The Foot in Rheumatoid Arthritis

Rheumatoid arthritis is a long-term (chronic) disease. It can affect any joint and surrounding tissues but is commonly found in wrist and fingers (of both hand and foot). RA usually affects joints on both sides equally and often starts between ages 25 to 55.

There are different theories of Rheumatoid arthritis causes but the exact cause is unknown. It is more likely to found in people of the family history and some develop because of their genes.

Study/Research:

NCBI study shows:

As you know Rheumatoid arthritis is a painful disease and over 85% of patients report this problem where 57% of the patients report foot or ankle symptoms within the first year. A patient faces irritation and changes in bone that leads to forefoot deformities cause hindfoot instability. This hindfoot instability can be dangerous and may lead the forefoot to the present symptoms first. Both forefoot and hindfoot sides lead to altered foot and ankle motion when increased in forefoot planter pressure during locomotor or jumping activities and weight-bearing.

Correcting and stabilizing the planter and ankle help in decreasing the chances of walking disabilities forefoot deformities of patients with Rheumatoid arthritis. Normally, it is a consideration to be accomplished through custom shoe wear or orthotics. However, critical reviews of studies in foot orthotics and shoe wear, in patients with Rheumatoid arthritis (RA) have shown limited evidence to support their use, leading a Cochrane review to report only a “silver level of evidence” for prescribing custom-made foot orthoses in patients with RA.

How Foot Solutions Staff Deal / Help the Customers

This is a video transcription of:



Staff Person: Good Morning! Welcome to Foot Solutions what brings you in today? Client: Hi! I am having some heel pain in my right foot that seems to be worse in the morning when I get up.

SP: OK! Why don’t you have a seat and fill out the left hand side of our Intake Sheet - I will be better able to help you.

C: OK!

What we do at Foot Solutions, we begin by collecting information about each individual client. On the Intake Sheet, we get in the clients own words what they feel their own foot problems might be and then we measure the feet properly, evaluate their feet and their gate and then make recommendations as to foot wear and other things that might be needed.

Now, we are gonna do is begin by measuring your feet. Let me take the chart and the pen, thank you!

Alright! Now let me start with the right foot. Put on your foot and stand up please. You have half size difference in your feet, that’s quite common - your left foot is half size longer than the right.

OK! The next step is to test the flexibility of your feet. Let me do it to your right foot first. Now relax your foot, OK! Now, give me the left one. I would like to do is to observe how you stand and walk. So if you can stand right over here, don’t mind our public relation girl, Croeli. Now, just face the back wall, stand up as you normally would.

Now walk slowly towards the back wall then turn around and come back in this direction. All right, you have what we called Micronation. Statistically more than 90% of old people walk in the planet over coronet. What that’s simply means is that your feet are flat now as you stand and walk. Maybe 5% of the population supernate through the feet are very rigid and high arches and they were laughed. And maybe around 1% world population might have the ideal gate but that’s quite unusual.

I like to do next is to get you up on this computer over here. This device measures the pressure for weight bearing on to your feet. And if you stand for one second I will put in the measurement here this will take about 20 seconds and its gonna measure the pressure on your feet. Here’s the scale of pressure, it is now take a look over here. You see a dark red underneath the heel that’s quite normal, what isn’t normal is pressure like that forward to the heel because it’s both unusual and undesirable. It’s not a pain meter so it doesn’t tell you where much is the pain but if you are gonna do something for the person whether is arch support you wanna through in something we called Metatarsal Support.

Through help with that condition with the forefoot, let me show you what I mean my taking the skeletal foot over here to off load the pressure on the ball of your foot. We like to create an arch support that has Metatarsal Support and what that is a bump that will go right where my thumb is and will gently press up and spread the pressure out over the greater area. There by making it more comfortable, with the heel pain you said that you have being mostly in the morning when you first get up that could be a condition called Plantar Fasciitis.

