A Guide to Sports Injuries

Posted on 10.27.23 | Yuko Miyazaki, DPM |

For athletes and sports enthusiasts alike, physical activity is an essential part of life. Whether you’re a professional athlete or simply enjoy recreational sports, it’s crucial to be aware of the risks associated with physical exertion. Sports injuries can range from mild to severe, and one area of the body that is particularly vulnerable to such injuries is the feet.

In this comprehensive guide, we’ll explore common sports injuries that affect the feet, how they develop, ways to prevent them, available treatments, the importance of proper footwear, and why seeking professional help for lingering injuries is crucial.

What Are Sports Injuries?

Sports injuries are injuries that occur during sports or exercise activities. These injuries can affect various parts of the body, including the feet. In this section, we’ll focus on three common sports injuries related to the feet:

Sprained Ankle

A sprained ankle is a frequent injury among athletes. It happens when the ligaments surrounding the ankle joint are stretched or torn, often due to sudden twisting or rolling of the foot. This can cause pain, swelling, and limited mobility.

Stress Fractures

Stress fractures are small cracks or breaks in the bones of the foot, typically caused by repetitive stress or overuse. They often develop gradually and are characterized by localized pain and tenderness.

Turf Toe

Turf toe is a sprain of the big toe joint, usually caused by hyperextension of the toe. It is commonly seen in sports that involve running and sudden stops or changes in direction. Symptoms include pain and swelling at the base of the big toe.

How Do They Develop?

Sports injuries to the feet can develop for several reasons, including:

Overuse: Repeated stress or excessive use of the feet, such as running long distances without proper rest, can lead to stress fractures.
Poor Technique: Incorrect form or technique in sports and exercise can increase the risk of injuries, including sprained ankles or turf toe.
Inadequate Warm-up and Stretching: Failing to warm up properly or neglecting to stretch before physical activity can make the feet more susceptible to injury.
Inadequate Footwear: Wearing ill-fitting or inappropriate shoes for your sport can contribute to injuries.

How to Avoid Sports Injuries

Preventing sports injuries is essential to maintaining an active lifestyle. Here are some tips to reduce the risk of foot-related sports injuries:

Proper Warm-up: Always warm up before engaging in physical activity to prepare your muscles and joints.
Correct Technique: Ensure you use proper form and technique when participating in sports or exercise.
Adequate Footwear: Choose the right shoes for your sport and ensure they provide proper support and fit.
Gradual Progression: Avoid overtraining and gradually increase the intensity and duration of your workouts.
Cross-Train: Incorporate cross-training and flexibility exercises into your routine to strengthen different muscle groups.

Treatments for Sports Injuries

If you do experience a sports-related foot injury, it’s essential to seek proper treatment. Depending on the severity of the injury, treatments may include rest, ice, compression, elevation (RICE), physical therapy, or in some cases, surgical intervention.

Proper Footwear is the First Step

Investing in the right athletic shoes designed for your specific sport is crucial for preventing foot injuries. Proper footwear provides support, cushioning, and stability, reducing the risk of injuries. Consult with Dr. Miyazaki to ensure you choose the right shoes for your activity level and foot type.

Dealing with a Lingering Sports Injury? Come See Us!

Lingering sports injuries can worsen over time and hinder your performance. If you have a persistent foot injury, it’s essential to consult our experienced team for a thorough evaluation and treatment plan. Early intervention can prevent long-term complications and help you get back on your feet faster.

Sports injuries can be challenging, but with the right knowledge and precautions, you can significantly reduce your risk of foot-related injuries. Remember to prioritize proper warm-up, technique, and footwear to stay active and injury-free.

If you do encounter a sports injury, don’t hesitate to schedule an appointment for a swift and effective recovery. Your feet are your foundation, so take care of them to continue enjoying the sports and activities you love.

What to Do About Stress Fractures

Posted on 08.07.20 | Yuko Miyazaki, DPM |

Out of all the different types of sports-related or activity-related foot and ankle injuries we treat at our office, stress fractures are often among the most frustrating for our patients.

It’s not because stress fractures are more painful than other types of chronic injuries, or more difficult to treat. In fact, in most cases, the recommended treatment approach for stress fractures of the feet could not be simpler or more straightforward. Rest and time are usually all that’s required.

So why are stress fractures so frustrating? Ultimately it comes down to temptation, discipline, and patience. We know you want to get back on the go as fast as possible, but there are many reasons why you need to be cautious. And fortunately, we can help you.

What Are Stress Fractures?

