Toggle navigation
Podiatrist in Alexandria and Sterling

Richard G. Lee, DPM
Steven H. Lin, DPM 

  • Facebook
  • Twitter
  • blog
  • YouTube

Like Us On Facebook
Google Reviews

 

Alexandria, VA Podiatrist
Alexandria Family Podiatry
2843 Duke St
Alexandria, VA 22314

Phone: (703) 823-2357  Fax: (703) 823-1572
Email: contactus@AlexandriaFamilyPodiatry.com


Sterling, VA Podiatrist
Alexandria Family Podiatry
21495 Ridgetop Circle, Suite 106
Sterling, VA 20166
Phone: (703) 823-2357  Fax: (703) 823-1572

Email: contactus@AlexandriaFamilyPodiatry.com

  • Home
  • Staff
  • Offices
  • Services
    • Foot & Ankle Surgery
    • Geriatric Foot Care
    • Heel Pain
    • Ingrown Toenail
    • Ingrown Toenail Treatment
    • Laser Fungal Nail Treatment
    • Laser Treatment for Toenail Fungus
    • Toenail Fungus
    • Wound Care
  • Patients
  • Contact Us
  • News / COVID-19 Updates
  • Patient Education

Stretching

Alexandria Family Podiatry believes that informed patients are better equipped to make decisions regarding their health and well being. For your personal use, we have created an extensive patient library covering an array of educational topics. Browse through these diagnoses and treatments to learn more about topics of interest to you. Or, for a more comprehensive search of our entire Web site, enter your term(s) in the search bar provided.

As always, you can contact our office to answer any questions or concerns.

Before beginning any exercise regimen, proper stretching is essential. If muscles are properly warmed up, the strain on muscles, tendons, and joints is reduced.

Stretching exercises should take 5 to 10 minutes and ought to be conducted in a stretch/hold/relax pattern without any bouncing or pulling. It is important to stretch the propulsion muscles in the back of the leg and thigh (posterior) as well as the anterior muscles.

Some effective stretching exercises to prepare the foot and ankle for exercise include:

  • The wall push-up. Face a wall from three feet away, with feet flat on the floor, and knees locked. Lean into the wall, keeping feet on the floor and hold for 10 seconds as the calf muscle stretches, then relax. Do not bounce. Repeat five times.
  • The hamstring stretch. Put your foot, with knee straight and locked, on a chair or table. Keep the other leg straight with knee locked. Lower your head toward the raised knee until the muscles tighten. Hold to a count of 10 then relax. Repeat five times, then switch to the other leg.
  • Lower back stretch. In a standing position, keep both legs straight, feet spread slightly. Bend over at the waist and attempt to touch the palms of your hands to the floor. Hold the stretch for 10 seconds and repeat 10 times. Do not bounce.

Excessive tightness of the calf muscles can contribute to many foot and some knee problems. A key point of injury is the Achilles tendon, which attaches the calf muscle to the back of the heel. When the calf muscle tightens up, it limits the movement of the ankle joint. 

Calf muscle stretching is very useful in the prevention and treatment of many foot problems. Two typical methods for stretching your calf muscles include the wall push-up (described above) and this technique: Standing approximately two feet from a wall. While facing the wall, turn your feet inward ("pigeon toed") and lean forward into the wall, keeping your heels on the floor and the knees extended. Keep your back straight and don't bend at the hips. Hold the stretch for 10 seconds and do the stretch 10 times in a row.


