All posts by : Synchro

Dr. Steinberg and Dr. Yanes welcomed Jackie Chen into their practice and we are eager to share with her all our knowledge on podiatry. From pediatrics to geriatrics, from the weekend warriors to the seasoned marathoners, we worked endlessly in the office to help our patients to the best of our ability. This is where Jackie fell in love with the challenges of podiatry, and it was after working at Frederick Foot & Ankle last year that she made the decision to apply for Podiatry School.

The interview process was nerve wrecking and the travel was stressful. However, after arriving in Philadelphia for Temple University of Podiatric Medicine class of 2015 orientation, Jackie knew podiatry school was the perfect career path for her.

Her first and second year were intense. Mostly due to the class load, there were many late night adventures in the library memorizing lower extremity anatomy, pharmacology, and microbiology, followed by many early morning study sessions in the cadaver labs. The third and fourth year was demanding in a different way, the pressure was on to not only impressing your professors by exam scores, but to astound them with your clinical skills and patient interactions.

But in the end, the long tortuous road to Podiatry School graduation was well worth the effort. At the graduation ceremony in, Philadelphia, PA Jackie had both Dr. Steinberg and Dr. Yanes hood her on stage after receiving her diploma. Being hooded signified the success of completing the program at Temple University School of Podiatric Medicine and officially becoming Dr. Jacqueline Chen, Doctor of Podiatric Medicine (D.P.M.)!

It feels like it was just yesterday when Jackie first started working at Frederick Foot & Ankle and now she has finished school. Now she is ready to sembark on a new chapter in her life with a 3 year podiatric surgical residency in Philadelphia. Maybe we will see her back at FFA in another 3 years! Feel free to come and visit us before then at either of our offices located in Urbana, MD or Frederick, MD!

By Coralia Terol

Earlier this week did you get a chance to see the new uniforms for the FIFA Women’s World Cup? Alex Morgan, Tobin Heath and Sydney Leroux unveiled their new Nike uniforms and all its glory!

If you haven’t seen them yet they are pretty awesome looking. They are white, black and neon green. It is a little shocking for some that Nike decided to stray away from the typical red, white and blue. However, Clinton Yates, a Washington Post columnist said” Moves away from flag-related colors are really nothing new in the soccer world, even if that concept makes waves on these shores. Germany and Argentina have been rocking the look gloriously for years. … “A move away from the same old colors of the Star-Spangled Banner is a great move for U.S. Soccer at this point. It’s no surprise that the women are leading the charge, per usual.” The new uniforms also are also very green and are environmental friendly, being made from recycled polyester (from plastic bottles).

In addition, to the unveiling of the new uniforms Alex Morgan and Abby Wambach made an appearance on American Idol, to promote this summers FIFA Women’s World Cup that starts on June 6th in Canada. The USWNT players presented the Ryan Seacrest an official jersey and even joked around that he should be their water boy this summer. In this same episode Seacrest announced that the winner of the season would record the “official anthem for FOX’s World Cup coverage”, this summer!

By looking at Alex Morgan on social media her Facebook, Twitter and Instagram accounts are being bombarded with excitement for the World Cup. However, it was only a few months ago that her left ankle sprain, threatened to keep her off the roster.

Ankle Sprains

Ankle sprains are a common injury in soccer. This particular injury occurs if there is a severe in-turning and/or out-turning of the foot in relation to the ankle. These forces cause the ligaments to stretch past their normal length. There are different kinds of sprains that need different types of treatment. Each type is graded 1-3, with the severity of the sprain correlating to the highest number. Grade 1 relates that some stretching and some damage to the ligament fibers. Grade 2 relates to partial tearing of the ligament. And Grade 3 is a complete tear of the ligament. If you or someone you know has an ankle sprain schedule an appointment with one of your amazing podiatrists. We have an office in Frederick, MD and Urbana, MD.

By Nikki Ho

Watching Track & Field History Happen at the Penn Relays

Penn Relays is the oldest and largest track & field event in the US. Every year the University of Pennsylvania hosts this massive track meet, at Franklin Field. If you aren’t familiar with this track meet, the age groups range from the most elite of high school athletes, collegiate athletes all the way up to professional athletes. In one sitting you can watch the best up incoming junior athlete race followed up by the next Olympic hopefuls!

These events showcase the top track & field athletes from around the country and the world. This year we were proud to have a member of our Frederick Foot & Ankle Specialist volunteer at the meet. As a medical volunteer I watched from the track the USA dominate in the “USA vs. the World” races! Porscha Lucas, Leslie Cole, Tawanna Meadows and Cambrya Jones led the US Women’s 800 meter relay, who beat out Jamaica by seven-thousandth of a second. The US Men’s 800 meter relay also came in 1st place by beating Jamaica by eight-tenths of a second. Leading the US Men’s 800 meter relay were Joe Morris, Maurice Mitchell, Ameer Webb and Wallace Spearmon.

