Sunday, October 25, 2009

6 Tips To Protect Kids in Fall Sports

Back-to-school sports season linked to ankle injuries


If your children are playing sports this fall, pay attention to five tips that could protect them from serious ankle injuries.


Every fall, foot and ankle surgeon Thomas Carr, DPM, notices an increase in ankle injuries among young athletes. Football, soccer and basketball are the sports most likely to lead to sprains, broken bones and other problems, he says. Dr. Carr has office in Chicago.


Dr. Carr's top recommendation is for parents is to get ankle injuries treated right away.


"What seems like a sprain is not always a sprain; in addition to cartilage injuries, your son or daughter might have injured other bones in the foot without knowing it. Have a qualified doctor examine the injury," says Dr. Carr. "The sooner rehabilitation starts, the sooner we can prevent long-term problems like instability or arthritis, and the sooner your child can get back into competition."


Dr. Carr says parents should also follow these additional tips from the American College of Foot and Ankle Surgeons' Web site, FootPhysicians.com:

  • Have old sprains checked by a doctor before the season starts. A medical check-up can reveal whether your child's previously injured ankle might be vulnerable to sprains, and could possibly benefit from wearing a supportive ankle brace during competition.


  • Buy the right shoe for the sport. Different sports require different shoe gear. Players shouldn't mix baseball cleats with football shoes.


  • Children should start the season with new shoes. Old shoes can wear down like a car tire and become uneven on the bottom, causing the ankle to tilt because the foot can't lie flat.


  • Check playing fields for dips, divots and holes. Most sports-related ankle sprains are caused by jumping and running on uneven surfaces. That's why some surgeons recommend parents walk the field, especially when children compete in non-professional settings like public parks, for spots that could catch a player's foot and throw them to the ground. Alert coaching officials to any irregularities.


  • Encourage stretching and warm-up exercises. Calf stretches and light jogging before competition helps warm up ligaments and blood vessels, reducing the risk for ankle injuries.



Dr. Carr can be contacted at www.chicagopodiatry.com.

Monday, October 19, 2009

Women's Feet Hurt More in Autumn

Autumn is a painful time of year for many women.

As they transition from open-toed sandals to closed-in boots and shoes, foot and ankle surgeon Thomas Carr, DPM, says he notices more women seeking relief for painful bunions. Dr. Carr has office in Chicago. He says this trend plays out in the examining rooms of many foot and ankle surgeons every autumn.

"Some of my female bunion patients are in agony," says Dr. Carr. "They describe a constant, throbbing pain, even when they take their shoes off."

While the changing weather brings more bunion patients into his office, Dr. Carr says some women inquire about surgery in the fall because they're less busy than in summer months. Many are also closer to meeting their insurance deductibles.

Dr. Carr emphasizes that surgery is a last-resort treatment for women with painful bunions.

"For many women, simple changes like wearing shoes with wider toe boxes can significantly reduce bunion pain," he says. "Custom shoe inserts, gel- or foam-filled padding and anti-inflammatory medications may also provide pain relief."

When the pain of a bunion interferes with a woman's daily activities, it's time to discuss surgical options, according to the American College of Foot and Ankle Surgeons.


Dr. Carr can be contacted at www.chicagopodiatry.com.

Friday, October 2, 2009

Bunion Surgery Video


A new video has just been posted on our web site. It shows a real bunion surgical procedure.








A bunion is a deviation of the long bone behind the big toe producing a bump on the side of the foot. Bunions can occur on one or both feet. They tend to be hereditary but can occur without a family history. They are not caused by shoes but are often aggravated by shoe gear. Abnormal movement of the joints just below the ankle joint causes the deformity. This results in the front portion of the foot splaying or widening. As a result the big toe starts to drift toward the second toe and the long bone behind the big toe starts to drift outward.

Sunday, September 20, 2009

Fall Newsletter

Fall podiatry newsletter has just been posted on our web site. Here are some highlights:
  • Start Back-To-School Shopping On The Right Foot
  • Orthotics 101: How They Can Help You
  • My Feet Are Tingling: Could It Be Neuropathy

You can download it for free directly from www.chicagopodiatry.com .