Patient Education

Patient Education Menu
  • What is a Podiatrist?
  • When To Call a Doctor
  • Foot Anatomy
  • Overview of Foot and Ankle Problems
  • Basic Foot Care Guidelines
  • Foot Problems
    • General Statistics
    • Achilles Problems
      • Achilles Tendonitis
      • Peroneal Tendon Dislocation/Dysfunction
      • Xanthomas of the Achilles Tendon
    • Ankle Problems
      • Ankle Sprain
      • Chronic Lateral Ankle Pain
      • Osteochondritis
    • Arch and Ball Problems
      • Capsulitis
      • Flat Feet (over pronation)
      • Metatarsalgia (foot pain in ball)
      • Plantar Fibromas (lumps in the arch of the foot)
      • Sesamoiditis
    • Common Foot Injuries
      • Ankle Sprain Injuries
      • Broken Ankle
      • Fractures
      • Osteochondritis (stiff ankle)
      • Osteochondromas
      • Shin Splints
      • Sports Injuries
    • Deformities
      • Amniotic Band Syndrome
      • Bunions
      • Claw Toe
      • Clubfoot
      • Dysplasia (Epiphysealis Hemimelica)
      • Enchondroma
      • Flat Feet
      • Gordon Syndrome
      • Haglund's Deformity
      • Hallux Limitus (Stiff Big Toe Joint)
      • Hallux Rigidus (Stiff Big Toe)
      • Hallux Varus
      • Hammertoes
      • Jackson-Weiss Syndrome
      • Mallet Toes
      • Metatarsalgia
      • Osteomyelitis (Bone Infections)
      • Overlapping or Underlapping Toes
      • Peroneal Tendon Dislocation/Dysfunction
      • Posterior Tibial Tendon Dysfunction
      • Sesamoiditis
      • Spurs
      • Tarsal Coalition
    • Diabetes and Your Feet
    • Diseases of the Foot
      • Arthritis
      • Cancer
      • Charcot Foot
      • Freiberg's Disease
      • Gout
      • Kaposi's Sarcoma (AIDS related)
      • Kohler's Disease
      • Maffucci's Syndrome
      • Ollier's Disease
      • Raynaud's Disease
      • Sever's Disease
      • Sever's Disease
    • Fungus Problems
      • Common Fungal Problems
      • Athlete's Foot (Tinea Pedis)
      • Fungal Nails
    • Heel Problems
      • Haglund's Deformity
      • Heel Callus
      • Heel Fissures
      • Plantar Fasciitis (heel spur)
    • Nail Problems
      • Black Toenails
      • Ingrown Toenails
      • Nail Fungus
    • Skin Problems
      • Allergies
      • Athlete's Foot (tinea pedis)
      • Blisters
      • Burning Feet
      • Calluses
      • Corns
      • Cysts
      • Frostbite
      • Fungus
      • Gangrene
      • Lesions
      • Psoriasis
      • Smelly Feet and Foot Odor
      • Swelling
      • Ulcers
      • Warts
    • Toe Problems
      • Bunions
      • Claw Toe
      • Digital Deformity
      • Hallux Limitus (stiff big toe joint)
      • Hallux Rigidis (rigid big toe)
      • Hallux Varus
      • Hammertoes
      • Intoeing
      • Overlapping, Underlapping Toes
      • Subungal Exotosis (bone spur under toenail)
      • Turf Toe
    • Vascular/Nerve Problems
      • Acrocyanosis
      • Alcoholic Neuropathy
      • Chilblains (cold feet)
      • Erythromelalgia
      • Ischemic Foot
      • Neuroma
      • Spasms
      • Venous Stasis
  • Medical Care
    • Diagnostic Procedures
      • Computed Tomography
      • MRI
      • Ultrasound
      • X-Rays
    • Orthotics
    • Pain Management
      • General Information and Tips
      • Pain Management for Specific Conditions
    • Surgical Procedures
      • General Information
      • Achilles Surgery
      • Ankle Surgery
      • Arthritis Surgery
      • Arthroscopy
      • Bunion Surgery
      • Cyst Removal
      • Flatfoot Correction
      • Hammertoe Surgery
      • Heel Surgery
      • Metatarsal Surgery
      • Nerve Surgery (Neuroma)
      • Toe Surgery
    • Therapies
      • Athlete's Foot Treatment
      • Cryotherapy
      • Extracorporeal Shock Wave
      • Iontophoresis
      • Physical Therapy
      • Neurolysis
  • Fitness and Your Feet
    • General Information About Fitness and Your Feet
    • Aerobics
    • Fitness And Your Feet
    • Sports and Your Feet
      • Baseball
      • Basketball
      • Cycling
      • Golf
      • Jogging and Running
      • Tennis
    • Stretching
    • Walking and Your Feet
    • Work Footwear
  • Foot Care
    • Basic Foot Care Guidelines
    • Athletic Foot Care
    • Blisters
    • Children's Feet
    • Corns and Calluses
    • Diabetic Foot Care
    • Foot Care For Seniors
    • Foot Self-Exam
    • Pedicures
    • Self-Assessment Quiz
    • Women's Feet
      • High Heels
      • Stockings?
      • Pregnancy
      • Women Over 65
    • Your Feet at Work
    • Bunion Prevention
    • Burning Feet
    • Fungus Problems
      • Athlete's Foot
      • Common Fungal Problems
      • Fungal Nails
      • Other Tips
      • Prevention
    • Ingrown Nails
    • Osteoporosis
    • Foot Odor and Smelly Feet
      • Prevention
      • Treating Foot Odor
  • Shoes
    • Anatomy of a Shoe
    • Athletic Shoe Guidelines
    • Children's Shoes
    • Corrective and Prescription Shoes
    • What To Look For
    • Getting a Proper Fit
    • Men's Shoes
    • Women's Shoes
    • Your Footprint
    • Wear Patterns
  • Links
    • Government
    • Associations/Groups
    • Online Resources

Conditions & Treatments

  • Foot & Ankle Surgery
  • Fungal Nail Treatment
  • Diabetic Care
  • Heel Pain
  • Wound Care
  • Orthotics
  • Ingrown Toenails
  • Plantar Warts
  • Geriatric Foot Care
  • Video Archive


Like Us On Facebook
Google Reviews

 

Ask Dr. Lee!Dr. Lee - Podiatrist

Question:  I think I have toenail fungus, but it's only on my big toe and little toe.  Why is this?    

Answer:  Great question! It has to do with tight-fitting shoes and repeated "mini-traumas" to your nail plate.  As you step, your toes repetitively hit the end of your shoes gradually separating the nail plate from the nail bed.  This allows fungus to creep into the nail bed and start growing.  We see fungal nail growth more frequently in a patient's big and little toes because these toes get the most pressure from the sides of tight-fitting shoes and thus they experience mini-traumas more often than the other toes.

Click for more Q & A's
Have a question for our doctors?

Our Location

Alexandria, VA Podiatrist
Alexandria Family Podiatry
2843 Duke St
Alexandria, VA 22314
Phone: (703) 823-2357  Fax (703) 823-1572

Email: contactus@alexandriafamilypodiatry.com

Sterling, VA Podiatrist
Alexandria Family Podiatry
21495 Ridgetop Circle, Suite 106
Sterling, VA 20166
Phone: (703) 823-2357  Fax (703) 823-1572

Email: contactus@alexandriafamilypodiatry.com

 

Map & Directions

Office Hours
Monday: 8:30 AM - 5:00 PM
Tuesday: 8:30 AM - 5:00 PM
Wednesday: 10:00 AM - 3:30 PM
Thursday: 8:30 AM - 5:00 PM
Friday: 8:30 AM - 5:00 PM
Saturday: 8:00 AM - 12:00 PM
Sunday: Closed
  • Home
  • Staff
  • Office
  • Services
  • Patients
  • Contact Us
  • Patient Education
  • Copyright © MH Sub I, LLC dba Officite
  • Disclaimer
  • Patient Privacy
  • Site Map