Ankle Pain with Brisk Walking on Treadmill: Causes, Solutions
“Walking on a treadmill can lead to a sort of repetitive movement related pain” in the ankles, says Asim S. Aijaz, MD, a board certified pain management specialist with Advanced Pain Care in Texas.
“While on a treadmill, you are walking a smooth, unchanging surface, so you are constantly engaging the same muscles over and over again,” continues Dr. Aijaz.
“Compare this to walking on a trail or grass where the surface changes a small amount with each step.
“In this setting you are distributing the work a little more evenly over more muscles.”
Another possible cause of ankle pain while briskly walking on a treadmill is improper footwear. “Always make sure you have great shoes,” says Dr. Aijaz.
“Even if your shoes look beautiful and new, the padding can wear out. Your shoes do more than just make your feet look fresh in the gym; they absorb the shock that would otherwise be hitting your feet, ankles, knees, hips and back.
“Making a trip to a dedicated shoe shop can help in determining what footwear may be best for you.”
Finally, we can’t rule out the possibility that, if you have the habit of holding onto a treadmill while walking, this is responsible for pain in your ankles.
And here is why: Holding on disrupts the natural gait pattern. The faster you walk when holding on, the more unnaturally your foot strikes the tread surface.
I’ve seen people gripping the front bar at fast speeds while walking, and their feet smack down hard with each step.
Holding onto a treadmill while walking, especially briskly, skewers the kinetic chain—the way the body is supposed to move naturally, right down to the feet.
Holding onto the side rails is no better than holding onto the front of the machine.
So instead, release your hands, swing your arms naturally, straighten your spine, and just walk.
Use a slower speed or lower incline if you get dizzy or fear falling off. Your body will quickly adjust.
Holding on has taught you to become quite dependent on assistance while walking.
If you still have pain in the ankles, then re-evaluate your footwear and the fact that when you use a treadmill, the walking surface never changes and is hard.
You may want to consider walking outdoors on an earthen trail.
Dr. Aijaz has been involved with the Texas Pain Society, Spine Injection Society and the American Society for Interventional Pain Physicians.
Lorra Garrick has been covering medical, fitness and cybersecurity topics for many years, having written thousands of articles for print magazines and websites, including as a ghostwriter. She’s also a former ACE-certified personal trainer.
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Top image: Shutterstock/YanLev
Is Lots of Walking Okay Six Months after Hip Replacement?
Just how much walking can you do six months out from a total hip replacement surgery?
“Recovery following uncomplicated hip replacement is generally quite rapid,” says Devin B. Peck, MD, owner of Austin Interventional Pain.
“Important factors include the length of time between onset of hip pain and surgery, severity of pain and disability prior to surgery, and the specific type of hip replacement performed,” explains Dr. Peck.
“In most cases, formal PT should be continued for at least two months after surgery. After this, walking can be done as tolerated.
“Speed and duration of walking is limited only by each individual’s tolerance. Walking briskly or up or down hills is fine as long as the activity does not cause pain.”
Attention Treadmill Users
You may think that it’s a smart idea to hold onto the treadmill while walking because you had a hip replacement.
However, holding on skewers natural gait. In fact, the faster you walk on a treadmill while holding on in front, the more your hips will over-rotate to compensate for the lack of upper body movement, since holding on locks up the upper body.
Do not fear falling off a treadmill as long as you set the speed slowly and get used to a slow speed—while swinging your arms, moving your body naturally, the way nature designed it to move, with the upper body moving in coordination with the lower body.
Life off the treadmill means you walk all over the place without holding onto anything for support.
Thus, holding onto a treadmill while walking, even after hip replacement surgery, will not make you a more efficient, stronger walker once you step off the machine.
If you feel you’ll fall off if you don’t hold on, then either the speed is too fast and/or the incline is too high. If your hip hurts while walking on a treadmill, then slow down (hands off) to see if that relieves the pain.
If it doesn’t, get off the machine. Try walking on a track or stable trail outdoors.
In summary, after you’ve completed all of your PT after a hip replacement surgery, you can walk as much as your body feels comfortable — go for it! Just don’t hold onto the treadmill.
