Dan Michaels, DPM believes adopting a more active lifestyle in our 40s to halt middle-age spread contributes to increasing foot problems. This, wearing tight shoes for work all day, and aging mean a deterioration of the soft tissue, bones, and joints in our feet, he adds.   The result: Hard skin – in the form…

According to Dan Michaels, DPM, “The first step in getting rid of foot fungus is to keep your feet clean and dry. Fungi thrive in warm, moist environments, so it is important to keep your feet dry and clean. This means changing your socks and shoes regularly, and avoiding tight-fitting shoes that can trap moisture….

Foot cramps are an involuntary contraction of the muscles in the feet. They occur most often in the arches and toes, and can last for seconds or up to a minute, says Dan Michaels, DPM.    They have a variety of causes, most of which are not serious. However, if you frequently get foot cramps…

“Flat arches [are] commonly seen in adults and children,” says podiatrist Dan Michaels, DPM. “It is most commonly hereditary, but it can [also] be acquired with time, in conjunction with all the cumulative ground-reactive forces exerted on the feet with walking, [as well as] certain medical conditions.”   If you’ve always had flat feet [without…

According to Dan Michaels, DPM, a condition that commonly causes pain is flat feet. In some cases, having flat feet is a congenital condition that people inherit and are born with. In other cases, a person’s arches may fall later in life, causing pain. “Many people have flat feet and aren’t in any pain,” Dr….

“Surgery is the only way to correct a bunion; however, not all bunions require surgery,” explains Daniel Michaels, DPM. “The best treatment for bunions depends on the severity of pain, medical history, how rapidly the bunion has progressed, and if pain relief can be achieved with conservative non-surgical treatment.” To put it simply, “when conservative…

The idea that you need to replace your shoes regularly isn’t just a marketing ploy, Dan Michaels, DPM states. Your running sneakers actually do break down over time, starting with the foam that cushions each collision with the ground. While the type of shoe you buy matters for longevity, other factors-including your personal characteristics and…

A common foot ailment is peeling skin. Dan Michaels, DPM, explains “Peeling feet is definitely common, and there are various reasons why. We’re on our feet all the time and the constant pounding and walking can cause cracking and scaling of the skin.”   Additionally, workouts that leave the feet exposed could cause peeling. Dr. Michaels…

“Heels typically are the first areas of the feet to become dry,” states Dan Michaels. “They become hardened and even cracked open and white, gray, or scaly in appearance. By exfoliating the dead outer layers of the skin, the heels will look fresh and young again. You can exfoliate the heels with an over-the-counter peel,…

Numbness and tingling in the feet is a common and concerning symptom of diabetes. “More than 30 million Americans are living with diabetes, and peripheral neuropathy, or nerve damage in the feet, is one of the most common-and most serious-complications of the disease,” says podiatrist Dan Michaels, DPM. “Nerve damage causes burning, tingling, heaviness, or…