Northcoast Footcare, Inc

Plant Chemical Berberine Lowers Blood Sugar
Berberine is a plant alkaloid found in plants such as Berberis, Coptis chinensis and goldenseal. Berberine has been used as a traditional dietary supplement because of it’s anti-fungal, anti-bacterial and anti-inflammatory effects. Berberine promotes glucose uptake in pancreatic cells and also inhibits glucosidase activity, improving glucose metabolism. In a study from the Shanghai Jiao Tong [...]

New Study Finds Stem Cells Can Build Joints
Amplify’d from www.redorbit.com Scientists have successfully used stem cells to rebuild bones and cartilage in rabbits, providing hope that the procedure might someday be used to naturally rebuild damaged joints in humans. They found that just a single compound–a growth factor known as beta-3–was needed in order for the rabbits’ systems to rebuild joint tissue, [...]

Toenail Fungus Not More Common in Those with Psoriasis
Individuals with psoriasis can have pitted, white nails which can be mistaken for fungus. This study evaluates patients with psoriasis for nail fungus. Amplify’d from www.docguide.com Onychomycosis Not More Prevalent in Patients With Psoriasis Than General Population PARIS — July 7, 2010 — Researchers using culture tests showed that onychomycosis is not more prevalent in [...]

Diabetic Ulcers and Numbness Linked to Tooth and Gum Disease
Interesting link between periodontal disease and diabetic foot complications. Amplify’d from www.northcoastfootcareblog.com Diabetic Neuropathy Linked to Periodontal Disease Diabetic neuropathy is nerve damage caused by diabetes and results in the loss of sensation in the toes and feet. Diabetics with neuropathy are at risk of developing an ulceration, a slow healing sore on the bottom [...]

Diabetic Neuropathy Linked to Periodontal Disease
Diabetic neuropathy is nerve damage caused by diabetes and results in the loss of sensation in the toes and feet. Diabetics with neuropathy are at risk of developing an ulceration, a slow healing sore on the bottom of the foot which can lead to infection and/or amputation of part or all of the foot. Diabetic [...]

Botox May Help Improve Heel Pain
Those suffering with chronic heel pain, plantar fasciitis, may find some relief with botox injections. Critics say it’s not addressing the problem and more research needs to be done. Amplify’d from www.northcoastfootcareblog.com Botox for Chronic Plantar Fasciitis Botox injections at the heel improve pain and function in patients with chronic plantar fasciitis, according to a [...]

Gout: New Drug & Old Favorites May Reduce Risk
Gout is a painful joint condition caused by high levels of uric acid in the blood resulting in deposition of fine crystals in the joints. The most common presentation of gout is the sudden onset of intense pain, redness and swelling of the great toe joint at night or during sleep. The prevalence of gout [...]

Cartilage Implants Help Damaged Joints
Chondrocytes are cartilage cells and when there is significant cartilage damage, the cells have difficulty regenerating. Autologous chondrocyte implantation means that cartilage cells are removed from your own joint and then grown in a lab and implanted into the damaged area of the joint. This study shows promising results over the long term. More on [...]

Ball of Foot Pain Causes
An easier to understand description of a common cause of ball of foot pain. Amplify’d from www.northcoastfootcareblog.com Metatarsalgia (MET – tuh   tar – SAL – juh) is a catch-all term used to describe a number of conditions which cause pain in the ball of the foot. “Metatarsal” is the name for the long bones [...]

Wound Healing Phases
Once a wound has been injured, the body goes through the process of repairing the wound. This process is very complex, but can be broken down into three overlapping phases, inflammatory, proliferative and maturation. The inflammatory phase starts immediately after tissue injury and lasts for 3-4 days. The phase is characterized by migration of inflammatory [...]

Bone Mineral Density in RA
Researchers in the Netherlands examined the bone mineral density in patients who were recently diagnosed with rheumatoid arthritis after 1 year of treatment with DMARDS, anti-TNF or corticosteroids. The results were part of the BeSt study which compared four different treatments in patients with rheumatoid arthritis. Three hundred and forty two patients were evaluated and [...]

New Website for Northcoast Footcare
Products are easier to find, accounts are easy to set up and ordering is safe, easy and secure. You can find a variety of doctor recommended foot care products and up to date foot health information. Checkout the NEW Northcoast Footcare!

