WTF-What the Foot

  Welcome to What the Foot, the podcast where we explore cutting-edge and natural approaches to health and well-being of your feet. I’m your host, Dr Dennis Timko, and today we’re continuing our podcast series about Red Light Therapy.  Last podcast we went over what Red light therapy was and how it works and what type of problems it can help with.  Today I will go over my protocol on how I treat certain foot ailments especially neuropathy. Lets get you started on your journey with a non-surgical option to improve your foot pain or assist you in faster healing.  Call us for a consultation or set up your appointment online by clicking here.  I will add a special link down below for anyone that looking to buy a new red light panel that I recommend highly. Referral code https://snwbl.io/platinumled-therapy-lights/CFBCN1856       Make an Appointment Eureka Location Telemedicine Appointment LocationsEureka Telemedicine Visit Recent Posts Treatment Protocol for Peripheral Neuropathy Red Light Therapy for Peripheral Neuropathy Why most elective foot surgeries are not necessary? Alternative treatments for foot pain and how ibuprofen broke my ankle Halloween Edition-Bloody Ingrown Toenails Common Foot Problems Heel Pain Sports injuries Running injuries Fungus Toenails Ingrown toenail care Pediatric Foot Buy Supplments Accepted Insurance Plans Health insurance plans in Missouri that Arch City Foot & Ankle are contracted to: United Health Care Blue Cross and Blue Shield Anthem BCBS Medicare Medicaid Railroad Medicare Cigna Aetna GHP Advantra Mercy Healthlink Healthcare USA Tricare Wellcare Please contact the office if your insurance plan is not listed above. The post Treatment Protocol for Peripheral Neuropathy appeared first on Arch City Foot & Ankle.

  Red light therapy is emerging as a potent treatment that supports the body’s healing properties including foot and ankle problems and painful neuropathy and it may be a valuable complement to doctor-prescribed treatments for neuropathy, pain and numbness in the feet. Light has long been used for healing, but in recent years scientists have isolated the benefits of specific wavelengths of light. Red and near infrared light appear to have the greatest range of benefits, with little to no side effects. Red and near infrared (NIR) light works on the body in much the same way as sunlight does in plants by increasing cellular energy production and metabolism. This causes a beneficial ripple effect on the treatment area that promotes healing from the inside out. Nerve cells respond well to the biostimulating effects of red and near infrared (NIR) light, making this natural treatment an effective therapy for neuropathic pain.  Nerve cells that are completely severed may or may not regrow on their own, but red light has been shown to stimulate cellular metabolism and support the growth of new peripheral nerves. This can bridge the gap and restore sensation to feet that suffer from numbness. Nerve cells that are crushed may or may not recover but again. However, red light therapy supports the growth of new peripheral nerves. Nerve cells that are damaged by inflammation or other conditions can be supported by red light therapy. They may regain normal functioning in just a few months of consistent treatment. Two elements directly involved in nerve healing and regeneration are Schwann cells and fibroblasts. Schwann cells are specialized peripheral nervous system cells that mobilize in response to nerve damage. They form the myelin sheath, which is the protective layer that surrounds nerves and allows for fast communication. Fibroblasts are cells found in connective tissue. They help form the fibers necessary to reconnect severed or damaged tissue. They signal Schwann cells to regrow peripheral nerves.  Red Light Therapy helps support this process. Red light therapy is an umbrella term that includes the most beneficial red wavelengths (630-660nm) and NIR wavelengths (810-850nm) for easing neuropathy pain, reducing inflammation, and increasing blood flow. It uses FDA-cleared medical-grade light-emitting diodes (LEDs) to deliver concentrated wavelengths of red and/or near-infrared light where it absorbs deep into the tissues to stimulate cells to perform at their best. Lets get you started on your journey with a non-surgical option to improve your foot pain or assist you in faster healing.  Call us for a consultation or set up your appointment online by clicking here.        Make an Appointment Eureka Location Telemedicine Appointment LocationsEureka Telemedicine Visit Recent Posts Treatment Protocol for Peripheral Neuropathy Red Light Therapy for Peripheral Neuropathy Why most elective foot surgeries are not necessary? Alternative treatments for foot pain and how ibuprofen broke my ankle Halloween Edition-Bloody Ingrown Toenails Common Foot Problems Heel Pain Sports injuries Running injuries Fungus Toenails Ingrown toenail care Pediatric Foot Buy Supplments Accepted Insurance Plans Health insurance plans in Missouri that Arch City Foot & Ankle are contracted to: United Health Care Blue Cross and Blue Shield Anthem BCBS Medicare Medicaid Railroad Medicare Cigna Aetna GHP Advantra Mercy Healthlink Healthcare USA Tricare Wellcare Please contact the office if your insurance plan is not listed above. The post Red Light Therapy for Peripheral Neuropathy appeared first on Arch City Foot & Ankle.

