We know all about headaches, toothaches, backaches, 00:00:01.06\00:00:05.11 and even stomachaches... 00:00:05.14\00:00:06.83 But how many of us sit around complaining about foot aches? 00:00:06.86\00:00:10.90 Maybe we should, stay tuned... 00:00:10.93\00:00:13.96 I'm Dr. James Marcum 00:00:14.94\00:00:16.55 Are you interested in discovering the reason why? 00:00:16.58\00:00:20.25 Do you want solutions to your healthcare problems? 00:00:20.28\00:00:22.97 Are you tired of taking medications? 00:00:23.00\00:00:25.74 Well, you're about to be given the Ultimate Prescription! 00:00:25.77\00:00:31.35 They are usually encased securely in loafers 00:00:34.28\00:00:37.63 or snuggly socks. 00:00:37.66\00:00:39.30 We know they're down there, 00:00:39.33\00:00:40.56 we just don't pay a lot of attention to them UNTIL... 00:00:40.59\00:00:44.29 Our feet are kind of important. 00:00:44.32\00:00:46.65 They help us get around and keep us from falling over 00:00:46.68\00:00:48.99 when we stand still. 00:00:49.02\00:00:50.27 We need them for kicking, running, digging, 00:00:50.30\00:00:53.95 and more often than we'd like to admit, 00:00:53.98\00:00:55.65 for sticking in our mouths, sort of like now... 00:00:55.68\00:00:58.84 Dr. Marcum, tell us what we need to know 00:00:58.87\00:01:00.80 about those strange looking things at the ends of our body. 00:01:00.83\00:01:04.18 Well you know, Charles, the feet are very important. 00:01:04.21\00:01:07.39 And, I had some foot problems last year, 00:01:07.42\00:01:11.47 and that's why I thought I was going to talk about FEET... 00:01:11.50\00:01:14.85 Everyone has to have feet and when your feet aren't happy, 00:01:14.88\00:01:17.59 I don't think anything is happy! 00:01:17.62\00:01:19.99 So feet are very, very important! 00:01:20.02\00:01:22.28 The first thing I like to tell people about feet is 00:01:22.31\00:01:26.01 what would you do without your feet? 00:01:26.04\00:01:28.64 Just think about all the downhill consequences 00:01:28.67\00:01:31.17 we have if we don't have feet; 00:01:31.20\00:01:32.60 we can't walk, we can't exercise, 00:01:32.63\00:01:35.06 we can't move, we can't go from place to place. 00:01:35.09\00:01:37.74 So feet are very worthy of our care... would you agree? 00:01:37.77\00:01:42.61 I would... so you would think knowing THAT, 00:01:42.64\00:01:44.89 that we would be very conscious of our feet, 00:01:44.92\00:01:47.47 and take good care of them. Do we? 00:01:47.50\00:01:49.61 In this article from the "USA Today" 00:01:49.64\00:01:52.89 It talks about feet and, specifically, 00:01:52.92\00:01:55.92 the feet of athletes like "Albert Puljols" 00:01:55.95\00:01:58.66 of the Los Angeles Angels. 00:01:58.69\00:02:01.11 Another athlete called "Pau Gasol" 00:02:01.14\00:02:03.65 He plays for the Basketball Lakers. 00:02:03.68\00:02:06.36 "Antonio Gates" who plays for the Chargers... 00:02:06.39\00:02:09.46 You know, I'm not great with all these sports guys, 00:02:09.49\00:02:11.94 and a basketball player named 00:02:11.97\00:02:13.47 "Joakim Noah" that plays for the Chicago Bulls. 00:02:13.50\00:02:16.49 Well, these athletes all had problems with their feet... 00:02:16.52\00:02:20.31 A problem that I actually had myself called, 00:02:20.34\00:02:23.31 "plantar fasciitis" 00:02:23.34\00:02:25.11 Have you ever heard of that, Charles? 00:02:25.14\00:02:26.21 I haven't - that's a new one. 00:02:26.24\00:02:27.39 Doesn't it sound scary? It DOES! 00:02:27.42\00:02:29.40 All these guys had plantar fasciitis, 00:02:29.43\00:02:31.44 so now they couldn't do their sports, 00:02:31.47\00:02:33.71 and their feet weren't any good and they can't do anything. 00:02:33.74\00:02:36.05 I HAD THE SAME THING! 