1 Foot 2 Foot

Your Foot is Saying… Did you know that your feet speak to your podiatrist? You can consider us the ‘Foot Whisperers’. I know I am poking fun but there is validity to the fact that your feet can shed light on medical conditions that may be affecting the rest of your body. I would like to present a few scenarios in which we can hear your Foot Speak.

You enjoyed a delicious seafood dinner with a glass of wine. Within some hours, something unusual begins to happen to your big toe joint. It becomes red, hot, swollen and painful. Foot Speak: Help, crystals are hurting me! What we hear is that you may be experiencing a gouty attack. Gout is a condition that can be caused by having high amounts of uric acid. Certain foods, like seafood, contain high amounts of purine. When purine breaks down, it becomes uric acid. High amounts of uric acid levels can cause crystals to develop resulting in pain and inflammation to a joint. The most commonly affected joint is the big toe joint.

How about sleepy feet? Have your toes and other parts of your feet felt like they were trying to take a nap? They tingle, with an overwhelming sensation of pins and needles. Foot Speak: Help, I don’t feel the same way like I used to! What we hear is that your nerves are being affected in such a manner which is causing them to respond differently. High blood sugar, vitamin deficiencies and kidney disease are some medical conditions that can cause a nerve disorder known as neuropathy. Neuropathy is a collection of nerve disorders that affect how your nerves detect sensations and control muscle movement.

You might even have been going for your evening walk, your calf muscle cramps up and you have to stop and rest. This is usually happens after you walk about 5 blocks. Foot Speak: Help, I am not getting enough oxygen! What we hear is that your muscles are not getting enough blood, which will result in lack of oxygen. Blockage in your leg arteries can cause this decrease in blood flow. This is known as peripheral arterial disease (PAD). There is a strong connection between PAD and blockage of the arteries in the heart, known as coronary artery disease (CAD).

These were a few examples of systemic conditions in your body that may be identified in the feet before showing signs at their source. We at 1Foot2Foot work as a team with your primary care & other specialty physicians to remedy these situations with early detection and proper treatment. From head to toes, we aim to have you in tip-top shape, and we won’t tip-toe around it.

My name is Dr. Daria Dalrymple and I am a foot whisperer.