Items filtered by date: July 2021
Elderly People and Foot Wounds
When elderly people get a cut on their foot, it can develop into a serious wound. It can happen due to various reasons including bumping into a wall, and research has indicated that wheelchair injuries can cause one quarter of cuts on the skin. This can be a result of a lack of moisture in the feet as the aging process occurs. Many caregivers apply a vitamin C based moisturizer to the skin surrounding the wound, and this can be beneficial in making the skin stronger for accelerated healing. An infected wound can appear to be red or swollen, and it may be painful and feel warm. Diabetic patients can become seriously ill if a wound on the foot is left untreated. If you would like additional information about how to treat wounds on the feet, please consult with a podiatrist.
Wound care is an important part in dealing with diabetes. If you have diabetes and a foot wound or would like more information about wound care for diabetics, consult with Jon McCreary, DPM from Fort Worth Podiatry. Our doctor will assess your condition and provide you with quality foot and ankle treatment.
What Is Wound Care?
Wound care is the practice of taking proper care of a wound. This can range from the smallest to the largest of wounds. While everyone can benefit from proper wound care, it is much more important for diabetics. Diabetics often suffer from poor blood circulation which causes wounds to heal much slower than they would in a non-diabetic.
What Is the Importance of Wound Care?
While it may not seem apparent with small ulcers on the foot, for diabetics, any size ulcer can become infected. Diabetics often also suffer from neuropathy, or nerve loss. This means they might not even feel when they have an ulcer on their foot. If the wound becomes severely infected, amputation may be necessary. Therefore, it is of the upmost importance to properly care for any and all foot wounds.
How to Care for Wounds
The best way to care for foot wounds is to prevent them. For diabetics, this means daily inspections of the feet for any signs of abnormalities or ulcers. It is also recommended to see a podiatrist several times a year for a foot inspection. If you do have an ulcer, run the wound under water to clear dirt from the wound; then apply antibiotic ointment to the wound and cover with a bandage. Bandages should be changed daily and keeping pressure off the wound is smart. It is advised to see a podiatrist, who can keep an eye on it.
If you have any questions, please feel free to contact our office located in Fort Worth, TX . We offer the newest diagnostic and treatment technologies for all your foot care needs.
Read more about Wound CareHeel Pain Can Be Treated!
Do you suffer from heel pain when you get up in the morning? If so, you should seek the professional help of your podiatrist and have a proper diagnosis performed. Heel pain can be caused by several different foot-related conditions.
Gout in the Big Toe
Gout is a type of arthritis caused by a buildup of uric acid in the bloodstream. Uric acid can crystallize and lodge in the joints, leading to painful gout flare ups. One of the most frequent sites for a gout flare up is the big toe joint. Gout in the big toe typically causes intense throbbing and burning joint pain, which occurs with a sudden onset, often in the middle of the night. The pain may be accompanied by swelling, tenderness, warmth, and redness, as well as difficulty moving the big toe. All of this can interfere with walking or standing and going about your daily activities. Gout may flare up once, or could become a chronic condition and lead to permanent joint damage. If you have experienced a gout flare up in your big toe or anywhere else in your feet, it is suggested that you are under the care of a podiatrist.
Gout is a painful condition that can be treated. If you are seeking treatment, contact Jon McCreary, DPM from Fort Worth Podiatry. Our doctor will treat your foot and ankle needs.
What Is Gout?
Gout is a form of arthritis that is characterized by sudden, severe attacks of pain, redness, and tenderness in the joints. The condition usually affects the joint at the base of the big toe. A gout attack can occur at any random time, such as the middle of the night while you are asleep.