00:02:36.08\00:02:37.12 I'm very scared of things I can't pronounce! 00:02:37.15\00:02:39.32 Well let me explain what it is, 00:02:39.35\00:02:41.01 and I hope no one out there has it. 00:02:41.04\00:02:42.90 This is pain that comes ACTUALLY from the 00:02:42.93\00:02:45.90 connective tissue of the feet. 00:02:45.93\00:02:48.94 In the foot, you have bones, 00:02:48.97\00:02:50.99 you have muscles that move the foot, 00:02:51.02\00:02:53.67 you have different tissue that connects the muscles 00:02:53.70\00:02:55.71 and the ligaments and all that together. 00:02:55.74\00:02:57.33 Well this is that covering, this connective tissue. 00:02:57.36\00:03:00.20 It mainly supports the arch. 00:03:00.23\00:03:02.19 You know, the arch of the foot where it goes up. 00:03:02.22\00:03:04.14 It helps that and it helps the heel, 00:03:04.17\00:03:06.54 moves the heel towards the bone, 00:03:06.57\00:03:07.86 and it's in the middle of the foot. 00:03:07.89\00:03:09.66 Now what happens in this fasciitis... 00:03:09.69\00:03:11.88 Fasciitis - "itis" means inflammation. 00:03:11.91\00:03:14.60 So this area becomes inflamed and usually it becomes 00:03:14.63\00:03:18.36 inflamed in these athletes because of overuse or trauma. 00:03:18.39\00:03:22.04 And when it becomes inflamed, it causes lots of pain. 00:03:22.07\00:03:25.70 Now what happened to me, I don't know if you remember, 00:03:25.73\00:03:27.63 I was making television programs when I had it, 00:03:27.66\00:03:29.74 and I didn't know what it was. 00:03:29.77\00:03:30.90 Originally, I thought I had sprained my ankle 00:03:30.93\00:03:33.01 because it started to swell because it hurt so much. 00:03:33.04\00:03:36.03 And then for a while, I said - Well maybe I had a bone fracture 00:03:36.06\00:03:39.23 So I got an x-ray done and I didn't have a hairline fracture. 00:03:39.26\00:03:42.40 And then I said - Well, maybe I just sprained my ankle. 00:03:42.43\00:03:44.60 No, I didn't sprain my ankle. 00:03:44.63\00:03:46.61 Finally, after lots of deductions and trying to 00:03:46.64\00:03:49.16 figure out and touching the tendons, 00:03:49.19\00:03:51.28 I figured out I, too, had plantar fasciitis. 00:03:51.31\00:03:54.29 So what does it feel like? 00:03:54.32\00:03:55.44 Can you describe the discomfort? 00:03:55.47\00:03:57.65 Yes, every time you move your foot, 00:03:57.68\00:04:00.29 pain goes all throughout the foot, every time! 00:04:00.32\00:04:03.39 And then, because of the pain and the inflammation, 00:04:03.42\00:04:05.34 it starts to swell. 00:04:05.37\00:04:06.65 The swelling gave me a hard time - I've never had it before, 00:04:06.68\00:04:10.24 and I didn't know what it was and then I read this article 00:04:10.27\00:04:13.97 and said - I think I have that! 00:04:14.00\00:04:15.22 These guys have it too. 00:04:15.25\00:04:16.28 Now, when these fellows had this 00:04:16.31\00:04:17.73 they couldn't play ball anymore. 00:04:17.76\00:04:19.00 Now this is not fallen arches or 00:04:19.03\00:04:20.63 or is it a new name for fallen arches? 00:04:20.67\00:04:22.14 No, this is inflammation... Inflammation IN the foot? 00:04:22.17\00:04:24.47 In the fascia of the foot. All right 00:04:24.50\00:04:26.38 Well this fascia, this connective tissue, 00:04:26.41\00:04:28.91 is in other places as well. 00:04:28.94\00:04:31.56 Some people have it in the foot, 00:04:31.59\00:04:33.55 some people have it in other parts of the body. 00:04:33.58\00:04:35.88 It seems to be worse in the morning, 00:04:35.91\00:04:37.98 and when I would wake up in the morning, 00:04:38.01\00:04:39.51 that's when I would notice the pain the worse, 00:04:39.54\00:04:41.23 the fascia pain there. 