Why Gardening May Cause Foot Pain
Most people would consider gardening a relaxing, low impact activity. Yet, gardening can result in chronic foot and ankle conditions. The type of gardening, the size and slope of the yard and the types of shoes worn are the key factors in the development, or avoidance, of potential foot problems. A flat, well manicured yard [...]

Compression Garments Don’t Improve Running Performance
Two studies presented at the annual meeting for the American College of Sports Medicine in Baltimore showed that compression stockings do not improve speed, efficiency or overall recovery in runners. Abigail Laymon from Indiana University evaluated 16 long distance runners and the impact of a ankle to knee compression garment. The runners were evaluated running [...]

New Procedure for Bunions: Mini Tight Rope
A bunion is a structural deformity in the foot, resulting in a painful bump at the great toe joint. The classic surgery to correct the bunion deformity involves breaking the bone, sliding the bone into place and holding the bone in place with a screw. A less invasive surgical technique has been developed by orthopedic [...]

Achilles Tendon Rupture: Practice Guidelines
The Achilles tendon is a rope-like tendon which extends from the calf to the heel bone. It is the largest tendon in the body and a powerful plantarflexor of the ankle, propelling the body forward when walking and running. Achilles tendon ruptures are most commonly seen in middle-aged athletic men, but can occur in women [...]

Night Splints Improve Common Cause of Heel Pain
Plantar fasciopathy, also known as plantar fasciitis, is the most common cause of heel pain. Plantar fasciopathy is the tearing, inflammation and eventual degeneration of the plantar fascia, a long ligament type structure which supports the arch. The condition is characterized by intense pain at the bottom of the heel, particularly at the first step [...]

Vitamin A Analogue Medications Not Linked to Fractures
High doses of vitamin A have been linked to broken bones, but a new study has found that medications with a similar structure do not increase fracture risk. The drugs Accutane and Soriatane, used to treat acne and psoriasis, are vitamin A analogues and have been linked to lower bone density and there has been [...]

Ankle Taping Decreases Movement Detection
An ankle sprain is the stretching or tearing of one or more of the ligaments around the ankle. A ligament is a strong, fibrous band which connects bone to bone and holds a joint in position. The ankle ligaments protect the joint from excessive movement in one directions, such as rolling or twisting of the [...]

Bone Graft Plug Use in Ankle Bone Defects
A talar dome lesion is a crater-like defect in the cartilage of the talus (ankle bone) which also affects underlying bone to various degrees.  Trauma, such as repeated ankle sprains, is the most common cause, but certain medications, such as oral steroids, and metabolic or genetic causes may also play a role. Ankle sprains cause [...]

Toenail Fungus May Be Common Children
A new study from Spain evaluated toenail fungus in children under the age of 16 years. The study included an evaluation of over 3500 patients, with 5% of those patients under the age of 16 years. At the beginning of the study period, 218 nail samples were taken from 181 children and 15% were diagnosed [...]

Garnett to Play Friday Despite Foot Injury
Kevin Garnett of the Boston Celtics strained his right midfoot at the end of the 2nd quarter in Game 2. He sat out practice on Wednesday, but was able to practice on Thursday. Garnett is expected to play in tonight’s game, game 3 against the Cavaliers. A midfoot strain is the partial tear of ligaments [...]

Plantar Fasciitis Video
How to Diagnosis and Treat  Plantar Fasciitis Products for heel pain.

May is Skin Cancer Awareness Month
May is Skin Cancer Detection and Awareness Month and as summer approaches, it’s the perfect time to review the importance of sun protection. Skin cancer is the uncontrolled growth of abnormal skin cells. There are three main types of skin cancer, basal cell carcinoma, squamous cell carcinoma and malignant melanoma. Basal cell carcinoma is the [...]

Intense Pulsed Light Therapy Not Shown Effective for Warts
Intense pulsed light (IPL) is a new technology which utilizes the rapid discharge of high intensity light to treat a variety of dermatologic conditions, such as age spots, broken capillaries and benign pigmented lesions. The advantages of IPL are the lower cost in comparison to laser treatment, without the side effects. It’s efficacy in the [...]