Orthotics
Foot orthotics take various forms and are constructed of various materials. All have the goal of improving foot function and minimizing stress forces that could ultimately cause foot deformity and pain. There are three broad categories of orthotics: those that primarily attempt to change foot function, those that are mainly protective or accommodative in nature, and those that combine functional control and accommodation. Orthotics are very helpful for many painful and functional foot problems.
Athlete’s Foot
Athlete’s foot (tinea pedis) is a fungi on the skin that causes scaling, flaking, and itching of affected areas. It can be green, yellow, white, pink, purple, & orange in color. It is typically transmitted in moist areas where people walk barefoot, such as the beach, showers or bathhouses. Although the condition typically affects the feet, it can spread to other areas of the body, including the groin. Athlete’s foot can be prevented by good hygiene, and is treated by a number of topical and sometimes oral antifungal medications.
Heel Pain
heel pain Plantar fasciitis is a painful inflammatory condition of the foot. It has been reported plantar fasciitis occurs in two million Americans a year and 10% of the population over a lifetime. The etiology of this condition has been associated with one of the most common overuse syndromes including but not limitted to patients with a high body mass index and tight achilles heel cord. The pain usually is felt on the underside of the heel, and is often most intense with the first steps of the day or after periods of rest. It is commonly associated with long periods of work related weight bearing.
Morton’s Neuroma
Morton’s neuroma (also known as Morton’s metatarsalgia, Morton’s neuralgia, plantar neuroma and intermetatarsal neuroma) is a benign neuroma of an intermetatarsal plantar nerve, most commonly occuring between the third and fourth intermetatarsal space.This problem is characterised by numbness and a tingling type of pain, relieved by removing footwear and massaging the area. Although it is labeled a “neuroma”, it is not considered a true tumor, but rather a perineural fibroma recognized as fibrous or scar tissue formation around nerve tissue which is chronically traumatized.
Pediatrics
Pediatric Podiatry: Many conditions arise in the pediatric population such as congenital deformities (flat feet), bone osteochondrities, plantar warts (verruca) and ingrown toenails.
Bunions
Bunions: A bunion is a structural deformity involving the angulation between the metatarsal bones. The bunion is an enlargement of bone or tissue around the joint at the base of the big toe the metatarsophalangeal joint.The big toe may turn in toward the second toe and the tissues surrounding the joint may be swollen and tender.The deformity may grow so great that the big toe can either overlap or underlap the second toe resulting in contracture deformities of the remaining toes known as hammertoes. Today the term usually is used to refer to the pathological bump on the side of the great toe joint. The bump is the swollen bursal sac and/or an osseous (bony) deformity that has grown on the metatarsophalangeal joint (where the first metatarsal bone and hallux meet). If left untreated the joint can adapt irreversibly and be painful with every step.
Hammertoes
Hammertoes: A hammer toe is a deformity of the proximal interphalangeal joint of the second, third, or fourth toe causing it to be permanently bent, resembling a hammer. Mallet and Claw toes are a similar condition affecting the other joints on the toe.
Minimally Invasive Radio-Frequency
Radiofrequency lesioning or ablation is a form of energy that has been utilized by physicians to eliminate pain over the past twenty-five years. Historically, it was applied to low back pain and neck pain has been proposed as another method to treat plantar fasciitis that is refractory to medical management. With this technique, an electrode is placed into the tissue at the painful site and an electric current is delivered, generating heat that destroys the sensory nerve fibers beneath the skin.
Sports Injury
As Sports medicine specialists we are involved in preventing, diagnosing and treating injuries related to participating in sports and/or exercise, specifically the rotation or deformation of joints or muscles caused by engaging in such physical activities. Tendonitis, tendon ruptures, ankle sprains, fractures, hyperflexion and hyperextension injuries are commonplace to our patients.
