Practice good foot health when traveling.......

Published by The Freeport News

It's that time of year when Bahamians are trekking to various parts of the globe on their annual summer vacation. Whether you are planning to climb the Rocky Mountains, shop until you drop in Miami or explore one of our beautiful islands traveling can take a toll on your feet, and an injury can ruin your entire vacation.

Before you make your next trip, here are some sensible travel tips to follow for good foot health when traveling.

If you are experiencing any pain or discomfort with your feet or ankles visit a podiatrist to find out what's causing the problem and have it treated before traveling. Remember, foot pain is not normal!

Review your travel itinerary and the activities planned to determine the kinds of shoes you will need to pack. Wear comfortable, supportive walking or athletic shoes with proper arch support along with socks to alleviate discomfort and prevent blisters.

Do not take new shoes that have never been worn on vacation. It is a good idea to condition and prepare your feet and legs for the activities you plan to perform during your vacation.

For example, if you plan to do lots of walking, several weeks before your trip, begin a regular walking program wearing the shoes you plan to travel with. Include hills if your vacation destination has a hilly terrain.

This will help you to enjoy your vacation more and prevent aches, pains or injury that may accompany a new workout routine.

When flying or driving for long periods of time, there is an increased risk of Deep Vein Thrombosis (DVT), which is a blood clot in the legs, especially if you have additional risk factors such as a recent surgery, bed rest, cancer, are older than 40 years, are obese and smoke.

The risk of developing a DVT from air travel is strongly linked to age, it's uncommon in young people and very common in the elderly. Studies have shown that three to five percent of travelers develop clots in their veins related to travel however precise numbers are very difficult to determine because travelers often have no symptoms and are unaware that they developed a clot.

An article published in The Lancet in 2001 estimated that one million cases of DVT related to air travel occur in the United States every year and that 100,000 of these persons die.

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), recommends when traveling for more than four hours you should get up and move around every two hours, drink plenty water, stay hydrated, reduce alcohol or caffeine consumption, avoid crossing your legs and exercise by flexing your feet and ankles, wiggle your toes and unlace your shoes if your feet swells.

Always wear shoes or sandals while walking on the sand to prevent foot injuries from the hot sand and objects that may be hidden beneath the sand.

Walking barefoot exposes the feet to sunburn, as well as the virus that causes plantar warts, fungus that causes athlete's foot or nail fungus and many other infections. Persons with diabetes should never walk barefoot, indoors or outside.

For persons with lighter complexions, be sure to apply sunscreen to your legs and feet while basking in the sun. Apply sunscreen to the tops of your feet and legs regularly, at least every three to four hours to prevent sunburns and to protect against the harmful UV rays of the sun.

Take along a foot first aid kit and be prepared in case of a minor foot problem.

Pack adhesive bandages (eg. Band-Aids), foot pads, talcum powder, antibiotic or first aid cream and nail clippers in your toiletry bag. If you injure your foot or ankle while away, seek professional attention from a podiatrist.

After a long day of sightseeing, shopping, walking, hiking or whatever you have planned for your vacation, treat your feet well, massage them, rest them and keep them elevated, after all you will need them to do it all over again the next day.

Please call the Foot, Ankle & Lower Leg Center office anytime @702-878-2455 between Monday – Friday and we would be happy to set up an appointment for you.  Please visit our website @ www.FallCenter.com or www.walkwithdiabetes.com.   The Foot, Ankle & Lower Leg Center has Diagnostic imaging:  Digital X-Rays, Ultrasound or Advanced Imaging will be used to aid in the diagnosis.

Dr. Anthony Ricciardi at the Foot, Ankle & Lower Leg Center has completed training in endoscopic/minimally invasive surgery for chronic heel pain and nerve pain, foot and ankle joint replacement for restoring pain free motion, arthroscopic surgery, bunion surgery, fracture repair, flat foot correction, external fixation for complex deformities and extensive experience in peripheral nerve surgery including diabetic peripheral neuropathy and reconstructive surgery of previously failed foot surgical procedures.  In addition to his surgical training Dr. Ricciardi focuses on sports medicine of the foot and ankle through regenerative techniques using the patient’s own blood/platelets for healing chronic foot and ankle problems (pain) as a result of repetitive sport injuries.  This cutting edge technology enables patients to continue training with little or no down time.  Dr. Ricciardi continues to be active in teaching and training other podiatric surgeons on innovative surgical techniques in foot surgery.  Dr. Ricciardi is Board Certified by the American Board of Podiatric Surgery, a Fellow of the American College of Foot and Ankle Surgeons and Fellow of the Association of Extremity Nerve Surgeons.  Dr. Ricciardi’s vision is to bring each patient the most current state of the Art Technology and personalized treatment options to meet their Foot and Ankle needs (from conservative care to surgical options).  Dr. Ricciardi believes in quality service and puts his patients first!