00:04:41.26\00:04:42.44 The pain - of course, any pain is bad, Charles, 00:04:42.47\00:04:46.26 because pain makes your blood pressure go up; 00:04:46.29\00:04:48.48 it makes inflammation; you don't sleep as well, 00:04:48.51\00:04:51.42 and you know what? 00:04:51.45\00:04:52.48 You get grumpy when you're in pain. 00:04:52.51\00:04:54.57 So I was feeling pretty bad. 00:04:54.60\00:04:56.21 So, what was the treatment? 00:04:56.24\00:04:58.12 So I went to the internet and I looked at all these things. 00:04:58.15\00:05:00.70 For a lot of people, all they did was rest the foot. 00:05:00.73\00:05:03.38 You went to the internet... 00:05:03.41\00:05:04.62 a cardiologist went to the internet for answers. 00:05:04.65\00:05:07.33 I had to go somewhere! Okay 00:05:07.36\00:05:09.17 You know, I went to the internet... 00:05:09.20\00:05:10.35 This is a diagnosis that's not a blood test. 00:05:10.38\00:05:13.53 You don't make it with an x- ray. 00:05:13.56\00:05:15.97 You make it by a clinical diagnosis. 00:05:16.00\00:05:18.28 What happened, how does it feel? 00:05:18.31\00:05:20.45 And you had to eliminate other things like... 00:05:20.48\00:05:22.10 It wasn't in my big toe, so it wasn't gout. 00:05:22.13\00:05:24.84 I didn't have some trauma, like playing basketball, 00:05:24.87\00:05:29.28 so it probably wasn't a swollen ankle. 00:05:29.31\00:05:31.42 I didn't feel like I had point tenderness which would 00:05:31.45\00:05:33.91 point to a broken bone. 00:05:33.94\00:05:35.37 I didn't have an infection, so something else was going on. 00:05:35.40\00:05:39.11 It can mimic another condition where the tendons get inflamed 00:05:39.14\00:05:43.02 called "tendinitis" 00:05:43.05\00:05:44.61 And I didn't know this when I started my research, 00:05:44.64\00:05:46.62 but as people get older, it's more likely to happen. 00:05:46.65\00:05:50.21 The parts, the fascia gets worn off, we can't do as much, 00:05:50.24\00:05:53.31 and the weeks before that, I was climbing up big hills 00:05:53.34\00:05:56.58 on my treadmill as part of my exercise. 00:05:56.61\00:05:58.96 ...Putting a lot of pressure going 10 miles an hour. 00:05:58.99\00:06:02.05 So all of this happened and I wanted some answers for it, 00:06:02.08\00:06:05.18 and I was thinking - Well, maybe if I can figure out 00:06:05.21\00:06:07.19 this answer, maybe I should call these sports guys, 00:06:07.22\00:06:09.16 and help them out a little bit too - oh, I don't know. 00:06:09.19\00:06:12.19 Typical doctor, you want to help people. 00:06:12.22\00:06:13.63 So the first thing is REST. 00:06:13.66\00:06:15.22 So people wear these boots and let rest. 00:06:15.25\00:06:17.59 Rest of one of the best treatments for the body. 00:06:17.62\00:06:19.81 Some people, if rest doesn't do the trick, 00:06:19.84\00:06:22.81 they do stretching exercises once things heal up a little bit 00:06:22.84\00:06:26.13 Some people put nonsteroidal creams on it, 00:06:26.16\00:06:29.78 that helps a little bit. 00:06:29.81\00:06:30.84 It's pretty hard to stretch something that's 00:06:30.87\00:06:32.11 swollen and that's inflamed. 00:06:32.15\00:06:33.54 That's what I had to do first; I had to wait for the swelling 00:06:33.57\00:06:35.84 to go down and then I had to deal with the inflammation... 00:06:35.87\00:06:38.77 And finally, one of the causes of this is poor footwear. 00:06:38.80\00:06:42.96 People aren't wearing good FEET! 00:06:42.99\00:06:44.23 Good SHOES. OH! They wear that too. 00:06:44.26\00:06:47.74 I have good feet, but anyway, people aren't 00:06:47.77\00:06:51.90 wearing good, healthy foots. You're messing me up... Feet! 00:06:51.93\00:06:57.10 Don't mess me up here, but anyway... 