Stress fractures are tiny cracks that develop in the surface of a bone—as opposed to “full” fractures that cause a bone to snap or crack completely through, or avulsion fractures where a piece of bone is broken off.

Stress fractures usually start out as kind of a dull ache, in maybe a single spot on your foot. (The metatarsal bones of the midfoot are especially prone to stress fractures, although they can occur elsewhere.) Over time, however, the pain and tenderness get worse and worse, and cover a larger area.

Periods of rest will cause the pain to decrease, but exercise and other sustained activity will bring it roaring back.

What Causes Stress Fractures?

Typically, stress fractures occur in response to extended periods of overuse, where you’re subjecting your body to lots of impact forces without providing appropriate rest periods in between to recover.

With athletes, the typical pattern is that overuse causes the soft tissues underfoot to wear down, which means foot bones (especially the metatarsals in the middle of the foot) have to pick up more of the slack. Your bones try to adapt to this by “remodeling,” essentially breaking down the bone tissue in order to rebuild itself stronger. But if you short-circuit the process by continuing to subject your feet to heavy impact forces, the bones continue to weaken and eventually start to crack.

Some common risk factors include:

Participating in high-impact sports or activities (running, basketball, track and field, dancing, gymnastics, backpacking, etc.).
Suddenly increasing your activity levels over a short period of time (which doesn’t allow your bones to remodel themselves fast enough to prevent injury).
Having relatively weak bones, due to a condition like osteoporosis or poor nutrition.
Regularly wearing worn-out or unsupportive footwear, especially during activity.
Having existing structural foot problems, such as flat feet or rigid high arches.

Why Treatment Is Often So Easy—and Yet So Hard

Here’s the problem that active people often face when dealing with stress fractures.

The actual mechanics of treatment are very straightforward in the vast majority of cases. Pretty much all you have to do is stop participating in high-impact activity and give your bones time to repair themselves. Surgery is almost never necessary. And if your stress fractures are mild, you may not even need any special interventions or equipment at all.

The problem is that stress fractures often require a lot of time to fully repair themselves—6 to 8 weeks is fairly typical. That’s a lot of time to be away from activity, especially sports you love (or occupations that require you to do a lot of walking and lifting).

Making it worse is that, in general, with most mild-to-moderate stress fractures, you usually can walk or even run on them—it just hurts a bit.

And even if the pain starts out pretty bad, as you go through your weeks of rest, the symptoms will continue to gradually improve. So you can imagine, it becomes very tempting for some people to cheat a bit and restart their activities. Unfortunately, the usual result is that all the work you just did gets undone, and you have to start over again.

Actually, it’s worse than that, because the longer your stress fractures stick around, the more likely they’ll deepen and even develop into complete fractures. Trust us: you don’t want to go there.

Helping You Heal

We understand what you’re going through, and we want to make sure you get all the support, guidance, and care you need to get rid of your stress fractures for good.

For more serious stress fractures, you may need a walking boot or crutches to really protect your foot and ensure you offload weight as much as possible.

Once you’re back in normal shoes, we may recommend further techniques to help you continue to heal and reduce your risk of reinjury while keeping your sanity:

Making sure the shoes you wear provide solid cushioning and support
Fitting you for a good pair of arch supports or custom orthotics that further offload weight and pressure from at-risk locations. (This will aid your recovery and, if you continue to use them, reduce the risk of future injury.)
Providing clear, detailed guidelines for when and how you can start to return to your favorite activities.
When possible, recommending alternative activities (such as swimming or sometimes cycling) that keep you active and mentally engaged without putting your feet at unnecessary risk.

Now, ultimately, there’s no way to avoid the fact that treatment is always going to require some time and patience. But if you take it seriously and come to see us, we’ll make sure you leave our office with a solid plan moving forward, so you feel supported and don’t have to try to make guesses about how to recover and rehab safely.

Aching feet should not be ignored! If you’re struggling to get your feet permanently back to pain-free status, give our office a call today at (510) 647-3744, or contact us online.

It Only Takes One: Preventing Long-Term Complications from Ankle Sprains

Posted on 07.01.20 | Yuko Miyazaki, DPM |

Ankles sprains are, almost certainly, the most common traumatic lower limb injury suffered by Americans. The rates are high across ages and activity levels—from youth athletes to weekend warriors to working adults and even retirees. Complications from ankle sprains can follow if not treated correctly.

The good thing is that, in many cases, minor sprains can be treated at home without special equipment.

The bad thing is that, because sprains are both common and usually mild, far too many people shrug off sprains entirely and grossly underestimate the kind of long-term physical damage that even a “mild” sprain can do to your ankle.

