Archive for December, 2009
New year
Hello my friends in ciber space, it is time for me to take a few days off and go enjoy one of my favorite activity. Yes i am going skiing with my kids, but before i do i want to remind all of you, it is time to activate those new resolutions and for 2010, changing your lifestyle to better your health should be a priority!!! Do not avoid the issue or ignore it , DO IT and feel better for it.
Have a healthy new year and stay focused on your new resolutions!!!
I will be back with you all in 2010.
Toe nails problems
HOW MANY TIME have you dropped something on your toes or simply caught them on the corner of something ? Oh boy it sure hurts! Well repetitive injuries to one’s toes or pressure from poorly fitted shoes or toe bruising may cause irreversible changes to the nail matrix by causing undue pressure to those cells and can cause ingrown nails. The inflammation is painful and in many of us begins to cycle regularly with very little to set it of and eventually an infection can develop, and if untreated, the chronic infection is extremely painful and just putting shoes on is agony. In our golden years it is not smart to deal with this infection for month at a time prior to seek proper treatment and the longer we wait the greater the chance the infection can spread deeper, it is also possible for the ingrown nail to resolve on it’s own, only to keep reappearing over and over again.
Soaking your injured foot regularly in warm soapy water and applying antibiotic ointment may offer temporary relief , but seriously infected toe requires prescription antibiotic medication and the offending nail border must be removed in order to permanently resolve the condition. Permanent nail border removal is quick, and relatively painless and can be accomplished through a short office procedure under local anesthesia. If that concern’s you, please take care of it now….
Plantar Fasciitis
Plantar Fasciitis is an inflammation of a ligament that extends to the bottom of the heel to the toes, it shares an insertion at the heel with the Achilles tendon and will hurt by doing normal activities, even just walking.When we walk the plantar fascia is stretched and will become inflamed at the heel and each time you put pressure on it as you take a step the pain will get worse.
You can ease the pain by setting your foot on ice or roll it on an iced bottle of water, it will help with the inflammation.
Stretching the Achilles tendon aggressively will alleviate the stress across the plantar fascia, also taking some anti-inflammatory medication can decrease the swelling and alleviate some of the pain.
The best approach, being in our golden years would be to consult a physician to provide additional recommendations and treatment that could speed-up recovery. Regardless this type of injury require time and patience in order to heal properly
Athlete’s Foot
Toenail fungus and athlete’s foot are caused by the same fungus, very often one will experience athlete’s foot first and then the fungus migrates to the toenails. It is therefore very important to treat athlete’s foot rapidly and aggressively with over the counter antifungal cream, and check with your doctor for the proper treatment. Fungus loves a warm and moist environment and if you have sweaty feet it is the perfect condition for the fungus to multiply, that is why if you are prone to sweat easily, a podiatrist can advise you on different treatments to help the fungus growth from spreading . Changing your socks more often and alternate shoes as not to wear the same pair every day, thus allowing them to dry. Ounce you have fungus growing in your shoes it is important to treat them as well as your feet. Don’t hide those ugly looking toenails , instead take care of them and remember in our golden years we need to maintain every part of our body.
Healthy Feet
When your feet hurt, your whole body hurts, your feet are a picture of your health. In our Golden years the ability to remain active in our life may depend on the health of our feet. With each steps that we take we put 1 to 2 times our body weight through our feet and by running we increase that amount to at least 3 to 4 times.
Depending on our age it is easy to realize how many miles we have covered on our feet and the abuse that they have taken over the years, how limited would we be not be able to walk or run and how crucial it is to regularly evaluate the health of our feet. The foot is composed of 28 bones, 33 joints, 107 ligaments 19 muscles and tendons and a complex web of nerves and blood vessels, that is why a regular evaluation can insure that all those parts are working in harmony.Wearing the right shoes and inserts can protect your feet and prevent all sorts of feet ailments, such as Ingrown nails,Bunions,Toenail fungus, Plantar fasciitis or other foot pains. So please take care of your feet.
Foot Massage
When was the last time you had a good foot massage?
Do you know that each area of the foot is connected to another area of the body, and by massaging each part you are working on your liver, stomach, kidney etc. It is said that a good foot massage can get rid of toxins, help with blood circulation and improve body function. A professional can even help diagnose health problems just by massaging your feet.When pressure is applied to the feet it can be very painful especially when applied on the energy lines on the side and sole of the feet, thus helping to determine the cause of illness.
Foot massage or reflexology is an Oriental medical technique and it concentrates on treating the whole body not just a particular area, and by doing so you will even feel that it can help cure chronic headaches, colds and other minor ailments
This is just an other technique that can help you improve your health and provide more joy in your Golden years. Do yourself a favor and find out how reflexology can work for you.