I am not a doctor so I cannot and would not diagnose but I can treat for a doctor, give you a prescription for anything and I can also accommodate you while you are here by either sending you to the counter arch support or creating a custom made arch support. Now let me take you to the yellow computer and Enter your information in there and then what we are gonna do is gonna scan you on this device over here. Remember the first computer we did it measure full weight bearing pressure and this computer over here measures the elevations under the feet so it captures the photography of the bottom of the foot and so accurate. It measures in the 10mm (millimeter) that’s like the width of the human hair, now you look on the screen the pressure readings from this device are converted into a colorful typographical that you see here on the screen this is a elevation legend and you can see the red is flat down on the scanner light green is only 1/10 mm (millimeter) higher and goes up from there. This image here is 3D image what a custom made arch support would look like for my flat foot.

We make truly custom made arch supports not what some store might prefer to us custom fit. There is a huge difference between custom made and custom fit everything we do here is custom fit what others do is simply take two plastic arch supports that are mirror images of one other and say here you go they are fit to your feet but its forcing your foot to conformed to something that’s hypothetical. This is taking your own foot or my own foot for instance and making it conformed to its natural arch without much weight on it. The computer places it based on the elevations and contours of your foot not somebody else’s foot not some imaginary foot. The finished part looks something like this. These are actually the same type of device with different coverings we can use a lot of different coverings and give you a lot of alternatives that’s has a new material called Spenco, which is a medical care material has a lot of cushioning and this is leather that’s the most common covering that we use because it’s more important to have the right contour underneath your foot that is really cushioning. If your pain is really acute then we recommend the cushioning and the finish product is that it looks like about one of these but one will be specific to your feet. I hope that give you a better understanding about what it is that we do here on Foot Solutions.

We are here to give you a professional measurement to your feet evaluate, your feet and the way in which you walk which posture or gate and then make firm recommendations relative to shoes, arch supports and other foot care products that can help medicate any foot pain or other joint problems that you might have. And when you come in you can meet our public relations director her name is Croeli.

How Does the Chung Shi Work?

The secret of the Chung Shi shoes lies in its ankle soul. As we walk, this ensures the optimal rolling movement of the foot and brings about a host of other result and health benefits. Chung Shi sophisticated construction designed with your health in mind - developed over years by health experts in orthopedics and bio mechanics. The result is a complex structure sole consisting of a removable insole that can be replaced at any time, with an orthopedic insert a middle sole that serves as a essential shock absorber. A metal plate that is embedded to provide toughness and stability and in closing outer soul that guarantees resilience and traction.

The walk cycle of a modern human being is frequently impeded by bad gate and posture. It has been demonstrated that, Chung Shi shoes contribute to more upright posture when walking or standing. In contrast to conventional shoes, the entire musculature is more intensely activated. This leaves to less strain on the joints at every step. The special sole causes the reflex zones to be stimulated and produce more vitality and activation. The shoes construction activates the musculature of the foot. In the long term, this leaves to the raising of the foot arch, in addition the intensify muscles activity leaves to improve circulation throughout the entire body.

*Chung Shi the healthy life step by step.*

Cash for Calories

New research
If you are having trouble sticking to your weight loss plan. How’s money for motivation? Foot Solutions at Chesapeake, offering a program called "Cash for Calories". We set a program that to find out of the short lived program that can really help you in the long run.

Well guys, when you hear about the promotion like cash for calories you probably wonder, what’s the cash? Well, I did some digging and found out, that depends on you!

Terry Erwin walks with purpose. So far, I have lost 10 pounds. Her ultimate goal is 80 but for the next 3 months, her mission is money. It is cash for calories and for every pound that somebody loses we would give them a store credit for five dollars. Foot Solutions in Chesapeake, is making the offer to the customers or in 

Terry’s case employees, who purchase walking poles or toning shoes. Right now, I am wearing the MBTs, which help burn 4 times more calories than any other shoe out there. How can shoe burn calories? We will get back to that in a minute. First, we want to know if a 3 month program can lead to lasting change. We asked an expert at Chesapeake regional life style center, I think, it depend on the individual. Beth Reitz, is used to set a programs for 20 years! There are sometimes have to dangle back here in front of them to get them to say, yeah! I am ready to lose weight. Some take the price then fall right of the treadmill. Other people, it really helps to jump start them and keep them going. Terry’s backing on the fact that seeing her slimmer self or keep her motivated.