It’s amazing how some of these athletes’ come flying down the track and cross the finish line without a scratch on them! However, sometimes serious injuries can occur in track & field. Most common injuries include Achilles tendon rupture, metatarsal fractures, and severe ankle sprains.

Now is the time where most of the track and field teams shift their focus on making sure their individual athletes are peaking at the right time for these final meets, i.e. states, regionals, and nationals!

If you or someone you know have any concerns about an ache or pain from running practice or a previous meet. Come and schedule an appointment with anyone of our amazing podiatrist, at any of our locations in Frederick or Urbana, Maryland.

By Brenna Steinberg

Baseball Season in Full Swing

It’s that time of year again, for America’s favorite pastime to start! We have been waiting patiently for baseball season to start! Who are you rooting for, the O’s or the Nats? Here at Frederick Foot & Ankle there are no questions, we are the official podiatrists for the Frederick Keys, who are the local team for the Baltimore Orioles. So go O’s!

These players have been training hard in the off season and preparing for the opening games for months. However, it is important for the athletes to give their bodies a break after the season ends and before they are called into preseason! This allows the body to properly heal and rest to avoid any overuse injuries down the road.

Overuse injuries develop over a span of time and caused by repetitive stress or microtrauma to tendons, muscles, bones or joints. In these elite athletes, it is necessary to recognize the sign of overuse injuries before it puts a premature end to their season.

Common Overuse Injuries in Baseball: Achilles Tendonitis

Achilles tendinitis is caused by consistent microtrauma to the Achilles tendon, which is very common in a rigorous baseball season. This repetitive damage can cause micro-tears to occur in the tendon, signaling your body to send inflammatory factors to the area to help. However, because this trauma can occur persistently over the course of a long season, sometimes your body signals never tell the inflammatory factors to stop coming to the area of the tears. This leads to chronic inflammation in your Achilles tendon, symptoms include extreme tenderness or sensitivity in the area. This can make walking a difficult task, let alone sprinting around the bases.

Players who try to perform at high levels too quickly at the beginning of the season, are extremely susceptible to Achilles Tendonitis. Treatment is very simple rest, and ice are key factors in preventing the progression of the tendonitis. Also the use of heel inserts or heel pads help in most situations. Make sure you consult with your local podiatrist before placing heel pads or heel inserts into your cleats. A proper biomechanical and foot evaluation are needed so the inserts and pads are fitting properly to your certain foot type and diagnosis.

If you or anyone you know has Achilles tendonitis or has any other foot or ankle pain from the start of the spring season, don’t hesitate to schedule an appointment at Frederick Foot & Ankle, at any of our 2 offices in Frederick, MD or Urbana, MD.

By: Yenisey Yanes

Who is ready for March Madness!? I know I am. Some of us here at Frederick Foot & Ankle are huge fans of the University of Maryland athletics. This year has been a great year for both the men’s and women’s University of Maryland basketball teams. If you have been following this season you already know that the Women’s team is the Big Ten Champs and are still undefeated this season. And the Men’s team aren’t doing too bad themselves, with Dez Wells, Melo Trimble and Jake Layman landing All- B1G Honors. Also not to mention their coach Mark Turgeon was named Big Ten Coach of the Year, in the first season in the league.

But these successes didn’t come without any tribulations, take for instance senior forward Evan Smotrycz. Smotrycz has been plagued with foot and ankle injuries keeping him sidelined from the end of his junior year all the way through the beginning of his senior season. He missed the Terps’ 1st 5 games with a broken left foot, then a sprained left ankle! His coaching staff has admitted that he has struggled with his conditioning and timing when he returned to the full team in late December.

However, Smotrycz is catching stride in the nick of time… for March Madness! Smotrycz has declared himself healthy as he and the rest of the UMD Terps strive for a NCAA National Championship.

Now the question is: who’s going to be in your bracket!? If you would like to join our bracket pool or just talk about March Madness or any foot and ankle injuries of your own, please come and visit us at any of our 3 locations in Frederick, MD or Urbana, MD.

By Coralia Terol

Most days I wake at 4:30 am so that I can start my day and feel accomplished before I even get to work. Many people say “How do you do that?” or “I am not a morning person. I can’t get up that early!” Truthfully, I have not always been someone that willfully got up hours before having to be at work but I have trained myself to wake up early and now I enjoy it.

To try and encourage more people to start their day off with a bang, so I came up with some reasons for an early wake-up call:

• Breakfast and Lunch: The time before work is not just for coffee, but also for your first meal of the day. This is also when I put together my lunch. I give myself enough time to make breakfast, which normally consists of oatmeal and blueberries, and for lunch, I always try and force myself to make a salad with protein (usually fish or chicken). If I already have a healthy option for breakfast and lunch, I am less likely to look for a quick fix that comes with a side of fries.