Dr. Peck’s areas of interest include chronic and acute musculoskeletal pain, sports injuries, arthritis and cancer pain, among many others. Austin Interventional Pain was established in 2019.
Lorra Garrick has been covering medical, fitness and cybersecurity topics for many years, having written thousands of articles for print magazines and websites, including as a ghostwriter. She’s also a former ACE-certified personal trainer.
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Top image: Depositphotos
Calcium Score May Show Death Risk Even without Family History of Heart Disease
This study shows that even healthy people with no early family history of heart disease may want to get a calcium score test.
Have you had your coronary calcium score taken? This is a five minute procedure using a CT scanner.
You just lie there while the image is taken: about five minutes.
This procedure yields a numerical value that’s associated with the amount of hard (stable) plaque buildup that’s in your heart’s arteries.
A score of zero means that there is no detectable hard plaque buildup.
Calcium scoring does not show soft (unstable) plaque buildup. The soft plaque is unstable and may spontaneously break off, causing a clot in a coronary artery: a heart attack.
However, enough hard plaque can cause obstructive coronary artery disease, narrowing the interior of the arteries, leading to reduced blood flow in the heart.
Calcium Scoring Indicates Death Risk Even in People without Family History of Heart Disease
Emory University School of Medicine researchers analyzed coronary calcium scores taken from over 9,700 study subjects.
At the time these participants had their scans, none had signs of heart disease.
The calcium scores, say the researchers, were accurate in predicting all-cause mortality up to 15 years out in patients without symptoms.
Higher CAC Score = Higher All-Cause Mortality
“The presence of calcium in the coronary arteries is an early indicator of coronary artery disease,” says Carlos González Quesada, MD, FACC, attending cardiologist with Cedars-Sinai Medical Center and a cardiologist with Cardiovascular Medical Group of Southern California.
“Patients with coronary calcifications are known to be at increased risk of developing heart attacks and strokes.
“Physicians may consider starting low dose aspirin and lowering-cholesterol medications, such as statins, in patients with calcium in the coronary arteries.
“The most recent guidelines of the American College of Cardiology/American Heart Association (ACC/AHA) recommend performing a coronary calcium scan in patients who have a 10-20% risk of developing a cardiac event within the next 10 years.
“To determine the individual 10-year risk of a cardiac event, doctors enter the patient’s information into an online calculator or estimator (tools.acc.org/ASCVD-Risk-Estimator-Plus/#!/calculate/estimate).
“The information used by these calculators includes age, gender, race, blood pressure, the cholesterol and presence of risk factors such as diabetes, high blood pressure or smoking.
“Although family history of a cardiac event may not be present, patients may have other risk factors that would put them in the intermediate or high risk.
“If the patient is determined to have an intermediate risk, a coronary calcium scan would identify individuals who may benefit from primary prevention strategies such as aspirin and statins.
“In other words, a family history of heart disease is an important predictor of cardiovascular events — but is not the only one or the strongest one.
“For example, someone may not have family history of heart disease, but he or she may have elevated cholesterol, high blood pressure and history of smoking.
BruceBlaus
“A coronary scan may confirm the presence of early coronary artery disease.
“In the setting, the treating doctor may recommend starting aspirin and statin medication.”
Dr. Quesada is board certified in internal medicine and cardiovascular diseases, with subspecialties in general cardiology plus interventional and structural cardiology. He evaluates and treats many conditions including shortness of breath, chest pain, coronary blockages and clot disorders.
Lorra Garrick has been covering medical, fitness and cybersecurity topics for many years, having written thousands of articles for print magazines and websites, including as a ghostwriter. She’s also a former ACE-certified personal trainer.
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Top image: Shutterstock/Brian A Jackson
Source: news.emory.edu/stories/2014/04/jjm_coronary_calcium_predicts_death_risk/index.html
Can PVC’s Cause Early Death?
Just when you’re finally convinced that PVCs are nothing to worry about, a study comes out linking them to early death and heart failure.
UC San Francisco researchers spent over 10 years following over 1,100 participants who were from the national Cardiovascular Health Study.
“We cannot exclude the possibility that PVCs are an ‘epiphenomenon’ or some marker of future heart failure,” points out Gregory Marcus, MD, senior author of the study, which appears in full in the Journal of the American College of Cardiology.
