Disease

Do you recall suffering frequent heel pain as a child? If you do, that’s not unusual; children’s bones haven’t fully fused together, and they are more vulnerable to overuse injuries than adults. However, nobody likes seeing their child in pain, and if a child frequently suffers from sore heels, there may be a biomechanical issue at play. At Mercer-Ocean Podiatry, we assist patients of all ages, so we thought it would be a good idea to explain Sever’s Disease, a common source of childhood foot problems, in more detail. Sever’s disease, or calcaneal apophysitis, is inflammation of the growth plate connecting the back of the heel bone to the bone’s main body. The back of the heel bone is where the Achilles tendon, one of the strongest tendons in the body, attaches. When the calf muscles or the tendon itself are tight, the tendon will pull the heel up and backwards, causing soreness in the soft growth plate. The calf muscles are likely to tighten up after a person has been running and jum
Read more

Choosing Shoes for Children

The doctors at Mercer-Ocean Podiatry get a lot of questions from patients about shoes, and how to choose the best shoes for their families.  Children three and older experience foot growth at the rate of one-half a foot size every four to six months, but a growth spurt can cause a child’s feet can grow up to two sizes in a six month period.   So how can you keep their feet comfy, without going broke from buying new shoes?  Leave room for growth when selecting.  There should always be extra room for a child’s foot to grow in the toe area or ‘box’ of the shoe.  A good measure for this extra wiggle room could be the width of one of your fingers.  From the tip of the child’s big toe to the tip of the shoe, extra space the length of one finger width should do. As kids age, they put their shoes through a lot, and luckily most shoes are made to withstand some of this wear and tear.  Before tossing every scuffed pair, look around the edge of the sole for wear in the material.  This is a sign t
Read more