00:06:57.13\00:06:58.75 This is my story about feet- I hope you're enjoying this. 00:06:58.78\00:07:01.87 I hope someone has this condition that we can help today 00:07:01.90\00:07:04.24 Yes, we talked about it. But anyway, the foot... 00:07:04.27\00:07:07.02 People do not have support on their arch, 00:07:07.05\00:07:10.11 and this puts more pressure as the years go on 00:07:10.14\00:07:13.22 on this tendon and the fascial planes, all of that. 00:07:13.25\00:07:16.03 So I got some supports for my feet. 00:07:16.06\00:07:19.52 They call this "orthotics" and they can actually 00:07:19.55\00:07:21.70 measure it for your feet and once I put those in, 00:07:21.73\00:07:24.63 that is now eliminating the problem. 00:07:24.66\00:07:27.31 I just thought of something... 00:07:27.34\00:07:28.56 Support for the arches - we were not designed to walk 00:07:28.59\00:07:33.76 on cement, put out feet into shoes. 00:07:33.79\00:07:37.64 Our feet were meant to conform to the soil to the sand, 00:07:37.67\00:07:42.12 to the ground. Yes 00:07:42.15\00:07:44.02 We weren't designed to have this FLAT. No 00:07:44.05\00:07:48.14 Because I've had the problem too, not that exact problem, 00:07:48.17\00:07:50.47 but I've had the problem too, and I have to wear 00:07:50.50\00:07:52.01 those things that support the arches there, 00:07:52.04\00:07:54.02 and now I've figured out why. 00:07:54.05\00:07:55.14 You've always said that we were designed 00:07:55.17\00:07:57.03 a different way than we're living. 00:07:57.07\00:07:58.24 But we weren't really designed to have shoes, 00:07:58.28\00:08:00.32 with the wrong type of shoes, 00:08:00.35\00:08:01.91 do the wrong type of exercises, 00:08:01.94\00:08:03.63 then you have all this inflammation. 00:08:03.66\00:08:05.91 Dr. Robert Klapper who is Chief of Orthopedic Surgery 00:08:05.94\00:08:09.87 at Cedar Sinai in Los Angeles. 00:08:09.90\00:08:11.67 He thinks the problem is... 00:08:11.70\00:08:13.59 and I'm thinking it might be the shoe wear... 00:08:13.62\00:08:15.34 He thinks this is an overuse problem. 00:08:15.37\00:08:17.65 People are using their foot too much. 00:08:17.68\00:08:20.53 He also suggests - lack of stretching. 00:08:20.56\00:08:22.76 How many people get up and actually stretch the part... 00:08:22.79\00:08:25.93 We stretch our arms, we stretch our backs, 00:08:25.96\00:08:28.26 and our muscles and everything, but how many of us 00:08:28.29\00:08:30.55 sit around stretching our feet? Good thought! 00:08:30.58\00:08:33.25 And he also thinks that extra weight 00:08:33.28\00:08:35.67 puts pressure on it... That makes sense 00:08:35.70\00:08:37.09 The aging process does it and I want everyone today to 00:08:37.12\00:08:40.90 think about how valuable your feet are, 00:08:40.93\00:08:43.22 and start doing some basic foot care which is making sure 00:08:43.25\00:08:46.39 you have the right shoes. 00:08:46.42\00:08:48.03 If you need arch support, get it. 00:08:48.06\00:08:50.22 If your feet hurt at the end of the day, 00:08:50.25\00:08:51.88 something is not going right. 00:08:51.91\00:08:53.76 It doesn't seem fair to box your little foot up in 00:08:53.79\00:08:56.36 something all day long, whether it be high-heels 00:08:56.39\00:08:59.48 or tight shoes - just don't want that to happen, Charles 00:08:59.51\00:09:02.12 Well let's talk about the right shoes. 