Tuesday, October 4, 2016

Home Remedies for Dry, Cracked Feet



Living in West Michigan, we are accustomed to the harsh, cold winters with the dry air and gray skies. Along with bundling up just to trek to the mailbox and shopping for the holidays in a full snow suit, there is the inevitability of dry, hard, cracked skin on our feet.  The store shelves are littered with lotions and potions promising relief, but they are not all what they promise to be. The average body lotion is usually not sufficient for feet, as the skin on the bottom of the feet is much thicker than other areas of the body. 


Soak
During the winter months, as we age, and in certain climates – our skin loses its ability to retain moisture. The best way to give that moisture back is to start with a good soak.  This can mean a warm shower or bath, or resting your feet in a bowl of warm water. Don’t oversoak as it can have the opposite effect, but once or twice a week should suffice. Be sure the water is not too hot, especially if you have decreased sensation in your feet. This is a common finding in diabetic patients, and it is possible to sustain burns if the water is too hot and you don't know it. 


Exfoliate
At the end of a warm shower, use a pumice stone to gently exfoliate away the top layers of dry skin on your heels and ball of the foot. This should only be done when the feet are warm and have “soaked” in water for several minutes.  Don’t apply too much pressure – just use a gentle circular motion to buff away the dead skin.  You don’t want to exfoliate in this manner more than once or twice a week.


Moisturize
Once you’ve dried your feet you’ll want to immediately moisturize them.  There are a variety of options but these are a few of our favorites:
1) Creams containing urea usually work very well for dry, cracking skin. They tend to lock in moisture better and soften calloused skin. Holland Foot and Ankle sells a cream called Heel Balm, which contains urea. There is also over the counter Gold Bond for Diabetics, which contains a small amount of urea as well.
2) Coconut Oil is a great natural moisturizer and may spread easier than the olive oil concoction with a bit of more appetizing scent. Again, use cotton socks overnight to keep the moisture on your feet and give it time to penetrate.
3) Aquafor is a product made by Eucerin that has a similar appearance and consistency to Vaseline. After you have soaked, exfoliated and moisturized – spreading a layer of Aquafor over your foot (before you put on the cotton socks) is a great way to lock in the moisturizer and the water in your skin.

4) Mix a half cup of organic olive oil with some lavender oil and shake until it becomes thick.  Apply to your feet and then wear cotton socks overnight.


Using a good moisturizer twice every day will keep your skin from becoming overly dry and cracking. Using the other methods once a week will help you through the winter months and keep your feet feeling fresh for all those holiday parties at other people’s homes where you have to take your shoes off! 

Thursday, September 22, 2016

Introducing Our Newest Doctor - Allison Dozeman

Holland Foot and Ankle is pleased to announce the addition of Dr. Allison Dozeman to our practice. 

Dr. Dozeman was born and spent her childhood in Grand Rapids, MI. Her family moved to central Illinois during her junior high and high school years. She graduated from Wheaton College (IL) with a Bachelor of Science degree in Kinesiology, and was a member of the basketball and soccer teams. Dr. Dozeman studied the Spanish language as an undergraduate student and later deferred acceptance to podiatry school for one year to work in a small hospital in rural Honduras. She earned a doctor of podiatric medicine from Scholl College of Podiatric Medicine at Rosalind Franklin University of Medicine and Science in North Chicago, IL. Dr. Dozeman completed a three year residency program in Portland, Oregon training in Podiatric Medicine and Surgery with a focus on Reconstructive Rearfoot and Ankle Surgery. She is an Associate of the American College of Foot and Ankle Surgeons and a member of the American Podiatric Medical Association. Dr. Dozeman is Board Qualified in both foot and ankle surgery. She on staff at Holland Hospital, Allegan General Hospital, and Zeeland Community Hospital.

Dr. Dozeman enjoys spending time outdoors camping, kayaking, cross country skiing, snowboarding and cycling. Dr. Dozeman and her husband, Joel, are happy to be back in west Michigan and are eager to enjoy more time with family and experience true winter weather once again!

Thursday, May 5, 2016

Spring updates at Holland Foot and Ankle

Holland Foot and Ankle has continued to strive for excellence, using the newest and best technology available to care for our valued patients.  We are happy to announce that we have digital X-ray capability at both our north and south Holland locations.  We also now have our ultrasound available at both of these locations as well. 

As nicer weather arrives and people become more active, we remind you to take good care of your feet! This is a season with common foot ailments and injuries due to increased activity and poor choices in shoe gear.

We encourage you to make an appointment to keep your feet feeling and functioning at their best!

Tuesday, March 15, 2016

New technology at Holland Foot and Ankle

Holland Foot and Ankle is proud to announce some exciting updates at our north Holland location. We have recently implemented a state of the art digital X-ray machine. This allows us to obtain higher quality imaging to aid in our diagnosis and treatment of our valued patients.  The digital X-ray machine also allows easier patient access as well as deceased waiting times. We are also able to provide a copy of  the images on CD for a small fee if needed. The south Holland location will be updated within the next month with a new digital X-ray machine as well. We are committed to providing the best possible care for our patients, including the newest technological advances.  

Holland Foot and Ankle continues to offer diagnostic ultrasound imaging at our south Holland location.  Ultrasound (sonography) is a medical diagnostic technique which allows one to visualize and therefore examine a part of the human anatomy. The process incorporates the use of high frequency sound waves emitted from a probe and directed into a body. These sound waves penetrate and encounter the different tissue interfaces as they travels through the body. When sound encounters tissues or tissue planes, part of the wave is reflected back to receivers in this same probe. Different tissue interfaces cause a "reflective pattern" which is then sent to a computer. The computer processes the information and produces an image, which is sent to a video screen and/or printer. These images are then studied either "live" or at a later time to rule out any number of pathologies. Ultrasound can be safely used, even when an MRI is contraindicated. Common podiatric applications of ultrasonography include plantar fasciitis, plantar fascia tears, tendonitis/tears/rupture (e.g. Achilles tendon), capsulitis, intermetatarsal neuroma, bursitis, ganglion cyst, fibroma or soft tissue mass, metatarsal stress fracture, non-metallic foreign body, PT tendon pathology and guiding needle for injection, aspiration or biopsy.

Please call our office to schedule an appointment to see one of our physicians. 616-392-7472
Hollandfootandankle.com