Items filtered by date: December 2022
Types of Bone Spurs in the Heels
Two conditions that involve the growth of bone spurs in the heel are heel spur syndrome and insertional Achilles tendonitis. Calcaneal (heel) spurs commonly develop in people who have plantar fasciitis, an inflammation of the band of tissue that runs along the sole of the foot. Bone spurs sprout as a way of protecting the bottom of the heel. Common causes are strained foot muscles and ligaments, and over-stretching the plantar fascia. Other factors in heel spur development are age, obesity, and osteoarthritis. Fortunately, most heel spurs are not painful. Insertional Achilles tendonitis affects the part of the heel that connects to the leg bone. The spur develops around the tendon and irritates it, causing pain. The inflamed portion of the tendon can then calcify. Insertional Achilles tendonitis usually develops gradually, aided by repetitive running and jumping and the aging process. If you have heel pain, it may be a good idea to consult a podiatrist to conduct an exam and provide treatment based on the diagnosis.
Heel spurs can be incredibly painful and sometimes may make you unable to participate in physical activities. To get medical care for your heel spurs, contact one of our podiatrists from Nola Sole Podiatry. Our doctors will do everything possible to treat your condition.
Heels Spurs
Heel spurs are formed by calcium deposits on the back of the foot where the heel is. This can also be caused by small fragments of bone breaking off one section of the foot, attaching onto the back of the foot. Heel spurs can also be bone growth on the back of the foot and may grow in the direction of the arch of the foot.
Older individuals usually suffer from heel spurs and pain sometimes intensifies with age. One of the main condition's spurs are related to is plantar fasciitis.
Pain
The pain associated with spurs is often because of weight placed on the feet. When someone is walking, their entire weight is concentrated on the feet. Bone spurs then have the tendency to affect other bones and tissues around the foot. As the pain continues, the feet will become tender and sensitive over time.
Treatments
There are many ways to treat heel spurs. If one is suffering from heel spurs in conjunction with pain, there are several methods for healing. Medication, surgery, and herbal care are some options.
If you have any questions feel free to contact our office located in New Orleans, LA . We offer the latest in diagnostic and treatment technology to meet your needs.
Do Your Child's Feet Hurt?
Have your child's feet been examined lately? Healthy feet are happy feet. If your child is complaining of foot pain, it may be a sign of underlying problems.
Understanding Corns and Calluses
Corns and Calluses are both hardened layers of thickened skin that develop because of friction. Both ailments are typically found on the feet and may be unsightly. Although they have similarities, corns and calluses are different from each other.
Some causes of corns and calluses may be wearing ill-fitting shoes and not wearing socks. If you wear tight shoes, your feet will constantly be forced to rub against the shoes, causing friction. If you fail to wear socks, you are also causing your feet to endure excess friction.
There are some signs that may help you determine whether you have one of these two conditions. The first symptom is a thick, rough area of skin. Another common symptom is a hardened, raised bump on the foot. You may also experience tenderness or pain under the skin in addition to flaky, dry, or waxy skin.
There are also risk factors that may make someone more prone to developing corns and calluses. If you are already dealing with bunions or hammertoe, you may be more vulnerable to having corns and calluses as well. Other risk factors are foot deformities such as bone spurs, which can cause constant rubbing inside the shoe.
Corns tend to be smaller than calluses and they usually have a hard center surrounded by inflamed skin. They also tend to develop on the parts of the body that don’t bear as much weight such as the tops and sides of toes. Corns may also be painful for those who have them. On the other hand, calluses are rarely painful. These tend to develop on the bottom of the feet and may vary in size and shape.
Fortunately, most people only need treatment for corns and calluses if they are experiencing discomfort. At home treatments for corns and calluses should be avoided, because they will likely lead to infection. If you have either of these ailments it is advised that you consult with your podiatrist to determine the best treatment option for you.
Types of Corns
Corns are one of the most uncomfortable foot conditions that can develop. It happens as a result of excess friction that comes from wearing shoes and socks that do not fit correctly. Corns can form on top of the toes, on the side of the pinky toe, or between the toes. There are two categories of corns, consisting of hard or soft. The latter forms between the toes and remains soft from existing moisture that is found there, and they appear to be whiter than hard corns. Hard corns can form on top of the toes or on the bottom of the feet. It is helpful to wear shoes that fit properly. This is beneficial in reducing the corn to a smaller size, and it may gradually completely diminish. Many people wear a protective pad over the corn, which may provide adequate cushioning and possibly reduce the pain that is associated with corns. If you have developed a corn that is extremely bothersome, it is suggested that you consult with a podiatrist who can offer you correct treatment options, which may include medication.
