Interesting story circulating about one Mr. Tom Cruise, who it seems, sustained a rather unique injury to his foot while filming his latest movie Jack Reacher.  I haven’t actually seen the movie, and apparently neither have too many other people, but the story, as told to Jimmy Fallon, is that Mr. Cruise was filming a scene in which he was to repeatedly kick another actor in, shall we say, the most private of areas, and the repeated stress of multiple takes was too much for his foot.  The foot in question became very swollen, requiring a lot of RICE – rest, ice compression, and elevation.  No official stress fracture, tendonitis, sprain, or strain of the kind I might see in my NYC podiatry office, but it did get me thinking.

The foot is subject to myriad repetitive stress – walking, running, and standing over and over again.  Each step while running subjects the foot to 12 times our body weight.  This is certainly compounded by walking in New York City, as my patients do daily.  And as I tell my patients, walking in NYC is defensive walking – avoiding people, potholes, cars, buses, and various other pitfalls, traps and obstacles.  This process, multiplied by thousands of steps and hundreds of miles, leads to sore, aching and tired feet.  It’s not unlike kicking someone in the crotch over and over again, although patients can sometimes feel as if they are on the receiving end, rather than the giving end of the daily punishment.

So what does one do?  Start by an evaluation by your NYC podiatrist.  As we say, it’s not natural for your feet to hurt.  A simple physical exam, coupled with an X-ray or an ultrasound can rule out any serious tendon, ligament, or bone injury.  For the painful, but not injured, foot, a simple shoe or lifestyle modification, along with custom orthotics, can provide the cushioning and support to relieve foot pain, and turn Jack Reacher into A Few Good Men.  And remember it’s always easier to treat small problems before they turn into big problems.

So next time you are in a fight and kicking someone in an (ahem) sensitive area and your foot becomes swollen, don’t just let it go.  Bring that swollen foot, but not the other guy’s swollen body parts, into your NYC podiatrist.

See you in the office.

Ernest L. Isaacson, DPM