An Essential Guide to Handling Foot Pain

Many adults who experience foot pain might feel an acute pang with a certain movement or simply a growing ache over time. When it comes to evaluating your foot health and honing in the source of your foot pain, it’s important to first complete your own foot scan.

If one or more toes ache, look for:

Ingrown toenails - where the side of a toenail was cut at a curve and grew into the skin instead of away from it, you might see inflammation and a reddish discoloration, and it will feel tender. If it has become infected, there may even be a white or yellowish pus coming out of it. Other nail health issues that might cause painful sensations include cutting toenails too far back or fungal infection.

Splinters - more common than you may think, even a small splinter in your foot can go unseen but cause you pain. A keen scan of your foot from the heel to the forefoot and toes may reveal the culprit which you can typically exume yourself.

Corns/calluses - Rough patches of skin growth may be rubbing on your foot wear or causing you aches and pains when you apply pressure on them as you walk. A callus is dry, thick, and hard skin and might even appear grey or yellow. A corn is also thick but may have a tender ring in the center of it.

Enlarged joint/protrusion - a visibly swollen joint may indicate some inflammation that is associated with an injury, arthritis, or other condition. A bony protrusion on the other hand, especially adjacent to the big toe or pinky toe could indicate growth of a bunion or bone spur.

Other irritation - if friction from footwear has rubbed on your feet long enough, especially with tight fitting shoes or if you have hammer toe, you may see open sores, blisters, or cracked skin that is causing your pain.

If your forefoot, midfoot, or heel aches, look for:

PTTD: Posterior tibial tendon dysfunction, or Adult Acquired Flat Foot, is the resulting drop in your foot arch when the posterior tibial tendon becomes inflamed, torn, and weakened. Look to see if your feet look flatter than usual; or if you look at your feet from behind using a mirror and can see your ankles slightly bent inwards and third, fourth, and fifth toes sticking out.

Plantar Fasciitis: Less visible to the naked eye is the inflammation and tearing of the plantar fascia tissue running down the foot from the heel to the toes. Plantar fasciitis symptoms are often characterized as a stabbing pain in the bottom of the foot, close to the heel.

Metatarsalgia: Also know as stone pain, when the ball of your foot in particular experiences mild to severe pain when walking and running, you might be dealing with the loss of cushioning around your metatarsals. This sensation could also feel like constantly having a pebble in your shoe.

Achilles tendonitis: The reinforcing band of fibrous tissue that connects the calf to the heel can become inflamed with overuse and result in severe pain at the back of the heel. Over time, the Achilles tendon can even tear or rupture which would also be noticeable in the back of the leg.

Various other injuries, ailments and foot conditions like plantars warts, athlete’s foot, and gout may also be to blame for your foot pain.

What do you do next?

Some mild foot pain may subside on its own, or simply require you to stretch and strengthen your toes more regularly. Toe and foot cramps can also be a sign that you simply aren’t getting enough vital minerals like potassium, sodium, and magnesium which you can simply correct by modifying your diet.

The next step for chronic or severe foot pain, however, is to see a doctor. A general practitioner may be able to provide a diagnosis and treatment plan for your foot pain, or they could refer you to a podiatrist. Podiatrists can more closely examine, analyze, and even x-ray or run other tests on your foot and ankle to narrow down the cause of your pain.

The bottom line is that foot pain should not be ignored, especially if it lasts more than a few weeks. Your feet are the foundation of your mobility and if even one goes out of commission temporarily that can negatively impact your ability to stay active, exercise, remain social, and complete basic day to day tasks.

This is a guest blog entry.

Latest Non Surgical Weight Loss Trends to try in 2017

The obesity crisis is looming each year a little more, with now over 30% of the people on the planet either obese or overweight, according to a recent study by the New England Journal of Medicine.

This crisis is bringing many individuals considering new ways to maintain their weight to a healthier state: whether people are looking to lose weight surgically or thanks to the latest diet trend, there is a solution for everyone. The weight-loss field keeps progressing year after year and here are some of the latest trends and discoveries.