Corns can make walking very painful and should be treated immediately. If you have questions regarding your feet and ankles, contact one of our podiatrists of Nola Sole Podiatry. Our doctors will treat your foot and ankle needs.
Corns: What Are They? And How Do You Get Rid of Them?
Corns are thickened areas on the skin that can become painful. They are caused by excessive pressure and friction on the skin. Corns press into the deeper layers of the skin and are usually round in shape.
Ways to Prevent Corns
There are many ways to get rid of painful corns such as:
- Wearing properly fitting shoes that have been measured by a professional
- Wearing shoes that are not sharply pointed or have high heels
- Wearing only shoes that offer support
Treating Corns
Although most corns slowly disappear when the friction or pressure stops, this isn’t always the case. Consult with your podiatrist to determine the best treatment option for your case of corns.
If you have any questions please feel free to contact our office located in New Orleans, LA . We offer the newest diagnostic and treatment technologies for all your foot and ankle needs.
Everyday Foot Care
Our feet are arguably one of the most important parts of the body. When it comes to health and beauty routines, the feet and toenails are usually ignored. You should always practice proper footcare to avoid any fungal infections or ailments that can not only ruin the appearance of your feet, but also cause pain. Ignoring any foot problems could potentially lead to an expensive doctor’s visit.
The most important step in proper foot care is to wash your feet daily. You should wash them with soap and water. Doing this will cleanse your feet of dirt, sweat and bacteria. It is crucial that you clean between the toes and pat your feet dry with a towel afterward. Your toenails are also an important part of the feet and you may find that they get dirtier in the summer when you wear sandals. It is important that you practice proper toenail care in addition to cleaning the rest of your feet. When trimming your nails, you should always trim straight across instead of in a rounded shape. Trimming in a curved shape may lead to ingrown toenails.
Moisturization is also important for foot care, and you should be moisturizing your feet every day. The best way to prevent dry feet is to rub lotion or petroleum jelly on your clean feet at night and put socks over them. In the morning, your feet should be soft and moisturized.
Another crucial step in proper foot care is to wear the right shoes for whichever activity you are going to partake in. In warmer weather, you should wear shoes that allow your feet to breathe. It is best to avoid shoes such as flip-fops that do not provide arch support. Tight shoes may also be harmful, and they may even cause you to develop bunions.
If you plan on taking a shower in a public area, you should be especially careful, so you do not pick up any fungi. Showers are prone to harboring different types of bacteria and fungi. You should always wear shower shoes or flip flops when walking around in locker rooms and public showers. Avoid sharing shoes with other people because this is another way that fungus may be spread.
If you are experiencing any problems with your feet you should speak with your podiatrist to determine the best method of treatment for you.
Tips for Your Everyday Foot Care Routine
Taking small but deliberate steps everyday to care for your feet can help to keep them functioning well and feeling great. Although each individual’s daily foot care routine is a highly individualized process, there are a number of steps you might consider incorporating into your routine. First, try washing your feet every day with soap and warm water to ensure that they are clean. This can be done either in the shower or in a small tub of water. After washing your feet, dry them thoroughly with a towel and apply your favorite moisturizer, focusing especially on the heels to prevent cracks and dryness. You might also consider taking time each day to briefly inspect your feet, checking for any signs of infection. During these inspections, you should be on the lookout for cuts, redness, and inflammation. To cap off your daily foot care routine, you might also check to make sure that your toenails do not need to be trimmed. Leaving your toenails untrimmed for too long might put you at a greater risk of developing an ingrown toenail. To learn more about these daily health tips and others, reach out to a podiatrist.
Everyday foot care is very important to prevent infection and other foot ailments. If you need your feet checked, contact one of our podiatrists from Nola Sole Podiatry. Our doctors can provide the care you need to keep you pain-free and on your feet.
Everyday Foot Care
Often, people take care of their bodies, face and hair more so than they do for their feet. But the feet are a very important aspect of our bodies, and one that we should pay more attention to. Without our feet, we would not be able to perform most daily tasks.
