We get it, the holidays can be a hectic time but don’t let getting a gift be that way. BioPed offers many quick gift ideas that could be perfect for those that you love! Check out these suggestions for the holiday season.

We get it, the holidays can be a hectic time but don’t let getting a gift be that way. BioPed offers many quick gift ideas that could be perfect for those that you love! Check out these suggestions for the holiday season.

Footlogix Footcare Products

Footlogix skin and nail products are the perfect gift for anyone! They restore moisture to dry, calloused skin and improve the look of discoloured, thickened toenails. Using Dermal Infusion Technology, the mousse-based formula is an alternative to cream and gets absorbed by the body fast and starts working quickly. This is important so that your feet don’t remain slippery and put you at risk for a fall!

Dr.’s Remedy Nail Polish

         This doctor-formulated nail polish aims to treat your nails right. Using all natural ingredients like tea tree oil and biotin, whoever gets this gift will have both stylish and healthy nails! Coming in a wide range of colours, you’ll be able to easily find something to suit that special person.

Socks

         There are two things about Christmas time and socks. Everyone gets them, and everyone loses them! At BioPed there are a range of different socks to choose from depending on the person you are choosing for. Cold feet? Simcan Heatzone Socks! Swelling? Sigvaris compression socks! Plantar fasciitis heel pain? FS6 plantar fascia socks! Diabetes? Simcan comfort socks! The types and styles of socks are endless – we’ve got you(r feet) covered!

Massage Balls

         BioPed branded massage balls work great as a stocking stuffer! Great for anyone, and any muscle! But particularly excellent for people on their feet for long hours to deal with the dreaded plantar fasciitis heel and arch pain. And they even make great dog toys!

Slippers

Everyone can use a great indoor shoe to keep their feet warm and well supported during the winter months. At BioPed we carry a range of slipper styles in many different sizes, widths and closure styles. All you need to know is their shoe size and then let us help you do the rest!

Come See Us!

Don’t know what to get your loved ones that are experiencing lower limb pain? At BioPed Footcare, whether its orthotics, footwear, bracing or gifting, we are here for you and everyone you know. With our on-site lab there is nothing we can’t do! Meet with one of BioPed’s lower limb clinicians to see how you can keep your feet and legs healthy!

Plantar fasciitis is a common and painful foot condition that affects millions of people worldwide. It occurs when the plantar fascia, a thick band of tissue that connects the heel bone to the toes, becomes inflamed or strained. While there are various treatment options available, two of the most accessible methods are cold and heat therapies. To get started on the first steps of your treatment plan, keep reading to learn about the benefits and optimal timing of using cold and heat therapies for plantar fasciitis.

Benefits of Cold Therapy

1. Reduces Inflammation: Cold therapy is well-known for its ability to reduce inflammation. When applied to the affected area, ice helps constrict blood vessels and minimize blood flow, which can help alleviate the pain and swelling associated with plantar fasciitis.
2. Numbs Pain: Ice can act as a natural analgesic by numbing the area it’s applied to. This can be particularly useful for individuals experiencing severe plantar fasciitis pain, as it can provide temporary relief.
3. Easy Application: Ice therapy is straightforward; you can use a frozen water bottle or a cold pack to apply cold therapy to the affected foot. It’s a cost-effective and accessible option for most people.
4. Reduces Muscle Spasms: Ice therapy can also help relax and soothe the muscles surrounding the plantar fascia, providing additional relief from pain and discomfort.

Benefits of Heat Therapy

1. Improves Blood Circulation: Unlike ice, heat therapy increases blood circulation in the affected area. This can promote the delivery of oxygen and nutrients to the plantar fascia, potentially speeding up the healing process.
2. Relaxes Muscles: Heat can help relax the muscles in the foot and calf, reducing tension and easing pain associated with plantar fasciitis.
3. Promotes Healing: Heat may encourage the healing of micro-tears in the plantar fascia, making it a potentially helpful treatment option for certain cases of plantar fasciitis.
4. Eases Stiffness: Heat can be particularly beneficial in the morning when many plantar fasciitis sufferers experience stiffness. It can help loosen the foot and make it easier to walk comfortably.