The unfortunate truth? If you don’t take care of your sprained ankle quickly and appropriately, you could be taking your first steps down a path of chronic pain, instability, and recurring sprains.

It Only Takes One: Preventing Long-Term Complications from Ankle Sprains 2

Why It Only Takes One Sprain

You may have noticed that, while some athletes and active people have never gotten an ankle sprain, others seem to get them over and over again. (Maybe you’re among them.)

That’s almost certainly not an accident.

Ankle sprains, even mild ones, involve significant stretching (if not outright tearing) of the ligaments that hold your ankle in place and provide stability to your steps. Although any individual sprain can fall anywhere on the spectrum from very mild (no tearing, mild tenderness and pain, can still walk) to very severe (full tear, severe pain), every sprain requires some amount of attention, care, and time to allow the tendon fibers to heal themselves.

What often happens, unfortunately, is that people don’t give themselves enough care and time. They try to “walk it off,” play through an injury, or return to high-impact exercise too soon.

When you do this, the ligaments never really heal themselves all the way. Or, perhaps, the sprain itself heals, but the ankle is never rehabbed back to its pre-injury level of strength and flexibility.

When you put your ankle back in harm’s way before it’s ready to face that challenge, your risk of suffering another sprain becomes greatly elevated. The more times you repeat this cycle, the less likely your ligaments will fully heal after each injury. Ultimately, you could develop chronic instability and poor balance due to overstretched and weakened ligaments, as well as chronic pain and arthritis within the ankle joint itself.

Containing the Damage: What to Do When You Sprain Your Ankle

The way you respond to a broken ankle, both in the immediate hours after the injury as well as over the course of your recovery, can have a significant effect on how well you heal—and how likely you are to suffer more sprains in the future.

First, discontinue any strenuous activity and avoid putting weight on the ankle as much as possible. Follow the RICE approach for at least the first 2-3 days after your injury:

Rest your foot. Avoid any activities that cause discomfort.
Ice the area. It’s best to get an ice pack on your ankle as soon as you can after the injury for about 15-20 minutes, then repeat 3-4 times per day. Wrap the ice pack in a thin towel to protect your skin.
Compress the ankle using an elastic bandage, if you have one. Don’t wrap so tight that you cut off circulation. (If you aren’t comfortable with this, you can skip this step.)
Elevate the ankle, ideally above heart level if you can. Prop it up on a couple of pillows when you sleep or relax on the couch.

You should also call our office as soon as you can after the injury, and tell us about your condition and symptoms. Depending on your situation, we may advise you to come in for an appointment, or just provide you with some home care advice and guidance.

You should also call us immediately to schedule an appointment if you notice significant pain, swelling, bruising, or difficulty with walking—or if you feel that your sprain isn’t fully responding to home care.

If you do come in, be reassured that most ankle sprains do not require surgery (although it is more likely to be required if you’ve had multiple sprains). Depending on the severity, we may recommend various tools to protect or immobilize the ankle during the healing process (brace, short cast, walking boot, etc.).

We’ll also give you a detailed breakdown of when you can start rehab, what kinds of exercises you should do, and when you can return to various levels of activity. While we realize it’s always tempting to cut corners—especially if you feel that your recovery is ahead of schedule—sticking to the plan is important if you want the best probability of returning to 100% strength and flexibility in the ankle.

Preventing the Next Sprain

Once you’re back to full strength, you can reduce your risk of reinjury by following some common-sense preventative measures:

Always wear appropriate shoe gear. Choose sport-specific shoes that fit your feet properly.
Replace athletic shoes at least yearly, or more often if they are worn down. For runners, this typically happens around the 300-400 mile mark.
Warm up and stretch your feet and ankles before and after exercise.
Wear an athletic ankle brace, tape, or supportive wrap during exercise for a little extra bracing and stability, especially if you’ve suffered a sprain in the past.
Avoid running on uneven or unstable surfaces. Avoid excessively hilly terrain if you can.
Do balance exercises every day.
Do leg and ankle strengthening exercises regularly.
Avoid rapid increases in your exercise or training program. Prepare your body gradually to new levels of intensity.
Listen to your body. If your ankles are feeling painful or unstable, slow down and re-assess the situation. If it keeps happening, give us a call.

We are happy to provide you with any guidance you need to help prevent unfortunate foot or ankle injuries.

So don’t let ankle sprains keep you from having an active and enjoyable summer—and if you do sprain your ankle, please don’t let a careless response to treatment and rehab increase your risk of long-term problems. We can help!

To schedule an appointment with Dr. Miyazaki, call us today at (510) 647-3744.

