Solutions for common foot problems for women
Your feet do a lot of work. Whether walking, standing or exercising, your feet put in long hours. Here’s a look at some of the most common foot problems for women and ways to reduce foot pain.
Possible pain points
1. Adult-onset flat feet
- When the posttrial tibial tendon, which helps hold up your arch, begins to break down, it can cause a painful flattening of the arch. Symptoms might include pain and swelling, often on the outside of the ankle. If not treated, the pain can intensify.
2. Heel pain
- Heel pain tends to be caused by overuse, so the best treatment is prevention. Experts suggest replacing athletic shoes after they have about 300 miles on them, even if they still look new.
3. Nerve problems
- Sometimes compressed nerves in other parts of the spine or legs can also cause foot symptoms. Be sure to tell your physician about any other problems you’re having when seeking help for foot problems.
4. Bunions
- Bunions begin with a leaning of the big toe, gradually changing the angle of the bones over the years and slowly producing the characteristic bump.
5. Plantar Fasciitis
- Heel pain is often caused by plantar fasciitis. Faulty foot structure is the most common cause of plantar fasciitis. In women, it may result from wearing nonsuppurative shoes, such as flip-flops and ballet flats.
How to Avoid Foot Pain
1. Try a foot bath
- Warm water and Epsom salts may be just the ticket to alleviate foot pain and sore muscles. It can even reduce swelling in your feet.
2. Stretch
- Try stretching exercises to help your sore feet. Stretching can prevent cramping and promote flexibility.
3. Exercise
- Keeping your feet flexible and strong is key to avoiding foot pain. Walking regularly for exercise is the best way to keep your feet limber and healthy.
4. Switch your shoes
- Your shoes could be the culprit of your foot pain. Wearing shoes beyond their life span, the wrong style or an incorrect shoe size can impact the health of your feet.
5. Ice your feet
- Icing your feet can reduce inflammation that causes soreness. Apply ice to sore feet by filling a plastic bag with ice or rolling your feet on a frozen water bottle. Try to ice the affected area for 5 to 15 minutes a few times a day to help reduce inflammation.
6. Contact your doctor
- Contact your doctor if you suspect a more severe foot condition or if you have severe foot pain. If you have diabetes and experience foot pain, call your doctor immediately.
Genesis HealthCare System’s Health and Wellness content conveniently provides accurate and helpful information. Your health history and current health may impact suggestions provided through our Health and Wellness content. Although we hope this information is helpful, it is not a substitute for your doctor's medical advice. Before making any significant changes, please consult your doctor.
Here’s a look at some of the most common foot problems for women and ways to reduce foot pain.
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Five ways to stay active during winter
When it’s too cold, icy or cumbersome to take that walk around your block, consider this: One and a half hours of strength exercise a week in the comfort of your home can account for the walk you might be missing out on due to bad weather. A study at the University of Michigan showed that 95% of participants confirmed that adverse weather curtails their workout, which is why we suggest strength training indoors during the cold season.
Many may have an at-home gym. For those who don’t, the weight training we refer to requires little to no equipment. It ranges from using your body weight and adding resistance bands to small dumbbells. The National Institute of Health suggests that weight training exercises performed intermittently will lessen the risk of cardiovascular disease.
“Patients who perform aerobic exercises have a lower risk of developing heart disease compared to those who aren’t as active,” said Duane Pool, M.D., Board-certified in Cardiovascular Disease, at Genesis Heart Lung & Vascular Institute.
Before you try out our top five indoor strength exercises, check with your doctor first for the regimen that’s right and safe for you.
Deep squats
Squats are a great way to build your quad muscle. When muscle mass increases, it encourages oxygen circulation and alleviates the load on the heart. Start by standing with your legs shoulder-width apart and dip both hips in a downward motion as if sitting on an invisible chair. Hold the position, raise and repeat.
Wall pushups
Wall pushups are a great way to tone the arms. Stand arm’s length away from a wall while facing it. Stretch your arms. Keep your palms against the wall, shoulder-width apart. Using your body weight, push yourself toward and away from the wall.
Leg lifts
Resistance bands are budget-friendly and easy to use. Best of all, it does not take up storage space. Wear a resistance band around your ankle.
Lie on your right side with your legs straight. Lift your left leg up and down, keeping your left leg parallel to your right. Switch to the opposite side and repeat.
This exercise will tighten the core and lower body.
All Fours
This is another great workout that tones the core and lower body.
Place your hands and knees flat on the floor. Keep your back straight and lift one leg up as if you’re stomping the ceiling.
Bicep Curl
Our final pick is your traditional curl with a 5-10 lb. dumbbell. Stand with your back straight and pull your forearm in toward you and away from your body.
