Even Movie Stars Have Foot Problems!

BROOKE SHIELDS HOBBLES AROUND AFTER FOOT SURGERY

Years of wearing heels and dancing on stage has taken its toll on Brooke Shields’ feet.

 

The actress, 42, was spotted hobbling around LA on crutches yesterday after undergoing an operation on an old tendon injury.

 

After wearing a series of glamorous stilettos in her new TV series Lipstick Jungle, Brooke is taking advantage of the gap between seasons to undergo the painful procedure.

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Ouch: Brooke Shields doesn’t let her crutches stop her from shopping for her children in LA yesterday

 

After leaving a Beverly Hills hospital on Saturday, the mother-of-two will have to rest for two months to give her feet time to recover.

Painful: Brooke Shields admits her injury meant wearing heels in Lipstick Jungle was agony

Despite her limited mobility, devoted mum Brooke braved her pain to visit some children’s stores in Santa Monica to buy some gifts for her two daughter Rowan, four; and Grier, two.

 

Brooke was set to have the surgery last month, but postponed the operation so she could appear on Late Night with David Letterman.

 

Speaking to chat show host Letterman last month, Brooke said she has suffered from the hammer toe condition for years and was in constant pain – especially on the set of Lipstick Jungle where her character Wendy Healy wears ankle-breaking designer shoes.

 

She said: “Just walking, I’m in pain and when I work I have to wear high heels all the time.

 

“I’m gonna have them both done at the same time; there’s no way I would go back and go through it twice.

 

“For two months it’ll take the bones to heal and then I can be a dork and do scrapbooks of my kids.”

 

This is the second surgery Brooke has had on her feet. The old injury re-appeared when she played murderous vixen Roxie Hart in the Broadway and London productions of the musical Chicago in 2005.

 

Lipstick Jungle, adapted from Sex And The City writer Candace Bushnell’s best-selling book, will hit British TV screens later this year.

Podiatrist Helps Convict Criminal by Analyzing His Gait

The man on the footage had distinctive bow legs A burglar walked into a two-year jail term after his distinctive swagger was matched by experts from CCTV footage. John Gibson Rigg may have successfully hidden his face but he was caught on camera walking to the scene. A podiatrist, who specialises in gait analysis, matched the man and the walk and together with DNA evidence he was charged with two burglaries. The 35-year-old, from Rawcliffe Avenue, Bolton, pleaded guilty at Bolton Crown Court and was jailed for two years. On 24 January 2007, Rigg broke into a house on Whittam Road, Whalley and stole property valued at £4,500 including a computer, ipods and TV, while the occupants slept upstairs. He also burgled a house on Chorley New Road, Bolton in April 1998, stealing a safe and £7,500 in cash while the owners were on holiday. ‘Visual evidence’ Rigg was arrested after DNA evidence was found at the scene. But when detectives noticed a man with a distinctive walk on CCTV around the time of the crime they brought in expert podiatrist Ian Linane. The man on the footage had noticeable bowed legs and an unusual way of moving his left arm. He was filmed in custody and the specialist found matches. Mr Linane said: “This type of approach can be valuable in a number of ways in that it is not always hindered by types of clothing worn or even disguises. “It has been used to eliminate as well as implicate individuals. “There have been several cases of suspects admitting their guilt based on the visual evidence presented to them and as such it can save considerably on court costs.” Det Con Mark Cruise said: “I hope this sends out a strong message that even criminals who conceal their faces can still be identified due to this relatively new type of forensic analysis.”

Roger W asks about potential infections with nail care

Dear Dr. Nirenberg:

I have had ingrown toenails that have required a podiatrist. Since then I have gone on a regular basis and have them trimmed. I understand that the instruments have been wiped or soaked in a sanitizing solution such as alcohol. I do not know if the buffing stone has been treated. I am concerned about MRSA and other transmittable pathogens. What is the proper treatment of instruments and buffing stones and how can I be assured it is being followed. Are there any epidemiological studies concerning transmission by podiatrist as well as pedicurist?

 

Thank you very much,

 

Roger W

Dear Roger:

Thanks for your question. I do not know of any studies with podiatrists, but in general, most podiatrists have a good understanding of sterilization procedures and adequately sterilize instruments. There have been studies showing Mycobacterium fortuitum outbreaks in nail salons. I found the following report:

In September 2000, a physician in northern California described four patients with persistent, culture-negative boils on the lower extremities. The patients had received pedicures at the same nail salon. We identified and investigated an outbreak of Mycobacterium fortuitum furunculosis among customers of this nail salon. METHODS: Patients were defined as salon customers with persistent skin infections below the knee. A case-control study was conducted that included the first 48 patients identified, and 56 unaffected friends and family members who had had a pedicure at the same salon served as controls. Selected M. fortuitum isolates, cultured from patients and the salon environment, were compared by pulsed-field gel electrophoresis. RESULTS: We identified 110 customers of the nail salon who had furunculosis. Cultures from 34 were positive for rapidly growing mycobacteria (32 M. fortuitum and 2 unidentified). Most of the affected patients had more than 1 boil (median, 2; range, 1 to 37). All patients and controls had had whirlpool footbaths. Shaving the legs with a razor before pedicure was a risk factor for infection (70 percent of patients vs. 31 percent of controls; adjusted odds ratio, 4.8; 95 percent confidence interval, 2.1 to 11.1). Cultures from all 10 footbaths at the salon yielded M. fortuitum. The M. fortuitum isolates from three footbaths and 14 patients were indistinguishable by electrophoresis. CONCLUSIONS: We identified a large outbreak of rapidly growing mycobacterial infections among persons who had had footbaths and pedicures at one nail salon. Physicians should suspect this cause in patients with persistent furunculosis after exposure to whirlpool footbaths.

I think nail salons are becoming more aware of this problem and beginning to take measures to improve sterility. Doctors and podiatrists are extensively schooled in infections and sterility, but I don’t know about pedicurists’ education.  

Personally, I would feel comfortable with most podiatrists trimming my nails. My wife goes to a pedicurist occassionally for nail care and at her particular salon I feel comfortable.  

Ultimately, if you have concerns though, you should discuss them with your podiatrist or pedicurist.