2nd Annual Nike Women Half Marathon Hosted in DC

Hey all you FFA bloggers out there! If you follow us on Facebook, you would know that recently the FFA running team completed the 2nd Annual Nike Women’s Half Marathon! werundc !! It was great running weather and as always Nike hosted a great weekend full of amazing events; from the packet pick up, personalized billboard welcome, all the way to the finisher’s boutique!


It was a tough race because we really didn’t have enough time to recover and retrain from our last team race on St. Patty’s day. In order to beat our own personal records for this course it was a tough battle for each of us! We were all triumphant and managed to break our personal records from last year. Next year we hope to continue the trend!


If you or someone you know might be interested in discussing more about foot or ankle health to get you into tip top shape for the next Nike Race, come on into our office Frederick Foot & Ankle. We would be more than happy to schedule an appointment, at either of our locations in Frederick, MD or Urbana, MD. We can set you up the proper evaluation and treatment plan to help you relieve your foot and ankle pains; don’t hesitate visiting your local podiatrists! werundc

Successful Marathon Monday

Who yesterday watched the Boston Marathon? Every one of us runners came together and trained harder than ever to take back our finish line. No matter if you participated in the marathon past or present, we all were bostonstrong.


We were lucky enough to have a FFA team member volunteer at the medical tents at the finish line of the Boston Marathon yesterday. It was an amazing experience to be one of the podiatrists treating all of these amazing athletes. Amongst the athletes that were treated were some wheelchair athletes, marines, elite men and women, and last but not least all the charity runners. In light of the events last year, there were many more charity runners allotted to run this year at the 118th Boston Marathon.


The race kicked off as smoothly as possible with a touching tribute to all those lost, injured, and affected at last year’s Boston Marathon 2013. The race ended with course records being broken and lots of tears shed after crossing the big yellow finish line. It was truly a special day full of a lot of emotions for all the participants, volunteers and fans!


If you or someone you know might be interested in training for the next Marathon Monday, discussing more about your foot and ankle health with me or another one of your knowledgeable podiatrists, come in to our office Frederick Foot & Ankle. We would be more than happy to schedule an appointment, at either of our locations in Frederick, MDand Urbana, MD. We can set you up the proper evaluation and treatment plan to help you relieve your foot and ankle pains; don’t hesitate visiting your local podiatrists!

Spring into Spring Training!!

Hey FFA bloggers! I hope you guys are taking advantage of this amazing weather! High 60’s and not a cloud in sight, it’s a runner’s dream! With this warm weather we can start focusing our outdoor training session again! WOOT!


Did you know that you are more likely to obtain an ankle sprain or injury from running than any other type of exercise? Lateral ankle sprains are amongst the most common injuries that will keep you sidelined.


3 key stretching exercises that will keep you up and running are ankle circles, ankle alphabet, and calf raises. For the ankle circles you just need take a seat and perform slow circles with your ankles. Make sure you go clockwise and counterclockwise. This is an easy one to do at your desk while at work. Ankle alphabets are an easy exercise to do while taking a break at work. Sit in a chair and spell out the alphabet with your toes, making sure to exaggerate the range of motion of your ankle. Calf raises allows your body to learn how to control your muscles when your body weight shifts. Stand with your feet shoulder width apart, then slowly raise yourself to your tippy toes and lower yourself slowly back to the ground. You can repeat these exercises 1-2 times a day to help combat those potential ankle sprains.


The typical signs and symptoms of ankle sprains may include: pain or soreness, swelling, bruising, difficulty walking, and stiffness in the ankle joint. These symptoms may vary in intensity depending on the severity of the sprain. If you are not experiencing any pain or swelling with a sprained ankle, medical treatment is vital to a successful race. If left untreated this may lead to chronic ankle instability.


If you or someone you know might be interested in discussing more about ankle sprains or ankle injury prevention for the spring training season with me or another one of your knowledgeable podiatrists, come on into our office Frederick Foot & Ankle Specialists. We would be more than happy to schedule an appointment, at either of our locations in Frederick, MD or Urbana, MD. We can set you up the proper evaluation and treatment plan to help you relieve your foot and ankle pains; don’t hesitate visiting your local podiatrists!

