Podiatrist offers practical advice for those aching feet

Dr. Alan Rothstein sees thousands of feet in his practice

By Barbara Sherman

The Regal Courier, Nov 25, 2009

Barbara Sherman / Regal Courier

FEET FIRST — Dr. Alan Rothstein is now seeing the children and grandchildren of the first patients he saw when he opened his office in the Willowbrook Center in 1985. He is a big believer in prevention and early treatment rather than let foot problsms get worse before people finally see a doctor.

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"Oh, my aching feet!" is a common complaint, but your feet may be telling you that something is seriously wrong.

Dr. Alan Rothstein, a podiatrist whose office is in the Willowbrook Center, sees a lot of foot problems in his practice, which are often exacerbated by people putting off getting help.

"Don't ignore symptoms and signs," he advised. "They frequently won't go away on their own. Problems should be addressed as soon as possible. As people get older, the ability to heal is impaired or delayed.

"The foot as an organ gets the least amount of blood - it's farthest from the heart."

Common problems that Rothstein sees are seniors with stress fractures due to ill-fitting shoes, ingrown nails that can lead to infection and people who delay getting treatment.

What gets people in the door to see him?

"Pain, spouses tired of hearing complaining, not being able to find shoes that are comfortable, or being prevented from doing what they want to do," Rothstein answered.

Foot problems include athlete's foot, blisters, corns and calluses, heel pain and spurs, warts and neuromas, which are enlarged, benign growths of nerves.

Rothstein sees patients who become more sedentary as they age, which in turn leads to their overall decline.

"I encourage them to push the envelope and move," he said.

Diabetics face even bigger issues, according to Rothstein,

"They have poor circulation and neuropathy (numbness)," he said. "Diabetics should have annual foot examinations. If there is a history of problems, they should do it more often - every six months.

"Diabetics' blood flow is not good, so antibiotics don't reach the feet. Prevention is best."

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