Tired of seeing athletes come into his office with injured ankles, orthopedic radiologist Dr. Barry Katz decided to create a pair of basketball shoes that would provide better ankle support.  Katz wanted to focus on injury prevention, because many athletes only consider ankle treatments after they suffer an injury.  While ankle taping and braces can slightly decrease the likelihood of an ankle sprain, Katz wanted to focus on the role athletic shoes play in the equation.

His research led to the creation of Ektio Shoes, a company that manufactures basketball shoes with “revolutionary ankle support technology.”  Ektio shoes provide extra support in the shoe walls and boast “anti-rollover bumpers” to reduce and strains and sprains.

“Our technology really exposes the weakness and deficiency of other basketball shoes in regards to providing even the most basic level of ankle support,” says Katz. “Ektio is the best solution to protecting against ankle sprains without the need for tape and braces.”

While the shoes haven’t eliminated ankle injuries, a study by Drexel University shows that less ankle inversion is allowed by the Ektio shoe compared to an average basketball shoe.

An ankle injury is the most common injury for basketball players, and the U.S. National Center for Biotechnology estimates that ankle injuries make up roughly 30% of all sports injuries.

The USNCB also said that athletes who suffer one ankle sprain are 35% more likely to suffer another sprain down the road, so it’s important to take precautionary measures to prevent an aggravation.  Speaking with an ankle specialist can diagnose problems and recommend a course of action.  Oftentimes this can include strengthening exercises or custom orthotics.

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Ingrown toenails are quite painful. They occur when the nail grows into the side of the toe. They are most common in the big toe.

The most common cause on ingrown toenails (by far) is bad nail care. Hundreds of thousands of dollars are spent yearly treating this very preventable condition.

Here are a few nail care tips to prevent and treat ingrown toenails. Follow these steps and you could save yourself a lot of money in the long run.

• Cut the nail straight across. It’s not a fingernail. Ladies—be sure to tell this to your pedicurist.
• If the nail starts to grow into the side of your toe, don’t cut or dig at it.
• Soak the toe in warm water, then rub the side of the toe downwards and away from the nail to squeeze the swelling out.
• Remove the dry skin from between the nail and the sides of the toe and slide a small piece of tissue paper under the corner of the nail and let it grow out.
• Do not try to cut the nail shorter, it will just come back again and again.

If you have diabetes or peripheral vascular disease, it is important that you come to your doctor immediately for treatment.

The post How to Prevent & Treat Ingrown Toenails appeared first on Lance Silverman, MD - Orthopedic Foot & Ankle Surgeon.