Foot and Ankle Solutions

 Diabetic Foot Care! What is the importance? If you have diabetes, it's essential to make foot care part of your daily self-care routine. Diabetics can develop foot conditions without knowing it. When feet and legs have neuropathy(nerve damage) a small cut or wound can go unnoticed. These small wounds could go on to produce terrible infections and even end with loss of limb or life. Amputations are very often preventable just from daily foot checks and foot care. That means checking your feet daily and seeing a foot doctor (podiatrist) every two or three months in order to catch problems early. "I keep hearing about Neuropathy. What is it and how does it relate to Diabetes?" Neuropathy is simple damage to nerves. There are many things other than diabetes that can cause neuropathy, however, diabetes is currently the number 1 cause. When your blood carries excess amounts of sugar consistently it reaches its limit and pours the sugar into

Calcaneal Apophysitis (Sever's Disease) What Is Calcaneal Apophysitis? Calcaneal apophysitis is a painful inflammation of the heel’s growth plate. It typically affects 8-14 year old who are active in sports. At this age the growth plate in the back of the heel is still open. When there is too much repetitive stress on the growth plate, inflammation can develop. Calcaneal apophysitis is also called Sever’s disease, although it is not a true “disease.” It is the most common cause of heel pain in children, and can occur in one or both feet. When people think of heel pain in adults it commonly occurs on the bottom of the heel and involves the plantar fascia. However in children, its on the back of the heel and involves the growth plate. Causes Overuse and stress on the heel bone through participation in sports is a major cause of calcaneal apophysitis. Repetitive trauma irritates the growth plate and causes inflammation. Symptoms Symptoms of calcaneal apophysitis may

Ingrown Toenail Treatment This condition occurs when the toenail cuts into the surrounding skin. This may be due to narrow shoes, congenitally incurvated nail borders, or toe deformities such as a bunion that cause increased pressure on neighboring toes. Changes in the nail due to previous trauma or fungus in the nail may also contribute to ingrown nails. The most common site for ingrown nails is the big toe. Symptoms may range from mild discomfort to prolonged conditions which can become infected. Signs of infection can include pain, redness, swelling, and drainage of pus. Ingrown nails can be acute or chronic conditions.                                            Infected toenail-Get in to see a Podiatrist ASAP Home Treatment If you are prone to ingrown nails, cut your nails rounded and keep them relatively short. This will prevent them from growing into the tip of the toe. You should not try to go down the side of the nail with a blade or scissors. If the nail do

When Do I need my Bunion Fixed?? "I have a painful bump by the base of my big toe. It has gradually been getting worse over the past few months. Is this emergent? How can I treat this?" What is a Bunion? A bunion is a bone deformity caused by an enlargement of the joint at the base and side of the big toe ( metatarsophalangeal joint ). Bunions occur when the big toe moves out of place. It may seem as if the big toe is dislocating and cause severe pain. The friction along the inside of the metatarsal causes the bone to enlarge and often become more painful. Bunions can also lead to other toe deformities, such as hammertoe . Many people with bunions suffer from discomfort and pain from the constant irritation, rubbing, and friction of the enlargement against shoes. The skin over the toe becomes red and tender. Because this joint flexes with every step, the bigger the bunion gets, the more it hurts to walk. Over time, bursitis or arthritis may set in, the skin on

 Plantar fasciits "The bottom of my heel really hurts in the morning when I first step, what could it be and how can I treat this? " What is it? If your first few steps out of bed in the morning cause severe pain in the heel of your foot, you may have plantar fasciitis, an overuse injury that affects the sole of the foot. A diagnosis of plantar fasciitis means you have inflamed the tough, fibrous band of tissue (fascia) connecting your heel bone to the base of your toes. The good news is plantar fasciitis can be treated without surgery a vast majority of the time!   How can I treat it? Plantar fasciitis can be treated with these basic but important ideas. However the mistake most patients make is not doing these AT THE SAME TIME! 1) Anti-inflammation: Ice, NSAIDs(eg Ibuprofuen), local corticosteroid injection. Treatment generally consists of Icing for no more than 20 minutes at a time. Some good ideas are to use a pepsi bottle or water bottle and fill