Medical

                          How Common are Foot Problems?

 

 

 In the United States, up to 87% of people have painful feet at some time in their lives. Older or obese people, women, and people with diabetes, cardiovascular disease, osteoporosis, or knee, hip, or back pain have much higher rates of foot problems. For women, pain in the toes and ball of the foot is much more common than in men, and it gets worse with age.

One in three people over the age of 65 has foot pain, stiffness, or aching feet. 
Older people are more likely to have foot pain if they also have a chronic disease. The pain most often comes from corns, calluses, and toe deformities, of which 75% are bunions. As much as one third of older people have a bunion. About 30% of older people with foot pain have calluses and about 15% have corns on their toes. It has been estimated that one-third of all older people have fungal infections in a toenail. The likelihood of having a fungus infection is even higher in older people with diabetes, psoriasis, reduced immunity, poor circulation, or obesity. 
Foot pain in younger people tends to come from aching muscles and stress on bones.

Arthritis    Calf Cramps    Neuropathy & Diabetes    Casts


Arthritis 

Among adults over age 65, the prevalence of arthritis is 50 percent. The prevalence of arthritis is higher among women (28.3%) than men (18.2%).

Many forms of arthritis and related conditions that affect the joints, muscles, and bones cause pain, stiffness, and swelling in the joints of the feet. If the feet seem more susceptible to arthritis than other parts of the body, it is because each foot has 33 joints that can be afflicted, and there is no way to avoid the pain of the tremendous weight-bearing load on the feet. Sometimes the cartilage wears away between the bones; and without the protective cartilage, the bones rub together. This inflames the tissue and causes pain and swelling. Arthritis afflicts almost 40 million Americans. Although the prevalence of arthritis increases with age, all people from infancy to middle age are potential victims. People over 50 are the primary targets.

An estimated 12.1 percent of the U.S. population (nearly 21 million Americans) age 25 and older have osteoarthritis. Although osteoarthritis is more common in older people, younger people can develop it too – usually as the result of a joint injury, a joint malformation, or a genetic defect in joint cartilage.

Toe arthritis is caused by inflammation of the toe joint. The disease most often attacks the big toe, but the others may be affected as well. Past injuries or traumas, such as a broken or sprained toe, can cause arthritis down the road. Osteoarthritis, rheumatoid arthritis, and gout may also be to blame. Other medical conditions can cause additional problems including numbness and tingling, pitted nails, painful ulcers, or thickened skin.

Calf Cramps

Pregnant Women
Painful calf cramps are common during pregnancy, often striking at night during the second and third trimesters. No one really knows why pregnant women get these leg cramps. It's possible that your leg muscles get tired from carrying the extra weight. Or the cramps could be related to swelling from fluid buildup in your legs, a condition known as edema. Others posit that the expansion of the uterus may put pressure on the nerves and blood vessels in the leg.

No matter the reason While you can stretch, and hydrate, and eat bananas…allow Kangapoda to remind you that pressure on your feet and toes when you want to be at ease  can help bring these cramps about. This is your special time. Let Kangapoda make your time under the covers awesome.

Athletes
Athletes are also prone to calf cramps because they are so highly tuned. Muscles need to recover. When the workouts are over, and it is time to rest, relax, and recover, unwanted tension on the feet and toes can help bring about these sudden painful calf cramps.

Middle-Aged
Nocturnal leg cramps are cramps happen during the night during periods of inactivity when you are off your feet. The contractions come on suddenly and painfully and occur most often in the calf muscles but also in the feet. The spasms may last from several seconds up to several  minutes. There might also be muscle soreness after you walk it off or the cramp goes away. Nocturnal leg cramps are more common in adults over age 50, but they also occur in younger adults and children. Both men and women seem to be equally affected.

Doctors’ and therapists’ advice regarding leg cramps strongly supports Kangapoda’s design:

  • If you lie on your back, make sure that your toes point upwards – placing a pillow on its side at the end of your bed, with the soles of your feet propped up against it may help keep your feet in the right position. 
    • Kangapoda’s ergonomic canopy allows you to lie on your back with your feet comfortably at a right angle.
  • If you lie on your front, hang your feet over the end of the bed – this will keep your feet in a relaxed position and help stop the muscles in your calves from contracting and tensing. 
  • Keep your sheets and blankets loose. 
    • Kangapoda’s patented ergonomic canopy has the looseness built in so the fabric gently drapes your feet rather than having the irritating pressure against your toes.  

 Neuropathy & Painful Feet Are Often Type 2 Diabetic Issues 

People living with diabetes have elevated blood sugar (glucose) levels. Over time these elevated levels can damage the nerve fibers, frequently in the legs and feet. This nerve damage can cause a distinct type of pain—diabetic nerve pain or neuropathy—characterized by a burning, shooting, pins and needles pain.

Many people with Type 2 diabetes cannot tolerate the pressure of a flat top sheet.

    With Kangapoda, your bed can be tucked in and your painful feet and toes can lie comfortably without pressure. It is awesome! 

    Casts

    The Kangapoda Ergonomic Canopy is expansive enough where feet, ankles, and legs that are healing in casts or immobilization boots can lie comfortably underneath the covers. 

