If following a fall assessment it is determined that a patient is at moderate to high risk for falls, several viable treatment options are readily available. The patient may be referred to a specialist to fix any vision, hearing or other systemic problems that may attribute to the fall risk. Physical and occupational therapy may also be incorporated to increase the patient’s strength and mobility.

One treatment option alone can decrease fall risk by 30-60%-the Moore Balance Brace (MBB). The MBB is a medical device designed to improve balance, stabilize the foot, and prevent falls. The revolutionary design of the brace addresses and resolves multiple causes of falls:

• Reduces the body’s postural sway
• Stabilizes the foot and ankle, even when weakness and fatigue exists
• Stimulates skin receptors providing feedback to the brain
• Improves foot clearance reducing the risk of tripping

These braces are custom and American made. These soft braces are discrete, light weight, and padded to provide superior comfort. Velcro latches make them easy to get on, even for those who supper from arthritis or phalange amputations. They are custom made for each individual patient from his/her foot mold. The braces fit in most appropriate shoe gear without needing to increase shoe size.  Moore Balance Braces are billed through insurance and allowed by most major insurance companies including Medicare and Medicaid. 

Falls in the senior population are an all too common occurrence often with detrimental outcomes and should not be overlooked. Falls CAN be prevented and with proper evaluation and treatment these patients can live a long, healthy, active life.  Call 309-661-9975 or click here to schedule a fall assessment exam.

Runway models may be ‘twigs’ but there is one part of their body that is not as tiny as you may think- their feet! The majority of models are supposed to be tall, but usually the taller you are, the larger size feet you have. I was surprised to learn that Elle MacPherson wears size 11.5 shoes, Heidi Klum and Paris Hilton wear a size 11, and Tyra Banks sports a size 12! My first thought after learning that these fashion forward women had larger feet was- How do they still manage to get the CUTEST shoes with their large size?! I would think you’d have to special order a 4 inch rhinestone encrusted stiletto in a size 12.

The sad reality is most women reading this article (including the one writing it) don’t have a celebrity shoe designer waiting at their will to custom design shoes in our specific size.  Thus we are left to rummage through shelf after shelf of different styles and sizes in search for that perfect shoe. This can be a challenge for any woman, especially those with larger shoe sizes as many styles are not readily stocked in larger sizes.

Regardless of what size or style of shoe you’re hunting for, it’s imperative to try on both shoes before buying them to ensure proper fit. Look at this way- by trying them on before committing to them, you can also make sure the shoes flatter your body versus make your tootsies look like sardines crammed into a can.  Fashion doesn’t have to be painful if you get shoes that fit correctly and follow a few basic tips. 

1. Try on every pair of shoes you buy, don’t rely on your ‘shoe size’. Depending on the style and brand of the shoe you may need to go up or down a size or width.
2. Make sure you are wearing the appropriate socks or stockings for the shoe gear you are trying on. For example, you don’t want to try on dress shoes with thick athletic socks if that’s not the type of sock you will be wearing with that shoe.  Your size and/or width may differ and the shoe may rub more depending on the sock or stocking.  Also, I personally think thick athletic socks with a small strappy dress shoe is one fashion statement that would never catch on.
3. The best time to try on shoes is in the middle or end of the day. Feet tend to swell throughout the day so shoes can fit more snug at the end of the day. Trying on shoes in the afternoon or night will allow your feet to be comfortable in shoes, even with the maximum amount of swelling.
4. Shoes are made for walking, so make sure that you can do just that comfortably before committing to a pair. Take the shoes for a stroll around the store.  If shoes are tight in the store don’t assume you can magically ‘break them in’ after wearing them a few times. You are more likely to ‘break’ something on you versus breaking them in.  If they don’t fit well now, they won’t fit well later.
5. Once you’ve made the purchase, wear the shoes around the house for a few hours, or even days. This will give your feet a chance to get used to the shoes and discover any problems such as blisters from rubbing or your heel slipping while you walk.
6. Don’t buy a pair of shoes simply because they are on sale, unless they actually fit you. It may seem like you’re saving money initially, but in the long run you’ll end up spending more because you’ll have to go buy a pair later that actually fit right.

No matter if your shoe size is 4 or 14, ill-fitting shoes can lead to a number of painful and unsightly problems. Tight shoes can form blisters that can turn into open lesions and ulcers. Shoes with a small toe box can encourage bunions and hammertoes. Loose shoes allow your feet to slide around and can cause instability and falls. I think we all can agree that crutches or a walker is not a good fashion statement- unless apparently you’re Jessie J at the 2011 MTV Video Music Awards who ‘blings out’ her walker. 

Take the time to ensure that you have comfortable, well-fitting shoes; your feet will thank you for it! Call 309-661-9975 or click here to make an appointment to have a foot care specialist measure your length and width, and recommend the best shoe for you!

Welcome to winter Central Illinois!  Thinking back on the Blizzard of 2011, I was especially concerned for my patients who had to shovel out their driveways and sidewalks with all the ice underneath the snow.  Although winter time falls are common, here are some tips to help brave those cold winter months injury free!

