Podiatry

A bunion is a bony bump on the inside of the great toe joint. It forces the great toe to lean toward the second toe. Bunions are hereditary and can worsen from shoes, activity and injury. You may opt for surgery to remove bunions and correct misalignment of the great toe and the bone behind it.

A hammertoe is a toe that is bent downward permanently. Hammertoes are also hereditary and can worsen from poorly fitting shoes. If a hammertoe is painful or causes irritation, your doctor may recommend surgery.

A corn or callus is a small lesion of thickened skin on the foot. They are common in areas that experience pressure or irritation. Once your doctor confirms you have corns or other calluses, they may recommend the following:

• Trying proactive measures including moisturizing your feet, wearing socks, treating diabetes and using shoe pads
• sing medication to remove the foot callus
• Wearing shoe inserts to reduce the likelihood of recurrence
• Trimming away the thickened skin
• Performing surgery to fix misaligned bones that could cause recurrence

Custom orthotics are fitted to your feet and prescribed for your specific foot condition. If you find your feet feel worse after wearing shoes, custom orthotics may help.

Custom orthotics may help with the following:

• Provide cushioning and arch support for healthy feet
• Reduce back, ankle and knee pain
• Decrease pressure on painful joints or heels
• Improve your athletic performance
• Redistribute weight on flat feet
• Decrease pain associated with diabetes-related foot problems

Diabetes can cause serious foot problems, including peripheral neuropathy, the damage of nerves in the feet. This causes loss of sensation, with symptoms that may include numbness, tingling, and inability to detect touch, pain, hot and cold. Prevention with regular evaluations from a podiatrist is the best course. A problem as simple as fungal toenails, a blister that doesn’t heal or an infected wound can turn into a major issue. During your appointment, your doctor will share regular physical activities and exercises that target the range of movement in your feet and ankles to keep the blood moving to your feet.

Learn more about managing diabetes and preventing complications

Plantar fasciitis and tarsal tunnel syndrome are the most common heel pain causes. Stress fractures, tendonitis and arthritis are less-common causes. If your symptoms don’t improve with home care measures, come and see our team for diagnosis and additional treatment options.

If you have redness and soreness around the side of one of your toenails, it could be due to an ingrown toenail. This occurs when the side or corner of a toenail grows into the flesh around the nail. Ingrown toenails can result from cutting nails too short, having extra-curvy nails, wearing small footwear that compresses the toes or injuring the toe. An ingrown toenail can cause mild symptoms at first, but if left untreated, it can become an infected toe. If the problem becomes severe, you may need surgery to stop the infection from worsening. People with poor circulation in their feet should also come in for treatment, even if the toe is not infected yet.

Neuropathy causes nerve damage in the feet and creates a loss of foot sensation, which leads to other problems. Diabetes is often the cause of neuropathy. Other problems such as nerve entrapment or compression can also lead to neuropathy.

Your doctor might recommend one or a combination of the following treatments:

• Anti-inflammatory medicines: You may receive prescriptions for oral medications, or the doctor may administer cortisone injections. Some over-the-counter medications may also provide relief.
• Icing: Sometimes icing the foot can help the affected nerve heal quickly.
• Physical therapy: As part of your healing and recovery process, you may need physical therapy to regain your mobility and flexibility.
• Orthotics: Between physical therapy sessions, you might rely on the use of shoe pads to provide relief.
• Massage: Massage can help reduce pain.
• Surgery: In worst-case scenarios, your doctor may recommend surgery to repair the nerve damage and decompress the nerve. This type of surgery is rarely invasive and usually has fast recovery times.

If you have tenderness on an area on the bottom of your foot, you may have a plantar wart. This type of wart is caused by a virus that enters through weak spots in the skin on the bottom of your feet, such as a small break or cut. Plantar warts are common and often resolve on their own. If a wart is causing you pain, our team can treat it by applying a prescription topical liquid.

An ulceration is a break or erosion of the skin created by pressure or lack of circulation. If left untreated, it can become infected and lead to serious medical conditions. If you experience pain, your doctor may treat the pain first. They will then determine whether you have an infection. If you have good circulation, the doctor may focus on wound care. If you have poor circulation or an ulcer becomes too serious, you may need surgery.