    The foot is an evolutionary marvel, capable of handling hundreds of tons of force — your weight in motion — every single day. The foot’s myriad parts, including the toes, heel, and ball, work in harmony to get you from one place to another. But the stress of carrying you around puts your feet at high risk of injury, more so than other parts of your body.

    Injuries to Tibia and Fibula 

    Lower leg fractures include fractures of the tibia and fibula. The tibia is the larger of the two bones. It supports most of  your weight and is an important part of both the knee joint and ankle joint. However, fractures of the tibia generally also involve fibula fracture, because the force is transmitted along the interosseous membrane to the fibula. Causes include direct forces such as those caused by falls and motor vehicle accidents and indirect or twisting / rotational forces such as a fall while skiing or running into another player during soccer.

    Treatments can include nonsurgical approaches such as immobilization, as well as the very common intramedullary nailing, where a rod is inserted to keep things in position.

     

    How long it takes to return to daily activities varies with different types of fractures. Some tibial shaft fractures heal within 4 months; yet many may take 6 months or longer to heal. Kangapoda can make this significant healing period so much more comfortable and civil by allowing you to lie underneath the covers on your back without having to completely tear out the covers. 

    Ankle Injuries

    Ankle injuries are defined by the kind of tissue—bone, ligament, or tendon—that’s damaged. The ankle is where three bones meet—the tibia and fibula of your lower leg with the talus of your foot. These bones are held together at the ankle joint by ligaments, which are strong elastic bands of connective tissue that keep the bones in place while allowing normal ankle motion. Tendons attach muscles to the bones to enable the ankle and foot move and keep the joints stable.

    An ankle injury occurs when the ankle joint is twisted too far out of its normal position. Most ankle injuries occur either during sports activities or while walking on an uneven surface that forces the foot and ankle into an unnatural position. 

    An ankle fracture describes a break in one or more of the bones. An ankle sprain is the term that describes damage to ligaments when they are stretched beyond their normal range of motion. A ligament sprain can range from many microscopic tears in the fibers that comprise the ligament to a complete tear or rupture.

    Fractures can be treated either surgically or non-surgically. The doctor may treat the break without surgery by immobilizing the ankle if only one bone is broken, and so long as the bones are not out of place and the ankle is stable. Typically, the doctor will do this by putting on a brace that works as a splint or by putting on a cast. If the ankle is unstable, the fracture will be treated surgically. Often, the ankle is made stable by using a metal plate and screws to hold the bones in place. Following the surgery, the ankle is protected with a splint until the swelling goes down and then with a cast.

    Ankle fractures can take a long time to heal and are required to be held at a natural right angle in casts and immobilization boots. If you are unfortunately healing from an ankle injury, get a Kangapoda. Your cast or immobilization boot will fit in the ergonomic canopy. And even when you are all healed, you will so appreciate having room for your feet to rest naturally.

    The Metatarsals Hold You Up & Propel You

    Functionally, the ankle and foot have two principle functions: propulsion and support. The Metatarsal bones play a major role in these functions. For propulsion, they act like rigid levers and for support they act like flexible structures that aid balance and hold up the entire body.

    Metatarsal fractures are the most common traumatic foot injuries. There are five metatarsal bones in each foot. They are the relatively long bones which are located between the 'Tarsal' bones of the hind-foot (the tarsal bones are 7 in number: calcaneus, talus, cuboid, navicular, and the medial, middle, and lateral cuneiforms) and the 'Phalanges' bones that form the toes. Metatarsal fractures occur in all professional sports although they occur most often in professional soccer.

    Fractures to the Metatarsal bones can be caused by direct trauma, excessive rotational forces, or overuse. During soccer, direct trauma is usually caused by a player accidentally kicking the sole of an opponent's shoe, or by an opponent stepping on a player's foot. As there is very little soft tissue to protect the top of the foot, bone injuries are common. Fractures can also occur due to sudden twisting, as when a ballet dancer lands awkwardly on a jump or from progressive overuse and stress like what is common among army recruits (e.g., ‘march’ fractures).

    Metatarsal fractures typically take from eight (8) to twelve (12) weeks for the bone fracture to fully heal, with a gradual return to normal activity within four months. If you are unfortunately healing from a metatarsal fracture, get a Kangapoda. Your cast or immobilization boot will fit in the ergonomic canopy. And even when you are all healed, you will so appreciate having room for your feet to rest naturally.

    Toes Are Important

    Our toes provide balance and support when we walk, as they maintain contact with the ground approximately 75% of the time during a stride. Of all your toes, the big toes are the most important. They play the most critical role in maintaining your balance. They also bear the most weight when standing.  The front section of the foot has five toes (phalanges), which are connected to the five longer metatarsal bones. There are many health conditions that can affect the toes, including skin, bone, soft tissue and circulatory problems.

    In older people, toe pain most often comes from corns, calluses, and toe deformities, of which 75% are bunions.  As much as one third of older people have a bunion or painful calluses. About 15% have corns on their toes. Hammer toe is another common ailment.

    There are many different types of surgeries to remove or realign compromised soft tissues and bone in the toes, including fusions and implants.

    Painful Toes do not want to feel the pressure of a plain flat top sheet.  But untucking the covers creates a messy, less-comfortable bed that, not surprisingly, leads to a less good night’s sleep.  Kangapoda allows your feet to naturally lie and relax at a right angle under the covers without irritating and debilitating pressure on your toes.