Thursday, August 20, 2009

Podiatrist and Specialist Needed

Chicago Podiatric Surgeons is currently looking to fill two vacancies: podiatrist and one specialist from the following fields: Plastic Surgeons, Extremity Orthopedics, Dermatology, Rheumatology, Gynecology and Physical Therapy. The specialist position is offered for the office space available in a prime Chicago downtown location.
For a tour of the facility or for more information go to www.chicagopodiatry.com , or call or email Ellen Carr, General Manager, Chicago Podiatric Surgeons, 312.337.9900, ellen@chicagopodiatry.com .

Monday, August 17, 2009

Foot Injuries Common After Storms and Tornadoes

With storm and tornado season officially underway, a Chicago foot and ankle surgeon reminds
about the risk of serious foot injuries during disaster clean-up.

"In the aftermath of a storm, people just want to clean up the debris as fast as they can and get on with their lives," says Dr. Carr, DPM, FACFAS, a foot and ankle surgeon with offices in Chicago. "By taking some simple precautions to protect their feet from injury, they can make the clean up go more quickly and more safely."

Many tornado survivors suffer puncture wounds on their feet. After Hurricanes Katrina and Rita, foot and ankle surgeons along the Gulf Coast reported treating patients who injured themselves wearing flip-flops and sandals during debris clean-up. Some patients developed bone infections from improperly treated puncture wounds caused by nails and other sharp objects.

According to the American College of Foot and Ankle Surgeons’ (ACFAS) FootPhysicians.com Web site, puncture wounds require medical treatment within 24 hours to avoid infection and other complications from embedded foreign objects. Pieces of skin, sock and the shoe itself can be forced into the wound during a puncture, as well as dirt and debris from the object itself. If medical care is inaccessible, every hurricane survival kit should include first aid supplies.

"If you can’t get to a doctor, you can still irrigate the wound, apply a topical antibiotic, and a clean bandage,: says Dr. Carr. "Then see a doctor for follow- up care, including a tetanus shot if necessary."

After initial treatment, the ACFAS recommends puncture wound victims see a foot and ankle surgeon for a thorough cleaning and careful follow-up to monitor the wound for infection and to prescribe antibiotics if necessary.

Other storm foot safety tips include:
  • Watch where you walk. Debris and murky floodwaters can conceal sharp objects. Be careful standing on unstable surfaces and piles of debris that can throw you off balance, causing ankle sprains or fractures.

  • Wear appropriate shoe gear, work boots if possible. Don’t go barefoot. Avoid open-toed footwear like sandals.

  • Take precautions when cutting down tree limbs. One hurricane victim broke several bones when sawing down a heavy tree limb that landed on her foot.
For treatment of puncture wounds or other foot or ankle trauma, contact Dr. Carr at Chicago Podiatric Surgoens.

Thursday, June 25, 2009

Your Feet at the Beach

As millions of Americans hit the beach this summer, Dr. Thomas Carr, DPM, a foot and ankle surgeon in Chicago, shares these safety tips from the American College of Foot and Ankle Surgeons.

Puncture wounds and cuts: Wear shoes to protect your feet from puncture wounds and cuts caused by sea shells, broken glass and other sharp objects. Don’t go in the water if your skin gets cut – bacteria in oceans and lakes can cause infection. To avoid complications from a puncture wound, see a foot and ankle surgeon for treatment within 24 hours.

Jellyfish stings: Remember that a jellyfish washed up on the beach can still sting if you step on it. If their tentacles stick to the foot or ankle, remove them, but protect your hands from getting stung too. Vinegar, meat tenderizer or baking soda reduce pain and swelling. Most jellyfish stings heal within days, but if they don’t, medical treatment is required.

Sunburns: Feet get sunburn too. Rare but deadly skin cancers can occur on the foot. Don’t forget to apply sunscreen to the tops and bottoms of your feet.