• Make sure that sidewalks and outdoor spaces have been salted or have had a de-icing treatment on them to prevent falls in the first place!
• When you injure something (ankle, foot, wrist, etc) in a fall, it is very important to perform PRICE therapy to the area:
  • P  - protect. For my feet and ankles, I recommend either a walking boot, ace bandage, or BOTH.
  • R– rest. In order for an injury to fully heal, you need to stay off of it and REST for a minimum 24-48 hours….soft tissue injuries sometimes take up to 8-10 weeks to fully heal, so it is very important to rest them right away!
  • I– ice.  Placing an ice pack to an affected area for 10-15 minutes each hour will decrease the swelling to the area and can help speed up healing!
  • C– compress.  You need to wrap the area with an ace bandage or some sort of slight compressive device to minimize swelling.
  • E– elevate.  Elevation is especially important for FEET and ANKLES because it allows all that extra fluid to head back up to the heart and will minimize swelling and inflammation as well.
• Anti-inflammatory medication can be very helpful but you will want to check with your doctor prior to beginning any treatments that may interact with other medications!
• If you suspect a break of ANY kind (can’t move an area easily, doesn’t look/feel like is lined up, cannot bear weight/put pressure to the area), it is very important to see a doctor immediately!  For my foot and ankle injuries, we offer same day appointments and digital xray to quickly check for any broken bones.  We even have diagnostic ultrasound to check for ligament and tendon injuries as well!  No matter what the issue, if you fall and are not able to get up and perform the above PRICE therapy easily at home RIGHT AWAY, head straight to Prompt Care/ER or your physician’s office!!

When gift giving, I pride myself on finding the most perfect gift- you know, something that the receiver didn’t even know they wanted (or needed) until they open it. This can be quite a chore at times and I can spend hours on end searching for these items. With only a few weeks left before Christmas I find myself frantically trying to finish up my holiday shopping. One gift I still need is a grab bag gift.

Every year my extended family does a grab bag where every person brings a gift and then we draw numbers to see who gets to choose a gift first. The next person in line can then steal any gifts that have already been opened or choose an unopened item from the grab bag items. If they decide to steal an open gift the person they steal it from gets to take another turn and either steals a gift or chooses from the unopened pile. As you can imagine, this family tradition can get pretty intense as each person is vying for the best prize. Each gift can only be “stolen” up to 3 times. This swapping frenzy continues until everyone has a gift, so as you can imagine some years this has taken hours…

Each year my goal is to bring a gift that anyone would like (easier said than done, right?!). I prefer that my gift is one of the most popular gifts, or one that is stolen the most throughout the grab bag process. This year I decided to put together a basket of Heartland Foot and Ankle products to pamper my gift recipient’s feet. My favorite item will be included: a foot roller that massages tired feet, loosens up tight muscles, helps with inflammation, and relives pain! Anyone can use it- its small enough to fit in a purse, bring on trips in the car, plane, or train, or even use while seated at your desk.  Also included will be a BioFreeze roll on to relieve all their aches and pains, hands-free.  This will be great for many of my Aunts and Uncles who suffer from arthritis and joint pain.  There will be a pair of aertex copper sole socks because many of my family members have sweaty smelly feet.  These socks naturally wick away sweat and they’re anti-fungal and anti-bacterial.   Aloe Grand Crème will hydrate their skin and lock in moisture, with vitamins A and E as well as aloe vera. My other favorite, Dr. Remedy’s nail polish, will be included in Focus Fuchsia, a very popular color that looks great on fingers or toes.  Among all of the candles, martini glasses, and cocoa mixes, there will be on very unique basket of fabulous foot fixers that anyone is sure to enjoy!

Several NFL players have been afflicted with ‘turf toe’ recently, most notably Ray Lewis of the Baltimore Ravens and Mark Ingram of the New Orleans Saints.  (Funny how so many players are getting hurt on PLAYOFF teams??)  I wanted to review with everyone exactly ‘what is turf toe’ and what players and trainers need to do to get back on the field quickly and safely.

First, turf toe, which will typically occur to the big toe joint (first metatarsophalangeal joint), occurs when the foot is plantarflexed (toes bent down) in a fixed position and has force placed upon it.  In a nutshell – when defensive players are crouching down at the line of scrimmage, the stance that they take to bounce off of their feet puts them at risk for turf toe.  It is a sprain of several of the TEN ligaments that make up the big toe joint.  Sometimes there can even be a little fracture of the sesamoid bones associated with it.  Depending on which ligaments are sprained and if there is a fracture (MRI and xray can show us that) will factor in on how long a player must be off the field.  Most of the time with aggressive physical therapy to strengthen the ligaments and a stiff soled shoe to not allow ‘bending’ of the toe at the big toe joint for 4-6 weeks will do the trick.  This is always accompanied by icing several times/day, anti-inflammatories, and even steroid shots if needed. 

In many cases, athletes will need functional, custom orthotics in their cleats to help prevent the injury from occurring again.  Rushing back from this type of sprain without the additional support of an orthotic can cause arthritis in the big toe joint – possibly leading to surgery.  Since the Chicago Bears don’t have to play either the Saints OR the Ravens this December, I am hopeful that both Ray Lewis and Mark Ingram recover nicely from their injuries! :)