Visit Us on the Web!

The Advanced Footcare Clinic uses our website, vailfoot.com , as a way to keep our patients informed and connected.  The website has several interactive features, including audio and video clips of Dr. Vail along with links to our Facebook, Twitter, and MySpace.  The audio and video clips feature Dr. Vail discussing podiatric issues such as heel pain, diabetes, and general foot and ankle problems.  Our website can help keep you up to date about the happenings here at the Advanced footcare clinic. You can even request an appointment using our website!

Along with all the cool interactive features, the website has a product store full of products designed to help relieve and prevent the pain associated with your foot and ankle problems. For example, you can purchase Pedifix Tea Tree Soaking Crystals from our website. The Crystals help to soak away fungus and bacteria from the skin. Tea Tree Ultimates Soaking Crystals is a therapeutic foot soak featuring our exclusive blend of tea tree and peppermint essential oils, Epsom salt and sea salt. This invigorating soak soothes aches and pains, relieves itching and softens corns and calluses while fighting fungus and bacteria

We also provide a printable and fillable copy of our patient update questionaire for our patients.  Feel free to print these off, fill them out, and save yourself some time at your next appointment!

If you haven't explored The Advanced Footcare Clinic's website and all of its portals...what are you waiting for?

What Is A Heel Spur?

What Is A Heel Spur? 

A bony growth on a normal bone is called a bone spur or osteophyte.  This growth is usually smooth and may cause the patient pain if it presses or rubs on other bones, soft tissue, ligaments, tendons, or nerves.  A bone spur as the body tries to repair itself by building extra bone. This is typically the result of rubbing, pressure, or prolonged stress on an area.  Due to the breaking down of cartilage overtime, some spurs may be the result of aging.  These types of bone spurs are especially common in the feet. Bone spurs in the foot also form as a result of certain activities.  For example, dancing and running put stress on the feet and may cause heel spurs.  Ill-fitting shoes and being overweight may also cause pressure on the feet.  Along with dancing, running, age, and weight, heel spurs also occur as a result of tight ligaments.

Bone spurs may go unnoticed because they are not always accompanied by symptoms. However, some of the symptoms of bone spurs include

• Swelling
• Pain
• Tearing
• Corns and Calluses

If your doctor suspects you have a heel spur, he or she will usually take an X-ray.  This x-ray is usually the result of complaints of the symptoms associated with heel spurs.  Once you are diagnosed and if the heel spur is causing pain, treatments may include weight loss programs, seeing a physical therapist for ultrasound or deep tissue massage, rest, ice, stretching, injections to curb pain.  Some patients who suffer from heel spurs may put pads in their shoes to relieve some of the pressure and pain. Dr. Jill's heel cushions,available through the product store at the Advanced Footcare Clinic website, are perfect for those who suffer from heel spurs.  The pads can be re-used, are non-medicated, washable, can be used in any type of footwear, and provide comfort with every step.  In some cases, the spur may also be surgically removed or repaired.  If you or someone you know is suffering from heel pain or any of the symptoms associated with heel spurs, call our office at 419-423-1888 and schedule an appointment.

New Solutions for Cold Feet

You can experience cold feet for a number of reasons.  You many suffer from a medical condition such as  diabetes, impaired circulation, peripheral vascular disease, or Raynaud's disease.  When you wear the new  Infracare Socks for Cold Feet you will notice that your feel feel warmer when wearing them. 

Curious as to how these socks are different than others?  These socks are embedded with Tourmaline.  Tourmaline has pyro electric properties.  This means it has the ability to amplify and hold heat for hours.  So as your body continuously radiates heat, the Infracare socks redirects that heat back onto your feet.  This maintains a steady flow of heat to keep the feet warm as long as these socks are worn.  The Infracare socks will give you a steady low intensity heat that presents no risk of skin burns. 



Some of the features of the Infracare socks include:

• Seam free and a custom designed fit for the calf helps prevent constriction.
• The only socks designed exclusively for cold feet.



Infracare Socks For Cold Feet

 

• Can be used for diabetics and neuropathic patients.
• Socks stretch twice their size at the calf to allow for a custom, non-binding fit.
• Latex free.
• Made of 100% breathable materials for maximum comfort.
• Satisfaction is guaranteed from the manufacturer.

If you suffer from any of the medical conditions listed above, you should see a podiatrist for preventative foot care.  To set up your appointment with Dr. Vail, call 419-423-1888 or visit our website at www.vailfoot.com to learn more about preventative foot care.

What Are Calluses?

Calluses form from friction or pressure against the skin. This can easily be caused from your foot rubbing the inside of your shoe. Another cause of calluses is a bone not being in the right position. However the callus is caused, the outer layers of the skin build up to protect the foot form unusually pressure. In most cases, calluses are not painful or harmful. However, if they are not treated or you are diabetic it could lead to infection, destroy healthy tissue, or affect the movement of the foot to compensate.