The post Why most elective foot surgeries are not necessary? appeared first on Arch City Foot & Ankle.

We have been taught by many years of practice and schooling that traditionally our first treatment of choice and the standard of care for chronic and acute pain is the use of anti-inflammatory medication. This can include oral medicine or injectable types. But……it’s not a cure…..just a bandaid for the pain and they’re cheap bandaids. Listen to my podcast about how we can battle foot pain with alternative medicines and why I think they work better than OTC and prescription medications. What type of problems cause foot pain?  Acute vs Chronic.  We are going focus on general foot pain. List of foot problems that cause pain and can be treated safely with foot pain alternative treatments -Arthritis  -PF -ingrown toenails -sprains -broken bones -even fungal toenails cause pain -Bone bruises  -cartilage damage -Tendinitis Listen in for some great suggestions for alternative food supplements that will help reduce your inflammation. Very good article that lists all herbal medicines that I talk about in this podcast that will help with foot pain alternative treatments https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4877453/ Article about the importance of Omega 3/6 on reducing inflammatory phases in the https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/16841861/ We have a new online patient ordering program! You can now get your Standard Process®, MediHerb®, and Standard conveniently from us. Contact our office for details. Sign up for Patient Direct at http://www.standardprocess.com. If you would like to have your Omega 3 and Omega 6 test simply with a finger prick test that here in Arch City Foot and Ankle can help. Check out this video about the test for more details. http://vimeo.com/408012742 Home Foot arthritis pain The post Alternative treatments for foot pain and how ibuprofen broke my ankle appeared first on Arch City Foot & Ankle.

Welcome back to What the Foot podcast and Happy Halloween. With winter on the way and the end of open toes shoes and sandals, we are going to discuss ingrown toenails, why we get them, how to fix them, and how to prevent them. I will also explain little about me and about why the delay in my podcast recording. Fracturing my ankle has helped me understand what my patients go through on the other side of anesthesia and how Brazilian jiu jitsu helped turn my life around.  Find me at https://feetdoc.com Ingrown toenail care https://www.facebook.com/stlfeetdoc Enjoy the show. The post Halloween Edition-Bloody Ingrown Toenails appeared first on Arch City Foot & Ankle.

Welcome to the 2nd episode of WTF podcast.  Want to learn something good and something bad about Obamacare?  What does healthcare in Bosnia have in common with Obamacare?  We will tell you here. Listen to our first review on the Powerstep over-the-counter arch support with our own “Buy it, Try it, or Fry it” options. Lis Franc sport injuries?  What are they and why Allen Craig will have a tough time returning to baseball this year during the MLB playoffs.  Lis Franc joint injuries are very common in professional athelets and can cause significant loss of playing time.  I will discuss the recovery time for this injury in my podcast. WTF Episode 2- Bosnia vs Obamacare, Allen Craig foot injury by Dr. Dennis Timko http://content.blubrry.com/thefootguypodcast/WTF_Episode_2.m4a Dr. Dennis M. Timko Podiatrist Dr. Dennis Timko, is a podiatrist in the St. Louis, Eureka, MO. area. Dr. Timko specializes in diabetic foot care, foot surgery, AFOs, and orthotics. Dr. Timko is the solo owner of Arch City Foot & Ankle, which has been in business since 2003. The post WTF Episode 2- Bosnia vs Obamacare, Allen Craig foot injury appeared first on Arch City Foot & Ankle.