It is best to check your feet regularly to make sure there are no new bruises or cuts that you may not have noticed before. For dry feet, moisturizer can easily be a remedy and can be applied as often as necessary to the affected areas. Wearing shoes that fit well can also help you maintain good foot health, as well as making it easier to walk and do daily activities without the stress or pain of ill-fitting shoes, high heels, or even flip flops. Wearing clean socks with closed shoes is important to ensure that sweat and bacteria do not accumulate within the shoe. Clean socks help to prevent Athlete’s foot, fungi problems, bad odors, and can absorb sweat.
If you have any questions please feel free to contact our office located in New Orleans, LA . We offer the newest diagnostic and treatment technologies for all your foot and ankle needs.
Plantar Fasciitis
The plantar fascia is a connective tissue in the heel that stretches across the bottom length of your foot. Plantar fasciitis occurs when the connective tissue becomes inflamed, causing heel pain and discomfort during physical activity. Although the condition is completely treatable, traditional methods can take up to a year to start becoming effective.
Plantar fasciitis is caused by a number of everyday activities, so understanding the condition is important for managing and treating it. One of the most common causes of plantar fasciitis is excessive running, especially with improper fitting or non-supportive shoes. Too much exercise can lead to the plantar fascia being overworked and overstretched, which can cause tears in the tissue. Along with improper fitting shoes, pronation, the rolling of the feet inward, is a common cause of plantar fasciitis. If not treated properly, the plantar fascia becomes overstretched and starts to tear, causing inflammation.
Despite the common causes of plantar fasciitis, there are many different treatment options. For less severe cases, conservative home remedies include taking anti-inflammatory drugs to alleviate pain, applying ice packs to the bottom of your foot and heel, slowly stretching and exercising your feet to re-strengthen the tissue, and using orthotic devices are all ways to help manage your plantar fasciitis.
For more severe cases, shockwave therapy has become a common solution for plantar fasciitis. Shockwave therapy can effectively break up the tissue on the bottom of your foot which facilitates healing and regeneration. This fights the chronic pain caused by plantar fasciitis. Even if this doesn’t work, surgery is always a final option. Surgery on the tissue itself can be done to permanently correct the issue and stop the inflammation and pain in your heels.
No matter what the case may be, consulting your podiatrist is the first and best step to recovery. Even the slightest amount of heel pain could be the first stage of plantar fasciitis. Untreated symptoms can lead to the tearing and overstretching of tissue. Because the tearing of tissue can be compounded if it remains ignored, it can evolve into a severe case. The solution is early detection and early treatment. Talk to your podiatrist about the possibilities of plantar fasciitis if you’re experiencing heel pain.
Truck Driving and Plantar Fasciitis
One of the most common causes of heel pain is a condition known as plantar fasciitis. This condition is caused by the straining of the ligament that runs between the toes and the heel. The straining of this ligament can produce sharp and shooting pains in the bottom of the feet that are most prominent when taking your first step after a prolonged period of rest. Many individuals are at a higher risk of suffering from plantar fasciitis. Namely, women who often wear high-heeled shoes are more prone to experiencing plantar fasciitis because of the extra strain that such footwear causes on the heel. However, it may come as a surprise to some that truck drivers are also at a greater risk of experiencing this condition. This can be explained by the fact that truck drivers spend most of their day sitting while driving, but often must suddenly and sporadically engage in physical activity during rest stops before they can properly stretch and re-engage ligaments in their feet. Truck drivers may be able to stave off the effects of plantar fasciitis by regularly stretching foot ligaments and muscles, especially before beginning to walk after a long drive. Truck drivers may also consider opting for more supportive footwear or wearing a heel cup for extra protection. Although some occupations may put individuals at a greater risk of developing plantar fasciitis, a podiatrist may be able to help create a plan to remedy and prevent this condition.
Plantar fasciitis can be very painful and inconvenient. If you are experiencing heel pain or symptoms of plantar fasciitis, contact one of our podiatrists from Nola Sole Podiatry. Our doctors can provide the care you need to keep you pain-free and on your feet.
What Is Plantar Fasciitis?
Plantar fasciitis is the inflammation of the thick band of tissue that runs along the bottom of your foot, known as the plantar fascia, and causes mild to severe heel pain.
What Causes Plantar Fasciitis?