Now, as for the shoes helping, we were skeptical. You know, I thought so too. Until we run into this woman in the lifestyle center. Suzy was wearing the same shoes. It straightens your shin and your thighs, it straightens your hips, and it straightens your back because you are walking properly. So, whether it’s shoes, money, or something else! Beth Reitz says, "Go for whatever motivates you!" In the end, all you have to lose is the weight. Beth Reitz also said, "Money does seem to be biggest motivator and you can do that at home." Just put a dollar or a maybe a five in a jar - every time you lose a pound then when you will reach your goal - you will have enough to buy all the new clothes you need.

Balance Walking for Exercise and Prevention

Introducing Pink pole balance walking

Your first step in taking in a stand against breast cancer with every step you take… 

        

Well welcome, welcome and welcome to our informational webinar on Balance walking…

Balance walking is all about Health, Wellness, Fitness and most importantly prevention.

The question always comes up, what is balance walking?

Answer: Balance walking is a form of exercise. It focuses on total body exercise approximately 90% of your muscles are used. It’s great for posture, it’s great for decreasing pressure on your joints, it’s a great calorie burner and enhances toning, and focuses on upper body, cardio workout, weight control and more… And by the way, it is also with the terrific prehab and rehab for breast cancer survivors.

Secondly, balance walking is fun and easy, anyone can do it! Regardless of your age, regardless of your size whether you are an athlete or not athlete, it is for everyone. Walking is the most basic life activity, in fact in United States alone there are about 130 Million walkers and less than 30 Million runners it is the easiest thing you can do, what makes you even more enjoyable is that it’s also social activity. You can chat, walk, talk and enjoy not only exercising but chatting with spouses and significant others, friends and neighbors. It is a great way to talk, walk and exercise!

The big idea is, the balance walking only acquires 15 minutes a day of your time and the time for a world 15 minutes a day to exercise and by the way 15 minutes balance walking equates to approximately 30 minutes of vigorous physical exercise so its time efficient.

The question always comes up, what is the importance of exercise?

Answer: Well here are3 two challenges:

1: The first challenge - breast surgery frequently resolves in decrease strength and range of motion of your affected shoulder and arms.

2: Second Challenge - About 25 to 30 % of woman treated for breast cancer develop lymphedema. Doctors do not fully understand why some patients are more likely to have problems with lymphedema with in others.

Here is what interesting, extending and working your arms through balance walking is not only great exercise but also, it improves your range of motion. Obviously important to individuals get there breast cancer surgery so we have challenges but here’s a benefit: the benefit is exercise training is emerging as a complimentary treatment for breast cancer and other medical challenges.

Recent research suggests that exercise is feasible and can help manage negative psychological side effects associated with cancer diagnosis and treatment. It helps build a positive attitude which is so much important for treatment. So, if you look at balance walking as a three legged school.

Leg example no. 1 - is the health benefits, health, exercise, wellness, range of motion, pressure of joints etc.

The first leg is out. The second is we call community outreach benefits that’s the socialization, that’s the ability of can turn to walking an exercising focusing on prevention. It’s also a way of sit and talk about sick but if walk and talk with friends and neighbors and catch up on days activity and share.

The third leg of the school is what we call fund raising benefits. This is directly related to your mission envision. You folks are fighting the battle everyday on a few noble causes, we have made 5 (five) dollars available for every balance walking set of poles that are purchased in direct attachment relationship to you and your organization.

Conclusion

Once again this is a way that, whether is a webinar whether is webcast whether is newsletter direct mail or email blast eventually its participated here is the way - you can not only distribute a great exercise platform and activity but also makes some money for your organization to learn more about that go to www.balancewalking.com . So, in conclusion it’s really a wonderful thing to be able to blend a great innovative fitness product design for health, wellness and exercise that’s easy and for every one and only takes fifteen minutes a day to and blend that with enterprise. We at Balanced Walking, a thrill that we have been able to blend, this very noble very important exercise regimen with full recipe and ways to help you raise money.

Call any for our team at any time. Where are committed to you committed to the fighting of the breast cancer and committed to serving. Call us and visit www.balancewalking.com. Thank you very much!

Our Feet are Always There for Us!

Our feet are always there for us.
They walk our first steps.
They attend our biggest adventures.
They carry us around the world.
They are happy about the summer.
They bring us closers to our goals.
They bring us success.
Therefore, our feet are only worthy of the best!!
Eases the joints, trains and shapes the muscles.
Ensures a sustainable better posture to the spine, because health starts with your feet!