00:09:02.15\00:09:04.05 In your research, did it tell you what the right shoes were, 00:09:04.08\00:09:06.98 and how to identify when your foot is in one? 00:09:07.01\00:09:09.55 Well, you know, one of the things you want is arch support 00:09:09.58\00:09:12.25 so I had to go to a specialist that put this thing called, 00:09:12.28\00:09:15.97 "orthotics," and he measured my foot, 00:09:16.00\00:09:18.80 saw what kind of support it needed and every foot is 00:09:18.83\00:09:21.16 different and he made the support for me that I put 00:09:21.19\00:09:24.48 in my shoe to take the pressure off the fascia, 00:09:24.51\00:09:27.70 so I wouldn't get this inflammation over and over. 00:09:27.73\00:09:31.10 Now some people, that doesn't even get it better. 00:09:31.13\00:09:33.54 There are some people that are doing surgery on this. 00:09:33.57\00:09:35.70 The problem with this part of the foot is 00:09:35.73\00:09:37.97 it doesn't have a lot of blood supply, 00:09:38.00\00:09:39.94 and it doesn't heal very quickly. 00:09:39.97\00:09:41.66 Because it's never not being used, 00:09:41.69\00:09:43.79 other than the fact when you're sleeping. 00:09:43.82\00:09:45.30 If you're walking, if you're climbing, if you're awake 00:09:45.33\00:09:48.25 and moving around, you're using all of your feet. Yes 00:09:48.28\00:09:51.78 And some people, when their feet hurt, 00:09:51.81\00:09:53.98 they either ignore it or they take pain meds. 00:09:54.01\00:09:56.89 You know, give me an anti-inflammatory, my foot 00:09:56.92\00:09:59.03 hurts. But what I've learned about this is when you have a 00:09:59.06\00:10:02.39 problem, you've got to find out what's causing it, 00:10:02.42\00:10:04.17 and then try to find the simplest, safest, 00:10:04.20\00:10:07.83 way to deal with it. 00:10:07.86\00:10:08.92 Now I'm still not brave enough, right now, 00:10:08.95\00:10:10.71 to start running up the treadmill again, 00:10:10.74\00:10:13.81 but I'm now going flat again. 00:10:13.84\00:10:15.92 But I think everyone needs to take care of those feet, 00:10:15.95\00:10:18.91 they're so VALUABLE and I see people all around - 00:10:18.94\00:10:22.49 you know, we weren't made to wear these shoes. 00:10:22.52\00:10:24.00 Now luckily, they're getting better and better shoes 00:10:24.03\00:10:26.36 this time that are more comfortable, but years ago, 00:10:26.39\00:10:29.30 people didn't wear healthy shoes and they wore the same 00:10:29.33\00:10:31.91 things every day and that could put stretch problems 00:10:31.94\00:10:36.13 with your foot - it doesn't move the way it needs to, 00:10:36.16\00:10:38.55 lots of problems, so I wanted to talk about foot. 00:10:38.58\00:10:40.89 Now we have a bunch of other questions regarding foot 00:10:40.92\00:10:44.30 that has come into Heartwise, right? 00:10:44.33\00:10:45.49 Yes, I want to get to those too, but before that 00:10:45.52\00:10:47.83 I think of the high-heels instantly, 00:10:47.86\00:10:50.25 and you've told a story, on this program, a couple of times 00:10:50.28\00:10:52.46 about a lady that was forced to wear high-heels 00:10:52.50\00:10:55.76 because of her job and the problems that brought about. 00:10:55.79\00:10:57.79 So, we need shoes apparently that have arch supports in there 00:10:57.82\00:11:01.95 so that when we step down, we feel the support everywhere. 00:11:01.98\00:11:04.45 Stretches! How do you stretch your foot? 00:11:04.48\00:11:07.01 Is there any particular thing 00:11:07.04\00:11:08.34 you do or does that vary from person to person? 00:11:08.37\00:11:10.12 You know, physical therapists will actually tell you how to 00:11:10.15\00:11:13.16 stretch every part of your foot, up, down, all around, 00:11:13.19\00:11:16.66 so you stretch it out, starting with the big toe, 00:11:16.69\00:11:19.24 to the little toe, every joint in your foot, 00:11:19.27\00:11:22.30 every part of your foot needs to be stretched. 00:11:22.33\00:11:25.35 A food massage might accomplish the same thing. 