Feet First
That pain in your feet may not mean what you think, according to a Butler podiatrist.
Dr. Anthony Smaldino of Family Foot Care, 104 Technology Drive, broke down the most common complaints he hears from his patients and what those symptoms indicate.
“There are a lot of misnomers or misconceptions with painful feet,” Smaldino said. “For instance, a lot of times when people get numbness, burning or some type of pain, they think of diabetes. Whereas, in fact, diabetes happens usually long before symptoms in feet.”
Smaldino said people classify painful feet as a diabetes indicator, when it's really a long-term symptom of the disease.
“Sometimes people look at it backward,” Smaldino said. “So people that have diabetes are the most at-risk health category of potential patients because of what diabetes does to their nervous system and — at times — their circulation.”
Although diabetes affects circulation, Smaldino said it's the damage to the nervous system that causes problems in the feet.
“It's usually a lack of sensation, not circulation,” Smaldino said. “Long-standing diabetes damages their neurological system. So once they have numb feet, then they can get a callus or a pressure sore and not know it's there because their feet are numb and not painful, which will lead to underlying ulcers beneath the calluses, which lead to infection.”
For diabetics, Smaldino said it's important to take preventive measures before symptoms develop in the feet.
He said routine podiatric checks of circulation and sensation are important at all stages of diabetes. Because feet may be numb, diabetic patients should also monitor feet for calluses, abrasions and even toenail fungus.
After diabetes symptoms, Smaldino said the second most common problem his patients face is heel pain.
“Another misnomer is that orthotics cure pain,” Smaldino said. “Arch supports do not cure pain or inflammation, but once we alleviate those pains and inflammation, orthotics could put people's feet in a better position to function.”
Smaldino said heel pain and problems in the arch of the foot often go together.
“People with flat feet have a loose bag of bones situation where their feet are very supple and they flatten out very easily, which leads to arch and heel pain,” he said. “People with extremely high-arched feet have feet that do not give and they pound the pavement a lot harder and they do not give at all.”
While orthotics help support arches, the key is in targeting heel pain first.
“So the heel pain needs treated, then the orthotics are used to assist in keeping the pain from returning,” Smaldino said.
At Family Foot Care, Smaldino said there's a focus on conservative treatments for problems in the feet to aid overall wellness.
“Podiatry in general is a very important piece of the comprehensive medical package or medical care,” Smaldino said.