Genesis HealthCare System’s Health and Wellness content conveniently provides accurate and helpful information. Your health history and current health may impact suggestions provided through our Health and Wellness content. Although we hope this information is helpful, it is not a substitute for your doctor's medical advice. Before making any significant changes, please consult your doctor.
The National Institute of Health suggests that weight training exercises performed intermittently will lessen the risk of cardiovascular disease.
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New year, new you?
Megan Miller, D.O.
Genesis Primary Care
It’s that time of year when we recently made resolutions to lose or maintain weight. Is a New Year’s resolution the best way to manage weight? Megan Miller, D.O., Genesis Primary Care, gives us an answer and provides tips to help us achieve our weight goals.
New Year’s resolutions
New Year’s resolutions are a great way to encourage change but making a resolution to lose weight isn’t always a good idea. Focusing on weight can result in giving up on the resolution easily when results aren’t seen. I encourage patients to refocus their goals towards daily attainable feats. Ideas include eating more fruits and vegetables, drinking more water (instead of sugary drinks), or being more active.
Fad diets and more
Extreme fad diets are rarely sustainable over the long term. I encourage patients to make changes to their eating habits that they can maintain forever. Even subtle changes will result in gradual weight loss over time. I encourage the concepts of intermittent fasting and low carbohydrate diets. A simple form of intermittent fasting would be to limit the hours of the day when you eat. For the best results, make it earlier in the day. For example, eat between 7 a.m. and 3 p.m. or even 10 a.m. and 6 p.m. Then fast the rest of the day.
For low carbohydrate diets, focus meals around lean meats like chicken, fish or lean beef and choose fresh vegetables. Avoid pastas, breads and potatoes. Shifting your food choice at meals will help you make small changes that can result in weight loss over the long run.
Nutritional plan
A balanced nutritional plan is important when trying to lose weight. Pay attention to portion size. Portions smaller than the size of your palm for meat servings and smaller than the size of your fist for most other foods are best. You also want to eat whole foods rich in natural vitamins and antioxidants, which are important for maintaining a healthy body.
Exercise
Daily exercise is important to be healthy and aids in weight loss when you are also following a healthy diet. I recommend 30 minutes of exercise every day. Cardio-type exercise is preferred. For those who are just starting out on an exercise program, a brisk 30-minute walk is the easiest way to get started. After some time, as you become more in shape, increasing your pace (even jogging) will help increase cardio intensity. Incorporating yoga, Pilates or some simple stretching in between workouts helps reduce stress and increase flexibility. These are important for overall health.
Keeping the weight off
If you want to maintain your current weight, be consistent. Try to get the same amount of sleep and drink plenty of water daily. Carve out your 30 minutes of exercise and focus on making good food choices. Try to eat early in the day. Also take time to relax and reduce stress each day.
Consult your physician
If you are considering drastically changing your eating habits or starting an exercise routine, I recommend consulting your physician first.
Dr. Megan Miller's tips for weight loss.
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Is your home contagious?
Home is a refuge to feel safe and comfortable. However, it is easy to overlook cleaning certain items often enough to keep your home safe. Learn more by taking our quiz below.
Genesis HealthCare System’s Health and Wellness content conveniently provides accurate and helpful information. Your health history and current health may impact suggestions provided through our Health and Wellness content. Although we hope this information is helpful, it is not a substitute for your doctor's medical advice. Before making any significant changes, please consult your doctor.
Home is a refuge to feel safe and comfortable. However, it is easy to overlook cleaning certain items often enough to keep your home safe.
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After-school dinner on the go
Your daughter is at cross-country practice until 5:30 p.m. Your son has a soccer game at 6 p.m. When you get home, you need to wash laundry if you don’t want your house to smell like a locker room.
It will be late, and everybody will be hungry. Actually, starving if you listen to your children. The easy thing to do is stop at the drive-thru for their favorite combo meal or order a pizza. However, frequently eating out can create unhealthy eating habits. Teenage athletes often burn through excess calories, but as they age and slow down, those habits will stay with them, and it can eventually lead to weight gain, heart disease and diabetes.
You know how important nutrition is, especially to teenagers, and even more so for teenage athletes. So, plan and prepare meals with various healthy foods to eat on the go and when they get home.
To make it easy for everyone, place each meal in a separate safe-togo package. Then on the way out the door, everyone can grab their lunch, dinner, or snack to avoid getting hangry.
For athletes, include food high in calcium and iron. The calcium will support strong bones and help avoid fractures while they are running, jumping and falling. Iron found in lean meat, fish, chicken and leafy green vegetables will carry oxygen to the muscles.
Also, include protein for muscle growth and carbohydrates to give them energy. It’s tempting to slip a candy bar or soda into a meal to make children happy but avoid adding sweets so they can prevent the crash that comes after consuming sugar.
