MD Podiatrist   According to Dan Michaels, DPM, “One of the most common of injuries in sports, if not the most common, remains injury to the ankle. That alone is good reason to pay big attention to strengthening them, but that is not the only one. Strengthening both feet and ankles can enhance speed, quickness,…

    When you think about health and fitness, your feet may not be the first thing that comes to mind. But, the condition of your feet and ankles has a big impact on mobility and wellness. Except for the hand, no other part of the body has as many moving parts as the foot,…

According to Daniel Michaels, DPM, staining on your socks can be a sign of diabetic foot ulcers. “This is because foot ulcers are just like any other wound on the body-they tend to bleed, so the staining on the sock, which usually looks brown-ish, [could be] dried blood oozing from the ulcer site,” Dr. Michaels…

  In the market for a new pair of running sneakers? Don’t just go buy the flashiest pair you can find. For the best experience, you might need a little more support. Stability running shoes may be your best bet. But first, understanding the use of stability running shoes requires a basic lesson on foot…

According to Daniel Michaels, DPM, “Today’s epidemic of overuse injuries due to specialization affects both lower and upper extremities, across the board, in all sports at all ages. As the world of youth sports has grown dramatically, so have these injury problems. Overuse injuries cause a significant loss of time off the field, but more…

Dan Michaels, DPM, says it’s important to consider the attributes of your socks. Dr. Michaels recommends a combination of cotton and polyester. “Ideally, socks containing 65 percent cotton and 35 percent polyester are preferred. The synthetic polyester material helps to move moisture off the foot to help keep it relatively dry,” he shares.    Other…

A once-a-year checkup doesn’t give your doctor the full picture of your health. “So often, we have this really small window of time with our patients. If we’re lucky, it’s 15 to 20 minutes,” says Daniel Michaels, DPM. Throughout the rest of the year, your doctor still needs to make sure that you’re taking your…

MD Podiatrist   Wearing high heels is an obvious cause of lower back pain, but experts say that even “sensible shoes” may not support your feet properly. The trick is to find shoes that work with YOUR body, just as a prescription that works for one person may not benefit another.     Daniel Michaels,…

Dr. Michaels with the Reconstructive Foot & Ankle Institute, LLC is encouraging parents to get their children’s school shoes professionally fitted, as new research confirms that ill-fitted footwear can significantly impede foot movement and comfort. In a new study, researchers tested the effect of shoe size on foot motion and comfort among children aged 8…

The best way to find out whether your gait is a healthy one is to visit a podiatrist for an assessment, says Daniel Michaels, DPM. The second-best way is to look at the way your shoes wear once you’ve walked or run a few miles in them.   “Examining worn footwear can help parents to…