It’s that time again; award season and of course the best and the worst shoe fashion can be seen parading up and down the red carpet all evening. On award night no matter if the celeb was deemed a musical winner or loser, for the week after the fashion winner and losers will still be up for grabs.

We saw the stunning Christian Louboutin, Giusceppe Zannoti and other high end fashion names donned on the feet of the most famous and successful singers. Extremely gorgeous, but most of the time it means not very comfortable.

Look at Kat Von D for instance, very avant-garde with the inverted red velvet wedged heel (SEE ABOVE). Although our lady podiatrists need to look fashionable too, there are limits! These shoes totally fit the reality TV star’s personality, intimidating and playful at the same time; not to mention painful to watch!

What all these star studded feet are in need of our slim fit custom orthotics. These special made orthotics help offload the added pressure on the forefoot, caused by wearing such high heels. Orthotics are useful in prevention of those ugly corns and calluses. They will also help provide relief from painful ball of foot pain, while fitting in your fashion friendly shoes!

If you or someone you know has experienced this shoe fashion dilemma, form over function, like the stars do, come on into our office Frederick Foot & Ankle Specialists  and get your custom slim fit orthotic for those fashion friendly shoes. We would be more than happy to schedule an appointment, at either of our locations in Frederick, MDand Urbana, MD. Whether you are walking the red carpet or not; we all deserve comfort that slim fit orthotics provide!

By: Dr. Coralia Terol, AACFAS

Do you ever have sharp, shooting heel pain first thing in the morning or dull achy pain at the end of a very long day? Are you having to adjust your training routine to deal with your extreme foot pain? Well you are in luck; there is no need to be side lined with heel pain, which is referred to as plantar fasciitis, in the podiatryworld.

We now have FAST, Focused Aspiration of Scar Tissue! FAST is a quick and easy way to remove any remaining scar tissues caused from bouts of plantar fasciitis and/or achilles tendonitis. It is designed to quickly, safely, and precisely remove damaged tissue to alleviate pain and improve mobility. Overall, helping our patients quickly return to their activities they enjoy with minimal recovery time.

The Washington Redskins tight end Fred Davis comes to mind when discussing the FAST procedure!  If you didn’t hear last weekend he suffered from a season ending injury, by tearing his achilles tendon. With pro athletes we hope for a quick and easy recover. If you ask me Fred David should stop by our office to get his FAST recovery!

If you suffer from heel or tendon pain or know someone who has, come on into our office Frederick Foot & Ankle Specialists.  We would be more than happy to schedule an appointment, at either of our locations in Frederick, MDand Urbana, MD. We will be able access your heel pain and create a treatment plan tailored to your needs. We have an array of treatment options to help relieve your pain, as well as a new innovative procedure, FAST, designed to eliminate the source of your pain and aid in the healing process of the damaged tendon.

By: Brenna Steinberg, DPM, FACFAS

This week we are proud to announce that we have launched a new procedure in our office called, FAST, Focused Aspiration of Scar Tissue. This procedure is geared toward anyone with acute and chronic tendon pain. FAST is a quick and easy way to remove any remaining scar tissues caused from tendonitis, especially plantar fasciitis and achilles tendonitis. This procedure is designed to safely remove the damage tissue, while preserving the remaining healthy tissue!

Tendonitis is the inflammation of a tendon that can cause chronic and severe pain and can limit you from doing everyday tasks. Inflammation can occur in any tendon in your body, but is prevalent is in your lower extremities. Symptoms vary from aches and pains to joint stiffness. More often than not it is accompanied by burning sensations, looking red, hot or swollen.  With tendonitis, the pain is at its peak during or immediately after activities, such as sports or heavy lifting. From a podiatrist perspective thousands of patients are affected by tendonitis and FAST can rid many of them of their pain. If pain relief from previous conservative treatment has reached a plateau, the FAST procedure is worth investigating.

If you suffer from tendon pain or know someone who has, come stop by Frederick Foot & Ankle Specialists. We would be more than happy to schedule an appointment, at either of our locations in Frederick, MD and Urbana, MD. We will be able access your tendon pain and create a treatment plan tailored to your needs. We have an array of treatment options to help relieve your pain, as well as a new innovative procedure, FAST, designed to eliminate the source of your pain and aid in the healing process of the damaged tendon.