Read and even listen to our Foot podcast and how easy it is to test for neuropathy in the foot. What’s the difference between a large and small sensory nerve in the foot that can cause numbness problems?  How do you test for sensory neuropathy?  This article and radio show are about testing for numbness in the foot.  We also have more information on vitamin treatments for neuropathy in our website on foot and ankle problems. Sensory examination The most important exam for testing for neuropathy in the foot is the neurological physical examination in the office. This exam consists of deep tendon reflex, proprioceptive exam, sharp and dull touch, warm and cold temperature testing and vibratory sensation. All these simple tests can tell us important information that doesn’t require expensive tests, MRIs, or biopsies. There are mainly 2 different types of sensory nerves in the foot, large fiber and small fiber (2 sub-types). The small are composed of two sub-types, the C fiber that is thin (diameter 0.4-1 micrometer) and unmyelinated (no insulator or myelin). The second type is the more rapid, thinly myelinated A-delta fiber (1-5 micrometer in diameter). Both carry types of pain sensation and other sensations (intense pressure, cold, and others depending on the receptor type). The large fibers carry touch and pressure as well as joint position sense. These fibers are myelinated, hence faster in conducting impulses from the periphery to the brain. When you touch a hot plate for example, you will feel pain/hot right away, that is the A-delta fibers, and then later (seconds or minute later) you feel deep achy burning pain, that is the slow C fiber. EMG/NCS (nerve conduction studies) measures only the faster (large nerves) and does not exclude the possibility of small fiber neuropathy if it is normal. Therefore, to test the small nerves you will need a ENFD as shown below.  One of my favorite lecturers in podiatry is Dr. Allen Jacobs.  You can listen to his excellent perspective on how to test for neuropathy.   4 simple ways to test for neuropathy in the foot by Dr. Dennis Timko http://content.blubrry.com/thefootguypodcast/WTF_episode_11-Nerve_testing.m4a Dr. Dennis M. Timko Podiatrist Dr. Dennis Timko, is a podiatrist in the St. Louis, Eureka, MO. area. Dr. Timko specializes in diabetic foot care, foot surgery, AFOs, and orthotics. Dr. Timko is the solo owner of Arch City Foot & Ankle, which has been in business since 2003. The post 4 simple ways to test for neuropathy in the foot appeared first on Arch City Foot & Ankle.

Happy 4th of July!  Listen to this episode if you want to learn the difference between difference between orthotics and over the counter arch supports? Arch Supports & Orthotics: Do we really need them? If you are listening to this you probably had or are currently dealing with foot pain. Learn my recommendations for my favorite OTC foot orthotics. Why are custom orthotics expensive?  What foot problems and are they used for? Arthritis,  neuromas, foot pain, flat feet, pediatric foot problems, heel pain, plantar fascitiis, diabetics, and wounds. Why I don’t recommended them for everyone? We have a special quest will blow your mind about foot orthotics. Everyone has different foot types How are they made and what makes custom? From the evaluation, biomechanics to the casting technique and the production and materials. Weight and foot type contribute to what type of orthotics you may need. How much are foot orthotics and OTC arch supports? Why attorneys and the highly litigious world can contribute to the increasing prescribed use of foot orthotics? How do you get foot orthotics made?  Make an appointment today to get casted. Orthotics vs OTC Arch Supports by Dr. Dennis Timko https://content.blubrry.com/thefootguypodcast/Orthotics_vs_OTC_arch_supports-7_3_17_12_51_PM.m4a Dr. Dennis M. Timko Podiatrist Dr. Dennis Timko, is a podiatrist in the St. Louis, Eureka, MO. area. Dr. Timko specializes in diabetic foot care, foot surgery, AFOs, and orthotics. Dr. Timko is the solo owner of Arch City Foot & Ankle, which has been in business since 2003. The post Foot Orthotics VS Arch Supports appeared first on Arch City Foot & Ankle.

Learn how to get your infant to walk sooner you must listen to this podcast. Learn from a podiatrist point of view on why infant walkers can deceive the average parent and are not a healthy choice for infant foot development and to get your little one walking sooner. As a foot doctor/podiatrist and now father of a 11 month old boy, I have been more careful to acknowledge pediatric foot problems.  Luckily my son does not have any noticeable foot abnormalities, but I have learn something about infant walkers that I wanted to share with other parents. Infant foot development can be delayed by infant walkers.  First reason is that they allow the infant to sit in the chair without allowing the infant to fully use their abdominal or lower back muscles for balance.  Those muscles are crucial in the development in walking and the gait cycle.  Studies have shown that these walkers can impair a child’s motor and mental development. The second reason is that they are not safe and there has been an increase in infant walker accidents and even deaths.  The third reason is that they need their  eye sight to see there feet that will allow for better posture and foot-eye coordination and depth perception and an infant walker usually blocks the eyes from seeing the feet.  The fourth reason and most important one from a podiatrist stand point, is that most walkers are not short enough to allow the feet to be flat on the ground.  This will cause the infant to walk on the toes more causing an equinus foot shape and causing infant foot development to be changes and future foot deformities possible.  Equinus deformity can lead to toe walking, which can lead to many foot, ankle, knee, and lower back problems when the child gets older. Bonus podcast information on why I feel that Western medicine is not as helpful as Eastern medicine such as Acupuncture, naturopathy, etc.  Hear about by recent experience with acupuncture by listening to this podcast. Also if you are looking for another option for a baby walker and here’s my suggestion for a way to give your back a break without hurting your child’s developmental process on learning to walk. Infant Walkers Are Not Safe by Dr. Dennis Timko https://content.blubrry.com/thefootguypodcast/WTF_episode-14_Infant_walkers_are_not_safe.m4a Dr. Dennis M. Timko Podiatrist Dr. Dennis Timko, is a podiatrist in the St. Louis, Eureka, MO. area. Dr. Timko specializes in diabetic foot care, foot surgery, AFOs, and orthotics. Dr. Timko is the solo owner of Arch City Foot & Ankle, which has been in business since 2003. The post Infant walkers are not healthy for infant foot development appeared first on Arch City Foot & Ankle.

