Put Your best foot FORWARD

Having practiced as a podiatric physician and surgeon for many years, I have observed that there are some significant differences in treating men versus treating women. As the subject of this month’s “A Better You” edition is “A Man’s World,” I thought it might be interesting to discuss some of the differences between the sexes from a foot doctor’s perspective.

First, I must comment that like most podiatrists, I’ve had far more experience treating women than I have treating men. In fact, I dare say that most podiatrists, especially surgical podiatrists, will tell you that it’s not unusual for them to see triple the amount of women compared with the amount of men in their offices. Beyond that, there are some clear differences that I have noted in treating both men and women since I began practicing as a podiatric surgeon in 1980.

One difference I have noticed over the years is that men tend to injure their feet less frequently than do women. Some possible reasons for this phenomenon may include that men’s feet are generally, by design, larger than women’s feet. As such, the larger bones, muscles, tendons, and ligaments of men’s feet which are stronger as a result of supporting larger and heavier structures (men’s bodies) may be more difficult to injure. Also, men’s shoes being more “sensible” tend to have reduced risks for common foot injuries like sprained ankles and stress fractures of the metatarsal bones (the long bones of the feet.)

There are two foot problems that men seem to encounter more frequently than women. he first problem is a gout attack which, statistically, is thought to occur three times more often in men than in women. Is this because men drink more alcohol and eat more meat than women, if they do? The other problem for which men are seen by me and other podiatrists more frequently than women is for the diagnosis and treatment of heel pain concerns such as plantar fasciitis and heel spur syndrome. Is this because men generally weigh more than women or because they’re on their feet more, if indeed they are?

A big part of being a podiatrist involves administering a number of different types of injections to the feet. These injections commonly include local anesthetics like lidocaine, anti-inflammatory medications like cortisone and in recent years, ethyl alcohol injections which are commonly used to treat Morton’s neuromas and other problems. Although men are thought to be the stronger sex by some, I have observed that women generally have higher pain thresholds than men and as such, they tend to tolerate injections better.

There is another interesting phenomenon that I have noticed over the years that goes along with the common joke about men refusing to ask for directions when heading to an unknown place and refusing to read instructions prior to assembling something new or unfamiliar to them. As a general rule, women follow post-operative instructions much better than do men. This is important because in some cases, the following op post--operative care protocols is almost as important as having the surgical procedure(s) performed properly.

Finally, many podiatrists (including me) believe that common foot problems like bunions and hammertoes are sex-linked traits which are more commonly passed on to daughters by their mothers than to sons by their fathers. Also, when men do finally get around to seeking treatment for their foot problems, they are usually at a more severe phase than women. As such, men generally wait longer to seek treatment for their foot problems than do women. Is this because men’s dress shoes are more “forgiving” than women’s high heeled dress shoes or because women tend to wear open shoes/sandals more than men so the “out-of-sight, out-of mind” theory is at work, or because men are generally procrastinators when it comes to their own health? Perhaps we’ll never know… For both novice gardeners and those with years of experience, there are always ways to improve the gardening experience and the results with innovative techniques, approaches and products. From choosing eco-friendly plant food to updating the containers used for planting, here are a few tips and products gardeners can use to up their gardening game this year, no matter what or where they want to grow.

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GROW VERTICALLY

Especially with limited space, a trellis, fence or other strong support structure allows a gardener to grow upwards with ferns, bromeliads, vines or begonias as well as edible plants like tomatoes, peas, pole beans and some types of squash. This approach can also provide a beautiful aesthetic to a home’s landscape. Choose the vine varieties (not bush varieties) of vegetables when growing vertically. The structure can be built from a raised garden bed, patio or terrace, or directly from the ground, and must be strong enough to withstand the weight of mature fruits and vegetables. continued