What Is a Tailor’s Bunion?

A Tailor’s bunion also goes by another name, a bunionette. It is located on the outside of the little toe and causes inflammation and a bump to form. The Tailor’s bunion got its name by centuries ago and was named after tailors who sat cross-legged all day. The outside edge of their feet constantly rubbed against the ground, which led to a painful bump at the base of the little toe. In this day and age, bunionettes can occur when feet rub against the insides of shoes.

Symptoms:

• Redness
• Swelling
• Bump on the outside of the little toe
• Pain on the outside of the little toe

There are surgical and non-surgical treatments of bunionettes. Podiatrists first take X-rays of the foot to determine proper diagnosis.

Non-Surgical Treatment

• Shoe modifications. Choose shoes that have a wide toe box, and avoid those with pointed toes or high heels.
• Padding. Bunionette pads placed over the area may help reduce pain.
• Oral medications. Nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs), such as ibuprofen, may help relieve the pain and inflammation.Icing. An ice pack may be applied to reduce pain and inflammation. Wrap the pack in a thin towel rather than placing ice directly on your skin.
• Injection therapy. Injections of corticosteroid may be used to treat the inflamed tissue around the joint.
• Orthotic devices. In some cases, custom orthotic devices may be provided by the foot and ankle surgeon.

Surgery

• Surgery is considered after non-surgical options are exhausted and if pain continues.

Benefits of Yoga for Your Feet

Yoga has been gaining in popularity as word spreads about the health benefits that yoga provides. It strengthens and lengthens muscles, and provides increased flexibility. Not to mention it’s relaxing and fun. In terms of the feet, they are what ground the body to the floor, providing stability and balance. That balance helps when changing into the different Yoga positions. The feet have a large responsibility of always receiving the full force of the body’s weight while providing stability. The feet and ankle is the base in almost every pose in Yoga. The toes also play an important role. During movement, the big toe propels you forward while also grounding you in non-movement positions.

There is a reason why Yoga is primarily done without socks and shoes. The feet and lower extremities play a significant role in Yoga. Feet are the foundation of the body, and bare feet help to strengthen different muscles and toes. If feet are strong, the rest of the body will be strong.

Yoga can help avoid foot conditions like hammertoes, which often occur while working out because the toes rub against your shoes. Decrease the change of getting a bunion by doing Yoga. Bunions also occur when toes are crammed into shoes. Yoga also helps circulation, which diabetics find as a wonderful benefit.

For those that have never done Yoga, not all of the poses require you to be human pretzel or have the ability to stand on one’s head. Beginner classes start with simple standing poses like the Mountain Pose and the Downward Dog. These simple poses allow for beginners to start out slow and build up their feet and lower extremity muscles.



Sun and Moon Studio. (2012). Feet. Retrieved from http://www.sunandmoonstudio.com/Articles/feet.html

New Dangers Behind High Heels

Happy Valentine's Day! Women, if you plan on wearing those high heals at dinner tonight keep on reading.

This is not the first time you have heard me say that women need to minimize the time they spend in high heels and to wear heals less than 3 inches. Most of the time I speak on the subject it relates to injuries and problems associated with the ball of the foot and the impact the amount of weight has on the toes.

There is a new study out that focused on older women who wore high heels their entire lives. It looked at the entire leg, not just the balls of the feet and toes. What researchers found was that the muscles and tendons in the leg actually shorten over time due to the position of the feet in high heels. The tendons may actually rupture over time due to the stress. Later in life, the way woman walk changes and hinders their ability to be active.

Dr. Nancy Synderman was on NBC discussing the study. If you missed it, watch the video.

APMA found the following statistics in their 2010 survey:

• Women also experience foot pain in greater numbers than men (53% vs. 45%).

• Women who endure pain say it results in some type of restricted activity (80%).

• 72% wish they were more comfortable on their feet

Next time you think about putting on a pair of high heels, think about how that will affect your feet. If you are going to wear them, make sure you minimize the amount of time in them. Bring flats to work with you and alternate between the high heels. Also, remember to do foot exercises to strengthen your muscles.


Citation:
American Podiatric Medical Association. (2012). Profile: Women and Their Feet. Retrieved from http://www.apma.org/MainMenu/News/Surveys/2010-Todays-Podiatrist-SurveyProfile-on-Women.aspx?FT=.pdf

New Lenox Location

Welcome to the second office!

We are accepting appointments in the Silver Cross Medical Building.


Address: 1890 Silver Cross Blvd Ste 550
               New Lenox, IL 60451


Hours:    Tuesday's from 8am to 12pm


I hope the new location will be convenient  for the patients in the New Lenox area. I look forward to providing services to the New Lenox community. For now, I will not be performing major medical treatments at this location. The Homer Glen location provides all services.


Patient Room:

Have you visited the new office?
What do you think of the new office?