Items filtered by date: December 2019

When you have a broken foot in a cast and you can’t put any pressure on it for at least a month, you have a major mobility issue. It’s bad enough that you’ll be unable to participate in many of your favorite activities during this time. But you still need to be able to get around at work, the market and your home and neighborhood. Of course, there are always crutches. But these, while relatively inexpensive, present some problems:

They limit upper body movement
They may not be comfortable
They are cumbersome
It can be difficult to maneuver
Higher risk of losing balance and falling
You may want to consider a knee scooter for a broken foot. This device looks somewhat like a child’s scooter but it has an elevated padded platform where the patient can rest a bended knee comfortably. It has wheels and handlebars which are used to navigate the scooter. It requires no upper body strength to operate. Crutches vs. knee scooter? There’s really no question there. The scooter is far superior. Let’s look at some reasons why: Your text to link…

Why is a Knee Scooter Better?
Stability

Your body is supported by the scooter. You can’t trip and fall. A purse or any bags can be placed in the scooter’s basket so they won’t affect your balance.

Speed

Trying to get even a few feet with crutches is exhausting. The scooter allows you to get where you’re going quickly without tiring yourself.

Maneuverability

The scooter can make tight turns easily without risk of losing balance and falling.

Use of a knee scooter also eliminates muscle strain and lower back pain that can result from using crutches.

Selecting a Knee Scooter
There are many different models, so you must be sure to try out your scooter and make sure it fits your needs. Make sure it glides along easily. You shouldn’t have to push hard to make it move. It should be easy to steer, even around tight corners. You should feel balanced as you operate it. The knee pad should feel supportive and be adjustable. The handlebars should also be adjustable. Make sure the brakes work well, too. Be sure to get a model with a basket so your hands are completely free at all times. Take your time. Don’t be pressured into choosing a model that doesn’t feel right for you. Ask about rentals, too. No need to buy an item you’ll need only for a short time.

Knee scooters can be purchased or rented from medical supply houses, some pharmacies, and some retailers.

As you can see, crutches vs. knee scooter isn’t much of a contest. Using a knee scooter instead of traditional crutches will make your recovery time much more pleasant and comfortable.

The ankle strain vs ankle sprain debate has confused people for several years. While they’re nothing alike, it sometimes can be hard to tell the difference between a strain and a sprain. A sprain occurs when you stretch or tear your ligaments. You can treat a mild sprain at home, while you may need surgery to help repair a torn ligament from a severe sprain.

Carrying on with the ankle strain vs ankle sprain debate, a strain happens when you sprain the bands of tissues that connect the bones in that area. It can damage the muscle or tissue that connects the bone to the muscle. While a strain is also stretching or tearing of that area if often happens in the muscle or tendon area. Here are the common signs of sprains and strains, and what to do when it becomes serious.

Symptoms

The symptoms among sprains and strains will vary on how severe the problem is. But the most common symptoms include bruising, pain, and swelling. You may notice that there’s limited movement in the affected area. If you sprain or strain your ankle, you may hear a popping sound in the joint area at the time of the injury or accident.

Causes

Sprains happen when you overuse a ligament while baring stress or weight onto it. Sprains often take place in the ankle, knee, thumb, or wrist area. Children are more prone to fractures than sprains they have an increase in softer tissues, known as growth plates, that are located on the bones. Since the ligaments surrounding the joint is stronger than the growth plates, children are more likely to have a fracture than a sprain.

Risk Factors

There are several risk factors associated with sprains and strains. Some of those risk factors depend on environmental conditions, fatigue, and poor equipment.

Prevention

Strengthening and stretching your muscles for fitness, sport, or work activities can prevent your risk of sprains and strains. This involves staying in shape and following your exercise routine. However, you shouldn’t participate in a sport in an effort to stay in shape. If your job is physically demanding, then regular conditioning exercises can reduce your risk of injuries.

You can also prevent strains and sprains by conditioning and strengthening the muscles surrounding the joint that was hurt. What you should do is invest in a muscle brace. Your doctor can also provide examples of conditioning and stability exercises. You should also wear footwear that offers protection and support of your ligaments and bones.

When to See Your Doctor

There are several situations in which you need to talk to your doctor after spraining or straining your ankle. While you can treat a sprain at home, it could lead to other problems like fractures. You should book an appointment with Dr. Pedram Aslmand immediately if you experience numbness in the affected area. You should also see your doctor if the affected joint doesn’t move, or you experience pain on the bone of that injured joint.

In addition, The National Institute of Arthritis and Musculoskeletal and Skin Diseases has listed several ways to prevent strains and sprains. This involves avoiding falls, maintaining a healthy weight, and wearing the right equipment for the sport you play.

Gout is one of those illnesses that most people never consider, yet it’s distressingly common. Figuring out if you have gout, though, can be difficult. It does share symptoms with several other conditions and it takes professional help to get a diagnosis. If you’re concerned that you might have gout, though, it helps to look at the basic symptoms. According to Dr. Pedram Aslmand, these are some of the more common gout symptoms in the foot.

Painful Big Toe

 The go-to symptom when discussing gout is a pain in your big toe. When your body is unable to properly break down uric acid, it can lead to a buildup of the substance in your blood and eventually to the buildup of uric acid crystals around your joints. When you have gout, there’s a very good chance that these crystals will have made their way all the way down to the joint of your big toe. It’s important to note that the pain from gout isn’t a simple ache or even a brief stab – even having the area lightly touched can be excruciating.

Lumps and Bumps

When gout occurs, it’s due to the buildup of urate in your blood. In some cases, this buildup can also lead to the formation of crystalized uric acid near your joints. These mounds of crystals have the appearance of strange lumps or bumps on the skin, which are called tophi. The good news is that tophi aren’t permanent and can go away once you get treatment. The bad news, though, is that tophi are a sign that your gout has progressed significantly and they tend to accompany other, more painful symptoms.

Swelling Joints

This is another one of those gout symptoms in the foot that is both a tell-tale sign of gout and that is often ignored by those who have little experience with the condition. It’s very common for uric acid to build up in the area around the joint, leading to significant swelling. This is often seen around the big toe, but it can also occur at other joints. If you experience significant swelling around your joints in addition to the other symptoms listed here, there is a very good chance that you have gout.

Pain in your big toe, the appearance of tophi, and swelling in your joints are all signs that you might have gout. If you are experiencing any of these symptoms, it’s a good idea to meet with a physician. Gout is a very treatable illness, but it isn’t something with which you can deal on your own. If you think that you might have gout, make sure that you seek out medical treatment today.