• Exercise: If I work out in the morning, not only can I shower before work, but I rarely cancel my workout plans. If you work out at lunch, you not only have to deal with two wardrobe changes, but possible impromptu lunch meetings (another reason why bringing a lunch to work is beneficial). Of course, exercising after work can be postponed due to exhaustion from work and other things that keep you at the office late.

• Punctuality: Running late for work is a common occurrence in most workplaces. With waking up at 4:30, I have time to check the road conditions, take care of any tasks I wasn’t able to take care of the night before, and adjust my leave time if I know my commute will take longer.

• Decreased Interruption: There must be less morning people in the world because this is the time I am the most productive. I can go to the bank before work, get gas, stop by the grocery store, or head to the gym all with less interruption and more peace of mind.

So, even with all the benefits I just provided, you might still be lost on how you are able to become one of these “morning people.” Just for you, I made a list of helpful tips on how to get started!

• Positivity: Think more positively about morning. Just by giving mornings a more positive label, you will tend to look more favorably on that time of the day. If you don’t have anything nice to say about morning yet, you can borrow a nice saying from this website.

• Better Alarm: The classic jarring and obnoxious alarm maybe for some people, but not for me. A hard hitting alarm is like makes me feel like I’m waking up on the wrong side of the bed. It sounds mean and angry! Instead, try waking up to your favorite song, nature sounds, or alarms that get subtly increase their intensity. You don’t need to stick to your current alarm, so find different ways to start your morning with this webite’s collection of alarms.

• Small Steps: You can’t change your sleep cycle in one night. Slowly alter your bed time by ten minutes sooner each night and wake 10 minutes earlier. Within a week’s time you will be going to bed over an hour earlier and waking up an hour before your normal rising time.

• Do something in the morning that you will look forward to making it easier to get out of bed. For me, it is getting my exercising down. Some people enjoy waking up to read the paper, help their kids get ready for school, watch a show, eating a homemade breakfast, a yoga session, or just spending time with your significant other. Whatever your motivation may be, keep it in the forefront of your mind when you wake up. To find a happier morning ritual visit this website.

Taking a break from strictly podiatric topics for a change, today we’d like to discuss healthcare. To be more specific: vaccinations. Recently it seems that vaccinating children has become more of an option for the parents than previously in history. However, people might not understand that this decision for their children is putting other kids at risk at the same time- from fatal diseases that have almost been non-existent for decades! The late night talk show host Jimmy Kimmel invited real doctors to make a Public Service Announcement about vaccines, which is both informative and funny!

Vaccines

Vaccines work by giving a non-living version of the disease virus to the child to help stimulate immune cells, which help fight the specific disease that is being vaccinated for. This non-living version of the disease will be attacked immediately by your child’s immune system without the high risk of contracting the disease. Over time there will be anti-bodies that your child will develop naturally against this certain virus, so in the future if there is any exposure your child immune system will be prepped and properly equipped to fight off the disease.

How can unvaccinated kids effect vaccinated kids?

Simply put by the center of disease control, “most routine childhood vaccines are effective for 85% to 95% of recipients. For reasons related to the individual, some will not develop immunity.” This can explain for unvaccinated children increasing the risk of disease for everyone. If unvaccinated kids contract a certain disease and are exposing a large population of vaccinated children, of course the unvaccinated kids will contract the disease along with 5-15% of the vaccinated population! It could only take one unvaccinated child to infect groups of vaccinated children.

Please help keep our kids safe, whether in schools, hospitals, amusement parks or even our 3 waiting rooms at any of our offices located in Frederick and Urbana, MD.

Click here for the Jimmy Kimmel clip!

By Alvin Bannerjee

Arthritis is a disease that affects millions of people every year. However, there are many misconceptions about arthritis. For instance, arthritis is only a disease for the elderly; well, in fact, 2/3 of the arthritic population are under the age of 65, and 300,000 of them are adolescents. Others think that arthritis is not a serious disease. On the contrary, some types of arthritis are not only crippling but it can severely limit your daily activities. Below are some of the more common types of arthritis.

Osteoarthritis

Osteoarthritis (OA) is much more than just wear and tear on your joints overtime. OA can be broken down into multiple subtypes including congenital OA and Post Traumatic OA. In recent studies, researchers have found evidence that links OA with specific genetic markers. These genetic markers are signs that you may be predisposed to developing OA later in life. The research linked to these genetic markers could lead to an OA test one day in the future. Also, post-traumatic OA can occur years after an injury. Say, for example, as a high school athlete you sprained your ankles many times in practice/games. Then, 20 years later, you develop OA. This would be Post Traumatic OA, because even though the injuries happened years ago, they are still the cause of the osteoarthritis.

