| Don't cross your eyes, they'll stay that way! Old wives' tales and myths like that example are fun to laugh at. We believed them as children. Step on a crack and you'll break your mother's back. But there are other myths that are no laughing matter, especially when they involve your health.
From bunions to broken toes, foot and ankle surgeon Mikel Daniels DPM, FACFAS has heard it all. The WeTreatFeet.com podiatrists treats patients at offices in Owings Mills, Towson, Eldersburg, Dundalk and Randallstown, and shares five myths about foot care and the realities behind them.
Myth: Cutting a notch (a "V") in a toenail will relieve the pain of ingrown toenails.
Reality: When a toenail is ingrown, the nail curves downward and grows into the skin. Cutting a "V" in the toenail does not affect its growth. New nail growth will continue to curve downward. Cutting a "V" may actually cause more problems and is painful in many cases.
Myth: My foot or ankle can't be broken if I can walk on it.
Reality: It's entirely possible to walk on a foot or ankle with a broken bone. It depends on your threshold for pain, as well as the severity of the injury, however it's not a smart idea. Walking with a broken bone can cause further damage.
It is crucial to stay off an injured foot until diagnosis by a foot and ankle surgeon. Until then, apply ice and elevate the foot to reduce pain.
Myth: Shoes cause bunions.
Reality: Bunions are most often caused by an inherited faulty mechanical structure of the foot. It is not the bunion itself that is inherited, but certain foot types make a person prone to developing a bunion. While wearing shoes that crowd the toes together can, over time, make bunions more painful, shoes themselves do not cause bunions.
Although some treatments can ease the pain of bunions, only surgery can correct the deformity.
Myth: A doctor can't fix a broken toe.
Reality: Nineteen of the 26 bones in the foot are toe bones.
In reality, there are things we can do to make a broken toe heal better and prevent problems later on, like arthritis or toe deformities. Placing toes back into their "normal" position, and making sure there isn't a dislocation or movement of the fracture is crucial to caring for these injuries.
For further information about various foot conditions, contact Drs. Daniels, Felton, Curione and Matthews at (410) 363 -4343 or visit http://www.wetreatfeet.com, for more information.
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