Glossary
Achilles Tendon Rupture
Tendons carry a lot of weight. That also means when they get injured, you definitely feel their loss. Your Achilles tendon is one of the most powerful tendons you have. It connects the calf muscle to your heel bone, and handles all the pressure of pushing your foot off the ground when you walk, run, and jump.
Arthritis
Gears and moving joints in machines are oiled to help them move smoothly. Those parts would probably still move without the oil, but the friction between them would slow them down considerably, and possibly even damage the parts. Your body’s joints have the same problem. Friction can cause a stiffening and breakdown that you know as arthritis.
Ball of Foot Pain
Pain in the ball of the foot is termed metatarsalgia. This is a vague non-specific term that includes everything from arthritis to tendonitis. Metatarsalgia might also be a symptom of Morton’s neuroma. Morton’s neuroma is one of the most common causes of pain in the ball of the foot.
Diabetic Foot Care
Diabetes is a disease that develops from a lack of insulin production in the body or the lack of the body’s response to insulin. It is a surprisingly common condition affecting 16 million people worldwide. Diabetes affects many areas of the body including the kidneys, eyes, and the feet. People with diabetes are prone to foot problems for two main reasons; peripheral neuropathy and poor circulation.
Foot Odor
While people may not have as powerful noses as, say, a pet dog or cat, you don’t need a strong sniffer to be bothered by foot odor. Simply taking off your shoes or walking past someone else with the problem can be enough to make you gag and seek out fresher air. Smelly feet are a common issue and have existed for as long as people have had foot sweat.
Haglund’s Deformity
High heels have been around for centuries, though they weren’t always considered women’s footwear. As they’ve grown in popularity and use, so has a painful foot problem that often comes with them: Haglund’s deformity. This “pump bump” can make wearing shoes and being active very uncomfortable. Fortunately, you don’t have to suffer through this kind of pain.
Plantar Fasciitis
Heel pain is one of the most common complaints seen in our office. While there are many causes of heel pain, the most common cause of heel pain is plantar fasciitis.
Sesamoiditis
A sesamoid (from which we get “sesamoiditis”) is a bone that is embedded within a tendon or muscle, rather than connected to the rest of the skeleton via ligaments. If the sesamoids are forced to sustain excess weight or pressure over a period, both the bones themselves and the tendon surrounding them can become inflamed.
Tarsal Tunnel Syndrome
Tarsal tunnel syndrome results from pressure or pinching on the posterior tibial nerve as it passes through the tarsal tunnel on the inside of the ankle. Sandwiched between ankle bones and thick ligaments, the tunnel doesn’t offer much room for the nerve, arteries, veins, and other structures that must pass through.
Achilles Tendon Issues
Tendons carry a lot of weight. That also means when they get injured, you definitely feel their loss. Your Achilles tendon is one of the most powerful tendons you have. It connects the calf muscle to your heel bone, and handles all the pressure of pushing your foot off the ground when you walk, run, and jump.
Ankle Sprain
Everything has a limit to how far it twists or rotates. Imagine screwing a bottle cap back onto a two-liter of soda or some other drink. Eventually, you reach a point when the cap can’t twist any farther. If you were to continue twisting it, you’d damage either the cap or the bottle, or both.
Athletes Foot
Maybe you noticed the slow change in your toenails over time, and just hoped it would go away if you washed your feet enough. Maybe you hadn’t paid any attention until you suddenly realized your nails had become discolored, ragged, and ugly. However it happened, you are concerned and possibly embarrassed by the changes.
Black Toenails
Black toenail syndrome is a condition where one or more of the toenails turn black. The condition is very common in athletes, especially runners and because of this it is also called Runner’s Toes. Most distance runners develop it at some point and it often means nothing more than you are training hard and perhaps should wear your black toenail like a badge of honor.
Bursitis
All moving machine parts have to be well-oiled and protected to prevent damage. Grinding and friction in moving parts can wear them down and eventually keep them from moving at all. The joints in your body are much like moving pieces in a machine. Every part has to be well-cared for to function at its best.
Fractures
The human body is remarkably durable. People can weather quite a lot of stress and physical difficulty—but there’s always a breaking point, even for your bones. Fractures are serious injuries that leave you in pain and unable to support your own weight. There are several types of foot fractures, and all of them need prompt treatment to avoid potentially permanent side effects.
Hammertoes
A hammertoe is a bending or buckling of the toe at the middle joint. As the problem increases, the toe becomes prominent on the top of the foot, and blistering or callusing may develop on the middle knuckle. In the most extreme cases an ulcer will develop. Patients with diabetes or circulatory problems should call a doctor if they are showing signs of hammer toes.
Metatarsalgia
A hammertoe is a bending or buckling of the toe at the middle joint. As the problem increases, the toe becomes prominent on the top of the foot, and blistering or callusing may develop on the middle knuckle. In the most extreme cases an ulcer will develop. Patients with diabetes or circulatory problems should call a doctor if they are showing signs of hammer toes.
Pediatrics
This page addresses many of the more common issues relating to issues that children may have with their feet, toes, toenails, and development. We commonly see children in our clinic for the majority of the listed reasons in this page, including: Ingrown Toenails; Flat Feet; Sever’s Disease; Hyperhydrosis; Plantar Warts; Molluscum Contagiosum; Juvenile Bunion; Curved Toes; and Toe Walking.
Posterior Heel Pain
The back of the heel (posterior heel) can become painful for many reasons. It is a particularly important area because this is where the Achilles tendon inserts. The Achilles tendon is the largest and strongest tendon in the body and responsible for lifting the entire body weight with every step.
Rheumatoid Arthritis
Anything that stiffens, restricts, and damages your joints has the potential to ruin your mobility and independence. With rheumatoid arthritis, your body fights against itself. This less common but often quite serious arthritis disease need intense treatments to avoid serious deformities and pain.
Stress Fractures
Stress is more powerful than you might think. The longer something is under stress, the harder it is to withstand the strain. The same is certainly true of your bone. Enough pressure or strain, particularly over a period of time, can lead to painful stress fractures in your lower limbs.
Tenex Procedure
Achilles tendinitis and plantar fasciitis are common ailments seen in the feet. They pose a particular problem for physicians because cortisone is contraindicated around tendons and plantar fasciitis tends to re-occur. Recently a new technique has been developed for the treatment of damaged tendons and fascia and it’s called Ultrasound Guided Percutaneous Tenotomy/Fasciotomy.
Toenail Problems (trauma)
Healthy toenails are smooth, free of ridges and grooves, and have a consistent pinkish color throughout the nail. Toenail conditions can range from cosmetic problems, such as discoloration, to painful problems including ingrown toenails and trauma caused by hitting or dropping something on the toe.