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Crofton, MD 21114

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Posts for category: Foot Care Tips

By Crofton Podiatry
December 18, 2018
Category: Foot Care Tips

During the holidays, you have a lot to think about – cold weather, travel arrangements for the family, gifts, and, of course, gearing up to see all of your overbearing extended family members!

But we wanted to take a moment and remind you about how you can think about your feet during this time. For most, you’ll have some amount of travel during the holidays, so here are some tips to keep your feet happy as you go home for the holidays.

Pack your shoes – Unless your travel is just up the block to your parents’ house, you might want to bring more than just your one pair of shoes. If you’ll have some walking to do in the snow, wear your best, most waterproof boots. Then, make sure you bring some flip-flops in case your hosts are not the cleanest (or wears shoes in the house while you don’t). Finally, bring comfortable walking shoes if you’ll be going out for holiday events in town.

Schedule in rest and relaxation – No matter what your holiday travel plans, your feet will be doing a lot to take you from place to place. Doing some last minute shopping? Your feet will be the ones helping you run around. Climbing up 50 steps to your relative’s 4th floor walkup? It’s only possible thanks to your feet. Gripping the snow-covered ground to the mountain cabin your family rented? That’s hard work provided by your strong and healthy feet.

So why not give them some well-deserved rest with your feet up? Take turns with family members to give and receive foot massages. Yay for new holiday traditions!

Take cautions – There are a few issues that can put your feet at risk for foot problems:

  • Germs: Yep, when you’re on holiday, your feet are more at risk for encountering germs from new places and other people. It’s easy to catch a foot fungus infection (i.e. Athlete’s foot) when sharing slippers or towels with relatives who already have it.
  • Fireplace: While it is nice and cozy to share the fire with family, be careful not to get burned, especially if you have lost sensation due to diabetic neuropathy.
  • Black ice: As you travel during the cold winter months, be careful of slipping on nearly invisible black ice. Walk in well-lit places and use treaded shoes when walking outside at night after rain or snow, or you could end up with an ankle sprain!
  • Frostbite: During cold weather days and nights, be sure to wear socks with shoes to prevent unnecessary frost to your feet. Change out of wet socks and shoes as soon as possible!

Have concerns about your feet as you travel? Consult with our board-certified podiatrist, Dr. Brad Toll at Crofton Podiatry. Make an appointment by calling (410) 721-4505. Our podiatry team is ready to assist you with your foot and ankle issues at our office in Crofton, MD, which also serves the surrounding areas of Gambrills, Odenton, and Bowie.

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By Crofton Podiatry
July 25, 2018
Category: Foot Care Tips
Tags: dry skin   fracture   stretch   sports   RICE method   cancer   flip-flops   jog  

Got your beach bag ready? Hope you packed a swimsuit, sunblock, sunglasses, flip flops, beach towel, and frozen water bottle for your day at the beach. Whether it be a water park, lakefront, or oceanfront day of relaxation, you should make sure to take precautions for keeping your feet safe too. Here are a few ways to do that:

Skin:

●       Hydrate – Be sure to drink a lot of water throughout the day to prevent dehydration (which can also cause dry skin for your feet!)

●       Sunblock – Be sure to wear sunblock lotion from the head to the toes to protect from UV (A and B) rays and reapply every couple of hours to reduce the risk of burning and developing skin cancer.

●       Hygiene – Wash your feet with warm water and soap at the end of the day to remove sand and any other small particles or microorganisms that may have hitched a ride.

●       Cuts and scrapes - When leaving sandy areas, rinse off the feet so that it doesn’t irritate the skin as you walk on smoother surfaces. It’s probably best to put on flip-flops or sandals to prevent problems from walking on rough or very hot surfaces. If you do incur cuts or scrapes, be sure to treat them promptly to prevent infection.

Shoes:

●       Water shoes: A great way to keep your feet safe from injury at the beach is to wear water shoes. It will reduce the risk of cuts from sharp objects in the water as well as help with the transition to the sand and then to any boardwalks or other walkways.

Sports:

●     Stretch and Warm-up – As soon as you get to the beach, start with some stretching and warm up. Walking on the beach can be unstable for your feet and ankles, and a wrong step can cause an injury. This is especially important if you are going to play sports like volleyball, throwing a Frisbee, or taking a jog.

●     Sports injury – If you sustain a mild sports injury, use the RICE method to prevent worsening symptoms. If it’s a more severe injury, like a possible fracture, get the attention of medical staff or go to a local hospital.

Do you have a foot problem from a day at the beach? We can help you feel better. At Crofton Podiatry, we will use the latest treatment options to assess and take care of your foot and ankle care needs. Make an appointment at our Crofton, MD office to see our board-certified podiatrist, Dr. Brad Toll. We also serve the surrounding areas of Gambrills, Odenton, and Bowie, MD.

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By Crofton Podiatry
June 20, 2018
Category: Foot Care Tips
Tags: Hammertoes   stiffness   yoga   pedicure   ingrown   ankles  

Now that it’s time for the toes to come out and play (in open-toed shoes), you may be thinking more about how they look. Do they need some toenail trimming? Thinking about how to best groom those toe hairs? Maybe you’re considering a pedicure?

You may also be wondering if your toes always looked like that. Are some of them looking a bit crooked or bent up more than you remember? Is a toenail becoming ingrown? After the cold season, your toes may need some extra love.

To start, if you notice any toe or feet problems, inspect them to see if there is any redness, pain, or inflammation. If you need some treatment, make an appointment with us at Crofton Podiatry so that you can find safe and effective remedies.

