It is that time of the year where everyone goes from sedentary to athlete, overnight. Resolutions are outstanding and we certainly are advocates of healthy, active lifestyles but we need to remind our communities (and ourselves) that feet might not be ready to take the pounding from treadmill and gym time.
Depending on your demographic, a lot of your patients might be advanced in age or illness and a good way to bring in more revenue to your practice is to broaden your demographic so that you and your staff can develop a patient base that will stay with you and allow you to manage all their foot care needs for years to come. Plus, it is an opportunity to educate patients and practice preventative medicine!
Metatarsalgia, is a condition which affects all ages, but because it is commonly caused by intense training, it runs rampant this time of year. While those feet are taking a New Year’s resolution beating, many people are suffering from pain and inflammation in the ball of the foot and many of them identify it as a normal part of aging and give up their fitness goals, altogether. Since part one of the biggest healthcare crises facing this Nation is obesity, educating our patients and communities on lesser known foot conditions could impact a variety of outcomes.
Metatarsalgia is typically easy to treat with metatarsal pads, surgical shoes, or a shoe insert to offload the painful part of your foot. In some instances athletic shoes or rocker soled shoes may be beneficial.
Other helpful tips include:
- Applying ice
- Picking shoes with good soles, a wide toe box.
- Avoiding walking barefoot
What does obesity have to do with Podiatric Medicine? It is nearly impossible to exercise without healthy feet and we are the experts at keeping feet healthy!
Help us spread the word and keep our communities active!!
Talar Tip:
Metatarsalgia is a great condition to discuss on your social media and web pages this month to increase awareness and drive more patients into your practice!!!