1. Laser liposuction

It might sound too good to be true but non-surgical laser liposuction has become a firm favorite among all weight-loss methods. Laser liposuction works by set of sessions, usually three times a week for several weeks, combined with a healthy diet and regular exercise for maximum impact. It’s especially great for people looking for a little extra help to get back on track weight-wise, such as Dan Blustin, a former bodybuilder who found himself in a need of an extra push and encouragement after discovering he had put on 30 pounds over the years. While skeptical at the beginning, he quickly reaped up the benefits of the laser treatments paired with a healthier lifestyle altogether. The treatment is designed as a companion to help people already committed to changing their eating habit.

2. Hypnosis

Until recently, there was little evidence that hypnosis worked as an efficient method to keep off the weight durably. But times have changed and there are now many scientific studies that support hypnosis as a working weight-loss method. Hypnosis works in accessing unconscious parts of the mind, unlocking knowledge about food and de-compartmentalising behaviours. It also only works if the person is ready to adapt their diet to this newly found knowledge, so it might not be for everyone but it definitely has proven records of success.

3. Fat-freezing

The fat-freezing treatment Coolsculpting was launched in 2010 but it’s had a few important updates since then, making it an efficient non-surgical weight-loss alternative. Fat cells self-destruct when cold enough, and are then disposed off by the body in the following days. The procedure can last up to two hours per sessions, but usually one session per area is enough to achieve the desired result. Experts promise a fat reduction of 25% on average, with variable results depending on how firm the tissue is in the first place: the firmer the tissue, the tougher it will be to get rid of the extra fat with this particular method. Once again, this method is only truly effective and durable when associated with a good diet and healthy lifestyle.

This is a guest blog entry.

4 Superfoods that Health Experts Say Are Overrated

The only way to be healthy is to eat plenty of superfoods. This is what junk science and television doctors want you to believe. However, new evidence has come to light that some of the most popular superfoods are not as healthy for you as we were led to believe.

In a world which is obsessed with healthiness, the latest wellness trends always catch on but are they necessarily good for us? The latest trends become as important to people as renewing their health insurance, gym membership and getting the necessary eight hours of sleep at night. However, the evidence is stacking up against some of these so-called superfoods and below are some foods in that category which you may want to think twice about over-indulging.

Blueberries

Blueberries aren’t all they’re cracked up to be. They are usually celebrated for their antioxidant abilities, but all fruits have hundreds of antioxidants, and blueberries do not necessarily have more. One of the many problems with studies about the benefits of any food is that they are often conducted by organizations with a vested interest in the product. For instance, researchers reported that you can boost your cognitive function by eating dried blueberries on a daily basis. However, the study was funded by the US Highbush Blueberry Council.

Avocados

When substituted for unhealthier fats, the fats in avocados can help lower your bad cholesterol. There is well-documented evidence of this. Organizations like the Hass Avocado Board are trying to link consuming avocados with satiety, energy, and better diet quality. However, some people may be less likely to diversify their diet when avocados are touted as the ultimate superfood. A varied diet with plenty of different foods is the best way to eat healthily.

Dark Chocolate

Most of us could see this one coming from a mile away. If something is too good to be true, it probably is. This includes the overhyped health benefits of dark chocolate. Most of the studies stating that dark chocolate is a good source of antioxidants that improve brain function and heart health are based on pure, 100% dark chocolate, which no one eats. And, don’t be confused by various studies like those carried out by Mars Inc., which maintain that cocoa flavanols and cocoa beans lead to increased blood vessel function and lower blood pressure. Mars’s processed chocolate bars rarely have cocoa flavanols in them.

Pomegranates

Research from Pom Wonderful helped get pomegranates on the list of superfoods. Since then, the Federal Trade Commission has ruled that they “deceptively advertised pomegranate products by making unsupported health claims.” Among the claims they made that were later determined to be untruthful were that pomegranates helped with cardiovascular health, erectile dysfunction, and prostate health. In 2016, the U.S. Supreme Court decided not to review an appeal by Pom Wonderful that it misled consumers with its advertised health claims about pomegranates.