“Eating healthy during busy sports seasons takes planning. If you do, you’ll help your family in the long run by helping them avoid illness and lessen their chances of injuries. You’ll also get to see them perform at their top level,” said Anastasia Gevas, D.O., Genesis Primary Care.
Genesis HealthCare System’s Health and Wellness content conveniently provides accurate and helpful information. Your health history and current health may impact suggestions provided through our Health and Wellness content. Although we hope this information is helpful, it is not a substitute for your doctor's medical advice. Before making any significant changes, please consult your doctor.
You know how important nutrition is, especially to teenagers, and even more so for teenage athletes. So, plan and prepare meals with various healthy foods to eat on the go and when they get home.
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Tips to prevent children's sports injuries
When you’re the parent of an active child, you know that injuries are a part of the game. While you can’t protect your young athlete from every injury, you can try to minimize the risk with a few basic steps.
“It’s important to begin by making sure your child can participate in sports. We recommend children have a sports physical before they start – even if they’re younger than junior high age,” said Thai Trinh, M.D., fellowship-trained and board-certified orthopedic sports medicine surgeon, Genesis Orthopedic Sports Medicine. “If your child has an illness or problem with lungs, heart, vision, hearing, strength or movement, we can tell you how you can manage the problem so your child may still be able to be active.”
Reduce common injuries
Most sport-related injuries are from impact, overuse or poor body mechanics. To reduce your child’s risk of injury, you can:
• Always use the right safety gear. Learn about the proper fit of that gear. Replace it as your child grows.
• Make sure your child learns proper form and technique from a class, trained coach or athletic trainer.
• Teach your child to take pain and tiredness seriously and not ignore or “play through” it.
Avoid high-risk activities
Some activities are so high-risk that child health experts warn strongly against them. These include boxing, driving or riding on motorized bikes and vehicles and using trampolines. Even with constant adult supervision and protective netting, many children are injured on them.
Wear safety gear
Safety gear helps protect your child. Before your child starts a new activity, get the right safety gear and teach your child how to use it. Depending on the sport or activity, your child may need these items:
• Helmets help protect against injury to the skull. Brain damage is still possible even when a helmet is worn. Use a helmet for any activity that can cause a fall or an impact to the neck or head, such as bike riding, football, baseball, ATV riding or skateboarding.
• Shoes help protect feet from injury. Sandals or flip-flops are not safe for bike riding. Some sports require special shoes for support and safety.
• Mouthguards help prevent mouth and dental injuries. Use a mouth guard for sports such as basketball, football, wrestling, martial arts, gymnastics, baseball and soccer.
Prevent dehydration and heat-related illness
When your child is active and not drinking enough fluids, dehydration is a risk. The muscles get tired quickly, and your child may have leg cramps while walking or running. Playing hard and sweating without drinking fluids can cause dehydration and overheating. To prevent dehydration, teach your child to:
• Do activities during the coolest times of the day.
• Drink water throughout the day, every day.
• Drink extra water before, during and after exercise.
• Take breaks and drink at least every 15 to 20 minutes during exercise.
• Stop and rest if dizzy, lightheaded or very tired.
• Wear clothes that help cool the body.
• Water is the best choice for children and teens. A sports drink may be helpful if your child has exercised intensively or for a long time.
While you can’t protect your young athlete from every injury, you can try to minimize the risk with a few basic steps.
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Lighten the load
A roomy backpack may seem like a good idea, but the more space there is to fill, the more likely your child will fill it. When it comes time to buy a backpack and load it with school supplies, you might want to keep a few of these tips in mind:
Comfortable to wear and carry:
Wide, padded shoulder straps provide the most comfort. Make sure your child uses both straps when carrying the backpack—using one strap shifts the weight to one side and causes muscle pain and posture problems.
Sized correctly for kids:
The American Academy of Pediatrics recommends a child not carry more than 15% to 20% of his or her weight. Instead of guessing, use your scale to weigh the loaded pack. Also, a backpack should not be wider than your child’s torso or hang more than 4 inches below the waist.
Offers good organization:
Compartments in the backpack are an excellent way to distribute weight evenly. Pack the heaviest items closest to the back. “One way to avoid muscle strain and back pain is to use a backpack correctly,” said Nathaniel Amor, D.O., board-certified neurosurgeon, Genesis Neurosurgery Group. “If your child leans forward with the backpack on, it’s too heavy.” An alternative to strapping on a backpack is pulling a bag on wheels. If you’re uncomfortable with the heavy load in your student’s backpack, check with your local school to see if wheeled bags are allowed.
When it comes time to buy a backpack and load it with school supplies, you might want to keep a few of these tips in mind.
