The doctor and staff at the FootHealth, P.C. welcome you to our newsletter
in order to provide you with an easy way to interact with our practice and
help you obtain the most information for your
foot and ankle
problems. On this site, you will find
patient
information forms,
biographies
about the doctors,
specialties of our practice and links to sites that will provide you
with
valuable patient information.
For your convenience; we have added an on-line
link on our web site for foot and ankle products. Click on the "our
doctor's store" icon. This site features many competitively priced
products that can be shipped conveniently to your home.
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Click on the "OurDoctorStore'
icon. This site features many competitively priced products that can be
shipped conveniently to your home.
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Smell the flowers, but don't ignore heel pain
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As the days of spring grow longer, many people use the additional hours of
sunlight to go walking. It's an opportunity to exercise and enjoy the
neighbors' gardens at the same time. But the combination of extra weight
gained during the winter and unsupportive shoes often leads to plantar
fasciitis, also known as heel pain.
Many people experience this pain with their first steps in the morning. Often
it subsides, but can return later in the day if you spend a lot of time on
your feet. The pain may be caused by inflammation of the plantar fascia, a
band of tissue that extends from your heel bone and across your arch to the
ball of your foot.
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You can take a few basic measures to ease the pain, including doing
exercises to stretch the Achilles tendon and calf muscles, applying an ice
pack to the affected area for a few minutes several times a day, using
over-the-counter anti-inflammatory medicines, protecting your feet by not
going barefoot on hard surfaces, and wearing shoes with good arch support.
But if you don't get relief from these at-home remedies, come into our
office. There may be another cause of your pain. With a thorough diagnostic
examination, we'll determine what's causing the pain and suggest the best
course of treatment for you.
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Get kids' sports injuries checked out
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As children get out on the baseball and soccer fields this spring, they're
learning to enjoy exercise, and that has tremendous benefits for their
health. But parents need to know what to do if kids injure their feet or
ankles.
Pain in a child's foot or ankle should never be ignored. Parents and coaches
shouldn't let kids "play through" the pain. Children's bones, ligaments and
tendons are still developing, and continuing to use an injured foot or ankle
can result in problems that continue into adulthood.
Protect your child's foot health by following these tips:
• Make sure your child has the right shoes for the sport and buy
good-quality shoes with adequate support and cushioning.
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• Examine shoes for signs of wear and replace when necessary. Old shoes
can become uneven on the bottom, causing the ankle to tilt.
• Encourage coaches to include stretching and warm-up exercises into
practices and games.
If, despite taking these precautions, your young athlete does injure a foot
or ankle, prompt medical care is important. What seems like a sprain isn't
always a sprain. For example, the child may have injured cartilage or broken
one of the many small bones in the foot or ankle.
The sooner children receive treatment and begin rehabilitation, the sooner
they can resume activities. Ignoring an injury can result in future
complications. It's best to call our office for an appointment soon after
the injury to head off any problems.
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That `something's in my shoe' feeling
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Have you ever felt like your sock is bunched up under the ball of your foot,
or like you have a pebble or foreign object in your shoe, along with a
burning sensation in your toes?
If you feel this type of discomfort or pain, you may have a Morton's
neuroma. This condition is a thickening or enlargement of the nerve tissue
in the ball of the foot. It's also sometimes called "intermetatarsal
neuroma."
Neuromas often form when the nerve is irritated or compressed. Sometimes
tight shoes cause them. Runners and joggers sometimes develop them because
of the repeated pressure that occurs when feet hit the pavement with every
stride. Female joggers can be especially at risk, because running on hard,
paved surfaces and then
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switching to high heels with narrow toes puts a lot of stress on the feet.
Most neuromas begin gradually, and you may be able to eliminate the pain
temporarily by massaging your foot, wearing comfortable shoes or taking a
break from running. Unfortunately, neuromas tend to worsen over time as the
temporary changes in the nerve become permanent.
Early intervention is important. Come in to our office when you start to
have symptoms. A thorough evaluation will determine whether your discomfort
is due to a neuroma or another condition. If treated early enough,
non-invasive therapies such as padding, orthotics or shoe modifications may
help you to get back to enjoying your favorite springtime activities.
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