This is a post by Jess Walters.

Some Easy Cures For Slightly Embarrassing Problems

Bad breath, urinary incontinence, and other issues often make people feel like they have no control over their own bodies, which is a very unsettling sensation. When these problems rear their ugly heads, statistics like “X percent of people suffer from chronic whatever” may be of little help, because although it’s nice not to feel alone, it’s even nicer when your chronic whatever either goes away entirely or is at least much less noticeable.

Many times, the key to a cure is a better understanding of the cause.

Flatulence

Excess gas is nearly always a dietary issue. Ironically, some of the foods that are on most healthy living lists, like whole grains, many fruits, and some vegetables, also trigger excess gas in many stomachs. But the best thing to do may be to play detective, because not all foods affect all people in the same way. If your flatulence is worse after you eat certain foods, or certain combinations of foods, don’t eat them again.

The way people eat also contributes to excess gas. Try eating steamed foods instead of fried or grilled foods. Also, cut down on the air you take in while eating by ditching the straw, the cigarette, and the stick of gum.

Flatulence is not always an annoying problem to suppress, because in some cases, it could be a warning sign of a serious illness, such as irritable bowel syndrome, lactose intolerance, or even colon cancer. So, if the food and air cures don’t seem to help, talk to a doctor.

Incontinence

Lack of bladder control is a little harder to address with diet and lifestyle changes, especially if it occurs at night. Many times, the best solution is to use an incontinence pad for beds. They are thin and they get the job done, particularly if your issue is limited to nighttime incontinence.

For daytime incontinence, try behavioral urination. That’s a fancy term for going to the bathroom at certain times of the day whether you need to go or not. Eventually, your body will adjust to the schedule. Many women conquer incontinence through Kegel exercises, and there are similar pelvic exercises for men.

Bad Breath

About 90 percent of the time, halitosis, ozostomia, stomatodysodia, or whatever you chose to call it comes from the mouth or tonsils. Everyone has anaerobic (non-oxygen consuming) bacteria in their mouth to aid in digestion. These bacteria give off various combinations of gases, or volatile sulfur compounds.

These bacteria reproduce faster in a dry mouth, and feed more on certain foods, such as proteins and dairy. Avoiding these conditions should help avoid bad breath, or at least reduce it to the point that a breath mint or mouthwash will take care of it.

Nail Fungus

Excess moisture usually causes discolored, uneven, and ugly nails. So, the solution is to restore the nail’s proper chemical balance. Fortunately, this process is a lot easier than it sounds.

Since Vicks VapoRub has a number of powerful antifungal ingredients, just a cotton swab a day is often enough to greatly reduce the infection or even eliminate it altogether. Listerine has similar ingredients, and once it is combined with the acidic properties of vinegar, there is evidence that soaking your toes in this mixture produces similar results. Finally, over-the-counter Urea paste will often dissolve the diseased part of a nail and leave the healthy part intact so it can grow unhindered.

Some people have also had success with cornmeal and oregano oil.

A few simple changes, when combined with the right intervention, can usually alleviate even chronic flatulence and other conditions, so you can feel more in control of your body.

This is a guest blog post.

Tips To Help You Maintain Your Health At Any Age

A healthy lifestyle is necessary for maintaining your well-being. Everyone wants to live a long life, and that requires you to take responsibility for your wellness. There are action steps recommended for living a healthy life. Take these suggestions seriously, and you’ll be heading on the right path.

Put yourself first and start caring about your health. It matters if you plan to live a long life. The sooner you start making changes, the better off you’ll be in the long run. Accept that you’re the one in control and have the power to increase the chances for a healthier life. See these tips to help you maintain your health at any age.