00:11:25.38\00:11:27.96 You have to limber up the parts 00:11:27.99\00:11:30.02 before you start using the parts in the feet. 00:11:30.05\00:11:32.53 You got to stretch out and get them warmed up, 00:11:32.56\00:11:34.98 get the metabolism flowing, get the blood flowing, 00:11:35.01\00:11:37.51 get the oxygen heading down there, 00:11:37.54\00:11:39.01 get everything working as good before you put it through 00:11:39.04\00:11:41.68 some type of trauma. 00:11:41.71\00:11:42.77 And I've also heard from podiatrists and others 00:11:42.80\00:11:46.90 that when you try on a new pair of shoes, 00:11:46.93\00:11:49.91 they need to feel comfortable right then. 00:11:49.94\00:11:52.13 Don't wait for a break-in period. 00:11:52.16\00:11:54.32 Shoes need to feel comfortable in the store, 00:11:54.35\00:11:56.19 when you walk across the rug there, pat-pat-pat-pat-pat 00:11:56.22\00:11:59.10 They need to feel comfortable on your foot THEN. 00:11:59.13\00:12:01.85 Then they're going to feel comfortable throughout. 00:12:01.88\00:12:03.44 I think people shouldn't be too proud if they're not 00:12:03.47\00:12:06.28 feeling good a week in that shoe - take it BACK! 00:12:06.31\00:12:09.65 Because you don't want to damage your foot 00:12:09.68\00:12:11.52 over long-term put stress on that foot, 00:12:11.55\00:12:13.66 that could have long-lasting damage, 00:12:13.69\00:12:16.66 and the foot just doesn't heal quickly. 00:12:16.69\00:12:18.43 Now these athletes who go around and they're kicking 00:12:18.46\00:12:20.81 and they're jumping and they're stomping and they are 00:12:20.84\00:12:23.06 flying through the air, is there any way of protecting 00:12:23.09\00:12:27.60 your feet from that situation. 00:12:27.63\00:12:29.22 I mean, they wear cleats so they won't slip and that means 00:12:29.25\00:12:32.77 their feet are stopping and jamming into the toes, 00:12:32.80\00:12:35.29 jamming into the heels and the side like that... 00:12:35.32\00:12:37.31 That can't be good for them. 00:12:37.34\00:12:38.38 No, they put a lot of trauma to their feet, 00:12:38.41\00:12:40.35 and I assume a lot of them, when they get older, 00:12:40.38\00:12:42.22 they have inflammation in the joints, in the fascia. 00:12:42.25\00:12:44.89 That's why these athletes have all these problems at young age. 00:12:44.92\00:12:47.76 These fellows are younger than I am, 00:12:47.79\00:12:49.47 and they're having all these massive foot problems right now, 00:12:49.50\00:12:52.53 and they can't even do their profession right now. 00:12:52.56\00:12:55.10 So this is a big problem that we're going to talk about. 00:12:55.13\00:12:57.36 We got to talk about our feet. 00:12:57.39\00:12:58.90 We're going to answer some more questions about our feet. 00:12:58.93\00:13:01.54 And I want everyone out there to concentrate... 00:13:01.57\00:13:04.44 What am I going to do to make sure my feet are happy today? 00:13:04.47\00:13:07.34 Well I know I'm thinking a lot about feet right now, 00:13:07.37\00:13:09.57 and as you were talking, I was sort of stretching 00:13:09.60\00:13:11.53 and bending them and whatnot. 00:13:11.56\00:13:13.71 I'm going to be more AWARE of our feet, 00:13:13.74\00:13:15.85 and things we need to do that, we need to stretch them 00:13:15.88\00:13:18.06 in the morning and do a little foot exercise 00:13:18.09\00:13:19.82 with foot stretching. 00:13:19.85\00:13:20.88 Okay, we'll take a short break and when we come back, 00:13:20.91\00:13:23.01 we'll be answering questions from 00:13:23.04\00:13:24.20 heartwiseministries. org 00:13:24.23\00:13:25.71 that have been sent in to us on the subject of feet, 00:13:25.75\00:13:29.27 so stay right where you are! 00:13:29.30\00:13:32.19