What is a hammertoe? The hammertoe deformity is characterized by an abnormal bending that usually affects one or more of the middle toes at the middle joint. While the tendency to develop toe deformities has a hereditary influence, this tendency can be exacerbated by wearing tight-fitting shoes like high heels that cause extreme pressure on the front of the foot.

November is American Diabetes Month.

It’s an excellent time to remember that taking proper care of your feet is something we should all pay more attention to, which is especially true for patients who have diabetes.

Excessive pressure and rubbing from your footwear can cause painful blisters to develop on your feet.

SYMPTOMS OF COMMON TOENAIL PROBLEMS - Changing in the color and texture of your toenails can is an early warning sign of toenail problems. Early treatment can help you avoid some of the more undesirable outcomes. Fungal toenail infections can develop slowly and often don't cause any serious issues in the beginning and may go unnoticed.

Gout is a painful arthritic inflammation that often affects the large joints of the ankle and big toe, especially as you get older. The condition is precipitated by an excessive buildup of uric acid in the blood. While having some uric acid in your blood is normal, when the level gets too high, the acid can crystallize out of the blood and into the joints of your extremities, causing severe swelling, pain, and discomfort.

The foot condition called tarsal tunnel syndrome is very similar to the more well-known wrist problem known as carpal tunnel syndrome. In each condition, a nerve is compressed by injury or disease-causing numbness, tingling, and shooting pain. In the case of tarsal tunnel syndrome, the compression affects the posterior tibial nerve that runs through the ankle area and into the foot. Having diabetes, arthritis, flat feet, or a foot or ankle injury can make you more susceptible to developing tarsal tunnel trouble.

Since the peripheral nerve damage that often occurs in patients who have diabetes can disrupt the normal sense of feeling in your feet, even minor injuries like scrapes and blisters can go undetected and quickly progress to a problematic infection. So take good care of your feet and be sure to bring any foot or ankle difficulties to the attention of your podiatrist to help avoid future complications, including possible amputation.

An ankle sprain is a common injury that often happens while participating in sports and exercise, but it can also occur during everyday activities like crossing the street and awkwardly rolling your foot over a curb or accidentally stepping in a pothole (while staring at your phone!). Even a minor ankle sprain can be painful, and it can be difficult to determine the extent of the injury until you have rested the foot. 

CAUSES OF HEEL SPURS (HEEL PAIN): A heel spur is a protruding growth of calcite deposits that form as your body responds to abnormal rubbing and pressure.

A great way to relieve stress while suffering a crisis is to try out some new artistic endeavors. Letting your creative impulses flourish will help take your mind off of your anxieties.

What causing my feet to feel tingling or numbness? Your nervous system provides the sensory and motor information that your muscles and other bodily systems need to operate. When your nerves' function is compromised, it can cause a tingling, burning, and numbing sensation in your extremities, with the feet frequently being affected.

While fungal toenail infections don’t usually cause much pain and discomfort in the early stages, as the problem progresses, the nails will become discolored and brittle, and a foul odor is often emitted as the fungi feed on your skin, oils, and sweat. Early treatment of toenail fungus infections will help prevent the need for complete toenail removal surgery, so be sure to book an appointment with our podiatrists.

Ingrown toenails can develop slowly at first and may not cause any problems until your skin is damaged and bleeding, and the pressure from your shoes pushes the sharp nail further into your skin, causing considerable pain and discomfort. Often you can avoid ingrown toenails by taking some proactive steps to prevent toenails from cutting your tender skin in the first place.

The unique characteristic of sesamoid bones is they do not have a direct connection to other bones. There are also two small free-floating sesamoid bones located in the ball of the foot. They are about the size of a pea and help with toe movement, ambulation, and support.

Having a sensation that your feet are burning is a fairly common occurrence that can be caused by a wide variety of factors. With diseases like diabetes and peripheral artery disease, a burning sensation is often accompanied by numbness and tingling. A skin condition may be the cause, or it could be your feet are tired and achy from working all day.

While having untreated flat feet doesn't cause problems for everyone, flat feet can cause considerable foot and ankle pain for many people. The often-unconscious alteration in foot placement to avoid arch pain can also cause alignment problems and pain with your knees, hips, and back as well. Untreated flat feet can also lead to more instances of hammertoe and bunion formation, so see your foot doctor for the proper care.

While there are considerable benefits to working out and exercising, all that added stress and pressure increases the chances of getting a foot or ankle injury. Fortunately, by wearing supportive shoes made for the activity, using custom orthotics, and doing some physical therapy exercises for warming up, you can avoid getting injuries in the first place.

Diabetic Foot Care is highly important to preserving feet for those afflicted with diabetes. This disease can cause many problems due to increased blood sugar levels that damage nerves and slow down healing.

Are you still wondering if seeing a podiatrist is the best next step for you to take? Compared to the other large parts of our bodies, our feet and ankles contain a vast amount of bones, tendons, and ligaments for smaller body parts. Altogether, these bones, tendons, and ligaments do a very big job using an intricate system of parts that, when damaged, can cause issues across our whole bodies

ARE YOU A HIGH HEEL ENTHUSTIAST? Don’t worry, no one is here to scold you. As with many things in life, high heels are OK in moderation. This style of shoe is famously known for its leg-lengthening abilities and aesthetic appeal.

A Neuroma is a benign tumor that cultivates from the fibrous outer layers of a nerve, particularly in the foot. It can cause a variety of sensations due to the sporadic nature of an injured nerve, one of which is unfortunately severe discomfort from a pinched nerve in between the toes.

Compared to these examples, there’s a type of foot problem that is caused something internal - a virus!

For anyone who’s recently been diagnosed with gout or is at risk for developing gout, keeping a special eye on your food intake becomes so much more important to do on a daily basis.

Having a special weekend getaway to look forward to will only help your workweek go by that much more quickly. For those of us with foot and ankle issues, it’s always good to keep our feet on our mind when traveling.