Exercise Daily

Exercise doesn’t have to be a punishment. It’s also fun and feels good when you’re all done. Schedule exercise and incorporate it into your daily routine. Use your sweat sessions as a way to sustain your weight and get your heart rate up. Try to maintain a regular schedule and daily movement. Track your steps and calories if it helps you. Take a new class, run outside or head to your gym and use the machines. Mix it up, so you don’t get bored and your body stays engaged. Exercise has many benefits including improving your mood and strengthening your bones and muscles. It’s one health booster you don’t want to skimp out on.

Walk More

Walk as much as possible throughout each day. It’s good for you and has just as many benefits as working out. Instead of driving to the store, ask yourself if it’s possible to bike or walk. Take the stairs at work in place of the elevator. It’s the small changes that add up to big health improvements. Walking is also a nice opportunity to enjoy nature. Go outside and walk your neighborhood and enjoy the blue sky and birds. Ask a friend to go walking and bring your pets. Walking is a mood booster that lifts your spirits and heart rate at the same time.

Consume A Proper Diet

The bottom line is that you want to eat a healthy diet. Produce and protein are important to your health. Stay away from the processed sugar and fatty ingredients. This includes avoiding eating out as much and cooking at home more.  Cook with foods that support your health such as garlic. It prevents and treats many different medical conditions. If you don’t like the taste of garlic, use supplements. What Are Garlic Supplements? Garlic supplements come in various forms; most commonly, they can be found as pills and capsules. Garlic helps prevent and treat the flu, cough, headache, stomach aches and much more. Find them at a drugstore or on the internet.

Protect your Skin

The sun is nice for getting your vitamin D, but it also has damaging properties as well. Be careful when you’re out in the sun. Your skin needs protection from the UV rays. Wear sunscreen and sit in the shade or under an umbrella to keep your skin safe. It’s important you don’t often burn and stay out in the hot sun for long periods of time. You risk getting cancer and damage to your eyes. Not protecting your skin from the sun also puts you in jeopardy for wrinkles and aging. Be smart and wear the proper protection to keep your skin shielded from the sun.

Maintain your Mental Health

It takes work to maintain your mental health. Don’t ignore your thoughts and how you feel each day. Take walks, read a book or meditate to get your daily dose of positivity. Your mental health is important to your overall well-being. Love yourself and treat yourself with respect. Learn how to deal with stress and get through tough situations in life. Surround yourself with caring people who support you. Set aside time to quiet your mind and reflect. Talk to someone if you prefer to get your feelings and emotions out that way. Put yourself first and know that you’re worth it.

Get Proper Rest & Sleep

It’s necessary to get proper sleep each night. Track your sleep if you have to and know exactly how many hours you’re getting. Cut the caffeine out early and get daily exercise. Create a welcoming sleep environment in your room where it’s easy to fall asleep at night. In addition to sleep, you should take the time to rest and unwind. Schedule breaks throughout your day and use the weekends to calm down. Not getting the proper sleep has consequences to your health, mood and daily routine. Getting your sleep will have you feeling alive and energized to tackle each new day.

Engage in Laughter

It’s important to interact with others and laugh. Let yourself be silly and engage in laughter on a regular basis. Laughing is great for your mental health and overall well-being. Engage in fun activities and don’t take life too seriously. Let yourself act like a kid and be goofy. There’s a time and a place to be serious. Learn how to laugh at yourself and enjoy the moment. Even though you have a plan, it’s not always going to work out the way you envisioned. Roll with the punches and learn to let go. It’ll save you a lot of stress over the course of your life.

Reduce Screen Time

Challenge yourself to not always be connected. Give yourself a break from your phone, computer and television. Go for a long walk or have a conversation. Spend time reconnecting with yourself and relaxing. Technology is nice and helpful, but don’t let it rule you. Give it a rest once in a while and notice how good it feels to be free from your devices. They’re addicting and sometimes a waste of time. Be mindful when you’re playing on technology and ask yourself if there’s a more productive or healthy activity you could be doing. You’ll thank yourself when you feel less anxious and are sleeping better during the night.