Should HIPPA and patient privacy include professional athletes health history? Since I’m doing a podcast on foot and ankle injuries of professional athletes, mainly baseball, I thought I would discuss my feelings on privacy of health information in athletes. I hear, see and read about it almost everyday.  Player “XYZ” is getting an MRI next week for a ankle sprain?  Or “player XYZ” is having a visit with Dr. Andrews which usually means TJ surgery in the near future.  It is part of the games.  It is human nature.  We are not perfect and will sustain to injuries, especially, at the speed and competition of a professional athlete.  My feeling is that those athletes are in a different category then the average person both financially and physically.  It is part of the entertainment business once your are past the collegiate years. The teams that they play on have their own HIPAA (health insurance portability and accountability Act) regulations. It allows there coaches and front office personnel make important financial decisions. Would you sign a player for millions if you didn’t know if he had chronic plantar fascitiis AKA, Albert Pujols? As a foot doctor, the St. Louis Cardinals did the right thing by letting him go!  Or knowing that the second baseman from the Boston Red Sox had a finger injury lingering all year? But I see the one reason a player may not want to disclose their injury would be to not let the opponent know that they have a weakness. Here are my thoughts on privacy of professional athletes health records. Yes, we need to know why those athletes are hurt. Even from a physician who supports HIPPA in his own practice. Players make more money than the average person, a significant amount of more money. The average mlb salary for 2013 was up 5.4% to $3.39 million. The average US wage in 2012 was $42,498. The minimum wage for a MLB player in 2014 is $500,000! That’s earnings that an average American will take 12+ years to reach. The fans, who pay most of their salaries, spend millions on going to games, buying memorabilia, playing daily, weekly, yearly and fantasy leagues. I don’t include gambling on teams wins or loses in Vegas because fantasy is more of a strategy and takes educated thought processes by calculating statistics and not as much luck driven (except head to head football and baseball points leagues) but that’s another issue we will not get into. If I’m going to spend over $300 (See Yankees vs Cardinals May 27, 2014) for one ticket, $10 for a beer, $6 for a hot dog (well I’m a vegetarian so for me a veggie burger or cheese pizza will do just fine), etc, then I want to know if my player will be performing that day and if they are not, then why. As long as the disclosed injury is related to their performance on the field or court then I see no problem of releasing patient health information in professional athletes. I don’t want to know if they have a STD or are a diabetic or have cancer or other type of autoimmune disease or chronic internal disease. With my fantasy baseball season starting in a few weeks, I’m always trying to get an edge on my competition with the latest news and information on the players.  I just want to win my league and know the truth that pertains to their statistical success and of course my home-team winning too. And in more WTF news our Fantasy Baseball foot and ankle injury report…. Listen to our podcast to get some information on ingrown toenails in baseball players and how that might or might not affect their performance.  Learn about how we treat ingrown toenails and see photo of Bryce Harpers ingrown toenail that he tweeted last year and what to expect if a professional athlete has one and what is the recovery time.  We discuss player injury status of Toronto Blue Jay’s short stop Jose Reyes’s ankle, Geovany Soto recent foot surgery, and more foot and ankle sports injuries to help you in your fantasy season preparation. Should professional athletes health information be public or private? by Dr. Dennis M. Timko http://content.blubrry.com/thefootguypodcast/WTF_episode-13_HIPAA.m4a Dr. Dennis M. Timko Podiatrist Dr. Dennis Timko, is a podiatrist in the St. Louis, Eureka, MO. area. Dr. Timko specializes in diabetic foot care, foot surgery, AFOs, and orthotics. Dr. Timko is the solo owner of Arch City Foot & Ankle, which has been in business since 2003. The post Should professional athletes health information be public or private? appeared first on Arch City Foot & Ankle.