Bizarre Weather Wintry Mix Hits Frederick

Hey all you bloggers! How many of you went out this weekend to run errands or to celebrate Sunday Fun-day? I know I did, and when I came out of my Sunday Brunch I was in shock. Nowhere in the weather forecast did it call for sleet and snow. However, after dashing out of the restaurant anticipating only rain, my friend and I were paralyzed by the sight of the roads.


First, of all we weren’t prepared with the proper foot wear and our feet were soggy. We prematurely took out the windshield snow sweeper from the car. So we were left with our bare hands and our ill equipped shoes to walk to the car and ready it for the roads.


But luckily, we didn’t fall because we used the correct techniques of walking in the snow and ice that works for all types of shoes. The trick is to adjust from your normal walking pattern to a snow walking pattern. What I mean is when walking on ice you need to keep your center of gravity over your front leg. This allows both of our legs to work together in stride to propel us forward. Without the sweeping motion we normally have this allows up to walk at a decently quick pace while keeping out balance out in the blizzard like terrain.


Hopefully this is the last winter weather we will see, I know all of your friends here at Frederick Foot & Ankle have their finger’s crossed!!


If you or someone you know might be interested in discussing more about walking or injury prevention from the icy roads and sidewalks with me or another one of your knowledgeable podiatrist, come on into our office Frederick Foot & Ankle. We would be more than happy to schedule an appointment, at either of our locations in Frederick, MD and Urbana, MD. We can set you up the proper evaluation and treatment plan to help you relieve your foot and ankle pains; don’t hesitate visiting your local podiatrists!

Dancing Woes

To all our Dancing Bloggers out there, we feel your pain and we definitely understand your agony! As a matter of fact, a few of your FFA team members are a passionate part of the dancing community around Frederick. And you can ask anyone of these ladies about their past and present foot and ankle sacrifices for the love of dance.


For instance, the constant twirling, spinning, jumping, and leaping performed in most dance moves makes you most susceptible for painful ankle sprains. Overtime each move makes you into a more elegant dancer and more flexible with each repetition, however to do this you must increase the laxity within your ligaments. The same ligaments that allow the most beautiful ballet dancers to stay en pointe can also cause their career downfalls, predisposing them to chronic ankle sprains. Also in the foot of a dancer there are bones that can shift into abnormal positions from constant strain with types of classical dancing.


You might develop chronic tendon problems such as Achilles tendonitis or FHL tendonitis. Your Achilles tendon runs along the back of your ankle into your heel bone with might cause sharp pain when you’re trying to bust a move. Also the FHL tendon runs from the back of your ankle under your foot to the bottom of your big toe. So if this tendon gets inflamed from overuse, each time you go to push off is a painful one.


Not to mention somehow shoving your regular sized feet into tiny ballet slippers or tight tap shoes. Think about what that does to your poor little toes. This can predispose you to bunions of the 1st and 5th toes. It can also cause painful blisters and calluses to form at the tips, tops and between your toes!
If you or someone you know might be interested in discussing more about common dancing foot or ankle injuries with me or another one of your knowledgeable podiatrist, come on into our office Frederick Foot & Ankle Specialists. We would be more than happy to schedule an appointment, at either of our locations in Frederick, MDand Urbana, MD. We can set you up the proper evaluation and treatment plan to help you relieve your foot and ankle pains; don’t hesitate visiting your local podiatrists!

Weekend Warriors go to Battle, but their Bodies take the Beating

Hi FFA Bloggers, I hope you have been enjoying this glimpse of spring weather recently! Since we are in our second week of March I thought we could discuss the damage we, “Weekend Warriors”, do to our bodies. You might be asking yourself what exactly are “Weekend Warriors”? Weekend warriors are people who participate in physical strenuous activities only on weekends or part- time. Most of us fit this category… we train hard on the weekend, however the rest of the week we live rather sedentary lifestyles.