Why New Year’s Diet Resolutions Fail

Posted on 01.17.19 | Yuko Miyazaki, DPM |

Change is often good, but it is rarely easy.

At least it isn’t easy if we don’t approach it in the right manner. Unfortunately, it feels like we’ve built a practical industry on running headlong into failure with our goals.

With the new year always comes heavy talk of turning over a new leaf, whether it be diet resolutions, weight loss resolutions, or resolutions to stop a bad habit. We’re inundated with advertisements for gyms and stop-smoking aids galore, but we’re also bombarded with messages that, yeah, a lot of this is going to fail.

The saddest part is that those messages aren’t wrong. According to a 2015 article in U.S. News & World Report, about 80 percent of people’s New Year’s resolutions fail by the second week of February. This number likely fluctuates a good amount year to year and person to person, but odds are you have set at least one resolution for yourself over the years that just didn’t happen.

How do we set ourselves up to fail, and what can we do to improve our chances of significant change?

Let’s take a closer look through the lens of one common example: diet resolutions. Why diet? Because it’s an area where almost anyone can make positive changes. And when it comes to your feet (we are a podiatry practice, after all!), your diet can have significant impacts on your foot health over time.

Build a Real Plan

Let’s say your goal is to get over a wall that’s in your way. Which of the following methods is more likely to bring you success?

Building steps up against the wall and using them to climb over?
Just running at that sucker full boar and hoping for the best?

Clearly, one answer is better than the other. When we set up a New Year’s resolution, we tend to treat that day as a green flag dropping and we zoom out toward our goal! We just don’t always fully know where we’re going.

If you just say, “I’m going to eat better,” you create a nebulous goal that’s easy to fudge and eventually drop.

A good goal will follow most or all the elements of the SMART setup, meaning it will be:

Specific.
Measurable.
Achievable.
Relevant.
Time-bound.

“I’m going to eat better,” doesn’t fit the SMART criteria. Related goals that fit much better could include:

“I will only eat out once per week.”
“I will eat at least one serving of vegetables per day.” (Keep them rich in calcium and vitamin D for bone health!)
“I will reduce my soda intake 10% each month until July.”

Be Flexible to Your Expectations and Reality

The “Achievable” part of a SMART goal deserves some extra emphasis. The change you wish to make has to be something that you know you can actually do. Otherwise, you’re simply trying to surmount a wall that’s too high.

If you want to cut down on sweets, for example (which is great for your feet for long-term nerve health), cutting them out of your diet entirely on day one is likely going to feel miserable. Odds are higher that you’ll be back to old sugar habits within a few weeks.

A plan that involves gradual steps toward your overall goal is nothing to be ashamed of, and is much more adaptable to our human natures. Better to take a bit longer to reach your destination than to never reach it at all!

Small steps should still provide some challenge to make them rewarding. As you achieve these steps, you should gain further confidence in your abilities to reach your end results!

However, if you find yourself starting to flounder or feel you may have bitten off more than you can chew, don’t be afraid to revise your goals a bit and forge ahead.

Just make sure you’re not constantly adjusting your goals downward—that’s more like taking gradual steps toward quitting.

Don’t Go It Alone

Many well-intentioned resolutions die with a whimper in the dark, with only the one who made it ever knowing it had existed.

Shedding light on your goals by telling your friends and family will make them feel much more real. Not only that, it recruits them as supporters and accountability partners!

When your goal is diet based, having someone who is willing to go so far as to pursue it with you is an outstanding boon! Healthy dietary changes tend to be healthy for everyone, so they tend to be easier for a wider variety of people to pursue than other goals.

Do be cautious on who you share you goals with, however. While people can be positive, some can be rather unsupportive. You likely have a good idea of who these people may be in your life, and it’s better not to have them drag you down.

The Best Goals, The Best Rewards

You should certainly reward yourself with something nice when you achieve a milestone. Food is obviously not a good choice for a diet goal, but you can always take a day at the spa or buy that nice item you’ve been wanting instead.

When it comes to your foot health (and your overall well-being!), the choices you make can help you reach a much more comfortable and less troublesome future. It’s not instant gratification, but it’s well worth it nonetheless!

If you have conditions such as arthritis, nerve pain, or even some forms of heel pain, you might be surprised how much changes in diet can help. We can assist you in determining the best diet resolutions for comfort and lasting care, as well as recommend additional plans (such as exercise) and treatments to take care of your foot and ankle issues. Call our Berkley office at (510) 647-3744 to schedule an appointment, or fill out our online contact form to have a member of our staff reach out to you.

