Newsletter

I recently spent weekend  with my wife up in Vermont. Our plan was to do a lot of hiking on various terrain.  As we were getting ready to leave we went through our normal ritual of checks."You have your wallet, do you have your phone, charger?. Are all the  doors locked?  Lastly my wife asked do you think we need our hiking poles?  No I replied,  I don't think so.  Well she said let's just bring them anyway. On the way up to Vermont it rained the whole way. The next morning was a beautiful sunny day and of course all the trails were muddy and slick with leaves. Our hiking poles saved us many times from falls which could've included ankle sprains, fracture’s  along with upper extremity trauma due to reaching out onto a slick rock.

As I was using the hiking poles I also realized how much I was able to offload weight from my feet and knees, thus reducing forces on these associated structures avoiding heel pain and plantar fasciitis. I felt much more confident I was not going to fall and it made the hiking that much better.

So from now on my hiking itinerary includes my Camelback with freshwater and protein bars, iPhone with charger, my Merrill hiking shoes and my hiking poles.

Get out there these last great days of fall and enjoy some hiking locally in our backyard including Lake Mohegan in Fairfield, Devils Den in Weston or Trout Brook in Easton.

Best Regards,

 Michael Connor and Staff

When my son was young he frequently got pink eye. It happened regularly so my wife would often call the pediatrician to let them know and they would call in a prescription. One day when she was calling and describing the pink eye situation my son kept interrupting her. Finally she asked, Ryan, what is wrong?” He said,” Mom I don't have pink eyes, I have blue eyes!”

During these days of telemedicine there are advantages and disadvantages to being diagnosed via zoom or any virtual platform. Often I can arrive at a diagnosis easily with a good history and looking at the described area. But sometimes as physicians we can be fooled. My dermatologist told me of a simple case of a yeast infection that he could not diagnose on screen. Because of these limitations his patient came to the office. I recently sent three patients to the emergency room, one diagnosed with a pulmonary embolus and the other two with congestive heart failure. I am not an expert at virtual diagnosis or any better than other physicians diagnosing these problems however, I do believe if the patient was physically treated by their doctor these conditions would not have been missed.

So if you feel your symptoms are not improving after having had a tele-visit make sure to ask your doctor to come into the office so they can do a thorough examination and to make an accurate diagnosis. As always we are here for you if you have any questions foot or nonfoot related.

As always we are here for you if you have any questions foot or nonfoot related.

Enjoy the warm weather and these first days of summer.

Best Regards,

 Michael Connor, DPM

My wife is a gym rat. She loves getting up at 5 o'clock in the morning to go to the gym where she does various workouts. She states she feels more energized during the day and when her head hits the pillow she falls asleep pretty quickly. I, on the other hand am not a morning workout person. I love hearing her alarm clock go off because I know I have another hour and 1/2 before I need to get up! Even after a long day at the office I prefer running before dinner as it allows me to think about the day and unwind.

Since we have been in “lock down” it has amazed me how many people I see walking in the neighborhood. I have had more time to do landscaping in my front yard and it is nice to give them a friendly wave as they pass by. This is a great time to start a walking program since the days are getting longer.

If you decide on a walking program here a few useful tips:

• Make sure you have a good walking shoe or sneaker and a good pair of socks.
• If you are walking casually do some light stretching.

 If you are starting a running program you definitely want to start a full stretching regimen.  YouTube is a good source to learn some basic stretching exercises for calves, hamstrings and quads. Start out slow and easy. A rule of thumb for walking and running is you should be able to have a conversation and not be out of breath. Another rule of thumb is to only increase your distance 10% each week to avoid injuries.

It is amazing to me that even though  my  wife is 10 inches shorter she still walks faster  than me! Make sure if you have a walking partner you walk at your pace and not your partner's faster pace to avoid injuries. When walking up hills decrease your step length to avoid Achilles tendon issues.

So get out there by yourself or your significant others and go for a walk or run. If I see you on the Norwalk River Valley Trail which I frequent after work please give me a wave or a "Hello".

Stay safe and hang in there!

Best Regards,

 Michael Connor, DPM

If you’ve ever felt like your feet are standing on a bed of hot coals, you might be wondering why this happens. Well, we are here to explain. Experiencing a burning sensation in the feet is a very common problem and can affect any person at any age. In addition to this feeling, one can have symptoms like redness, swelling, peeling skin, or an increased sensation of temperature. Burning foot pain is often associated with hypothyroidism, athlete’s foot, or vitamin B deficiency. It becomes a cause for concern when the pain is due to some kind of damage in the nervous system due to diabetes, chronic alcohol use, or exposure to certain toxins.

Home Remedies for Hot Feet

• Apple Cider Vinegar – Drinking apple cider vinegar helps balance our body’s pH level. By mixing one to two tablespoons of raw and unfiltered apple cider vinegar in a glass of warm water and drinking it once daily, it can be used to treat burning feet.
• Turmeric – This exotic spice contains a strong amount of curcumin, which helps improve blood flow and circulation throughout the body. Turmeric has anti-inflammatory properties that reduce burning sensations and pain in the feet.
• Epsom Salt – Soaking in Epsom salt soothes the feet and provides instant relief from burning sensations. This is because Epsom salt contains magnesium sulfate that helps reduce inflammation and pain.

When to Visit the Podiatrist 

If burning foot pain is too much to bear and home remedies don’t seem to be doing the trick, seek medical attention immediately. A podiatrist may need to run tests to rule out any underlying medical conditions. Schedule an office visit if you start losing feeling in your toes or feet, feel that the burning sensation is traveling up your legs, or if you have an open wound on your foot that appears to be infected.