Rheumatoid Arthritis

Rheumatoid Arthritis (RA) is an autoimmune response by the body. This is when your immune system, which usually attacks foreign viruses or bacteria, identifies your healthy good cells as bad cells. This results in damage to your cartilage, synovial membrane, and bone. RA usually targets the extremities, especially feet and ankles.

Juvenile Arthritis

Juvenile Arthritis (JA) is a type of arthritis that begins before the age of 16. Early symptoms include painful swelling in one or more joints. These swelling bouts can last for about 6 weeks at a time. Try not to confuse your child’s symptoms with the common cold or the flu, which can be similar. Look out for the symptoms, such as pain, swelling, stiffness and fevers rotating in odd intervals.

Again, arthritis of all kinds can be a serious condition, limiting your regular daily activities. The feet and ankles are often the victims of arthritis. Just because you have arthritis doesn’t mean you have to learn to live with the pain, there are treatments that can be used to slow down the progression and help decrease the pain. If you would like to discuss arthritis more don’t hesitate; come into our office Frederick Foot & Ankle. We would be more than happy to schedule an appointment and discuss options, at any of our 3 offices in Frederick, MD or Urbana, MD.

By Brenna Steinberg

Winter weather has most of the North East going stir crazy. Being stuck inside is no fun for anyone. So much shoveling has been done in the last few weeks it’s unbelievable. Whether we are clearing our driveways, sidewalks or our cars, we are constantly exposing ourselves to the elements.

Winter Dangers

Be wary of doing prolonged activities or exercises in the cold. Moisture will build up in your clothing and will cause serious limb threatening conditions, such as frostbite, trench foot and/or hypothermia. It is extremely important for you to understand the dangers of winter weather to prevent anything-hazardous happening to your health.

Frostbite

Frostbite is caused by freezing of the skin and underlying tissues, due to prolonged exposure to cold weather. Early signs of frostbite are your skin becomes very cold and red. Your symptoms will progressively worsen until your skin is numb, hard and pale. Frostbite is most common on the fingers, toes, nose, ears, cheeks and chin. Exposed skin in cold, windy weather is most vulnerable to frostbite. Frostbite is most common on the fingers, toes, nose, ears, cheeks and chin! Also beware frostbite can strike your skin that is semi-protected via your gloves and clothing.

Trench foot

Trench Foot is caused by prolonged exposure to damp, cold, unsanitary conditions. Unlike frostbite trench foot doesn’t necessarily require freezing temperatures. Symptoms to look out for are your foot becoming numb, changes color, swells and starts to smell due to damage to the skin, blood vessels and nerves in the feet. Be aware and try avoiding any situation where your feet are submerged in damp conditions for a prolonged period of time i.e. shoveling or plowing.

Hypothermia

Hypothermia is caused by when your body loses heat faster than it can produce heat. This is a considered to be a medical emergency. Normal body temperature is approximately 98.6 F, however you’re considered hypothermic if you body temperature drops below 95 F. In hypothermia you can experience end organ damage to your heart, nervous system and other vital organs.

We hope that you are all staying warm and keeping save in this constant bombardment of these Nor’easters. Don’t hesitate; come into our office Frederick Foot & Ankle if you have any foot or ankle injuries or questions. We would be more than happy to schedule an appointment and discuss options, at any of our 3 offices in Frederick, MD or Urbana, MD.

By Nikki Ho

Hopefully everyone is recovering from the Grammy’s, which aired 2 weeks ago. We had a fantastic time at our viewing party. The 57th Grammy Awards made music history! Sam Smith won record of the year for his song “Stay with Me”. He was also one of the top nominees of the big night. Smith also won for new artist, song of the year and best pop vocal album. He was amongst Grammy greats Pharrell and Beyoncé, who were also nominated for 6 awards.

As most of you have heard in one way or another, Beck won the Grammy for album of the year for “Morning Phase,” with also won for best rock album. And again Kayne West made his way into the headlines, bumrushing Beck and criticizing him that he was unworthy of the title best album of the year, and it should have been Beyoncé. A very similar outburst occurred with Taylor Swift at the 2009 VMA’s.

On a brighter note, did you guys see Pharrell’s, fresh kicks? If not check them out! Pharrell isn’t shy to admit that he is a constant collaborator with Adidas – especially this Grammys. He sported his 3M Adidas short suit with matching sneakers. You can check the bedazzled sneakers out on Adidas designer Paul Mittleman instagram account. We definitely agree with his style choices, which looked comfortable, functional and fashionable.

We look forward to seeing what all the celebs will be wearing for the Oscars! If you or someone you know might be interested in discussing more about footwear for your own parties this award season don’t hesitate, come into our office Frederick Foot & Ankle. We would be more than happy to schedule an appointment and discuss options, at any of our 3 offices in Frederick, MD or Urbana, MD.

By Yenisey Yanes