Foot Specialists Step-up to Support Young Swimmers in Promotion of Healthy Kids and Healthy Feet
As part of it’s Fit Feet Fight Fat campaign, the California Podiatric Medical Association (CPMA), a professional organization that represents over 1,000 foot and ankle specialists throughout the state, sponsored the Sacramento Stingrays Swim Team, a recreational swim team based in
“We were excited when the opportunity to sponsor the Stingrays presented itself,” said Jon A. Hultman, DPM, MBA, Executive Director of the California Podiatric Medical Association. “This is a positive, proactive, fun way to reach youngsters about the importance of exercise, and the link between physical fitness and good health..
“Swimming is one of the best forms of exercise. It uses nearly all your muscles from the tips of your fingers to the tips of your toes. It also promotes strength, stamina and mobility, and improves cardiovascular fitness.
“Most people understand the importance of strong and healthy feet for runners or any athlete who spends a lot of time pounding their feet on the ground. However, few immediately think of the very important role feet play in swimming. You really can’t swim with an injured foot.
“Feet are important because they help propel the body through the water. It is important for swimmers to have good flexibility in their ankles for a wider range of motion and propulsion. The motion of the foot in both freestyle and backstroke is extension and flexion in what is called a flutter kick. In the fly (Butterfly) the foot flexes and extends also, but in unison, which is why it is often refereed to as a dolphin kick. In the breaststroke, the kick involves rotation at the ankle as well as flexing and extending the foot.
"Strong, healthy feet are also important for swimmers to have for pushing of the walls during turns. As almost any competitive swimmer can tell you, races are often won or lost on the speed and power of a turn.”
To help maintain healthy feet Dr. Hultman recommends that swimmers:
- Wear shoes on the pool deck to reduce both the risk of foot injury and contracting foot (Athlete’s Foot) and nail funguses.
- Dry your feet thoroughly after swimming or showering.
- Apply talcum powder or medicinal spray to previously infected areas to prevent recurrence.
- Change your socks frequently (and wash them frequently).
- Try not to wear the same pair of shoes two days in a row (let them air out completely).
Information from
Athlete’s Foot
Found in damp places such as locker rooms, domestic bathrooms and swimming pools, this fungus also thrives in poorly ventilated areas such as the space between your toes. It can also be transmitted through towels and sweaty socks.
The signs of athlete's foot, singly or combined, are dry skin, itching, scaling, inflammation, and blisters. Blisters often lead to cracking of the skin. When blisters break, small raw areas of tissue are exposed, causing pain and swelling. Itching and burning may increase as the infection spreads.
Athlete's foot may spread to the soles of the feet and to the toenails. It can be spread to other parts of the body, notably the groin and underarms, by those who scratch the infection and then touch themselves elsewhere. The organisms causing athlete's foot may persist for long periods. Consequently, the infection may be spread by contaminated bed sheets or clothing to other parts of the body.
Prevention
It is not easy to prevent athlete's foot because it is usually contracted in dressing rooms, showers, and swimming pool locker rooms where bare feet come in contact with the fungus. However, you can do much to prevent infection by practicing good foot hygiene. Daily washing of the feet with soap and water; drying carefully, especially between the toes; and changing shoes and hose regularly to decrease moisture, help prevent the fungus from infecting the feet. Also helpful is daily use of a quality foot powder.
Treatment
Fungicidal and fungistatic chemicals, used for athlete's foot treatment, frequently fail to contact the fungi in the horny layers of the skin. Topical or oral antifungal drugs are prescribed with growing frequency.
In mild cases of the infection it is important to keep the feet dry by dusting foot powder in shoes and hose. The feet should be bathed frequently and all areas around the toes dried thoroughly.
Consult Your Podiatrist
If an apparent fungus condition does not respond to proper foot hygiene and self care, and there is no improvement within two weeks, consult your podiatrist. The podiatrist will determine if a fungus is the cause of the problem. If it is, a specific treatment plan, including the prescription of antifungal medication, applied topically or taken by mouth, will usually be suggested. Such a treatment appears to provide better resolution of the problem, when the patient observes the course of treatment prescribed by the podiatrist; if it's shortened, failure of the treatment is common. If the infection is caused by bacteria, antibiotics, such as penicillin, that are effective against a broad spectrum of bacteria may be prescribed.
Your podiatric physician/surgeon has been trained specifically and extensively in the diagnosis and treatment of all manner of foot conditions. This training encompasses all of the intricately related systems and structures of the foot and lower leg including neurological, circulatory, skin, and the musculoskeletal system, which includes bones, joints, ligaments, tendons, muscles, and nerves.
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CPMA keeping Californians on their feet – Healthy, Active and Productive