Focus on You

The reason you may be struggling with your health is because you’re not the focus of your life. Put the attention on you and make it a point to live a healthy lifestyle. It’s hard to do and takes a deliberate commitment and positive attitude. Make yourself a priority and learn that you come first. Write down your health goals or make a calendar of activities you’re going to complete. Start tracking your progress and reward yourself when you reach certain milestones. Engage in hobbies that work your mind, body and spirit. Be kind to yourself and understand when you have setbacks. Putting yourself first is the initial step to living a healthier lifestyle. Make you a priority and push your obligations further down the list.

Set Goals

Losing weight or eating healthy isn’t magic. It’s a decision to do so, followed by an action. If you want to exercise five times a week, then write it down in a calendar and check it off each time you do. If your goal is to eat healthily, then find healthy recipes to cook each night. Set attainable goals and take steps to turn them into a reality. It won’t happen overnight, so you need to have patience. Have a journal to record your feelings and reactions along the way. It’ll help you when you’re feeling defeated or stuck. Setting goals puts your vision on paper and makes it real. This’ll help make it clear to you why you’re succeeding or not as time goes on. Reward yourself when you achieve your goals and then set new ones.

Be Careful at Work

Take care of yourself at home and at work. Wash your hands often and keep your workspace clean. This includes wiping down your desktop, screens and phone. It’s a good idea to keep hand sanitizer at your desk. Drink water throughout the day to stay hydrated. Bring your own lunch and try not to eat out all of the time. Choose healthy options that’ll satisfy you and keep you full throughout the day. Bring nutritious snacks for a natural energy boost if you get hungry in the afternoon. Munch on small snacks throughout the day so you’re not starving and binge on unhealthy options. Coffee in the morning is fine, but don’t make it a habit to drink a lot of it throughout the day. Too much caffeine will have you feeling shaky and will most likely give you trouble sleeping at night. Manage your stress and have a plan if you’re feeling overwhelmed.

Conclusion

Your health is your key to a long and fruitful life. Make yourself a priority and learn to engage in healthy choices. It’s easy to revert to bad habits when you’re not paying attention. Set goals and make a plan for how you’re going to achieve them given your busy lifestyle. Be smart about your choices and choose a path that’s going to let you live a long life. These are tips to help you maintain your health at any age.

This is a guest blog entry.

Low Testosterone (Low T) 101: A Primer

Testosterone is the main sex hormone in males and plays a critical role in the development of male reproductive tissues, sex drive, voice deepening, increased bone and muscle size, the growth of body hair (e.g. especially on the face), and aggression, among other functions.

The main sex hormone in females is estrogen, which plays a critical role in the development of the female reproductive tissues, sex drive, breast enlargement, hip widening, and the development of rounded and softer facial features (compared to men), among other functions. Essentially, testosterone is what makes a man a man and estrogen is what makes a woman a woman.

Some may be surprised to know that men and women each produce testosterone and estrogen. Men naturally have higher levels of testosterone whereas women naturally have higher levels of estrogen. Sometimes, however, the natural levels of hormones in the body go awry and this can lead to significant clinical problems.

One common example of a hormonal imbalance in men is low testosterone, sometimes referred to as “low T.” When one considers what normal levels of testosterone in the body do, it is not surprising to learn that low testosterone in men can lead to loss of body hair, decreased sex drive, infertility, decreased bone and muscle mass, and erectile dysfunction (ED).

As noted by WebMD, low testosterone can also result in other problems such as decreased energy, difficulty concentrating, and mood changes (e.g., depression). Some of these symptoms can be directly related to the effects of low testosterone but they can also be related to indirect effects of low testosterone due to difficulty psychologically coping with manifestations of the condition. For example, a man may become depressed because he is having difficulty conceiving a child and/or also losing his hair.

There are many possible reasons for low testosterone including genetics, obesity, testicular injury, medication side effects, and diabetes mellitus, among other factors. If you suspect that you have low testosterone, or if your doctor does, it can easily be tested with a simple blood test.