Calluses grow on the bottom of the foot or the edge of an outer toe or edge of the heel. Calluses can grow in size. In some cases they can spread across the ball of you foot. This is typically caused by a problem with a metatarsal (the long bone at the base of the toe, located near the ball of the foot). Pinch calluses may grow on the external edge of a toe or heel. Some calluses press up into the foot instead of spreading on the outside. A callus may form a central core or plug of tissue where pressure is greatest. The picture below illustrates potential areas for calluses to grow.People with diabetes face special skin challenges. Because diabetes affects the capillaries, the small blood vessels which feed the skin, thickening of the skin with callus increases the difficulty of supplying nutrients to the skin. Callus development is seen in high numbers of patients with diabetes and together with deficient foot pulses and formation of hammer toe, this may be an early signs of individuals at an increased risk for foot ulcers. The hardness of a callus, coupled with the shear and pressure that caused it, may tear the capillaries or adjoining tissue, causing bleeding within the callus. Often, bleeding within a callus is an early sign of diabetes, prior to elevated blood sugars. Although the bleeding can be small, sometimes small pools of blood or hematoma are formed. The blood itself is an irritation, a foreign body within the callus that makes the area burn or itch. If the pool of blood is exposed to the outside, infection may follow. Infection may also lead to ulceration. Luckily, this process can be prevented at several places, but such infections can become life-threatening. Diabetic foot infections are the leading cause of diabetic limb amputation.

Prevention of calluses is much easier than the treatment of calluses. Footwear should be properly fitted and protective pads or skin dressings may be used. They may also be dissolved with keratolytic agents containing salicylic acid, sanded down with a pumice stone or filed down with a callus shaver, or pared down by another professional such as a podiatrist or a foot health practitioner. Our office can be reached at 419-423-1888. People with poor circulation or sensation should check their skin often for signs of rubbing and irritation so they can minimize any damage.

Pictured below is an example of a skin dress that can be applied to offload pressure. These Dr. Jill U-shaped felt pads can be purchased on our online store by going through our website: http://www.vailfoot.com/ . You can also browse the online store for numerous other products related to callus treatment and other foot care product.

Think Twice before Putting on Those High Heels!

You may want to think twice about wearing those high heels everyday.  Even though heels maybe considered “fashionable” and can make your legs look longer and your ankles thinner, you could be causing more damage to your feet than you know. 

Some of the long term side effects you can suffer from wearing high heels include inflamed nerves and ligaments, shortened Achilles tendon and calf muscles, hammertoes, bunions, corns, ingrown toenails, as well as having bad posture.  Many of these problems are caused by the increased pressure high heels put on the ball of the foot.  One thing to remember is the higher the heel, the greater the pressure you are placing on that area.

When you wear heels higher than an inch and a half, you lift the heel up to an unnatural height which throws your balance off and could lead to falls.  This will make your body compensate by adjusting the back, hips, and shoulders.  This compensation causes bad posture and can lead to lower back pain, leg pains and headaches.  The change in the position of your spine can also cause sciatica, a painful condition where nerves become trapped, triggering pain and numbness as far down as the feet.

Wearing high heels may also be linked to knee osteoarthritis.  This is a painful degenerative joint disease characterized by the breakdown of the cartilage surrounding the knee.  Wearing high heels puts repetitive pressure and stress on the knee joint.  You may not notice this at first, but by the time you do feel the effects of knee osteoarthritis, it’s too late to undo the damage you have already done.

You can also permanently damage your Achilles tendon.  This is the tendon that runs along the back of your leg from your heel.  The tendon is designed to be flexible so your foot can lie flat, but with continued high heel wear the tendon becomes shortened.  This happens because your heel points upwards and tightens up.  Stretching it again is very painful.  You will also experience pain if you try wearing flat shoes because of this reason.  This problem can be avoided by wearing heels that are 1.5 inches in height or lower.  Once you reach the heel height of 3 inches or higher, that is when you start to shorten the Achilles tendon.  You don’t need to wear these higher heels everyday to have this type of damage.  Just wearing them 2-3 times a week is all it takes.

Some other complaints you might have if you are wearing tight, ill-fitting shoes includes bunions or hammertoes.  Bunions are bony growths at the base of the big toe.  The big toe will angle inwards towards the other toes and the bump can become swollen, inflamed, painful and unsightly.  Hammertoes will develop because the shoes will force the toes to crumple up.  This shortens the muscles inside and leaving them permanently bent.  You may also experience the “pump bump”.  This is where the straps and the rigid backs of pump style shoes cause a bony enlargement on the heel. 

Vasyli McConnell Slimfit Orthtoics For High Heel Shoes

If after reading all of this and you still can’t give up your high heels, you may want to try a couple of these suggestions.  Try wearing a heel with a slightly thicker heel.  This will help to distribute the weight more evenly.  Also wear soft insoles to reduce the impact on your knees.  You also want to make sure your shoe fits snug and your foot doesn’t slide forward.  This causes more pressure on your toes.  If you plan on a night of dancing in your high heels, put them on for a couple of hours before you go out.  This way, your feet get a chance to get used to them.