Choosing between ice and heat for plantar fasciitis largely depends on both your individual preferences and the stage of your condition. At BioPed, we recommend a combination of both methods for the best results:

Early-Stage Plantar Fasciitis:

• Cold therapy is generally more effective for reducing inflammation during the initial stages.
• Apply ice for 10 minutes, remove for 10 minutes, and repeat as necessary.
• Avoid using heat during the initial stages, as it can worsen inflammation.

Chronic Plantar Fasciitis or Muscle Tension:

• Heat therapy can provide greater benefits by relaxing muscles and improving circulation.
• Applying heat for 10-15 minutes before stretching or other treatments can be beneficial.

A convenient tool for these therapies is a reusable Hot and Cold Compress pack from RapidAid. This product is an essential item for addressing a wide range of issues, including sports injuries, headaches, and common aches and discomforts. With its Contour-Gel, it conforms to your foot and maintains flexibility even while frozen, providing rapid relief from inflammation.

When it comes to treating plantar fasciitis, we’re here to help. Visit us at a BioPed location near you to get started on your personalized treatment plan to help you manage your pain and get back to doing more of what you love.

Soccer can be a rough sport, especially as we get older and still want to play just as hard. Don’t let your favourite sport cause pain that stems into daily life. Read below to find out how you can keep those knees feeling young all throughout your day and into the second half of the game.

No matter how old we are, soccer is a complex sport for our bodies. It involves running constantly, jumping, and quick changes in motion. All these activities can exert a large amount of stress on your knees. Often these repetitive movements can lead to injuries such as;

• Ligament sprains
• Meniscus tears
• Patellar tendonitis
• Fractures

And sometimes there are injuries from collisions with other players and falls that could further complicate knee pain. Paying attention to your knees before injuries occur is crucial to keeping them healthy well into your years as a soccer player.

What Can You Do?

Listen to your body and seek out help. It sounds simple but it is the toughest thing to do. It is not always wise to push through the pain especially as you get older as this could lead to a much more serious injury further down the road. There are many different health care professionals that can help deal with knee pain. Look at finding a physiotherapist to help work through a muscular injury, a Pedorthist to find your feet or knees the perfect support or even a great Massage Therapist to keep your body moving well. Building a team of professionals to help you when injuries and pain hit is important at keeping you active.

Knee Bracing

If you are currently experiencing knee pain, whether caused by soccer or not, knee bracing can be a great solution. Knee bracing’s primary goals are to give the knee stability, take the pressure off and get you feeling more confident in each step. Most times this is done with a compression style brace but with knee bracing, there are many different types and styles available. The type of brace you require largely depends on how complex the knee injury is and what type of pain present in the knee.

Orthotics

With the repetitive actions that come with playing soccer, comes repetitive impacts. One great way to lessen the impact your feet take on is with orthotics. Orthotics work to make your feet more efficient at managing the stress your feet take and help to correct biomechanical abnormalities. This becomes increasingly more important as your day, or game, plays on. There are plenty of over the counter and custom orthotics options that fit into soccer cleats.

Footwear

While the feet may seem far away from the knees, great footwear can make a great difference when managing knee pain. Seeking out a more stable, cushioned shoe for daily use can help to aid the lower limb in shock absorption and even aid in controlling abnormal lower limb movement. No matter what size or shape your foot is, at BioPed, there is always a solution!

Come See Us!

Knee pain can be aggravating. If knee pain is stopping you from playing in the next game or lingering around while you’re working, please book an appointment with us today! At BioPed Footcare, whether its bracing, orthotics, or footwear we are here for you. With our on-site lab there is nothing we can’t do! Meet with one of BioPed’s lower limb clinicians to see how you can keep your feet and knees healthy!

Dr. Remedy’s Nail Polish

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Dr. Remedy’s is available at BioPed and is a breathable product that helps restore the nail health and ward off infection. It can take several months for a damaged nail to be fully replaced. Hindering that process by covering and smothering the nail bed again with ill-advised products or more shellac will prolong the process and have you starting back at square one.

