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Many causes for heel pain

ESCANABA — There’s a saying in medicine that if you drive by a farm and see a four legged animal standing in the field, it’s probably a horse and not a zebra. This refers to the concept that typically, the most common reason, the typical cause, for some complaint is most likely the explanation. But what if it is a zebra? Medical providers are well aware that most complaints can be the result of many possible problems. The appropriate term for this list of possible causes is the ‘differential diagnosis’referring to all of the varied explanations that could potentially ...

Health Matters: Superfoods for health or marketing

ESCANABA — It would be absurd to suggest that Americans aren’t interested in health and wellness. But how far will people go to attain this desirable state? A brief review of the sales of home gyms and gym memberships indicates the interest is there. Most of us are at least vaguely aware of the need for physical fitness. What about diet and nutrition? Most Americans are at least vaguely aware of the importance of nutrition. Still, despite the numerous articles written for the general public, many Americans remain confused and uncertain about the dangers and benefits of many foods. ...

Health Matters: Adult complications to congenital clubfoot

ESCANABA — Walking is a complex act, but one to which we give little thought. Step after step, day after day, it’s a recurring act. Five to ten thousand steps are taken on an average day by most Americans. This complexity requires good working parts, meaning proper anatomy is necessary. When it isn’t present, something will be stressed, some joint or tendon, a bone or ligament. Sometimes we are born with abnormal anatomy, the case in a clubfoot deformity. This is a relatively common condition, occurring in one out of a thousand births. It can be associated with certain ...

Health Matters: Foot type important to musculoskeletal health

ESCANABA — Humans come in innumerable shapes and sizes, applicable to so many parts of the human anatomy, side to side and top to bottom. And it’s down there at the bottom upon which the weight of the human body rests. Our feet are even entrusted with the task of propelling us through space, also known as walking. How well they do this job depends greatly on the person’s foot type, which is (predictably) primarily dependent on their genetics. There are two basic categories of pathologic foot type: supinated or pronated. Apparently, only about 20 percent of the population has a ...

Health Matters: Hyperuricemia and our chronic diseases – Part 2

ESCANABA — Despite spending more on healthcare than any other country in the world, we have the worst outcomes. Over 25% of Americans suffer from two or more chronic diseases, twice that of such countries as Great Britain and the Netherlands. The prevalence of heart disease is higher than in the other developed countries. Life expectancy is shorter by two years, five years shorter than Switzerland. Obviously, these numbers are the result of numerous factors, diet to environment, genetics to politics. But the first item is often implicated as being of particular concern. Is it ...

Health Matters: Gout not only painful consequence of hyperuricemia

ESCANABA — Our more common serious diseases, unlike those of yesteryear, are those of longevity and lifestyle. Consequently, they get a lot of attention, whether it be in the form of research dollars or media headlines. We all know the usual suspects, heart disease, cancer, diabetes. But there are other chronic diseases causing significant illness that don’t get the press coverage. Hyperuricemia should be tops on this list. Like many others at this juncture, you may find yourself unfamiliar with the term. What is it and who the heck gets that? Although far more common than gout ...