Dr. Marcus goes on to explain that the study participants had no prior history of heart failure, and that the data in this research “would appear to be quite convincing that PVCs represent an important predictor of the disease [heart failure], causal or not.”
The relationship between the frequency of PVCs, incidents of heart failure, and death in the general population is currently not known.
The study subjects were tracked over a decade for new onset death and congestive heart failure.
A higher occurrence of PVCs was associated with decline in left ventricular ejection fraction, an increase in heart failure incidents, and greater mortality.
However, Dr. Marcus says that future studies are needed to identify “the exact types of patients, and likely the particular types of PVCs,” that are most strongly linked to heart failure.
This is all quite striking to me, because my mother has a pacemaker that is able to record abnormal heart rhythms.
At a six-month checkup, the nurse casually commented that it had recorded six-thousand-and-something PVCs (over six months).
She spoke this as though she were commenting on the common cold. She wasn’t concerned.
My mother’s cardiologist wasn’t concerned, either. Her heart rhythm was declared normal.
According to Mayoclinic.com, the following can lead to or increase the risk of CHF: coronary heart disease, high blood pressure, low thyroid (my mother has all three), faulty heart valves, heart muscle damage and diabetes.
The site also lists abnormal heart rhythms, but then states that these “may cause your heart to beat too fast, which creates extra work for your heart.”
In other words, I don’t see a description of a PVC here.
Here are a bunch of articles about PVCs. They are not as dangerous as you think.
Lorra Garrick has been covering medical, fitness and cybersecurity topics for many years, having written thousands of articles for print magazines and websites, including as a ghostwriter. She’s also a former ACE-certified personal trainer.
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Top image: Freepik.com
Sources: sciencedaily.com/releases/2015/07/150706154852.htm; mayoclinic.org/diseases-conditions/heart-failure/basics/causes/con-20029801
Can You Wash Off Melanoma? Dermatologist Answers
Here’s the final answer to “Can you wash off melanoma?” given by a doctor.
I asked Gary Goldenberg, MD, of Goldenberg Dermatology, if it was possible to wash off any part of a melanoma. Dr. Goldenberg is assistant professor of dermatology and pathology at Mount Sinai School of Medicine.
Here is what he explains: “Absolutely not! Melanoma is a malignant cancer of skin cells that make pigments (melanocytes).
“Depending on when it’s found, melanoma can be in the top layer of the skin called the epidermis (melanoma in situ) or spread down into the deeper levels of the skin (malignant melanoma).
“The deeper the lesion, the higher the chance of spreading to other organs and death from the disease.”
The reason you cannot wash off a melanoma, no matter how hard the water against your skin, no matter how vigorously you rub a sponge on it, scrub with a brush or with a loofah brush, is because the cancer cells are tough and solidly affixed to and into the skin, even if the melanoma is in situ (stage 0) or a very thin layer of cells.
In fact, when’s the last time you were able to wash off a common mole?
If you believe you’ve actually done this … then what you washed off was not a mole, but something that looked like it, most likely a benign skin barnacle (seborrheic keratosis).
Seborrheic keratosis. Shutterstock/Lipowski Milan
It was probably already loose, and you most likely vigorously rubbed over it. These can look like moles. They can also look like melanoma, but are harmless.
Dr. Goldenberg of Goldenberg Dermatology provides comprehensive care in medical and cosmetic dermatology, including melanoma and other skin cancer, moles, psoriasis, eczema and acne. He is the medical director of the Dermatology Faculty Practice, NY.
Lorra Garrick has been covering medical, fitness and cybersecurity topics for many years, having written thousands of articles for print magazines and websites, including as a ghostwriter. She’s also a former ACE-certified personal trainer.
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Top image: Shutterstock/Boris Bulychev
What Causes Red Itching Bumps on the Fingers?
Itchy red bumps on the fingers can have several causes.
Regardless of cause, the No. 1 rule is that you should avoid scratching, as this can make the condition worse — regardless of the cause.
One possible cause, believe it or not, is warts.
Warts are “a viral condition you pick up from the environment,” says Gary Goldenberg, MD, of Goldenberg Dermatology, and assistant professor of dermatology and pathology at Mount Sinai School of Medicine.