By: Dr. Yenisey Yanes

Mickelson overcomes psoriatic arthritis but not the cut at the Greenbrier Classic

While preparing for the 2010 U.S. Open, professional golfer Phil Mickelson was experiencing pain in his joints that was affecting his golf game and practice routine. He was soon after diagnosed with psoriatic arthritis. At the age of 40, Mickelson could barely get out of bed due to his aches and pains, and swinging a golf club was out of the question.

Psoriatic arthritis is an immune response that causes red, patchy areas on the skin. It also leads to a higher risk of developing arthritis.  Approximately 1 in 20 people with the skin manifestations of psoriasis will develop psoriatic arthritis. Joints of the feet, hands, and spine are commonly affected and may be painful, stiff, red, swollen, and/or painful to touch. A condition known a dactylitis, which is a sausage like appearance of the toes or fingers, may also be present. Increased tenderness of the heel cord (known as the Achilles tendon) and along the bottom of the foot especially at the heel, are common symptoms of psoriatic arthritis. Nails often begin to have a pitted appearance and may gradually separate from the nail bed.

These conditions can cause to limitations in daily activities and lifestyle. Although there is no cure, there are treatments available. From over the counter NSAID treatments to prescription drugs, your doctor can determine the best course of therapy for your individual needs after an evaluation of your condition. If you are experiencing any of these symptoms, be sure to see your podiatrist at Frederick Foot & Ankle Specialists with locations in Frederick, MD and Urbana, MD. If you are suffering from psoriatic arthritis, your doctor can begin you on a course of therapy to help improve your symptoms, provide relief, and get you back to enjoying daily activities.

Although Mickelson is not playing as well as he had hoped this week at the Greenbrier Classic, at least he is able to be back in the game. Prior to being diagnosed and treated, psoriatic arthritis was keeping Mickelson off the course and unable to preform daily activities. Today, Mickelson is concerned with the details of the game and properly marking his ball on the green. Penalty strokes, and not psoriatic arthritis, are at the top of his list of life's aggravations.

By: Dr. Brenna Steinberg

Some of you might be asking this very question. Truth is—it’s hard for any expert to give a straight answer. There just simply isn’t enough evidence to sway the needle towards any direction. First of all, if you are experiencing any pain or discomfort while running please visit Dr. Yanes or Dr. Steinberg at Fredrick Foot and Ankle Specialists at one of our locations in either Frederick or Urbana, MD.

Dr. Warden, who recently spoke at a symposium of the American College of Sports and Medicine, said that barefoot running could increase and decrease skeletal injury-risk. Books such as, Born to Run by Christopher McDougall, has increased national interest. Celebrities such as, Matthew McConaughey and Jake Gyllenhaal, have joined the trend and have gone on recorded and have stated that they run barefoot with the Minimalist shoes. However, with this increase in interest there is a false belief that barefoot runners never get injured.

How is that possible? Humans evolved to be able to run barefoot. Remember, the shoe was created after the (bare) foot. Right? Well, most Americans grow up with shoes on their feet nearly their entire life. Shoes alter your stride. A recent study, published in The Journal of Foot and Ankle Research, has shown that if you put young children in shoes they have longer strides and have more force landing on the heels (rather than the ball of your foot). Shoes allow us to place more force on our heels and the shoes, themselves, displaces the force. As you can imagine, if you simply start to run without shoes you could easily injury yourself, especially your heels.

On the contrary, Dr. Lieberman researched the effects of Kenyan children who grew up barefoot running. The results are astonishing showing that the force of impact is much less on the body, helping decrease wear and tear. However, this might only be true if you have not worn shoes your whole life. Our mind and body clings to what we habitually know. If we have worn shoes all our life then you will not attain proper barefoot running form, thus you could injury yourself.

If you aren’t getting any running-related injuries, why change? If you have runner’s injuries come see our doctors for appropriate treatments. If you are interested in barefoot come visit so we can create and monitor a running program to ease you into barefoot running.

By: Dr. Yenisey Yanes