Most of us are so exhausted after work that we save our major workouts for the weekends; long runs, extra heavy lifts or even our extended swimming workouts. Can you imagine the stress and the strain that we put our bodies through each weekend? In our minds we feel accomplished as we push though the grueling workout and prove that we are mentally strong. However, our bodies are the ones that are struggling and are weakened by our inconsistent training! For instance, one of the top injuries that Weekend Warriors struggle with is Achilles Tendon Ruptures.


The Achilles tendon is the large tendon in the pack of your ankle. This injury is most common in men 30 – 50 years old. It is very common to tear or rupture your Achilles from overuse while participating in intense sports, like Weekend Warriors do. With this injury you might feel a pop or snap, followed by an immediate sharp pain in the back of your ankle and lower leg. Immediately, this injury will affect your ability to walk normally.
If you or someone you know might be interested in discussing more about Weekend Warrior injuries, such as Achilles tendon ruptures with me or another one of your knowledgeable podiatrists, come on into our office Frederick Foot & Ankle. We would be more than happy to schedule an appointment, at either of our locations in Frederick, MDand Urbana, MD. We can set you up the proper evaluation and treatment plan to help you relieve your foot and ankle pains; don’t hesitate visiting your local podiatrists!

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US Soccer Darling Alex Morgan Struggling with Ankle Injury

If you aren’t familiar with Alex Morgan then you might recognize her from the latest issue of Sport Illustrated Swimsuit Edition! She is one of 3 athletes that were chosen to be in the newest issue! View some of the images on Alex’s Instagram here: http://instagram.com/p/kkMIs3lWwa/

That’s right FFA bloggers, this soccer darling is not only awesome on the pitch, but she can really sport a bikini too!


Unfortunately, Morgan has been suffering from an ankle injury since late October. Check of this latest interview with her, discussing her chronic bone bruise and her coping with being sidelined: http://www.soccerbyives.net/2014/02/recovering-timetable-recovery.html


Morgan is known for her lightning speed and having an eye for the back of the net, not only her good looks! So ever since this injury the US Women’s National Team hasn’t had her on the roster for any of their recent matches.

She has been donning a CAM walker, the same ones we offer to our patients. This grey boot helps immobilize her ankle joint to aid in the healing of her bone bruise, and as far as I can see, she has been a pretty compliant patient by using her crutches and even wearing her CAM walker to a wedding where she was a bridesmaid!


f you or someone you know might be interested in discussing a chronic injury or coping with a long term injury with me or another one of your knowledgeable podiatrist, come on into the office of Frederick Foot & Ankle Specialists. We would be more than happy to schedule an appointment, at either of our locations in Frederick, MD or Urbana, MD. We can set you up the proper evaluation and treatment plan to help you relieve your foot and ankle pains; don’t hesitate visiting your local podiatrists!

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Preparing for Spring Training

Hopefully, all you faithful FFA bloggers have been following along with the Sochi Olympics and soaking it all in, because sadly it came to a close this past weekend. After the 4 year anticipation, the triumph of victory and the tears of defeat the Sochi Games are over.


These games weren’t the best for the US as we came in 4th in the gold medals, with 9 and 28 all together. We were the runners up to Russia, Norway and Canada! Thankfully, these games are over and we can take a short off season before starting preparing for the next Winter Games. Just like we can start to forget the miserable last few weeks of Polar Vortex weather and start prepping for Spring Training!


Make sure you have a good solid pair of training shoes. Your shoes are one of the most important key ingredients for a positive spring training experience. All you athletes know that preseason is the worse time, with double days (practicing 2 x a day) while your body is getting acclimated to the rigors of outdoor training. The last thing that should be on your mind is a foot or ankle injury due to faulty equipment (old trainers)! So before you get in the heart of your spring training, stop in and have a chat with your local podiatrist about proper foot wear and if you are wearing the correct style of shoe for your particular foot type.