The viral infection is located in the top layer of the skin. The viruses are of the HPV type and can get into the skin via a little scratch.
The cells grow rapidly, forming a wart – which can itch.
But warts typically will not grow in clusters all over your fingers. Other conditions can.
Dr. Goldernberg continues, “Papular (bumpy) eczema can also cause red bumps on the hands and is usually treated with topical creams.”
Eczema will itch worse than a few warts. The last thing you’ll want to do is get into a scratching frenzy.
The pinkish red bumps of eczema. Maslesha,CC BY-SA
Scratching at eczema can cause the area to crust and even ooze.
When you scratch, you irritate the already inflamed skin, which can exacerbate the itching and lead to more severe flare-ups.
This creates a cycle of itching and scratching that makes the eczema symptoms worse and more difficult to control.
Plus, scratching increases the risk of infection. As you scratch, you break the skin, which can allow bacteria, viruses or fungi to enter and cause infections.
These infections can complicate the eczema and make the condition more challenging to treat, often requiring additional medical intervention.
Scratching also delays the skin’s healing process. Continuous irritation from scratching can prevent the skin from recovering properly, extending the duration of the eczema flare-up and making it harder to manage over time.
The damage caused by scratching can lead to further complications, including thickened and rough patches of skin known as lichenification.
Frequent scratching can lead to long-term skin damage. The repetitive trauma can cause permanent changes in the skin, such as scarring or thickening, which may be difficult to reverse.
Your dermatologist will prescribe the right medication to treat eczema, which is common and which can also occur on the elbows and make them itch like mad.
If the itching is driving you batty, you can gently wrap gauze around your fingers overnight or while you’re watching TV or any activity during which you are not using your fingers too much.
Dr. Goldenberg continues, “Bites can occur on the hands, and can be caused by mosquitos or bed bugs – see your dermatologist for tests to rule this one out.”
Bottom line: You certainly do not have to worry about a serious disease causing red bumps to be scattered all over your fingers or hands, no matter how badly they itch.
But remember: Avoid scratching and instead see a dermatologist for proper treatment.
Dr. Goldenberg of Goldenberg Dermatology provides comprehensive care in medical and cosmetic dermatology, including melanoma and other skin cancer, moles, psoriasis, eczema and acne. He is the medical director of the Dermatology Faculty Practice, NY.
Lorra Garrick has been covering medical, fitness and cybersecurity topics for many years, having written thousands of articles for print magazines and websites, including as a ghostwriter. She’s also a former ACE-certified personal trainer.
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Top image: Shutterstock/Image Point Fr
Skin Peeling Like Crazy On Your Hands: Doctor Explains
A dermatologist says there can be two common conditions that cause a lot of skin peeling on your hands.
These conditions are very common, says Gary Goldenberg, MD, of Goldenberg Dermatology, and assistant professor of dermatology and pathology at Mount Sinai School of Medicine.
The conditions are psoriasis or eczema.
Dr. Goldenberg explains, “Psoriasis is a genetic condition in which the skin forms scaly patches and plaques, anywhere on the body, including hands.
“This condition may also be associated with arthritis and internal disease, such as heart disease, stroke and diabetes.”
Psoriasis is an autoimmune disease, and sometimes, patients experience the joint problems before they experience any skin problems such as peeling on the hands.
“The treatment of psoriasis depends on the severity of disease, including topical creams, certain oral medications (pills) and biologic injections.”
Eczema
Dr. Goldenberg says, “Eczema is a very common condition that is genetic in nature. Hand eczema is the most common manifestation of this disease in adults.
“It usually presents with scaly patches and may be related to other allergies. Treatment is usually with topical creams.”
Dr. Goldenberg of Goldenberg Dermatology provides comprehensive care in medical and cosmetic dermatology, including melanoma and other skin cancer, moles, psoriasis, eczema and acne. He is the medical director of the Dermatology Faculty Practice, NY.
Lorra Garrick has been covering medical, fitness and cybersecurity topics for many years, having written thousands of articles for print magazines and websites, including as a ghostwriter. She’s also a former ACE-certified personal trainer.