If you are experiencing any of these problems from wearing high heels, please contact Dr. Vail at 419-423-1888 or visit our website at www.vailfoot.com to schedule your appointment today.

Get a healthy pedicure

Have you ever been a little skeptical about going to a nail salon to get a pedicure?  With so many people going in and out, how do you know it's a healthy clean environment?  One solution is to bring your own tools.  We have a wonderful product that combines everything you need into one little package.  The SOS Safe Salon Pedicure Kit has everything you need for a professional pedicure, and best of all you are the only one that it's being used on.  You won't have to worry about contracting a nail or bacterial infection, athletes foot, warts, or Hepatitis B and C caused by improper sterilization in nail salons.  By using your own pedicure kit, you can be sure that your kit is safe and germ free.

Included in your doctor recommended SOS Safe Salon Pedicure Kit is:

• All natural tea tree and lavender Sole Savior Essential Moisturizing Oil (15ml)
• Professional grade cuticle nipper
• Nail clipper
• Cuticle pusher and curette cleaner
• Nail brush
• Nail file/buffer
• Foot file
• Toe separators (2 sets)

Not only providing your own tools will help keep your feet healthy, but you also want to make sure you are going to a state certified nail technician.  A certified nail technician is approved through OSHA(Occupational Safety and Health Administration) for the sterility of their nail supplies.  This not only pertains to the tools they use, but the foot baths and the environment in which the pedicure takes place.

Here are some other tips for getting the safest pedicure possible.

Be a snoop.  Check to see if the establishment has a license.  This should be prominently displayed in the reception area.  Make sure that your cosmetologist has a license posted at their workstation.
Be a snob.  If the salon appears the slightest bit dirty, leave.  If the towels aren't clean or the instruments do not appear to be sanitized, leave.  Another bad sign you are in an unsantized environment:  if the salon has smells of strong odors.

Be inquisitive.  Don't be afraid to ask how the salon disinfects its instruments.  Are the items that cannot be sanitized-such as nail buffers, emery boards, toe separators and orange sticks-disposed of immediately after use?  Observe to make sure the workers wash their hands between treatments.

Be a diva.  Bring your own manicure and pedicure equipment with you to ensure the instruments will not be used on anyone else.  This reduces the risk of getting athlete's foot, toenail fungus, bacteria or warts.  This isn't foolproof.  If dirty towels or foot tubs aren't sanitized properly, there is still a potential for problems.
Defend your cuticles.  Don't allow them to be clipped or cut.  Cuticles keep bacteria from getting under the nail bed.
Look out for illegal equipment.  Razor blades that are sometimes used to cut calluses off the feet are considered unsafe and against regulations.

If you have contracted a nail fungus or other problems during a pedicure, contact our office to schedule an appointment with Dr. Vail at 419-423-1888 or visit our website at www.vailfoot.com.

Get healthier, stronger and more beautiful looking nails.

With more people going "green" and recent concerns about dangerous product ingredients not to mention the fear of getting an infection or fungus, might turn some women off to adding an additional splash of color to their nails.  If you are a women with discolored nails, pregnant, a mother of a child, or just looking for a healthier alternative look no further.  Dr.'s Remedy Enriched Nail Polishes just may be the solution you need.

Dr's Remedy Enriched Nail Polish was created by Board Certified podiatrists, because they understand the importance of healthy nails.  Most commercial nail polish contains 3 chemicals that can be very harmful to the human body.  These chemicals are Formaldehyde, DBP (dibutylphthalate) and Toluene.  If you are like me, you may never have taken a second look at what makes up the nail polish that you use.  I never knew that formaldehyde has been proven to cause cancer and I never knew what DBP or Toluene was.  DBP is a potential developmental and reproductive toxin that may cause birth defects and it was banned in Europe.  Toluene is a chemical that the EPA restricts in our drinking water and it can cause nervous system disorders along with damage to the liver and kidneys.  After investigating the chemicals contained in most nail polishes, Drs. Cirlincione and Spielfogel decided to create a formula without these 3 ingredients and add natural enrichment's with antifungal qualities as well as vitamins and proteins.

The enrichments include:  Vitamins C and E, wheat protein, tea tree oil, and garlic bulb extract.  Not only do these enrichments help keep your nails healthy and strong, they also help to protect your nails from fungal diseases.  Plus, the ingredients are natural and not harmful chemicals.  Not to mention, this nail polish is allergen friendly for those sensitive to chemicals found in commercial nail polish.  With the variety of colors to choose from, why would you want to put anything else on your nails?  You can click on the Dr's Remedy link at the beginning of this page, or visit our website at www.vailfoot.com to order your very own bottle of safe, natural and healthier nail polish today!