If you or someone you know might be interested in discussing a preseason injury or proper training shoes with me or another one of your knowledgeable podiatrists, come on into the office of Frederick Foot & Ankle Specialists. We would be more than happy to schedule an appointment, at either of our locations in Frederick, MD or Urbana, MD. We can set you up the proper evaluation and treatment plan to help you relieve your foot and ankle pains and/or get you in the correct trainers; don’t hesitate visiting your local podiatrists!

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No Pain No Gain at the Sochi Olympics

Who has been watching the Winter Olympics? Well, I guess the better question is who hasn’t been watching the Olympics? So far there has been fantastic triumphant stories like Lolo Jones, who debuted in the Winter Olympics as a bobsledder. Or the nail biting USA vs Russia Men’s hockey game that came down to a shoot out!


There are so many amazing athletic talents put on display this time of year, from hockey to cross country skiing! And that being said, all that training, hard work, and dedication can come to a premature end or disappointment from injuries. Take into account Mikko Koivu of the Finland hockey team, or Polish skier Justyna Kowalczyk who won the women’s cross-country 10-kilometer classical race despite her fractured foot!


For instance, look at center, Mikko Koivu of Finland, who hasn’t been on the active roster since January 4th due to an ankle fracture in his tibia. Team Captain Koivu’s injury hasn’t had the proper amount of time to heal so he has decided to pull himself from the Finland Olympic hockey team. This is a really unfortunate injury for Finland because Kiovu has led the Olympic team to silver and bronze medals in 2006 and 2010, respectively.


On the other hand, 31 year old Kowalczyk suffered from a foot fracture 1 month ahead of the games, and decided to keep training and push through the injury to pursue her second gold medal. Last week she won the gold in the classical cross-country 10K event. At the end of the race she stated that “I felt an ache in my foot, but I overcame it,” “We knew what we were here for, it was unlucky that it happened to me. Everything was going wrong, but I am not one of these people who give up.”

We want to know what you think. If you have a bad enough injury that would put your dreams on hold, would you put the pedal to the medal and keep chasing your dreams? We would hope that you would consult your podiatrist before making that final decision, as these 2 Olympians probably did.

If you or someone you know might be interested in discussing an injury with me or another one of our knowledgeable podiatrists, come on into our office Frederick Foot & Ankle Specialists. We would be more than happy to schedule an appointment, at either of our locations in Frederick, MDand Urbana, MD. We can set you up the proper evaluation and treatment plan to help you relieve your foot and ankle pains and get you back chasing your dreams; don’t hesitate visiting your local podiatrists!

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The Truth about Ball of Foot Pain

Calling all you weight loss resolutioners’ out there hitting the gym hard these past 3 weeks; how have your foot and ankles been holding up? Hopefully many of you are feeling overall healthier with your life style changes. However, I know there are a few of you that are suffering from some aches and pains! If this is you, stop what you are doing right now and visit your local friendly podiatrist.


Has your new exercise routine caused you new pains in your foot or ankle? This is very common for many patients to have sore and achy feet or ankles; especially in the balls of your foot also at the level of the metatarsal heads right behind your toes. It can present in many different ways such as dull achy pain or sharp shooting pains through the ball of your foot with pressure or any weight bearing exercises.


You might be asking yourself what is causing this ball of foot pain? Well it can be a mixed etiology. Such as weight gain from the dreadful holiday season, plus the rigors of a new exercise routine can make the perfect situation of ball of foot pain! We see this a lot every year at this time. Many of our patients are wondering about a quick fix or a mysterious home remedy. But really there are no quick fixes for general ball of foot pains. You would need to come in the office to have a full evaluation, so we can find the root of the cause. If not you can cause a chronic problem if only symptoms are treated and not the root cause!


If you or someone you know might be interested in hearing more about ball of foot pain, come on into our office Frederick Foot & Ankle Specialists. We would be more than happy to schedule an appointment, at either of our locations in Frederick, MDand Urbana, MD. We can set you up the proper evaluation and treatment plan to help you relieve your foot and ankle pains and get you back in that gym; don’t hesitate visiting your local podiatrists!