Common Symptoms for Foot Ailments Part 2

Do any of your toenails curl into the fleshy part of your toe causing pain?

You could have an ingrown toenail. This can occur from cutting your toenails rounded at the corners instead of straight across, tight shoes, injuries, toenail fungus, or infections. Do not attempt to cut the toenail out yourself. If you notice your toenail curling even before it is painful call a podiatrist to get this nail removed.

Do you have stinky feet? Do your feet sweat profusely?

You might have Hyperhidrosis or trench foot. This is caused by sweat glands on the bottom of your foot creating more sweat than necessary. What may start off as just an annoyance or unpleasant smell can cause skin to become thick, macerated or painful.

Do you experience a feeling of sharp pain, cramping, or burning in your feet?

You might have a neuroma. A neuroma is when the nerves are pinched by your toe bones. This pinching commonly occurs between the third and forth toes. Tight shoes irritate the symptoms.

Do you have wounds on your feet that do not seem to be healing in a normal amount of time?

You might have chronic wounds or ulcers due to poor circulation or increased pressure on the wound site. These can be very dangerous if they are continuously left untreated. They can become seriously infected or even gangrenous and in severe cases can lead to amputation. Treatment plans can be offered by podiatrists to help the healing process and in most cases can heal in a few months.

Do you have painful growths on the underside of your heel bone? Do the arches of your feet hurt when you get up in the morning?

You might have heel spurs also known as Plantar Fasciitis. This is caused by a strain on the ligaments and muscles attached to your heel bone that lead to the membrane covering the bone to tear. This leaves the ligaments becoming inflamed and the heel bone lacking its natural protective barrier.

If you are experiencing any of these symptoms please call our office and make an appointment today. Don’t live with foot pain any longer! The sooner you get into an office and get your foot pain diagnosed the sooner something can be done about it.

Attention avid golfers

Are you ready for another season of birdies, pars and bogeys? If so, you should know about potentially serious foot problems that can result from years of playing the game.

Although golf is not considered a rigorous sport, the physical act of repeatedly swinging a golf club can lead to a condition known as hallux limitus, a jamming and deterioration of the big toe joint. The movement and weight transfer that occur during the swing's follow through can cause this problem and other chronic foot ailments.
When golfers follow through, they can overextend the big toe joint on their back foot. Those who have played the game for several years eventually can wear out the cartilage or jam the big toe joint. The likely outcome, if left untreated, is painful arthritis in the big toe, which would make it very difficult to continue playing.

If you have pain and swelling around the big toe joint or have less mobility in this area than other parts of the foot, schedule an appointment for an examination. A history of trauma to the big toe area and bone structure also can precipitate the condition. Individuals with a long first metatarsal bone (big toe), for example, are more susceptible to joint compression and hallux limitus. In most situations, orthotics can be prescribed to provide relief, but advanced cases may require surgery.

Check Those Golf Shoes!

Another foot problem that is common in golfers is a neuroma or pinched nerve at the bottom of the foot. The weight transfer to the front foot that occurs in the follow through applies pressure that, over time, can cause a pinched nerve. Wearing shoes that have a spike located directly beneath the ball of the foot can worsen the problem. Also, pressure from that single spike, magnified by the several thousand steps taken during an average round, can cause intense pain and swelling in the ball of the foot. Your golf shoes can be made more foot-friendly, without sacrificing traction, simply by removing poorly located spikes.

For more information visit our website www.roanokefoot.com