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Recovering from Addiction to Prescription Medications

I never thought of myself as an addict, but I did end up addicted to anti-anxiety medication after developing Generalized Anxiety Disorder. At some point, the medicine stopped being a way to deal with the nervousness and panic attacks, and became something my body craved. I knew that I needed help fast. Fortunately, a local drug rehab program includes support for people like me. They helped me wean off the medication, use methods like massage therapy to help my nerves heal, and even provided ongoing counseling for our family. I don't know how I would have made it without their help. If you suspect that your medication has crossed the line from being helpful to hurtful, take heart. Let me tell you about my journey out of addiction and back to wholeness.

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Recovering from Addiction to Prescription Medications

Feet On Fire Or Totally Numb When You Exercise? How Podiatric Sports Medicine Can Help

by Valerie Stevens

There are so many conditions and health problems that affect the feet of athletes. While some come with the territory (like sprains and strains), others may be a little more unusual or bizarre and will require a podiatrist's help to diagnose. If your feet feel like they are either on fire or totally numb, here is how podiatric sports medicine can help diagnose and treat these situations.

Feet on Fire

There are three conditions that make your feet feel like they are on fire. The first condition will be obvious to both you and the podiatrist, because it affects the skin on your feet. It is athlete's foot, and the skin will itch, crack, ooze and burn. It is generally treated with an anti-fungal spray, but if your podiatrist thinks your case is pretty severe, he or she might prescribe a topical medication that is a little stronger.

The second condition is plantar fasciitis. This affects the long band of muscle and tendons on the bottoms of your feet, and every footfall or foot strike will feel like you are walking on hot coals. There are several treatment options for this, but generally your podiatrist will recommend that you stay off your feet and ice them to reduce inflammation.

The third condition is diabetes. When treatments for plantar fasciitis seem to be utter failures, your podiatrist might recommend getting tested for diabetes. Burning and tingling pain in your feet, similar to walking on hot sword tips or sharp glass, is common to diabetic patients who have diabetic neuropathy. Controlling your diabetes and getting excellent diabetic footwear can make a huge difference.

Feet Are Totally Numb

Then you have the opposite end of the foot pain spectrum. Feet that go totally numb have quite a different situation occurring. There is something amiss with your nerves and the connections they have with your feet. This could lead back to your spine, where pinched nerves are unable to transmit signals from your feet to your brain. Nerves that are compressed and flattened against your spinal column or part of your skeleton (like hip bones) because of inflammation of another body part may also be to blame. X-rays and CT scans of your lower body will help locate and find any abnormalities in your nervous system and skeletal structure. Then you can see a chiropractor and other specialists to restore feeling to your feet when you exercise.

For more information, contact professionals like Elmhurst Podiatry Center Ltd.

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