Say No to Sprains

Are you prone to sprains in your ankles? A sprained ankle occurs when your ankle ligaments are overstretched. Ankle sprains vary in their severity, from mild "twisted ankle" or "rolled ankle" sprain through to severe complete ligament ruptures, avulsion fractures or broken bones.

Sprains are a common injury in everyone, from your everyday Joe to professional athletes, however constant reoccurring sprains can be a sign of improper shoes, tight calves, a weak tibialis anterior muscle or overuse.

Almost half of all people who sprain their ankle once will experience additional ankle sprains and/or chronic pain. Having a rolled or sprained ankle in the past increases your future injury chance 40-70%. Many people don’t take a sprain as a serious injury, and in result do not allow for full healing and recovery time making ligaments loose and more prone to re-injury. Correct healing time and stretching/strengthening techniques are the key to lessen your chances of multiple injuries.

Visit us, at Carolina Foot Specialists, if you are suffering from any ankle or foot pain. Treatment and correct healing will ensure you a pain free future. Dr. Brown and Dr. Saffer are both experts on sports injuries and helping you get back to your regular routine quickly and safely.

Preparation is Key

It’s the most wonderful time of the year- racing season!
Many of you here in Charleston are beginning your rigorous training schedules for 5ks, 10ks, halves and full marathons. It’s hard to resist the urge to get outside and run as the weather turns nice, but we suggest you make sure your feet are race ready before hitting the pavement. Preparation is always key.

1- Get the right equipment.
This doesn’t mean buying the most expensive, professional running gear, but we always suggest investing in new shoes (or being refitted to make sure yours are correct for your feet) and grabbing some drifit/moisture wicking socks to prevent prolonged moisture as well as blisters.

2- Visit a podiatrist for pre-competition evaluations.
Making sure you don’t have any pre existing conditions is huge, especially when training for a longer endurance event. Discussing your foot form, running strides and any current issues can help Dr. Brown or Dr. Saffer direct you on the best path for safe training.

3- Utilize our Pre and Post Race Physical Therapy.
Strengthening specific muscles and muscle groups as well as proper stretching is vital to not only a successful race day, but also to injury free training.

For upcoming races around Charleston visit here.

Looking for a destination race? Visit here. 

Technology for your Toes

Most people don’t relate technology to the practice of podiatry.  However many tools greatly aid in the advancement of our treatments. At Carolina Foot Specialists we are proud to be able to offer the latest in treatment procedures, technological tools and continuing education for our staff.

Being able to provide our patients with in house digital x-rays and diagnostic ultrasounds have led to a much higher recovery rates and more accurate treatment plans. Diagnostic ultrasounds of the foot and ankle advance the prevention and treatment of wounds, detecting tendon and ligament pathology, and detecting soft tissue lesions and foreign bodies.

Digital x-rays provide instantaneous images for the doctors to review. The data is transferred to a computer where technicians can adjust the image for better quality, magnify the area that needs to be studied, or even decide if the image needs to be retaken.

For those who are concerned about the risks of radiation exposure, these digital
pictures are actually better than traditional X-rays.

Also, having the ability to custom make custom orthotics for individual issues and feet have greatly improved the health and well being of many of our patients.

While a lot of our work stems from knowledge and clinical diagnosis technology has not left podiatry behind. Come by and see us for happier feet and ankles today. 

Suffering from the Flat Foot Funk?

Flat feet are widely misunderstood, but not as severe as most think.

In a child’s foot the arch usually begins to form as they start standing on their toes and attempting to walk. Generally the absence of arch development is associated with pronation, a leaning inward of the ankle bones toward the center line. Shoes of children who pronate, when placed side by side, will lean toward each other (after they have been worn long enough for the foot position to remodel their shape). Most of these cases have no problems or pain associated with being flatfooted.

Adult-onset of flat feet, also known as painful progressive flatfoot or tibialis posterior tendonitis, refers to the inflammation of the tendon of the tibialis posterior. Left untreated, it may lead to severe disability and chronic pain. People are predisposed to tibialis posterior tendonitis if they have flat feet or an abnormal attachment of the tendon to the bones in the midfoot.

Along with conservative treatments such as icing, stretching and tapping Dr. Brown and Saffer are experts in custom orthotics to relief symptoms of painful progressive flat foot. Our own Dr. Saffer suffers with having Flat Feet but is still an avid 10k runner and athlete by using his knowledge of custom orthotic treatments.

Receive personal, local and expert care with Carolina Foot Specialists.