- Excessive running
- Non-supportive shoes
- Overpronation
- Repeated stretching and tearing of the plantar fascia
How Can It Be Treated?
- Conservative measures – anti-inflammatories, ice packs, stretching exercises, physical therapy, orthotic devices
- Shockwave therapy – sound waves are sent to the affected area to facilitate healing and are usually used for chronic cases of plantar fasciitis
- Surgery – usually only used as a last resort when all else fails. The plantar fascia can be surgically detached from the heel
While very treatable, plantar fasciitis is definitely not something that should be ignored. Especially in severe cases, speaking to your doctor right away is highly recommended to avoid complications and severe heel pain. Your podiatrist can work with you to provide the appropriate treatment options tailored to your condition.
If you have any questions please feel free to contact our office located in New Orleans, LA . We offer the newest diagnostic and treatment technologies for all your foot and ankle needs.
Getting the Right Shoe Size
If you want to ensure the long-term health of your feet, you should choose the right pair of shoes to wear on an everyday basis. Poorly fitting shoes will not only be uncomfortable, but they may also cause foot pain and unwanted foot conditions. When looking for a new pair of shoes, there are certain factors you should look for.
One of the most crucial tips you can follow is to always try shoes on in the afternoon. It is normal for feet to swell throughout the day, which means your shoe size may be different in the morning compared to what it is at night. To be safe, you should go with the slightly bigger size to ensure that your feet have enough room within your shoes.
Another rule is to never buy shoes that are too tight (Many people buy shoes that are too tight for their feet and expect the shoes to stretch out). If you are looking for a pair of running sneakers, you can go to a specialty running shoe store to have your feet properly sized. When you purchase shoes in-store, walk around in them to make sure the shoes you are going to buy fit you properly. Take some time to make sure the shoes are comfortable for your feet
The upper section of your shoe should be made from a softer, more flexible material. The material that makes up the shoe should not be slippery. Arch support should be a key factor in the decision-making process for shoes. Arch support is crucial because it will prevent the arches in your feet from collapsing. If your arches collapse, the plantar fascia may begin to stretch out which could lead to plantar fasciitis.
Many problematic foot conditions may be prevented by wearing properly fitting shoes. Some of these unwanted conditions are bunions, corns, calluses, pain, stress fractures, and plantar fasciitis. If you are suffering from any of these ailments you may want to speak with your podiatrist.
Two Methods of Measuring Feet
The importance of knowing your correct shoe size before making a purchase is crucial for the health of your feet. The majority of shoe stores have an object known as the Brannock device, which can accurately measure your shoe size. Additionally, if you choose to measure your feet at home there is a simple procedure that can accomplish this. It is important to wear the socks that would normally be worn with the shoes, followed by taping a piece of paper to the floor directly under a wall. After stepping on the paper, trace the outline of your foot. The next step is to measure the length of the foot and this will tell you your shoe size. It is suggested to try on both shoes at the end of the day when the feet are at their largest. A comfortable fit is crucial from the beginning and research has shown that shoes should not have to be broken in. There are also different types of footwear for various sports. If you would like more information about what type of shoes to buy, please confer with a podiatrist who can answer any questions you may have.
Getting the right shoe size is an important part of proper foot health. Seek the assistance of one of our podiatrists from Nola Sole Podiatry. Our doctors will provide the care you need to keep you pain-free and on your feet.
Getting the Right Shoe Size
There are many people who wear shoes that are the incorrect size, negatively affecting their feet and posture. Selecting the right shoes is not a difficult process, so long as you keep several things in mind when it comes to choosing the right pair.
- When visiting the shoe store, use the tools available to measure your foot.
- Be sure there is ‘wiggle room’. There should be about an inch between your toes and the tip of your shoes.
- Do not always assume you are the same size, as manufacturers run differently.
- Purchase shoes later in the day, as your feet swell as the day progresses.
- If a shoe is not comfortable, it is not suitable. Most shoes can’t be ‘broken in’, and comfort should be the ultimate goal when it comes to choosing the right pair of shoes
As our feet hold our body weight and keep us moving, it is important to treat them right. Picking the right pair of shoes can provide your feet comfort and mobility without pain.
If you have any questions, please feel free to contact our office located in New Orleans, LA . We offer the newest diagnostic and treatment technologies for all your foot care needs.