Symptoms
- Intense Joint Pain - Usually around the large joint of your big toe, and it most severe within the first four to twelve hours
- Lingering Discomfort - Joint discomfort may last from a few days to a few weeks
- Inflammation and Redness -Affected joints may become swollen, tender, warm and red
- Limited Range of Motion - May experience a decrease in joint mobility
Risk Factors
- Genetics - If family members have gout, you’re more likely to have it
- Medications - Diuretic medications can raise uric acid levels
- Gender/Age - Gout is more common in men until the age of 60. It is believed that estrogen protects women until that point
- Diet - Eating red meat and shellfish increases your risk
- Alcohol - Having more than two alcoholic drinks per day increases your risk
- Obesity - Obese people are at a higher risk for gout
Prior to visiting your podiatrist to receive treatment for gout, there are a few things you should do beforehand. If you have gout you should write down your symptoms--including when they started and how often you experience them, important medical information you may have, and any questions you may have. Writing down these three things will help your podiatrist in assessing your specific situation so that he or she may provide the best route of treatment for you.
If you have any questions, please feel free to contact our office located in Fort Worth, TX . We offer the newest diagnostic and treatment technologies for all your foot care needs.
The Progressive Foot Disorder Known as Hammertoe
A hammertoe occurs when the middle joint in a toe is stuck in a bent position and the toe curls down, rather than laying flat. This deformity can develop in any toe other than the big toe. An imbalance in the muscles or tendons in the feet can lead to a hammertoe forming over time. Genetics may predispose certain people to hammertoes, which can be brought on by wearing pointy, narrow high heels. Having bunions, or certain diseases such as Charcot-Marie-Tooth, diabetes, or arthritis, can also contribute to the development of a hammertoe. In the early stages, the contraction is flexible and the toe can still move. In time, the bent toe can become rigid as the condition progresses. That is why it is important to seek the care of a podiatrist in the early stages, when more conservative therapies can be deployed to correct the deformity without surgery.
Hammertoes can be a painful condition to live with. For more information, contact Jon McCreary, DPM of Fort Worth Podiatry. Our doctor will answer any of your foot- and ankle-related questions.
Hammertoe
Hammertoe is a foot deformity that occurs due to an imbalance in the muscles, tendons, or ligaments that normally hold the toe straight. It can be caused by the type of shoes you wear, your foot structure, trauma, and certain disease processes.
Symptoms
- Painful and/or difficult toe movement
- Swelling
- Joint stiffness
- Calluses/Corns
- Physical deformity
Risk Factors
- Age – The risk of hammertoe increases with age
- Sex – Women are more likely to have hammertoe compared to men
- Toe Length – You are more likely to develop hammertoe if your second toe is longer than your big toe
- Certain Diseases – Arthritis and diabetes may make you more likely to develop hammertoe
Treatment
If you have hammertoe, you should change into a more comfortable shoe that provides enough room for your toes. Exercises such as picking up marbles may strengthen and stretch your toe muscles. Nevertheless, it is important to seek assistance from a podiatrist in order to determine the severity of your hammertoe and see which treatment option will work best for you.
If you have any questions, please feel free to contact our office located in Fort Worth, TX . We offer the newest diagnostic and treatment technologies for all your foot care needs.
What Causes Ankle Pain?
Ankle pain can occur due to various medical conditions or injuries such as sprains and strains—where the ligaments, muscles or tendons supporting the ankle become overstretched, torn, or otherwise injured. Ankle fractures—where one or more bones in the ankle break or shatter—can also be extremely painful, depending on the severity of the injury. When the Achilles tendon—which connects the calf muscle to the heel bone—becomes overstretched or torn, an Achilles tendon rupture can occur. Fallen arches can cause painful shifts in the ankle bone. Systemic illnesses can also be to blame for ankle pain. For instance, gout causes painful uric acid crystals to form on the ankle joint, osteoarthritis wears down cartilage and creates bone-on-bone friction, and rheumatoid arthritis is an autoimmune disease which can attack healthy joints, like those in the ankle. A podiatrist can examine you and perform various tests to diagnose your ankle pain and use a variety of treatments and procedures to heal it.
