Las Vegas NowPaula's Health Notes: Happy Feet

Paula's Health Notes: Happy Feet

One of the best ways to find a doctor you'll click with is to ask a trusted friend or coworker. People often ask me for the names of doctors, because I am a health reporter. One name I am always happy to share with my friends and colleagues is Dr. Jodi Politz. Everyone calls her Dr. Jodi.  FULL DISCLOSURE: Jodi has recently become an advertiser on Channel 8, so you might think I'm writing about her as a "quid pro pro", but that's not the case. I have been referring people to Dr. Jodi for more than eight years. I first met her when she worked at a local office of orthopedists (bone surgeons). I had terrible pain in my left big toe. Over the years, she kept me walking pain-free. If you need someone else's word for it, ask the many performers in Las Vegas shows who rely on Dr. Jodi to keep them dancing. Everyone in "O" and "Zumanity" and even the Nevada Ballet Theatre know she's the best. She is also hysterically funny and makes an office visit a joy rather than a pain -- pun intended.

Besides dancers, Dr. Jodi also sees a lot of sports enthusiasts.  She herself plays soccer and sand volleyball, and her reputation for getting people back on the field after an injury is what brings her a flood a patients.

Repairing over-worked feet is great, but Dr. Jodi also helps save lives! That's because many of her patients are diabetic, and they need special handling. If you are a newly diagnosed diabetic, you may just be learning that your feet might one day present special problems. A condition called neuropathy can deaden the nerves in the feet. Tiny cuts can go unnoticed and grow into wounds that need swift and aggressive treatment.  Any diabetic who already has neuropathy also knows, while a pedicure might be what you want most of all, it's not always safe to go to a standard salon. So a few years ago, Dr. Jodi created a special spa, Futzpah (like chutzpah, which Dr. Jodi is full of). Diabetics are not the only customers; Futzpah offers several varieties of pedicures, manicures, and massages. But diabetics will get the kind of careful attention that their feet desperately need.

I've attached a link to Dr. Jodi's website, which is for both her medical practice and the spa.  I've also attached a link to good information about diabetic feet.

http://mountainpodiatry.com/podiatry-services.html

http://www.mayoclinic.com/health/diabetic-neuropathy/DS01045/DSECTION%3Dsymptoms

http://diabetes.webmd.com/tc/diabetic-neuropathy-topic-overview

Keep your feet healthy and happy, and they'll take you a long way.

Til next time,

Paula Francis

KLAS-TV @ 5pm, 6pm, and 11pm.