If you sustain an injury to your ankle and the ankle does not heal well, arthritis and ankle deformities can occur. Therefore, it is essential that you visit a podiatrist if you think you may have an ankle fracture.
What is a bunion? A bunion is a bony swelling at the base of the big toe. A bunion forms when the big toe joint has been pushed out of alignment, and it can be caused by overcrowding, an inherited structural defect or conditions like arthritis.
It’s vitally important for the health of your feet to wear shoes that fit you properly. There are a huge number of foot surgeries each year that must be performed to correct deformities and other problems caused by too-tight shoes.
Often a podiatrist will be able to treat your foot ailments without surgery. In many cases, orthotics (prescribed shoe inserts) can provide foot relief through ankle, heel, arch, tendon, ligament, or muscle support.
Think that having osteoarthritis in your feet is a normal part of aging? Well, you’re right. But you don’t have to suffer. Many treatment options, from topical creams to orthotics to oral medications, can be prescribed by your podiatrist to help alleviate pain.
Do you have bunions on your toes? These are enlargements of the joints at the base of the big toe and form when tissues or the bone on the joint shift out of place.
Walking barefoot is like a free reflexology therapy. The pressure points in the foot directly affect other parts of the body, relieving many common ailments.
With age and wear, you gradually lose the natural cushioning found on the sole of your foot. Once you’ve logged 75,000 miles on your feet, about half the cushioning has dissipated, and beyond that point the deterioration often accelerates.
Plantar fasciitis, or heel pain, is one of the most common foot problems. The pain occurs when the ligament that supports your arch and connects to your heel bone becomes inflamed or strained due to overuse or injury.
During pregnancy, a woman’s foot can grow up to a whole size larger. The growth doesn’t always go away after baby is born. Pregnancy can also cause feet to swell because of normal fluid buildup, and hurt due to the stretching of ligaments.
One of the most common foot problems is a bunion, which occurs when a bump develops on the inside of the big toe over the metatarsal bone in your foot. While bunions are commonly hereditary, they can also result from shoe wear.
Did you know that women are significantly more prone to foot problems than men? This phenomenon is usually attributed to the kind of shoes (i.e. high heels, stilettos, etc) that women often wear.
According to research by the University of Maryland Medical Center, shoes that don't fit properly are the No. 1 cause for foot pain and injuries, with women's high-heel shoes leading the way.
This line from the modern Hippocratic oath nicely captures our sentiments: “I will remember that there is art to medicine as well as science, and that warmth, sympathy and understanding may outweigh the surgeon’s knife or the chemist’s drug.”
When your ankle rotates or twists to an uncommon angle, any of the three ligaments can strain or rupture. Failure to treat a sprained ankle can lead to chronic sprains in the future.
The most common cause of flat feet is hereditary bony or soft tissue conditions within your feet, which distort normal walking patterns.
Did you know that Hippocrates invented the first foot scraper? These were used as scalpels to remove calluses and corns, terms he is credited with coining.
We all know that smoking is bad for your lungs and general health, but did you know that it can cause problems in your feet? Cigarette smoking is the main cause of Peripheral Artery Disease, which can lead to pain, sores, infections and, in severe instances, gangrene and amputation.
Know anyone with a second toe longer than their big toe? This is called Morton's toe. Up to 30 percent of Americans have this condition, which can be seen on the Statue of Liberty.
Athlete’s foot can be an annoying problem to have, whether you’re a weekend warrior or a consummate couch potato. If you’ve tried the OTC treatments without success, you may want to consider seeing a podiatrist for help.
A heel fissure, also called a cracked heel, can be a painful condition. Invest in a foot file and some good moisturizer to treat cracked heels and keep this condition from returning.
While corns and calluses are different conditions, they both are related to friction or pressure that can cause the skin to harden at the very center of that pressure. A podiatrist can determine if poor fitting shoes or some other factor is the cause of your corns or calluses.
Some of the most extreme cases of foot deformation stem from the old, and thankfully discontinued, Chinese practice of foot binding. This was done in order to keep the feet of women small so they would be more attractive to men.
Has your podiatrist recommended foot surgery? Look into getting a knee scooter to use during recovery. The scooter, similar in design to a tricycle except your knee rests where the seat would be, allows you to maintain daily activities while keeping the weight entirely off of your foot.