Ankle pain can have many different causes and the pain may potentially be serious. If you have ankle pain, consult with Jon McCreary, DPM from Fort Worth Podiatry. Our doctor will assess your condition and provide you with quality foot and ankle treatment.
Ankle pain is any condition that causes pain in the ankle. Due to the fact that the ankle consists of tendons, muscles, bones, and ligaments, ankle pain can come from a number of different conditions.
Causes
The most common causes of ankle pain include:
- Types of arthritis (rheumatoid, osteoarthritis, and gout)
- Ankle sprains
- Broken ankles
- Achilles tendinitis
- Achilles tendon rupture
- Stress fractures
- Tarsal tunnel syndrome
- Plantar fasciitis
Symptoms
Symptoms of ankle injury vary based upon the condition. Pain may include general pain and discomfort, swelling, aching, redness, bruising, burning or stabbing sensations, and/or loss of sensation.
Diagnosis
Due to the wide variety of potential causes of ankle pain, podiatrists will utilize a number of different methods to properly diagnose ankle pain. This can include asking for personal and family medical histories and of any recent injuries. Further diagnosis may include sensation tests, a physical examination, and potentially x-rays or other imaging tests.
Treatment
Just as the range of causes varies widely, so do treatments. Some more common treatments are rest, ice packs, keeping pressure off the foot, orthotics and braces, medication for inflammation and pain, and surgery.
If you have any questions, please feel free to contact our office located in Fort Worth, TX . We offer the newest diagnostic and treatment technologies for all your foot care needs.
What Do Custom Orthotics Do?
Foot orthotics slip into shoes and, at minimum, over-the-counter varieties provide some cushioning and support for your feet. Custom orthotics, by design, distribute body weight and various forces of walking across the foot more evenly, thereby reducing the pressure placed on any one area. They are custom-made devices that are created from either a plaster mold, impression foam, or 3D imaging of your feet to fit your individual foot structure and address your individual needs. Custom orthotics can be used to help promote proper foot alignment and to treat a variety of foot conditions including arthritis, flat feet, hammertoes, bunions, plantar fasciitis, high arches, heel spurs and deformities in the feet. They may even be used by podiatrists to help correct gait abnormalities such as overpronation (excessive rolling of the feet inwardly), and underpronation (inadequate rolling of the feet inwardly). Contact a podiatrist to see if custom orthotics may help ease any pain you may be experiencing or improve your mobility.
If you are having discomfort in your feet and would like to try orthotics, contact Jon McCreary, DPM from Fort Worth Podiatry. Our doctor can provide the care you need to keep you pain-free and on your feet.
What Are Orthotics?
Orthotics are inserts you can place into your shoes to help with a variety of foot problems such as flat feet or foot pain. Orthotics provide relief and comfort for minor foot and heel pain but can’t correct serious biomechanical problems in your feet.
Over-the-Counter Inserts
Orthotics come in a wide variety of over-the-counter inserts that are used to treat foot pain, heel pain, and minor problems. For example, arch supports can be inserted into your shoes to help correct overarched or flat feet, while gel insoles are often used because they provide comfort and relief from foot and heel pain by alleviating pressure.
Prescription Orthotics
If over-the-counter inserts don’t work for you or if you have a more severe foot concern, it is possible to have your podiatrist prescribe custom orthotics. These high-quality inserts are designed to treat problems such as abnormal motion, plantar fasciitis, and severe forms of heel pain. They can even be used to help patients suffering from diabetes by treating foot ulcers and painful calluses and are usually molded to your feet individually, which allows them to provide full support and comfort.
If you are experiencing minor to severe foot or heel pain, it’s recommended to speak with your podiatrist about the possibilities of using orthotics. A podiatrist can determine which type of orthotic is right for you and allow you to take the first steps towards being pain-free.
If you have any questions please contact our office located in Fort Worth, TX . We offer the newest diagnostic and treatment technologies for all your foot and ankle needs.
