Do you have a bump on the side of your foot just beneath the big toe? Most likely, you have a bunion. Bunions are genetic in nature, so chances are your mother or your grandmother had one too. Sometimes bunions can become painful, and this can be due to tight fitting shoes or trauma. When bunions become painful, we’ll treat them conservatively first, most likely with wider shoes or anti-inflammatory medications. Sometimes, if bunions don’t respond, we’ll treat them surgically. The surgical procedure is about a one hour procedure performed on an out-patient basis. Afterwards, we’ll put you in a boot during a 4-6 week convalescence. And before long, you’ll be back on your feet in no time doing all of those great activities that you enjoy.
If you’re feeling a sharp pain in the heel of your foot, especially first step out of bed in the morning, chances are you’re suffering with a condition called Plantar Fasciitis, which is an inflammation of the ligament that goes into the heel of your foot. We treat this condition conservatively with icing, wraps, anti-inflammatory medication, and cortisone. Once the inflammation is under control, which is typically the cause of the pain, we’ll often prescribe a custom orthotic to control the underlying biomechanical condition. A custom molded orthotic is an insole molded to the patient’s foot that helps to reduce the stress on the ligament and the heel of the foot, and control the problem from reoccurring. So if you’re suffering from heel pain, don’t let it be a chronic problem. Just give our office a call and we’ll get you back on your feet in no time.
It’s important for a diabetic to see a podiatrist because diabetics are so at risk for vascular and neurological complications related to the foot. The vascular problems or neurologic problems can result in serious complications such as amputation, so we want to evaluate your circulation and your neurologic status to make sure that you’re not at high risk. So if you’re a diabetic, pick up the phone and schedule an appointment for a consultation today.
Let’s say you just sprained your ankle. You could have been walking and stepped in a whole or tripped off a curb, and now your ankle is swollen. Well, this could be something minor, but it could be a very serious condition. Some ankle sprains are treated conservatively by RICE: that’s Rest, Ice, Compression, and Elevation. But some ankle sprains can be very serious. So it’s important that you’re evaluated to make sure that you don’t treat something trivial that turns out to be something serious. You don’t want to compromise the way that you walk by ignoring a serious problem. So if you have an ankle sprain, make sure that you are evaluated by a podiatrist. We don’t want to ignore something that could turn out to compromise the way you walk for the rest of your life.
Many conditions of the feet are related to biomechanical problems. Biomechanical problems manifest themselves in hammertoes, bunions, heel pain, ankle pain – even ingrown toenails. Biomechanical problems are often treated with custom molded orthotics. We’ll take a mold of your foot and make an insert that’s easily transferrable from shoe to shoe. You may find that other problems respond as well, like ankle pain, knee pain, hip pain, or even lower back pain. So, if you are having an issue with your feet, it could be biomechanically related and we might fit you with a custom molded orthotic. Give our office a call. We will be glad to evaluate you.
Are your nails thick, crusty, discolored, black? This is most likely due to a fungal infection of your toenails. A fungal infection is when a fungus embeds itself underneath the nail. Sometime this is due to trauma or improper cutting, like at a nail salon. If a fungus gets in your toenail, we’ll sometimes use topical anti-fungal medication, which isn’t really that effective. And sometimes we’ll use an oral anti-fungal medication. Oral anti-fungal medications are very effective, but they’re not for everybody. We want to monitor you carefully if you’re on that medication. So if you’re embarrassed about your toes or afraid to wear open-toed shoes or sandals in public, don’t be embarrassed anymore. Give our office a call and we’ll be glad to take care of you.