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COVID-19 vaccine answers for women and mothers
In the latest issue of LiveWell Kristy Ritchie, M.D. from the Genesis OB/GYN Group and Genesis Primary Care provider Kevin Frank, M.D. answer your questions about the COVID-19 vaccines:
Q: Should you get the vaccine if you are thinking about getting pregnant?
A: Definitely. Pregnant women who get COVID-19 are at a higher risk for hospitalization, breathing problems and more. Getting COVID-19 while pregnant also increases the risk for babies to be born early and other health problems.
Q: If you are pregnant, should you get the COVID-19 vaccine?
A: Ongoing data demonstrates the vaccine is safe for pregnant women and unborn children. However, pregnant women should discuss the vaccine with their obstetrician.
Q: Should breastfeeding mothers get the COVID-19 vaccine?
A: Generally, yes. The vaccine will help protect the mother and her infant if she is breastfeeding. This is also a conversation mothers should have with their healthcare provider.
Q: Does the COVID-19 vaccine impact your ability to conceive in the future?
A: The vaccine does not affect the ability to get pregnant or to have a healthy child. As with all pregnancies, it’s best to be as healthy as possible, including getting all appropriate vaccines.
Q: Should children 12 years and older get the COVID-19 vaccine?
A: Everyone who is eligible should get the vaccine. Wearing a mask, washing hands and social distancing has slowed the spread of COVID-19 but cannot stop it. The fastest way to return to normal is for everyone who is able and eligible to get the vaccine.
Q: How safe is the COVID-19 vaccine for children 12 and up?
A: The Food and Drug Administration has approved the Pfizer vaccine for individuals 16 and up. The Food and Drug Administration has authorized the Pfizer vaccine for children 12 and up for emergency use. The vaccine was also previously approved and used for children 12 years of age and up in Canada.
Make OneCall to find a Genesis Primary Care provider
You don’t have to make a dozen phone calls to find a Genesis Primary Care provider who is accepting new patients.
Genesis OneCall scheduling specialists will find the right Primary Care provider in the right location for you.
Dr. Ritchie and Dr. Frank answer your questions about the COVID-19 vaccines.
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Planting seeds to retain better health
April showers bring May flowers, warmer temperatures and the beginning of the gardening season. Some of us may have a green thumb, and others may have a hard time keeping a succulent alive. Either way, gardening and tending to fresh produce plants may be the right activity for you.
Nutritional benefits
We know it’s important to incorporate fruits and vegetables into our daily meals. Fresh produce that we can grow has many benefits. According to Franciscan Health, gardening can promote heart-healthy eating.
Since the food is not being transported or processed, you still retain all the nutritional benefits we don’t usually get from store-bought produce.
Physical benefits
Gardening can be as intricate as you want it to be. No matter how big or small your garden is, the University of Texas in Austin says that gardening encourages a combination of aerobic exercise, strength training, flexibility, muscle strength, joint mobility and overall physical well-being.
Mental health benefits
While eating healthy and exercising is important, we also need to make sure we are taking care of our mental health. Being “unplugged” from your phone while enjoying a hobby, like gardening, is a great way to practice self-care.
Gardening is a hobby that allows you to be outside and benefit from the result. According to UNC Health Talk, gardening can build self-esteem, reduce stress and make you happier.
Gardening is a great way to stay active in the spring while gaining the nutritional benefits of fresh produce. Embrace your inner green thumb and try it out for yourself this spring.
Find more wellness resources at genesishcs.org/wellness.
Gardening and tending to fresh produce plants may be the right activity for you.
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Early detection is key to surviving prostate cancer
Prostate cancer is a disease in which cancer cells form in the tissues of the prostate. It is the most common nonskin cancer among men in the United States.
The earlier that prostate cancer is detected, the better your odds are of surviving it.
Prostate cancer 5-year survival rate:
Screenings
Prostate-specific antigen (PSA) blood test
Digital rectal exam
Supplemental PSA blood tests like prostate cancer antigen 3 (PCA3), prostate health index (PHI), 4Kscore
Risk factors
The recommended age for screening depends on risk factors, including:
Men ages 50 to 70 are more likely to develop prostate cancer
Family history of prostate cancer
African American men are at a higher risk to develop prostate cancer
Talk with your doctor about your risk factors and when you should consider getting screened.
Visit Genesishcs.org/Screenings for more information on cancer screenings.
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Genesis HealthCare System’s Health and Wellness content conveniently provides accurate and helpful information. Your health history and current health may impact suggestions provided through our Health and Wellness content. Although we hope this information is helpful, it is not a substitute for your doctor's medical advice. Before making any significant changes, please consult your doctor.
The earlier that prostate cancer is detected, the better your odds are of surviving it.
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