Gabby Cinnamon (Host): Welcome back to the Well Within Reach podcast. I'm your host, Gabby Cinnamon, and today I am very excited to be joined by Dr. Robert Martin, a Podiatrist at Riverside, to discuss tips for overall feet health and wellness.

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Host: Thank you so much for coming on the podcast today, Dr. Martin.

Robert Martin, DPM: Thank you for having me. I appreciate the opportunity.

Host: So this is your first episode with us. Can you tell us a little about yourself, your background, your training, all that?

Robert Martin, DPM: Sure, of course. So, my background, I was born in Illinois. I grew up in the west suburbs of Glendale Heights. I did go to undergraduate at University of Illinois in Champaign. I went to podiatry school in Cleveland, Ohio, and I did my medical residency in Miami, Florida.

Host: What are some common foot issues that you see in your clinic?

Robert Martin, DPM: Some of the most common foot issues we see in the clinic are heel pain, we see bunions, hammer toes, ingrown nails. We see a lot of diabetic foot conditions as well.

Host: Can you talk a little bit more about the risk of having foot issues associated with diabetes? For most people, when you think of diabetes, you don't think about your feet and the problems that it can cause. Can you kind of share a little bit more about that?

Robert Martin, DPM: Absolutely. Yes. Diabetes and the feet are very linked. The diabetes can be sometimes not necessarily diagnosed through the foot, but it can be first spotted through problems in the feet. People who are diabetic are prone to losing the feeling in their feet, which is called neuropathy, can also affect the circulation. They're more prone to infections, ulcers, things of that nature. So it is really one of the key factors that a diabetic has to keep aware of.

Host: Are there screenings that you do in your office to look for these issues and kind of who would you recommend get a screening like that?

Robert Martin, DPM: Yes, of course. So, generally anyone who's been diagnosed as diabetic should get a screening and we do general screenings in the office where we can check the nerve sensation, the feeling in the feet.

We can check the pulses, the circulation, just an overall inspection of the feet. For anyone that's newly diagnosed, we recommend at least an annual checkup if they're not having any problems. And then obviously anyone who's having any complications from the diabetes, we would work on a separate program for that.

Host: I'm sure, you know, it varies for each condition. You talked about heel pain, toe pain, all of that. But are there any common causes for these foot issues or any links between them?

Robert Martin, DPM: Oh, yes. Yes, there are links between them. Many of them are hereditary, so some of this is just things that we are inherently born with.

Our foot type, same as everything else with height, hair color, foot types are inherited as well, and some of these can lead to foot problems. Additionally, poor fitting shoes or just going barefoot. I mean, just the simple things that we take for granted and don't really maybe pay attention to, where again, where we had mentioned the diabetics, that's where you have to have extra caution and be vigilant on these things.

Host: Before we get into our next question, we're going to take a quick break to talk about primary care at Riverside. Riverside knows that health is your greatest asset, and having a primary care provider you know and trust, plays a vital role in your health journey. Don't have a primary care provider? Good news! Riverside has a team of primary care providers ready to partner with you on your health journey. Find a Riverside primary care provider at RiversideHealthCare.org/primarycare.

Now, back to our episode with Dr. Martin. So you kind of just talked about, unfortunately, there are things in medicine, that are out of control, out of our control, you know, like you said, genetics, that kind of thing, but can you share what are the risk factors that we can control, for foot issues and to keep our foot feet healthy, are there things that we can do to prevent these from happening?

Robert Martin, DPM: Absolutely, Gabby. So yes, foot type, genetics, those we cannot control. Some of the factors in our control are obviously maintaining a healthy diet, maintaining a good blood sugar level, especially for a diabetic, proper fitting shoes, as mentioned before.

I mean, just the rudimentary things that we kind of do without thinking, but, additionally, smoking, that's another big factor. So that's one of the things I tell my patients. I say, Hey, nobody's perfect, but that is one of those things. It's going to accelerate, any problems in the feet, will disturb the circulation and can lead to a lot of problems down the road.

Host: Yeah. So many things are linked that we don't even realize just in healthcare in general.

Robert Martin, DPM: Right.

Host: Can you talk more about the role of wearing proper socks and footwear and foot health? I think sometimes we don't even, know, like, I know I'm like, oh, my foot has started hurting. I might not even think that my shoe might be causing it. And I think a lot of people are like that too. Can you kind of talk about that?

Robert Martin, DPM: Oh yes, absolutely. Yeah. It's the shoes and the socks. First off the socks, you hear about the white cotton socks. The hundred percent cotton is not necessarily the best choice because it does tend to hold moisture. Moisture and friction will cause blisters and you can cause sores, which, we obviously don't want.

So usually we recommend either a wool or a synthetic blend of a sock is usually good. White socks are good in the sense that you can see if there's any blood or anything, any markings that you might pick up. But just in general that, and then of course the proper fitting shoes. Usually you don't want something that's too tight, something that is breathable if possible, with a little bit more room in the toe area, especially for people that have bunions, hammer toes, that have wider feet. Shoes off the rack they're kind of a one size fits most.

Feet are like fingerprints. So they're all individual. So one shoe, one brand, one style does not work for everybody. So some of that is an individual and some of it is a preference of what feels most comfortable to you. So there is some nuance in that as well.

Host: Yeah. And it's also tennis shoes and stuff have come such a long way. Like you look back to like when even like basketball players used to wear like thethin Converse.

Robert Martin, DPM: It's unbelievable, yes.

Host: I cannot even imagine.

Robert Martin, DPM: I know. They've gotten so specialized and I know you're a runner. I'm a runner as well. And, they've really come a long way with those shoes. But still proper fit is important. Again, they're not one size fits all. So brand, style, try not to get too hung up on that. Really the individual needs to be sometimes fitted, to see what works best for them.

Host: For sure. That's a great tip. So kind of to recap as we close out the episode here soon. What are your top three to five tips to, you know, keep your feet healthy?

Robert Martin, DPM: So my top tips would be a daily inspection of the feet. Just look them over or check for any cuts, blisters. This is amplified in the diabetic. But just for anyone in general, bathe the feet in lukewarm. You don't want to do too hot of a water. You want to be gentle bathing the feet, keep them moisturized.

Generally we tell you do not moisturize between the toes because that can hold moisture, can lead to fungal infection. So usually the soles of the feet, you do want to keep moisturized. Again, clean, dry socks, proper fitting shoes, avoid bare feet. Those would be the most important things I would say. And then just overall, keeping a good eye on your own health.

Host: What should someone do if they think they have one of these common foot issues? You been experiencing heel pain or foot pain, at what point are you like, okay, maybe I should, seek medical help?

Robert Martin, DPM: Yes, of course. Well, and that's where I would say, of course, I'm going to tell you to go see a podiatrist. And that's really what we do. We treat any ailments from foot and ankle. Anything again from the simple, plantar warts and grown toenails. We treat bunions, hammer toes, heel pain. And of course, diabetics are a big part of our practice as well. So we try and keep people, on the right foot, pun intended.

Host: I like that. I like that. Well, I think that's all we have for now. It's a great place to end off on. Thank you so much for coming on the podcast today, Dr. Martin.

Robert Martin, DPM: I appreciate your time. Thank you for having me.

Host: And thank you listeners for tuning in to Well Within Reach brought to you by Riverside Health Care. For more information about podiatry at Riverside, visit riversidehealthcare.org. Also, make sure to rate and leave a review for well within Reach on Apple, Spotify, or wherever you listen to podcasts.