Recognizing and Treating Plantar Fasciitis

Posted on 03.30.18 | Yuko Miyazaki, DPM |

At our Berkeley foot doctor office, we take pride in offering treatment for a wide range of foot and ankle conditions and injuries. No matter what is causing you pain or difficulty in a lower limb, we look forward to creating a customized treatment plan to help you get back to your favorite activities.

Of course, just because we treat so many different foot problems doesn’t mean they are all equally as common. In fact, there is one source of heel pain that tends to be more prominent than any other – plantar fasciitis.

There’s a decent chance you are already familiar with this condition. For the benefit of those who aren’t, though, let’s take a real quick look at it. In doing so, we’ll cover some of the signs that will help you recognize a case of plantar fasciitis.

To best understand this condition, it can be helpful to know a bit about the anatomy of your heel.

The heel bone is known as the calcaneus, and it sits at the back of the foot, underneath the talus bone. There are two very important tissues that connect to the calcaneus – your Achilles tendon and plantar fascia.

Now, there are certainly issues that can arise on account of the Achilles tendon, but—as you might expect—plantar fasciitis is an injury to the plantar fascia.

So what is a fascia, and what specifically is the plantar fascia?

Well, a fascia is a thin sheath of fibrous connective tissue that encloses a muscle, group of muscles, or organ. The plantar fascia, specifically, bridges the rearfoot to the forefoot. This fibrous tissue runs along the bottom of the foot and supports the arch. In doing so, it is a bit like the string you pull back on a bow before letting an arrow fly.

Plantar fasciitis is a very common overuse injury caused when the plantar fascia is subjected to excessive stress. The extra forces cause tiny tears in the tissue, and repeated stretching and tearing results in irritation, inflammation, and pain.

As we look at the symptoms of the condition, the most easily identified sign of plantar fasciitis is an intense, stabbing pain accompanying the first steps following extended periods of rest. This pain is felt in the bottom of the heel and is often quite pronounced in the morning (after a night’s sleep).

The heel pain will usually subside in time as you move around, but it does return again after any additional periods of rest or time spent standing in one spot. This is explained by the fact that the body works to repair the fascia during those times of rest, but the subsequent steps rip the tears back open.

There are stretching exercises that can not only alleviate the pain you encounter with this condition, but also prevent it from happening in the first place. Some of the better ones include:

Achilles Tendon Stretch – Stand approximately a foot and a half in front of a wall with your hands on it. Place your left foot behind the right one so the toes touch the heel. Keeping your back leg straight, bend your front knee until you feel the stretch in your lower left leg. Hold for 10 seconds and then switch legs. Repeat two more times.
Plantar Fascia Stretch – Sit barefoot in a chair and place your foot over your knee. Using the hand on the same side as your foot, gently pull back on your toes until you feel a good stretch along the bottom of your foot. Hold for 10 seconds and then switch feet. Repeat two more times.

Towel Pulls – Place a towel on the floor and grab it with your toes and pull the towel towards you, then switch feet. Repeat 10 times.

Stretching exercises are a great way to start—and may turn out to be all the care you need—but it’s certainly possible that you will require additional treatment.

Other components we may include in your plantar fasciitis treatment plan, include:

Rest. Taking time away from high-impact activities or, even better, replacing them with low-impact ones (cycling, swimming) will better allow your body to repair the damaged tissue.
Ice. An appropriate icing regimen will both relieve inflammation in the fascia and reduce pain.
Medication. We may recommend or prescribe certain pain relievers (including ibuprofen and naproxen), or use corticosteroid injections to provide relief.
Orthotic devices. Whether we prescribe custom orthotics or recommend certain heel cups or cushioning inserts, these devices can more equitably distribute pressure and take it away from your fascia.

If you would like additional information on this common overuse injury—or you are experiencing the sharp pain it causes and would like professional treatment—contact our Berkeley office by calling (510) 647-3744. To help serve you better, we also have an online form that you can fill out and connect with us right now!

Top Hiking Trails in Berkeley

Posted on 12.14.17 | Yuko Miyazaki, DPM |

The Bay Area is well known for having a vibrant, active community! Residents of all ages participate in a wide range of physical activities, but hiking is especially popular.

Of course, a drawback for living in an area with so much natural beauty is the number of tourists who spend time sightseeing attractions like the redwoods in Muir Woods. While tourism is great for our local economy, it’s less than ideal if you’re looking for a bit of solitude and peaceful connection with nature on your hike.