Medical socks are an integral part of the treatment regime for medical diseases, such as Diabetes. They provide special support and features not found in regular socks. These extra support and key features are needed because those who have Diabetes tend to have decreased blood flow in the feet, which results in a loss of feeling. A small injury, such as a blister, can go unnoticed by a person with diabetes simply because they cannot feel it. This often times propagates into an unhealing or infected wound, putting you at risk for a foot amputation.

The SIMCAN© diabetic comfort sock is the most comfortable high-stretch sock you will ever wear and is a great sock for those with Diabetes for the following 3 reasons;

1. It has a No Bind Top

It will not bind or restrict circulation on most legs. It is important to ensure that blood flows freely in a diabetic foot and ankle.

2. It is Sag Resistance

Although it is not restricting on the ankle, it also has maximum resistance to slipping down the ankle.

3. It has a Seamless toe

To prevent frictional blisters and pressure wounds, this sock has a totally seamless toe for maximum comfort and safety.

Kinesiology tape is a stretchable breathable cotton that we stick to our skin.

Following the 2008 Beijing Olympics, where many of the world’s top athletes were seen wearing it on their injured or overused body parts, people around the world started searching for this therapeutic tape. Many rolls of tape were subsequently sold. Unfortunately, many of these purchasers experienced a let-down after they received their rolls, as they discovered that it is very difficult to cut and apply the intricate configurations of tape needed for proper targeted relief, without specialized training. But at BioPed, we have an easy-to-apply at home solution – precut kinesiology tape that works!

So how does it work?

A latex free, heat sensitive adhesive is applied on a cotton in a wave pattern, it has spaces in between which allow for air to pass through.

Once the cotton is adhered and cured to the skin (the sticky adhesive cures at body temperature): It turns out to be rubber bands glued between the cotton and the skin.

These rubber bands contract with the movement of the body and hold the cotton from pulling away from the skin, it creates a lifting action of the skin from the layers underneath, therefore making more space in between them.

The cotton is now an outer layer on our skin, or a second skin that has no sensory feeling, it feels no heat cold or pinch, it protects the skin.

What do we use it for?

Spidertech tape can be used to treat acute or chronic injuries, as well as to prevent injuries from occurring in the first place. In addition to rapidly relieving pain and inflammation for everyone, it also enhances activation of muscles, providing a natural boost to performance, especially important for athletes.

If you’re dealing with strains, sprains, any of the inflammatory (aka-  “itis”) disorders, swelling and edema, stiffness, fatigue, cramps or spasms, it could be time to try this tape and appreciate the relief!

Some conditions we recommend it for include:

-Plantar Fasciitis

-Knee or ankle arthritis

-Achilles Tendonitis

-and so much more!

Who is “Spidertech”?

Spidertech is a Canadian company and a pioneer of precut commercial kinesiology tape (KT) products, that are proudly manufactured in Toronto, Ontario, Canada using the highest quality materials. Spidertech tape is the next generation in kinesiology tape – pre-cut, individually packaged for specific parts of the body. No designing, no measuring and no cutting are required. Application is easy and does not require a Doctor, Therapist or Clinical Expert to apply it.

Kinesiology tape can have a few difficulties for first time users. So, here are some solutions:

Issue: Because the adhesive is not cured, (remember it cures at body temperature and needs to be gently rubbed on after applying) it is sticky and tricky to work with in the beginning.
Solution: Try not to touch the glue.

Issue: Removing the tape is an unpleasant experience if not done properly.
Solution: It is ideal to let it detach by itself, let it stay on for as long as you can (it can last up to 14 days). Or if needed, pull it off gently (best when its dry) without letting the skin pull with the tape, best is to hold the skin taut with your fingers while pulling the tape off.

Visit BioPed today to pick up your precut kinesiology tape or speak with one of our Clinicians to discuss your specific needs – www.bioped.com/locations