Dangers of Wearing High Heels

Hi, I am Katie I came in here to Foot Solutions today because like mostly woman out there will probably wear stilettos 4, 5 days a week, I do the same thing. I have been told here by Dawson to cut back up a little bit but just can’t or so cute, but they are giving me a little bit of pain in the ballof my foot and then also towards the end of the day I noticed that my lower back starts to hurt little bit.

Dawson just how bad are stilettos for my feet - what exactly am I doing here to myself?

Well, first thing is to actually got a real tarsus to put largely in to front of your leg position that’s been placed on constant basis, so when you are walking, you are actually standing on your toes. As you take every step it begins to turn like this so you are talking about, that’s look familiar right there, so this is what you are doing - with every step and even when you are sitting down your foot is still in Solvating position naturally! Foot should be like this when you have 3 points contact from your feet and then tarsi so you should be walking like this on metatarsal. So what you are telling me that I am putting most of the pressure on my toes but mainly, this one here, to be exact.

OK! So is that where is the medial cuneiform comes from?

Well, it can! If your foot is walking to a certain motion is gonna go down to that and is going to adjust in any way possible to accommodate that motion and so if you turn in so your toe is going to turn in.

OK! Let’s say I do still want to wear stilettos, I will cut down it to three days a week I promise but no less what can I do at work to help relieve the pain a little bit?

Wear a good controlling shoe and while you are in that controlling shoe. It will be possible to control the arch because you know where this will go. It will fall in like that so Middle Phalange and not the foot beyond this is mostly the dept and then we understand, you still want to be fashion ate. So you can wear it as long as this temporary motion insists of consistence.

There you have it! Dawson from Foot Solutions bringing you better help for your feet!

A Bio-Engineered Ergonomic Solution

85% of the population need our products and lessen only 1% of our population currently is getting our product intervention. These kinds of problems that effect patients, workers and consumers worldwide can now have a new solution for the first time we can now start producing footwear that will actually change your health and improve your ability to stand for long appearance of time or reduce workers complains, prevent injuries, isolate or ergonomic and biomechanical problems.

The advantage we have with ergonomic footwear is we can change the life by improving the ergonomic stability of the foot interaction with the ground and the ability to foot control the body weight, motion and stress level as we walk and stand a performer work activity. We have now the tools as result of computer technology, we can now scan efficiently make ergonomic solutions available to them and will substantially improve the health and wellness of consumers worldwide.

Metatarsalgia Treatment – Balls of Foot Pain

"Metatarsalgia" is basically the discomfort experience and the forefoot which is spaces in balls of foot. I mean the facts of course the metatarsalgia heads - most which are the bones of course at make ends of the metatarsalgial bones. Metatarsalgia heads are basically the bones that make up ball the foot. And the most common of course area of pain would be the first metatarsalgial as well as second metatarsalgial heads. The joint of course is right behind the big toe. You can also be experience the others but the most common area of pain would be the big toe joint as well as second metatarsalgial head. Assuming here little bit, the solutions that we can offer for this type of discomfort. So, as I said, the pain is of course is most common experience in first and second metatarsalgial head and the metatarsalgias all over the ball foot where we would experience pain in some parts of foots, that’s of course we are trying to find solutions for you. I mean, when you experience of course pain in forefoot first thing you do is, get off the feet make sure you get proper amount of rest. If you do lot of activities, you play lot of sports in of course you want to probably maybe go from running to pool running or of course exciting, for example just make sure that this area right here has chance to of course recuperate from the excessive load has been placed on it.

At the same time, of course may want icy areas as well just to have reduce information and that will help reduce pain overtime also. However, make sure that you don’t rise more than 20 minutes of the time, to make sure that you are not burning skin. Now the other things of course first thing we usually recommend from metatarsalgia depending of course on where the location is, if you have pain on the big toe or of course second metatarsalgial head. There is metatarsalgia pads like these that usually of course can help offload pressure on stream metatarsalgial heads. These pads would be placed behind the balls foot in about this area and the idea here is of course to help off weight on the second, third and forth metatarsalgial head, as well as of course, if you position slightly differently you can lower the pressure of the first and second metatarsalgia head more substantially. Less pressure being off loaded on fourth and fifth!