Fortunately, our communities boast an abundance of opportunities for those who want to get away from the crowds. You can enjoy the serenity offered in such places as:

Hiking

Little Yosemite Area. This is an easy, one-to-two-mile scenic spot in the Sunol Regional Wilderness Area where you can have a Yosemite-lite experience, without leaving the East Bay! The Little Yosemite is fairly accessible, stunningly pretty, and a great place if you want to bring your four-legged best friend (dogs are allowed off-leash).

The gently meandering trail is canopied in parts by arching trees and the gorge contains a gushing creek, languid pools, and turbulent waterfalls. The large, sprawling boulders especially contribute to the natural beauty of the area.

Robert W. Crown Memorial State Beach. A little bit longer than the Little Yosemite at 2.5 miles, this is another fantastic option if you are looking for an easy hike. Crown State Beach runs from Crab Cove to the Elsie Roemer Bird Sanctuary on Shoreline Drive in Alameda. Here you can leisurely stroll along and enjoy the views of fog-shrouded San Francisco or take advantage of the ample opportunities to indulge in some bird-watching.

Pro tip – During fall and winter, low tide is best for sighting sandpipers and egrets and high tide is when to watch loons and grebes close to the shoreline.

Mulholland Ridge Trail. As we move into more challenging trails, you may want to consider heading to the Mulholland Ridge Open Space Preserve for this two-mile hike. This little-known pathway is tucked away on the border of Moraga and Orinda. It is easy to access—about a mile off of Highway 24—and a great spot for wet-weather hiking (since the ridge is paved).

This one-mile ridge walk (a two-mile round trip) is fairly elevated and has a moderately steep grade. The grade does flatten out, however, between the Orinda-side entrance and the water tower. Part of the charm of the Mulholland Ridge Trail is the 360-degree views of Diablo Range, Moraga Valley, and the Oakland hills.

Hiking

Crockett Hills Regional Park. If you’re looking for another moderate trail that’s a little longer, you may want to consider this five-mile hike that starts at the Crocket Ranch Staging Area. There are a variety of trail options, but we recommend walking up the hill on Edwards Creek Trail, following the Wood Rat Trail, and then using the pedestrian tunnel under Cummings Skyway. Doing so will take you to rolling oak woodlands and grassy meadows, where you will find spectacular views of Mount Tamalpais, Mount Diablo, the delta, San Pablo Bay, and the Carquinez Strait and Bridge.

Briones Reservoir Loop. For those who are looking for more challenge, this Orinda hills excursion is 13.5 miles and considered to be a difficult hike. If you are going to take it on, keep in mind you always want to stay left and high to stick to the main trail. Also, this loop requires a permit ($3 per day or $10 per year). For more information on how to purchase a permit visit www.Ebmud.com.

The cost and difficulty, however, are definitely worth it if you’re up to the challenge—especially during the spring when wildflowers are blooming and the hills are green, or the fall when temperatures are cooler and the trees turn color.

East Ridge Trail Loop. We’re going to end our list by scaling back a little for this five-mile, moderately-difficult trail in Redwood Regional Park. Some consider this to be a hiker’s dream, with the many access points giving you a plethora of opportunities—including rigorous hill climbs, flat strolls along the valley floor, and sunny ridgeline walks.

For the best of the park, start at the Pinehurst Staging Area (on Pinehurst Road near Canyon) and head straight onto the East Ridge Trail. Take a left at Canyon Trail, followed by three right turns on Stream Trail, Prince Trail, and then East Ridge Trail (which completes the loop). At a reasonable pace, the loop will take roughly two hours to complete.

Recovering from a Broken Ankle

Posted on 10.27.17 | Yuko Miyazaki, DPM |

Ankle sprains are an extremely common injury, to the point they might be the most common one humans sustain. Less common are ankle fractures. The two injuries would appear to be quite different—a sprain affects ligaments and fractures happen to bones—but the fact of the matter is both have similar symptoms.

In either case, there is bound to be swelling, inflammation, and possibly bruising. Beyond shared symptoms, another commonality between the two ankle injuries is the fact they can happen from the same kinds of accidents.

Twisting an ankle too far can damage connective ligaments. Adding bodyweight to the equation can possibly lead to ankle bones fracturing.

What all of this means is that you may need to come see us for professional evaluation if you have hurt an ankle. We can determine which injury you’ve sustained, and then create a proper treatment plan to address it. When we discuss treatment, patients often want to know what they can expect from the recovery process, especially with regard to timing.

When it comes to recovering from a broken ankle, there are various factors at play which can affect how long it will take the damaged tissues to mend. The severity of the fracture and the specific ankle bone(s) affected both have an effect on the amount of time it will take your body to recover from this kind of injury.