The right fit!!!!
As we get older our feet become wider, not necessarily due to our weight but simply that they are as old as we are and the arches are less pronounced therefore changing their overall shape.
Size will depend on the brand or make and the style, don’t insist you wear a specific size if the next size or half size up or down feels better , remember that size is only a suggested number and changes with brand and European measurement does not always convert to the right American number. Have both feet measured properly by the sale person and always buy shoes for the biggest foot. Only you can tell if shoes fit,the heel should fit snugly and the instep should not gape open, take your time and try more then one style, walk around ,wiggle your toes to make sure you have enough room in the toe box and that you are not jamming them against the front (especially when buying hiking, running and walking shoes ).Proper tension in the lacing is crucial . Your forefoot should not be wider then your shoe, don’t plan on shoes stretching with wear. The wrong shoes will cause or aggravate foot ailments and always remember, HAPPY FEET, HAPPY PERSON.Wearing the right shoes is vital not only to foot health but to overall health.
An easy way to check for the right size is by standing on paper and tracing around your bare foot and then compare the outline of your foot with the sole of the shoe and if your shoe appears to narrow you may encounter some foot problems .
In short , being in our golden years comfort is a must and if the shoes are comfortable, buy them and if they don’t–don’t buy them!!!!!
Buying shoes
Today i want to share with you something that happened to me a week ago while i was spending a few days in Sedona Arizona.
It was a beautiful day and i decided it would be a great opportunity to go for a run among the red rocks of this beautiful area, but unfortunately in my rush of getting there i forgot to pack my running shoes. I went around the town looking for a shoe store and finally i came across this little store in west Sedona in the Bashas shopping center by the name of Cabana shoes, as i walk in the store i was gritted by this small dog and then a voice came from within the back ” good morning how are you today” and a young women appeared and ask me if there was something in particular that i was looking for, she introduced herself as Karne and i explained her my dilemma, after asking me my shoe size, she went into the back room and after a few minutes came back out with 6 different styles of boxes and kneed down in front of me and started to accommodate my feet with one style of shoes and checking and rechecking and lacing them and asking me how they felt well explaining the pros and cons of each pair well i was walking around the store to evaluate the fit. After one hour and many more pairs tried i had the perfect fit.
The moral of this story is, when was The last time i had experience such a service and personal attention given to me when buying a pair of shoes,well i simply could not remember. Being in my golden years and having such devotion given to me for a pair of shoes truly made my day and i will try to go back to that store whenever i am in need of new shoes. Thank’s to Karne!!!
No longer you find this type of service and i truly was impressed.
Strength Training with Medicine Balls
Most people aren’t aware that the old medicine ball is quite an efficient piece of fitness equipment. Medicine balls are quite useful in a wide range of exercises, and with clever techniques, can be used to work out almost all muscle groups.
For people who might not be familiar with medicine balls, in essence, a medicine ball is a large weighted ball often filled with sand. The medicine ball is quite popular in strength training and sports fitness, and is most often used in tandem with other exercises. For example, one might carry a medicine ball while performing toe raises, or even while doing standard stretching. Medicine balls are well renowned for their use in sit-ups and leg raises, and are great for strengthening core muscles. Medicine balls often weigh between 5 and 25 pounds, and are a cost efficient exercise tool that can be used in several different fitness activities.
Blister
It seems as no one can avoid at some time or another to experience the discomfort that a blister can bring . They usually appear at places that get repeated irritation and their location depends on the activity you are doing , for a walker or runner on your toes or in the back of your heels, for a golfer most often on your hands and for a skier they may also appear on your shins or lower legs.
A blister is caused by irritation of the skin from excessive rubbing, and once you realize that you have a blister it can be very painful and the most common issue is not knowing what to do especially if you are on a long walk , run or hike. Well most health care practitioners recommend to drain the blister as soon as possible to prevent a bad situation to become worse. The following guideline are how to do it safely.
- Clean the area over and around the blister with a clean cloth and soap and water.
-Sterilize a needle and hold it in one hand, have some gauze in your other hand, puncture the blister and apply pressure with the gauze until all the liquid is drained, DO NOT REMOVE THE SKIN OF THE BLISTER.
-Apply a thin layer of topical ointment to the area and cover it with a band-aid and if possible with tape as well especially if it ’s on your heels to prevent infection and figure out the cause of the blister to form and find a way to stop the irritation. Most often this will prevent additional blisters from forming but will not eliminate totally the discomfort and i know in our golden years it could be more of a problem and if you feel uncomfortable treating it on your own, have it done by a health care professional