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Top image: Shutterstock/Monster e
Why Your Eyelid is Itchy & Swollen: Doctor Explains
A doctor explains the most common cause of a swollen, itching eyelid.
And the most common cause of this is contact dermatitis, says Gary Goldenberg, MD, of Goldenberg Dermatology, and assistant professor of dermatology and pathology at Mount Sinai School of Medicine.
He further explains, “This is more common in female patients than men. Common allergens include nail polish, hair care products, makeup and gold jewelry.
“Investigative work may be needed here to find out the exact cause of the allergy.
“Your dermatologist may suggest patch testing – a test to see what it is you are allergic to.”
Patch Testing
Patch testing for dermatitis is a diagnostic procedure used to identify specific allergens or irritants that might be causing allergic contact dermatitis.
During the test, small amounts of various potential allergens are applied to the skin, using adhesive patches.
These patches remain in place for about 48 hours, after which they are removed and the skin is evaluated for reactions.
The test helps determine which substances trigger dermatitis by monitoring the skin for signs of an allergic reaction, such as redness, itching or swelling.
The results guide treatment and management by identifying which substances to avoid.
Patch testing is typically conducted by a dermatologist and is particularly useful for patients with chronic, unexplained dermatitis or those who have not responded to standard treatments.
What can you do about an itching, swollen eyelid?
Dr. Goldenberg explains, “Treatment can be a bit frustrating, since sometimes even if you remove the allergen, the condition may persist.
“Topical creams may be helpful. Caution should be exercised with using topical steroids on the eyelids.”
Make sure you follow the instructions.
More About Contact Dermatitis and the Eyelid
You’d be surprised at what can come in contact with your eyelid every day or several days a week — enough to cause itching and swelling.
In some cases the contact is unintentional such as with hand cream and tweezers.
Do any of these apply to you?
- Moisturizer
- Hand cream
- Tweezers
- Allergens even in eye drops and contact lens solutions
- Dust mites. Yes, they live on the eyelid.
- Pet dander
- Perfume
Keep a daily journal about what just possibly — even if it seems silly — could be making unintentional contact anywhere around your eye.
This includes from housecleaning agents that get onto your fingertips, and then before you wash your hands, one of those fingertips rubs a tired eye — transferring the chemical allergen to the lid.
Other causes of an itchy swollen eyelid you’d never think of.
- Very cold or hot temperatures
- Very dry or humid air
- Dust in the air
- The new carpet, memory foam pillow or mattress. Their “off-gassing” could be sending chemical allergens straight to your eyelid.
Dr. Goldenberg of Goldenberg Dermatology provides comprehensive care in medical and cosmetic dermatology, including melanoma and other skin cancer, moles, psoriasis, eczema and acne. He is the medical director of the Dermatology Faculty Practice, NY.
Lorra Garrick has been covering medical, fitness and cybersecurity topics for many years, having written thousands of articles for print magazines and websites, including as a ghostwriter. She’s also a former ACE-certified personal trainer.
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Top image: ©Lorra Garrick
Missing Child in a Store? Where to Look First!
If your child goes missing in a store, the first place you should look is probably not where you’d think.
Where was the first place Adam Walsh’s parents searched when the 6-year-old child went missing at a mall Sears store on July 27, 1981?
They spent two hours searching inside the store for their missing boy, and then they called the police, say reports such as from nbcnew.com.
Reve Walsh wasn’t looking away from Adam for long by the time she returned to the toy section to retrieve him and saw that he was missing.
This scenario is actually common:
Parent “looks away for just a few minutes,” and then the child goes missing. If it turns out the child was abducted (lured away by a predator), it’s very fair to speculate that a mother dramatically increases her chances of catching the predator in the act — if she dashes towards the store’s nearest exit, which is likely where the predator is heading — victim in tow.
Or maybe the parent will spot the predator and her child outside walking towards his car, which again, puts her in a position to thwart the abduction.
Parents who worry about their child going missing in a store or mall should know the location of the nearest exit at any given time.
I asked Robert Siciliano, a personal safety and security expert, where is the first place a parent should look in a store if that’s where a child goes missing.
“As a parent, I’d go directly to the front of the store, near the entrance, so I can watch the door,” explains Siciliano, CEO of Safr.Me.com.