There are various types of breaks that can be sustained in the ankle (as with any part of the body), including:

Stress fractures – tiny cracks in the surface of a bone
Simple fractures – the bone is broken, but the fractured ends are still lined up in proper positioning for correct healing
Complex fractures – the bone has completely broken, become displaced, and pierces through the skin

Treatment methods range—depending on the nature of the injury—from RICE therapy to casts, and all the way up to using screws and plates in surgical correction.

In the case of a stress fracture in any of the bones forming the ankle joints, conservative care methods tend to be rather successful. For simple fractures, the key to caring for the injury is stabilizing the bone and allowing the body to heal itself (without the affected bones shifting out of position). With a complex fracture, surgery is usually required.

As a general rule of thumb, it typically takes at least 6 weeks for bone tissues to mend, but it might take longer for any involved tendons or ligaments to regain their strength. With proper adherence to doctor orders, normal activities can usually be resumed within 3-4 months following the injury.

Of course, every situation is different and it is difficult for you to know exactly what your recovery for a broken ankle will actually look like until you visit our Berkeley office. Once you are here, though, we can give you a proper evaluation and a realistic timeframe with regard to the recovery process.

Schedule your appointment with the office of Yuko Miyazaki, DPM today by calling (510) 647-3744.

Foot and Ankle Injuries

Posted on 10.11.17 | Yuko Miyazaki, DPM |

Physical activity and fitness are important for humans of all ages, and especially growing children. There are so many benefits to physical activity. Unfortunately, there is also always a certain degree of injury risk as well. Feet and ankle injuries are particularly common, which makes sense because we often rely on our lower limbs when being active.

Foot and ankle injuries fall into two broad categories – acute and chronic. Acute injuries happen in response to a sudden, traumatic incident. An example of this is an infielder playing softball who misjudges a low, line drive and gets hit hard in the shinbone with the ball. Another would be a soccer player who has planted his or her cleats into the ground—while the rest of the athlete’s body continues to move forward over the planted foot—and sprains the big toe.

Conversely, chronic sports injuries have a gradual onset. They develop over time in response to an accumulation of forces on a specific area. Examples of these include basketball players who develop stress fractures from running on hard courts and runners who develop tendonitis in their Achilles tendon.

There are many numerous varieties of foot and ankle sports injuries, with some of the more common ones including:

Ankle sprains. Even for non-athletes, these are common lower limb injuries. When the ligaments connecting the ankle bones are extended beyond their intended range of motion, the resulting injury is called a sprain. In (and out of) sports, it’s relatively easy for an ankle to twist, turn, or roll in an abnormal fashion, which explains why the condition is so common.
Achilles tendinitis. Too much high-impact activity, or sudden increases in intensity, leads to problems for the Achilles tendon. This injury is marked by pain in the back of the heel during and following activity.
Fractures. Sports involving solid objects (baseball bats, hockey sticks, balls, pucks) and hard surfaces come with a certain degree of risk for broken foot and ankle bones.
Stress fractures. Unlike other breaks, stress fractures are surface level cracks in bone that typically develop in response to overuse.
Turf toe. In the earlier example of the soccer player, his big toe sprain is actually a case of turf toe. Many fans recognize the term because it can keep favorite athletes out of action for some time.

The important thing to remember when it comes to foot and ankle sports injuries is that they need to be properly healed before you get back to action. Remember, the pain you experience is actually your body’s way of letting you know you need to rest. Of course, it’s also a sign that you should come see us here at our Berkeley, CA office!

We provide comprehensive care for lower limb problems, so call (510) 647-3744 if you are ever in need of professional treatment and we will be glad to help.

Sports Injuries for Children

Posted on 06.26.17 | Yuko Miyazaki, DPM |

This certainly doesn’t apply to all children here in Berkeley (and the greater San Francisco Bay area), but sports and physical activities are a big part of childhood for many kids. Depending on personality, temperament, and other factors, some children love the thrill of competition. For others, sports are a social activity – one that enables them to spend time with friends. Active children can improve physical health, learn the value of hard work, and develop friendships.

Unfortunately, sometimes children (and adults) are hurt by common foot and ankle sports injuries. If your son or daughter has any of the possible child sports injuries that affect lower limbs, request an appointment so we can help. You will be relieved to know that most of these cases are successfully resolved without needing surgery.

There are a variety of different ways a child might hurt his or her foot or ankle while participating in sports. Injuries can be acute or chronic and happen to either bones or soft tissues (muscles, tendons, ligaments).