At home, we encourage you to try doing toe exercises, especially if you notice that your toes are becoming deformed. For example, if you begin to develop hammertoes, where your toes form an upside-down “V” shape, you may be able to counteract them from getting worse by doing some toe exercises. If you have stiffness in the big toe, you may also benefit from doing some toe exercises.

Try some of the following at home or at work when you have free moments:

  • Curl and spread your toes, holding at each position for a few seconds. This may feel weird the first few times you do it since you haven’t been using your toes in this way. Do at least 10 repetitions, for 3 sets.
  • Grab marbles or a small towel with your toes. Move it from left to right, release, and then pick it up again and move it back. Do this at least 10 times, with each foot.
  • Get up onto your tippy toes while sitting or standing. You can get the full benefit if you stand, but you can still get in a good stretch if you do this while sitting.
  • Write out letters with your big toes. Use your big toes and write out the alphabet in the air. Your ankles will benefit from this exercise too!
  • Stand in mountain and tree pose with your toes spread out. These yoga poses will help strengthen your toes while you learn to balance with your toes.

If you are worried about toe deformities, corns, calluses, or pain in the big toe, come to see our board-certified podiatrist, Dr. Brad Toll, at Crofton Podiatry. He can provide you with details to the proper exercises you should do for your toe issues. Call us today at (410) 721-4505 to make an appointment at our Crofton, MD office, which also serves the surrounding Gambrills, Odenton, and Bowie, MD areas.

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By Crofton Podiatry
April 11, 2018
Category: Foot Care Tips

The weather may still be a bit wonky and unpredictable, but that doesn’t mean that your toes don’t deserve some pampering in preparation for spring and summer! For men and women alike, a pedicure can be a great tool for grooming and keeping the feet looking and feeling great.

However, there are times when pedicures can be harmful, rather than helpful. Depending on the health and hygiene practices of each nail salon (or yourself), a pedicure can result in ugly fungal toenails or a bacterial skin infection on your foot.

So what can you do to avoid a “bad” pedicure? Review the following safety tips when getting your toenails done:

  • DIY pedicure: One of the safest ways to give yourself a pedicure is to do it yourself. Having your own set of tools makes it easier to make sure that you do not become infected with someone else’s disease. Make sure to soak your toes in warm water before you begin, use tools gently so that you don’t hurt yourself, cut toenails straight across (not rounded), and moisturize the feet after your toenails are dry.
  • FIRST!: If you’ve seen this on a social media platform, it means that someone wanted to be the first to comment on a post. In this case, we encourage you to try and be the FIRST to get their nails done for that day. This would (likely) ensure that you are getting sanitized tools and no one else has shared the footbath with you.
  • Don’t be THAT person: Who, might you ask, is giving me this fear of infection? Well, it could be anyone! This also means that it can be YOU! If you have a fungal (i.e. Athlete’s foot or fungal toenails), a bacterial (which causes smelly feet), or viral (i.e. warts) infection, try to reschedule your appointment. If you cannot, let one of the pedicurists know so that they can take appropriate steps to protect other people’s feet.
  • Diabetic foot care: This includes getting pedicures done or having our podiatrist take care of this. Diabetic patients should be extra careful, especially if they have diabetic neuropathy. Not only is it possible that they will not feel a cut or other injury, it might also take longer to heal said cut/injury.

We have seen patients come in after a botched pedicure job or getting an infection from going to a nail salon. If you need treatment for a pedicure gone wrong, make an appointment to come see us. Call our office at (410) 721-4505 to see our board-certified podiatrist, Dr. Brad Toll at Crofton Podiatry. He can assess your feet and find you the proper treatment. Our Crofton, MD office also serves the surrounding areas in Gambrills, Odenton, and Bowie, MD.

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By Crofton Podiatry
February 07, 2018
Category: Foot Care Tips

Have you found a valentine yet? What are your plans to give them the ultimate Valentine’s Day? If you need ideas, start with their feet.

Wait, it may sound silly, but hear us out! Haven’t you ever had a long day of standing or walking, leaving you with achy feet? If only you had someone to give you a nice foot rub to help you wind down…

While a chocolate, flowers, and a fancy dinner are wonderful and almost expected for most couples, try focusing on the feet to get to the heart:

  • Swap out high heels and oxfords or loafers for softly cushioned slippers. A nice night out may have meant squeezing your feet into uncomfortable formal shoes.
  • Schedule in a foot soak. It’s an easy way to start the foot pampering session. For tired or sore feet, add Epsom salts and any essential oils your partner might like. To add some extra romantic vibes, throw in some rose petals.
  • Afterwards, you can roll your sleeves up, grab some lotion, and give your partner a nice foot rub. Key massage points include: below the big toe joint, plantar fascia (the band of tissue that shows up when you pull the big toe back), the arch, and the back of the heel and ankle. These spots are particularly soothing for those who suffer from plantar fasciitis or Achilles tendonitis,
  • You can also just do both the soak and rub in one go by scheduling a pedicure where you can both enjoy some pampering, minus the work.
  • End the experience by snuggling up by a fire or by keeping your feet in a foot-warming blanket. Just be careful not to burn your feet, especially if you or your partner have diabetes and have lost feeling due to diabetic neuropathy.

If either of you has foot concerns or maybe feel embarrassed about foot odor or foot fungus, make an appointment by calling our office at (410) 721-4505. We can help you feel better about your feet! Consult with our board-certified podiatrist, Dr. Brad Toll at Crofton Podiatry for an assessment and treatment, if needed. Visit our dedicated and friendly team at our Crofton, MD office, which also serves the surrounding Gambrills, Odenton, and Bowie areas.

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2411 Crofton Lane, Suite 25
Crofton, MD 21114

Podiatrist - Crofton, Crofton Podiatry, 2411 Crofton Lane, Suite 25, Crofton MD, 21114 (410) 721-4505