Once low testosterone is detected, the next step is to decide if treatment is needed and if so, how to treat it. Treatment is most likely to be needed if low testosterone is causing clinically significant symptoms. Treatment often involves testosterone supplementation therapy (a type of hormone replacement therapy). One such treatment is testosterone cypionate (review here) which comes in an injectable form. Other testosterone supplements come in different forms such as skin patches, gel rubs, or tablets that dissolve on the gums.

As with any treatment, side effects of testosterone treatment can occur, which is why ongoing communication with a physician is very important. If you believe that you have symptoms of low testosterone then be sure to talk to your physician about getting tested and explore your treatment options if it is determined that you have low T.

Treating Back Pain? Don’t Forget These Essential Reminders

When it comes to treating back pain naturally, myriad options abound - from icing to bracing, exercising, you name it, there are loads of ways to fight inflammation and muscle strain. Like with any valid treatment, however, there are often right and wrong ways to go about seeking true pain relief that targets the underlying cause of stiff, strained, and inflamed back muscles.

Check out these best practices for common back pain solutions:

Ice Therapy
When it comes to applying ice packs or cold compresses to inflamed back muscles, it’s important to remember that you should only ice for 10 to 20 minutes at a time. This allows the blood vessels to constrict and cut off blood flow, helping to slow pain signals being sent to the brain and reducing inflammation. If you ice too long, however, you run the risk of getting ice burn and you don’t allow blood to rush back in and flush out built up toxins and waste byproducts like it needs to in order to start the healing and repair process.

Wearing a Back Brace
If you’re sporting a soft back brace to provide support and compression to a sore lumbar spine region, or if you’re simply utilizing a brace for added stability while heavy lifting, don’t forget to adjust your lifting form and technique as well. While back braces have been shown, mostly anecdotally, to help people avoid muscle strain and injury, they do little if you are continuing to lift large loads incorrectly. Experts typically recommend no one (not even physical labor employees) personally lift more than 50 pounds without using a leverage device or machine. And avoid lifting straight off the ground. The most effective and least strenuous lifting happens when you pick something up from your ‘power zone’, or the area from mid-thigh to mid-chest.

Take Pain Medicine
While over the counter pain medicines may temporarily provide pain relief to achy back muscles, it’s important to remember that NSAIDS (like ibuprofen) perform differently than acetaminophen. In fact, the American College of Physicians reminds patients in their updated clinical guidelines that over the counter pain relievers come with their own range of adverse effects, including digestive issues from NSAIDS and liver damage from acetaminophen, and in multiple studies have been shown to have no greater impact on relieving back pain than a placebo.

Rest
Resting your sore back is important to help the body’s natural healing process do its thing, however, continuous inactivity can actually have the opposite effect you are striving for. Inactivity can lead to bad posture, poor eating habits, and weight gain, all which negatively impact the health of your back. Low-impact exercise like brisk walks and swimming have actually been shown to improve muscle and joint function, flexibility, and back pain.

Massage
A deep tissue massage can do wonders for back pain, helping break up knots and scar tissue, as well as increasing blood flow to strained and injured muscles. In fact, one 2012 study showed that massage following a workout actually stimulated cells to start tissue repair faster than they normally would. Your post-massage routine is just as important however, and this means remembering to drink lots of water. As a massage helps break up and release toxins that are built up in your muscles and other connective tissues, drinking lots of water helps the body flush those toxins to be filtered out by the kidneys and liver.

Yoga
Mindfulness-cultivating practices like yoga and tai chi have been touted as potentially transformative back pain remedies because of their incorporation of gentle stretching, deep breathing, and meditation. To truly soothe painful back muscles, however, yoga practitioners must start slow and practice yoga regularly. A quick spurt of back-bending fast-paced yoga will do little for back pain, and may even make it worse. Beginners yoga (restorative, gentle, and senior yoga too) is a good place to start for back pain sufferers, and must be practiced weekly if not daily to truly feel the effects on your overall pain levels.

Self-treating back pain with proven remedies and activities is a smart idea, but if you attempt those solutions the wrong way, you may actually worsen your condition. Always stick to best practices and when in doubt, consult your doctor.

This is a guest blog posting.