“Customer service is usually near the front as well. Bring it to the attention of customer service and they will bring it to security. Usually a code goes out on a PA alerting employees to be on the lookout.”
In the Walsh case, the PA system summoned him by name. Preceding that, however, while his mother was frantically calling out for him in the toy section and asking nearby shoppers if they’d seen him, those crucial minutes were apparently being used by the predator to whisk Adam outside to his vehicle.
What person, who abducts a child, lingers inside the store with the victim?
They usually have it all planned out. The moment they have gained the child’s trust, they lead him or her towards the nearest door to the parking lot.
Once the child is out there, while the frantic parents are searching inside the store, it’s a done deal.
Siciliano says that, if his own child went missing in a store, after alerting the security there, he’d give his mobile number to the store manager and look outside.
When children go missing in stores and then later turn up murdered or never found, one has to wonder if the abduction process could have been intercepted in at least half these cases, had the parent immediately bolted out the nearest exit.
It’s inconceivable that a perpetrator, once he has the child’s hand, would continue hanging out inside the store or mall, knowing full well that a search is in progress.
“And there’s nothing wrong with causing a little scene to get other parents to be on the lookout too,” says Siciliano. “I’ve done it myself.”
This can be done while the parent rushes towards the exit — hollering out that someone possibly kidnapped their child.
Usually, when a child goes “missing” inside a store, they’re located safe and sound inside the building, having innocently wandered off.
But no parent spends the rest of their lives regretting that years ago, they had created a scene “for nothing” inside a store, bolted outside and searched the parking lot for a stranger with their child.
Robert Siciliano is a private investigator fiercely committed to informing, educating and empowering people to protect themselves and their loved-ones from violence and crime — both in their physical and virtual interactions.
Lorra Garrick has been covering medical, fitness and cybersecurity topics for many years, having written thousands of articles for print magazines and websites, including as a ghostwriter. She’s also a former ACE-certified personal trainer.
Sources:
nbcnews.com/id/28257294/#.UmoSrnCor20
trutv.com/library/crime/criminal_mind/psychology/child_abduction/9.html
http://www.nbcnews.com/id/28257294/#.UmoSrnCor20http://www.nbcnews.com/id/28257294/#.UmoSrnCor20
Crohn’s Disease: Early vs. Long-Term Symptoms
“Crohn’s is the inflammation of the intestine, from mouth to anus, usually in the small or large bowel – or both,” says gastroenterologist Sander R. Binderow, MD.
“Some patients have anal Crohn’s or Crohn’s of the stomach; however, that is very rare,” adds Dr. Binderow, who’s with Atlanta Colon & Rectal Surgery.
This disorder is an inflammatory bowel disease that is actually associated with an increased risk for colon cancer.
Microscopic colitis is also an inflammatory bowel disease, but is not associated with an increased risk of any kind of cancer. Microscopic colitis is often misdiagnosed as irritable bowel syndrome.
“Crohn’s presents as a diarrheal-type illness, where the large intestine lining is inflamed, and with Crohn’s, there is not as much blood,” says Dr. Binderow.
“Patients tend to be ill, where they lose a significant amount of weight, do not eat and have a loss of appetite.”
If you think these symptoms sound like those of colon cancer, you are correct.
Long-term Symptoms of Crohn’s Disease
“Long-term symptoms can include a stricture, which causes abdominal pain, nausea and vomiting, narrowing of the colon and fistulas,” says Dr. Binderow.
If you’ve been diagnosed with Crohn’s disease, you should be vigilant about colon cancer screening.
You can begin this with Cologuard, a non-invasive way to screen for colon cancer.
It’s a test that you take at home. Using the latest in DNA technology, Cologuard identifies precancerous cells.
If your test result comes out positive for this, your next step should be a colonoscopy.
Dr. Binderow performs minimally invasive, robotic and laparoscopic surgery for Crohn’s disease, ulcerative colitis, colon cancer and other colorectal conditions. Adept at routine procedures, he also sees patients with complex, atypical maladies.
Lorra Garrick has been covering medical, fitness and cybersecurity topics for many years, having written thousands of articles for print magazines and websites, including as a ghostwriter. She’s also a former ACE-certified personal trainer.
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