Arch Pain

The arch is a bridge between the front and back part of the foot. It bears a lot of weight and is subject to a lot of stress. When you feel pain in the arch it can mean the bones, ligaments and muscles are overworked and tired. Overworking the arch can also cause leg cramps and even low back pain. Arch pain can also mean you suffer from flat feet, have poor circulation, are overweight, have arthritis or are anemic.

Athlete's Foot

"Athlete's foot" is a common fungus that causes itching and irritation. A foot and ankle specialist treats this condition with oral and topical medication. This common infection of the skin and nails is characterized by itching, scaling, redness, and the formation of small blisters. The most common areas affected are the bottom of the foot and between the toes. The fungus has the potential to spread to the toenails, causing them to become thickened, discolored, and painful. While this infection is common among athletes, hence its name, it can affect athletes and non-athletes alike.

CAUSES OF ATHLETE'S FOOT: The feet are vulnerable because shoes commonly create a warm, dark, and humid environment that encourages fungal growth. Athlete's foot can also be contracted in dressing rooms, hotel and locker room showers, and swimming pool locker rooms where bare feet may come in contact with the fungus.

WHAT CAN YOU DO?

• Keep shoes and socks dry as a preventative measure.
• Practice good foot hygiene, including daily washing of the feet with soap and water.
• Dry feet carefully, especially between the toes
• change shoes regularly
• wear wicking acrylic or cotton socks.

Bunions

If the joint that connects your big toe to your foot has a swollen, sore bump, you may have a bunion. More than half the women in America have bunions, a common deformity often blamed on wearing tight, narrow shoes, and high heels. Bunions may occur in families, but many are from wearing tight shoes. Nine out of ten bunions happen to women. Nine out of ten women wear shoes that are too small.

Too-tight shoes can also cause other disabling foot problems like corns, calluses and hammertoes.

With a bunion, the base of your big toe (metatarsophalangeal joint) gets larger and sticks out. The skin over it may be red and tender. Wearing any type of shoe may be painful. This joint flexes with every step you take. The bigger your bunion gets, the more it hurts to walk. Bursitis may set in. Your big toe may angle toward your second toe, or even move all the way under it. The skin on the bottom of your foot may become thicker and painful. Pressure from your big toe may force your second toe out of alignment, sometimes overlapping your third toe. An advanced bunion may make your foot look grotesque. If your bunion gets too severe, it may be difficult to walk. Your pain may become chronic and you may develop arthritis.

Most bunions are treatable without surgery. Prevention is always best. To minimize your chances of developing a bunion, never force your foot into a shoe that doesn't fit. Choose shoes that conform to the shape of your feet. Go for shoes with wide insteps, broad toes and soft soles. Avoid shoes that are short, tight or sharply pointed, and those with heels higher than 2 1/4 inches. If you already have a bunion, wear shoes that are roomy enough to not put pressure on it. This should relieve most of your pain. You may want to have your shoes stretched out professionally. You may also try protective pads to cushion the painful area.If your bunion has progressed to the point where you have difficulty walking, or experience pain despite accomodative shoes, you may need surgery.

Bunion surgery realigns bone, ligaments, tendons and nerves so your big toe can be brought back to its correct position. Orthopaedic surgeons have several techniques to ease your pain. Many bunion surgeries are done on a same-day basis (no hospital stay) using an ankle-block anesthesia. A long recovery is common and may include persistent swelling and stiffness.Adolescent BunionYour young teenager (especially girls aged 10-15) may develop an adolescent bunion at the base of his or her big toe. Unlike adults with bunions, a young person can normally move the affected joint. Your teenager may have pain and trouble wearing shoes. Try having your child's shoes stretched and/or getting wider shoes. Surgery to remove an adolescent bunion is not recommended unless your child is in extreme pain and the problem does not get better with changes in shoe wear. If your adolescent has bunion surgery, particularly before they are fully grown, there is a strong chance his or her problem will return.BunionetteIf you have a painful swollen lump on the outside of your foot near the base of your little toe, it may be a bunionette (tailor's bunion). You may also have a hard corn and painful bursitis in the same spot. A bunionette is very much like a bunion. Wearing shoes that are too tight may cause it. Get shoes that fit comfortably with a soft upper and a roomy toe box. In cases of persistent pain or severe deformity, surgical correction is possible.

Calluses

A callus is a thickened area of skin. It usually results from recurring pressure and friction. When one foot bone bears too much weight and pressure, a callus quickly develops beneath it. Your foot and ankle specialist can make a prescription support to improve the weight distribution across the bottom of the foot. Surgery may also be used to place the bones in a more ideal position.

Corns

Corns on the toes probably cause more foot pain and misery than any other single problem. Most corns are caused by crooked toes that won't lie flat in shoes. The constant rubbing against the shoe leads to a cone-shaped thickening of the skin, similar to a callus. In mild cases the corn may be padded to protect the sensitive tissue. When the pain persists, surgery is used to straighten the toe from its contracted position.

Flat Feet

The main cause of a flat foot (or low arch) is an abnormal bone structure. The "flat foot" causes muscles, tendons and ligaments to work harder, resulting in pain, cramps and increased fatigue of the foot and leg. Without treatment, the symptoms can increase. If these symptoms linger, you should get professional help from a foot and ankle specialist. The specialist will study X-rays, determine the severity of the problem and begin a treatment program to relieve the discomfort and stop the progression of the abnormality. Treatment ranges from supports to surgical reconstruction of the foot.

Heel Pain

There are many causes of heel pain, and your foot and ankle specialist is trained to diagnose and treat them. Pain may occasionally be relieved by padding the shoe with soft foam rubber. When that home remedy fails, your foot and ankle specialist will prescribe other treatments to relieve your pain.

Nail Problems

An ingrown nail occurs when a toenail edge imbeds itself into the surrounding skin. It can cause pain, swelling, redness and often becomes infected. Home treatment may consist of soaking the affected toe in warm Epsom salt water and then packing cotton at the nail edge to keep it from piercing the flesh. Foot and ankle specialists handle ingrown toenails on a daily basis using the most advanced techniques to minimize discomfort and provide rapid healing.

Sprains and Fractures

Sprains and fractures of the foot and ankle bones are common and can result in long-term disability if not properly treated. A sprain is a tear in the ligament that takes place when the ligament is stretched too far. A fracture is a bone break that can happen in several ways. The most common break results when a ligament rips away a piece of the bone to which it was attached. Pain and swelling accompany sprains and fractures, followed by discoloration due to injury to the small blood vessels around the injury. First aid can include application of ice to the injured area and keeping weight off the foot. You should seek professional help and advice from a podiatrist as soon as possible.

Skin Problems

Our skin is the most accessible part of the body and often provides visible evidence of what is wrong inside. The most common skin problems seen by a podiatrist include contact dermatitis, warts and fungus. Contact dermatitis is an irritating skin rash caused by a chemical coming in contact with the skin. The chemicals may be materials in shoes and socks. Removing the material from contact with the skin removes the problem. Warts are often mistaken for corns or calluses, but they are growths caused by a virus that enters the skin through a break. Early diagnosis and professional treatment usually eliminates warts. Home treatment often is not effective and can result in greater damage.

Sports Injuries

Our active population is subject to many injuries as they take part in sports, and problems involving the feet are numerous. Among the most common are shin splints, stress fractures, ankle sprains, Achilles tendonitis and pains in the arch and ball of the foot. Several of the problems develop over a period of time, resulting from repeated, high stress activity. Participation in sports activities requires careful training and conditioning. Sports injuries of the feet should be attened to quickly by a podiatrist.