Hallux limitus and hallux rigidus or turf toe are painful conditions of the big toe joint. Recently, my associate and FDFAC surgeon Dr. Sandi Pollard did a video about these injuries that I wanted to share.
Here are my other blog posts about hallux limitus, hallux rigidus and turf toe.
https://drshoe.wordpress.com/2008/10/30/hallux-limitus-vs-hallux-rigidus/
https://drshoe.wordpress.com/2008/01/08/shoe-design-for-hallux-limitus-ie-turf-toe-non-bunion-pain/
Posted in Foot Pain
Rocktape is a company that makes a comfortable, long lasting, easy-to-use sport tape which can enhance athletic performance as well as help recover from injury. I am a huge fan of Rocktape and prescribe it for many of my patients. Rocktape has extensive how to use instructions on their website. The following videos show taping methods I developed using Rocktape for plantar fasciitis and posterior tibial tendonitis.
Reader Mark writes “I had no idea that plantar fasciitis and achilles tendonitis were related. I’ve also been told that rolling your foot on a tennis ball while seated is good for stretching the plantar fascia. Is this a good idea, or is it doing damage? I’ve found it really relieves the pain for a while. Also I am wondering if shoes that are too loose or tight might be a factor.”
Mark asks great questions and ones I get every day. First lets talk about rolling your arch over a tennis ball…I’m not a fan. I know that many physical therapists and other sports medicine specialists will recommend this but in my experience agressive stretching of the plantar fascia can lead to tearing or even rupture of the plantar fascia. Athletes in general do things in a big way and stretching with a tennis ball is no different. In this case, experiencing a stretch so good it hurts, can actually be doing harm. Better off to make an appointment with your local sports medicine podiatrist for evaluation and treatment.
In general, shoes that are too loose are worse than too tight and shoes that are too short are worse than too long. The more loose your shoe, the more your foot will pronate which can cause plantar fasciitis. If your shoe is too is too short, particularly heel-to-ball, your plantar fascia won’t be properly supported as this image shows.
Modified shoe lacing can help with a variety of shoe fit problems. Today’s video tutorial shows you how to do this for the following problems:
1. Heel slippage
2. Bumps on top of the foot
3. Bunions or a wide forefoot
Here are my related posts on top of the foot bumps https://drshoe.wordpress.com/2008/02/03/top-of-the-foot-bump/, https://drshoe.wordpress.com/2008/07/24/top-of-the-foot-bump-part-2/
Today’s video compares Addiction 9 to Addiction 10 and highlights the changes to 10 which may make a difference for you. Overall however, Addiction 10 fits similar to Addition 9 and still is a great shoe for the shallow, pronated foot.
Posted in Narrow Feet, Orthotic Friendly Shoes, Shoe Fit, Shoe Review, Wide Feet
In order to achieve proper shoe fit, it’s important to take into account volume. Volume = length x width x depth and when choosing a shoe you should try to match the volume of your shoe to the volume of your foot. I previously blogged about length using the Brannock Device which is the first component of volume. The following video shows you how to evaluate width and depth, the final components of volume.
Athletic shoe companies never talk about the upper or depth of a shoe. Instead they categorize shoes according to the lower (midsole) using terms like motion control, neutral or cushioning. Approaching shoe fit in this way only tells half the story and when you don’t take into account overall volume shoe fit and performance are compromised.
Posted in Narrow Feet, Shoe Fit, Wide Feet
Brooks Ariel is a great shoe for the excessive pronator who also has a wide, deep foot. Brooks has kept the shoe the same for the past several years which is great for those women who rely on this shoe for serious support. Here is my latest video on Brooks Ariel. Additional posts follow the video.
https://drshoe.wordpress.com/2009/09/09/brooks-introduces-new-colors-beast-and-ariel/
https://drshoe.wordpress.com/2008/11/05/shoe-review-brooks-ariel-old-vs-new/
Posted in Orthotic Friendly Shoes, Shoe Fit, Shoe Review, Wide Feet
Many thanks to Admiral DeJenerate of Undead Bettys Roller Derby for sharing the information on where she got her groovy hand dyed, custom skate laces.
Admiral DeJenerate has scoured the internet to make sure her own unique brand of mayhem is on proud display for all to see, starting with these hip laces. She has graciously allowed me to provide the purveyors link on Etsy.com and they are a steal at less than $10. If you decide to have a pair made – tell them Admiral DeJenerate made it all possible.
Posted in Roller Derby, Sport Specific Shoes
Proper foot measuring is important and not understanding how to do this can mean the difference between comfort and pain. Many people have seen a Brannock Device, but few know how to use it correctly. This video teaches you how make sure your shoe salesperson is doing it right. 80% of my patients measure longer heel-to-ball than heel-to-toe. If you also measure longer heel-to-ball then using one finger beyond the longest toe method will not work for you and your shoe will not fit as well as it should.
Here are my previous posts on measuring feet which together with the video should give you a comprehensive overview on how to properly measure your feet.
https://drshoe.wordpress.com/2007/12/05/size-matters-heel-to-ball-vs-heel-to-toe/
https://drshoe.wordpress.com/2008/05/12/mens-vs-womens-shoe-sizes-brannock-device/
Posted in Shoe Fit
Superfeet are my favorite non-custom insoles. They come in a wide variety of styles for many different shoes. What most people don’t realize is that even though Superfeet are pre-sized A,B,C,D etc. your foot may not fall exactly within the corresponding numbered size. This video shows you how to properly size Superfeet so that you get optimum support. My other posts about Superfeet follow the video.
https://drshoe.wordpress.com/2007/12/18/hammertoes-full-length-insoles/
https://drshoe.wordpress.com/2008/07/29/spin-class-arch-pain/
https://drshoe.wordpress.com/2008/01/22/dress-shoe-orthotics/
Posted in Foot Pain
Wearing the wrong shoes can directly cause or contribute to plantar fasciitis and Achilles tendonitis. Especially shoes that are excessively worn https://drshoe.wordpress.com/2011/10/23/how-to-tell-when-your-athletic-shoes-are-worn-out/ or are the wrong size.
If you have already replaced your shoes, what else can you do? Achilles tendon stretches, that’s what. When the Achilles tendon is tight the foot compensates by pronating and pronation directly contributes to both Achilles tightness and plantar fasciitis.
Muscles attach tendons to bone and in this case, these two muscles join to form a common tendon, the Achilles. In this video, Whitney will show you how to stretch the Gastrocnemius and Soleus muscles. Performing these individual stretches daily in addition to wearing the right shoes, should get you back on track no time.
If the pain persists however, make an appointment with your nearest Sports Medicine Podiatrist for additional evaluation and treatment.
Posted in Foot Pain
Dr. Jenny Sanders Shoe Blog 