If you want to low the pressure, take the pressure off the entire forefoot. Its options like metatarsalgial pads, these areas are little bit wider and the apex which is the highest point of course can spends accross and this can be place in this area to help of course off weight on all metatarsalgial heads that’s another option which is available. If you have lack of padding under the feet, that if the bones can almost pokes through the skin, you don’t have lot of cushioning left under the metatarsalgial bones, there is a metatarsalgial pads, padding of course metatarsalgial cushion, that can be added to the foot usually place in-between third and second toe that helps to restore some of that padding then has been lose through aging more on others to generated diseases. For dress shoes we have similar devices like these Joe pads here that can be added to a dress shoe. Also make sure that you footwear, it is quiet wide in front so you don’t want to have something that is too tight in the front will cause stress on the metatarsalgials. If you look for something that has broad toe box and lots of space free toes to move or waggle them around easily.

If you can get footwear, actually slopes upward slightly. This is also a perfect way to reduce pressure on the forefoot it is often metatarsalgial heads for that matter. Last but not least, the option is arch support, which you can add to your shoes, they will help offload some of the weight of the foot on to the arch area and help to reduce of course problems such as pronation I mean, crack the biomechanical expects of the foot and these things would be added to your shoes, support foot leather and reduce of course for in rotation of the foot which can also cause in excessive pressure on the of course plantar aspect of the big toe joint. If you continue to have new problems, please do see your physician to make sure there is not another underline problem that has not been correctly diagnosed.

Different Foot Pains and Experiences

There are number of foot problems that are categorized or found in/with the people experiences. In March 2012, IPFH.org took a little survey to find the common foot problem with respect to ages. The study shows that nearly 80% of people ages 21 have had experienced "foot pain" at least once. Moreover, there are about 59% of people who have experienced foot pain and had gone to specialists to address it.

It shows, women appear to suffer more foot illness than men and are considerably more likely than men suffering from Swelling, Plantar Fasciitis, Calluses, Foot Fatigue, Cracked Skin, Ingrown toenails, Blisters and Corns.

Here are some latest statistics of common foot problems found in Men and Women (below). However considerably there is less percentage of people facing foot problem (and getting good) in 2012, than in 2009!

1) Plantar Fasciitis

Plantar fasciitis is common. It is an inflammation of the thick tissue on the bottom of the foot.

Plantar fasciitis causes pain under the heel that goes in time. It is commonly found in people of 40-60 years. The graph of this problem risen 2% from 2009 – it has now affected 9% of people.

2) Heel Spurs

People open confuse the terms “heel supurs” and “plantar fasciitis” - these two diagnoses are related, but are not same. In Plantar fasciitis, the tissue forms the arch of the foot. While, heel spur is a hook of bone that can form on the heel bone and is associated with plantar fasciitis

Heel spur was found in 5% of people in 2009 that is down to 4% in USA!

3) Bunions

A bunion is unnatural condition, it happens when your big toe point towards the second toe. It causes a bump on the outside edge of toe. Bunions are more likely to run in families and the bone could become the sign of relation identification.

Bunions are more common in women than man. The graph of Bunions of 2012 and 2009 shows -1% decline where 6% of people faced bunion in 2009.

4) Achilles Tendonitis

Achilles tendonitis can be supposed as injury, caused by overuse to the muscle and usually occurs in middle aged athletic people. In 2012, only 3% of people are victim of this problem that is decreased from 4%, 2009.





 5) Arch Pain

Arch pain also referred as arch strain. It is commonly found in people with a typical flat feet structure problem

According to the survey, 15% of people faced Arch pain that is down to 12% in 2012 as a decline of -3%

6) Calluses

 
Calluses are mostly found inside of the big toe and on the balls-of-the-foot. Calluses can be especially painful to pressure. Women report this suffering more than man and 54% of adults were currently experiencing Calluses, Foot Fatigue, Cracked Skin, swelling and general Foot Pain. However, researchers found -4% decreases in this condition as compared to 2009 research. 




OK. I hope you enjoyed the above facts with me. Please let me know, if you have ever experienced foot pain - please reply with your age :)