Rheumatoid Arthritis

Arthritis is not one disease but, in fact, scores of musculoskeletal disorders with many different causes. Arthritis damages bones, joints, muscles, cartilage, and other connective tissues. Arthritis can dramatically limit the activity of those who suffer from it. Rheumatoid Arthritis (RA) is a chronic, systemic autoimmune disease that primarily attacks the lining of the joints, causing painful swelling that can lead to bone erosion and joint deformity. If not addressed, RA is especially damaging to the joints of the feet and hands.

Will My Kids Inherit My Foot Problems? Transcript

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Welcome back to another episode of the foot wellness chat powered by foot solutions and again my name is brian scott vp of strategic growth and i’m here with the miss donna robertson chief pedorthist thank you very much yes so miss donna the question of the day so i have right here some shoes what is the difference between a poorly designed shoe and a very well-designed shoe that we offer here at foot solutions can you speak to this i would be glad to thank you very much first of all let me say that if you’re having foot issues foot pain you do not want to just go to a department store and pick up a shoe that you that has been highly advertised as cushioning or eliminating this discomfort and think that it will do the same for you you ha you need to address your own individual foot needs we all walk from point a to point b differently we get there at different steps length or step length different stride as far as and foot position so i would not suggest that anyone go out on their own analysis of their foot to address a severe problem that could be occurring that would lead further up the kinetic chain and destroy other joints and expecting it to resolve all of their issues a lot of times what it does it transfers the issues to other areas if the foot is not supported correctly with a highly technical shoe that has been analyzed they have consulted with the allied healthcare professionals on foot care as well as foot structures that’s needed for the foot standing walking even sitting and resting so that’s what these shoes have been done or have been addressed in those issues the shoe that i’m talking about here is a very controlled anti-pronated but it also is an anti-supinated shoe as well so it’s a good neutral virtual positioning when we look at the last of the shoe you want the straighter the last this is the last which is the shape and the function of the shoe so if you have a curved shoe you have loss of stability there’s a lot more flexibility in the shoe the straighter the less the more stable the more direction of force is occurring in the appropriate alignment that your foot needs to be in with this shoe also has a wider heel base a wide midfoot base which supports the full plantar surface of the foot the sole of the shoe should always match the positioning of your ankles medial and lateral aspect of the ankle as well as the full base of the foot now this shoe also should be wide allowing for toe positioning of the first and the fifth metatarsals because anything that’s narrow or has a lot more flare or curve to it can create abnormal pressures on the bottom of the foot creating bunions bunionettes hammertoes or complete dysfunction so also with that we want a good center of axis of that sole base then as we look further into the shoe you have darker eva foam which is more dense it’s firmer so it is you can see it’s lower here so it has more of a rocker function so it allows contact good heel positioning for heel contact during your gait dorsiflexing the foot as you move forward and muscles start to innovate and to move that foot in that process of gait the gait cycle then when you get to mid midfoot pressures here this is where we see the majority of our issues in the pedorthic world because this is where you stay the longest on your foot during the gait cycle then you want if the if the shoe allows for the foot to move medially or laterally pronate or supinate then that delays the toe off process and that’s where the knee and the hip the pain is referred to that or the stresses so if the foot if the shoe is supportive in this area appropriately for your foot type and foot function then it guides you to toe off that late mid stance to propulsion and toe off and then that gastronimus fires off elevating that the calcaneus then moving the foot forward and you have a complete plantar flexion of that toe off so the foot is supported during the gait cycle and then you’re ready for the next heel contact when we look at specific shoes and let’s say that someone comes in with bunions you want to make sure that you appropriately select shoes that does not have stitching that goes right over that first metatarsal joint that could lead to more bursitis or inflammation of the bursa sac as well as a bunionette a relief also if they have hammer toes any type of corns that have developed on the dorsum or the top part of the toes due to an injury or loss of muscle strength within the foot they’re unable to toe off you’re eliminating pressure here but the technology of the shoe allows for your foot to move forward and actively engage those muscles so yes when you come to foot solutions those issues are addressed by a complete foot analysis also looking at your footwear the footwear you came in with that has actually led to some of your problems so the foot may be enclosed but if it’s not guided from heel to toe in the direction then you have a breakdown in the whole kinetic chain and injuries will occur prevention of these injuries is your best direction awesome well thank you so much for that miss donna well there you have it until next time you heard it here on the foot wellness chat powered by foot solutions thanks so much for joining us

Symptoms, Causes and Common Treatments