Even with a wide array of potential sports injuries, there are several we tend to treat more often than others at our Berkeley, CA podiatrist office. Bone fractures, ankle sprains, shin splints, and Sever’s disease are all seen with a fair degree of frequency. You may be familiar with the first three, but Sever’s disease might not be as familiar.

In spite of the name, Sever’s is not actually a disease. Instead, this is the leading cause of heel pain for children and adolescents. The condition develops when the heel bone grows at a more rapid pace than the Achilles tendon. This situation results in a painful “tugging” on the bone from its connective tissue.

Naturally, specific treatment plans for our younger patients depend on factors like injury, severity, and medical history, but common components of treatment plans include:

RICE – This refers to the practice of using “rest, ice, compression, and elevation,” and is typically a core component of first aid for sports injuries. When used in conjunction with each other, these techniques reduce pain and inflammation, and actually help promote natural healing processes.
Medication – In addition to RICE treatment, oral medication is another nonsurgical option that can be used to relieve painful symptoms and lower inflammation. Always check with our office first for recommended dosage amounts before administering medication to your child!
Custom orthotic devices – Depending on your child’s injury, we may recommend a pair of orthotics customized to his or her unique feet and gait pattern.

We hope your active child is able to avoid being injured while playing sports. In the event he or she does sustain an injury, keep in mind that we provide effective care so they can get back to their favorite activities as quickly as possible. Fortunately, many common foot and ankle injuries can be effectively treated with conservative care and do not require surgical intervention!

If your son or daughter has a foot or ankle injury from playing sports, or from any other root cause, simply contact our Berkeley podiatrist office and see what we can do to help. Either call us at (510) 647-3744 and speak with a staff member, or send us a message through our online form here.

7 Things to Consider if You Have Flat Feet

Posted on 02.07.17 | Yuko Miyazaki, DPM |

If you walk on a pool deck with wet feet and the footprints you leave behind are the entire width of your feet—instead of the front and back parts being connected with a strip about half that width—then you probably have flat feet. Now, this condition is technically considered “abnormal,” but it isn’t all that uncommon. In fact, it is estimated that up to 30% of the general population have flat feet.

There are certain things you should keep in mind and know if you have a flatfoot condition, including the knowledge that there are many people out there who have the same issue. Here are 7 more things to consider:

Your feet move a little differently. It’s entirely possible you’ve never noticed, but your feet undergo a rolling motion during the ground portion of every step you take. This biomechanical process starts when your heel strikes the ground, continues through the final push of your toes, and is called pronation. The inward rolling motion is supposed to be around 15%. Most people with flat feet have an excessive roll called overpronation.
Your shoes have an interesting wear pattern. As noted earlier, you can tell whether or not you have flat feet by the footprints you leave when taking a normal step. Another way is by looking at the soles of your footwear. Due to overpronation, the bottoms of your shoes will be worn more heavily on the inner edges than the outer ones.
There’s a way to control overpronation. We can prescribe custom orthotics to prevent overpronation (which can be the source of pain in the feet, ankles, knees, hips, and even lower back). These medical devices are customized to work with your unique feet and restrict the excessive motion.
Shoe choices matter. If you are a runner with flat feet, you should pay close attention to the running shoes you buy. A good rule of thumb is to pick up your footwear in a store that caters to runners. The associates in these places are usually experts in pairing runners with the shoes that will work best for their running styles. If you are picking some out on your own, though, stick to models that are labeled as being “stability” or “motion control” running shoes.
Recognizing flatfoot symptoms is important for getting help. Knowing and recognizing symptoms like foot pain, fatigue (especially during and after physical activity), and swelling along the inside of the ankle will allow you to know when to contact our Berkeley office for treatment.
You might not have noticeable symptoms. Whereas there are many men and women who experience difficulty and pain from flat feet, this is not always the case. It is important to know that even though there are no current symptoms, issues can still arise. With this in mind, you need to pay attention to how your feet (especially your arch and heel areas) are feeling. If problems develop, come see us.
Conservative treatment is often effective. One of the good things about a flatfoot condition is the fact we can usually address symptoms and problems without needing to use surgery. Rest, ice, medication, stretches, and orthotic devices are all options we may include in your treatment plan.

Something to consider even if you don’t currently have flat feet is that you can still develop a case of acquired adult flatfoot deformity. This particular condition develops as your posterior tibial tendons—which play a major role in supporting your foot arches—begin to weaken.

If you would like more information on flat feet or need professional treatment, we are here to help. Call our Berkeley, CA podiatrist office at (510) 647-3744 or send us a message online right now!