Burns: Sand, sidewalks and paved surfaces get hot in the summer sun. Wear shoes to protect your soles from getting burned, especially if you have diabetes.

Ankle injuries, arch and heel pain: Walking, jogging and playing sports on soft, uneven surfaces like sand frequently leads to arch pain, heel pain, ankle sprains and other injuries. Athletic shoes provide the heel cushioning and arch support that flip-flops and sandals lack. If injuries occur, use rest, ice, compression and elevation to ease pain and swelling. Any injury that does not resolve within a few days should be examined by a foot and ankle surgeon.

Diabetes risks: The 20 million Americans with diabetes face serious foot safety risks at the beach. The disease causes poor blood circulation and numbness in the feet. A diabetic may not feel pain from a cut, puncture wound or burn. Any type of skin break on a diabetic foot has the potential to get infected and ulcerate if it isn’t noticed right away. Diabetics should always wear shoes to the beach, and remove them regularly to check for foreign objects like sand and shells that can cause sores, ulcers and infections.

For treatment of beach-related foot injuries, contact Dr. Thomas Carr at 312-337-9900 or request your appointment at www.chicagopodiatry.com.

Sunday, June 21, 2009

Tips for a Safer Barefoot Summer

Parents and families can prevent cuts, puncture wounds and other injuries from going barefoot by following some simple recommendations.

"Shoes are the best way to protect your family's feet from injuries," says Dr. Thomas Carr, DPM. "But if your summer just wouldn't be the same without kicking off your shoes or sandals, you can still make it a safe season."

Dr. Carr offers these tips for a safer barefoot summer:

--See a foot and ankle surgeon within 24 hours for a puncture wound.

Why: These injuries can embed unsterile foreign objects deep inside the foot. A puncture wound must be cleaned properly and monitored throughout the healing process. This will help to avoid complications, such as tissue and bone infections or damage to tendons and muscles in the foot. Foot and ankle surgeons are trained to properly care for these injuries.

--Make sure you've been vaccinated against tetanus. Experts recommend teens and adults get a booster shot every 10 years.

Why: Cuts and puncture wounds from sharp objects can lead to infections and illnesses such as tetanus.

--Apply sunscreen to the tops and bottoms of your feet.

Why: Feet get sunburn too. According to FootPhysicians.com, rare but deadly skin cancers can develop on the feet.

--Inspect your feet and your children's feet on a routine basis for skin problems such as warts, calluses, ingrown toenails and suspicious moles, spots or freckles.

Why: The earlier a skin condition is detected, the easier it is for your foot and ankle surgeon to treat it.

--Wear flip-flops or sandals around swimming pools, locker rooms and beaches.

Why: To avoid cuts and abrasions from rough anti-slip surfaces and sharp objects hidden beneath sandy beaches, and to prevent contact with bacteria and viruses that can cause athlete's foot, plantar warts, and other problems.

--Use common sense.

Why: Every year, people lose toes while mowing the lawn barefoot. Others suffer serious burns from accidentally stepping on stray campfire coals or fireworks. Murky rivers, lakes and ponds can conceal sharp objects underwater. People with diabetes should never go barefoot, even indoors, because their nervous system may not "feel" an injury and their circulatory system will struggle to heal breaks in the skin.

Dr. Carr is a member of the American College of Foot and Ankle Surgeons (ACFAS).

For more information on puncture wounds, plantar warts, diabetic foot care and other topics, visit the Chicago Podiatric Surgeons Web site, www.chicagopodiatry.com.

Wednesday, June 3, 2009

New Pair of Flip-Flops for the Summer?

There are a few things one should know about flip-flops before spending the entire summer walking in this type of shoes. The American Podiatric Medical Association has just published a list of tips regarding do's and don'ts for wearing flip-flops. For instance, did you know what walking extended distances in flip-flops can be harmful? This and more on the APMA web site.

Thursday, May 28, 2009

New Orthotics Pictures

We have just uploaded a new set of orthotics pictures. Orthotics inserts are designed for just about any type of shoes including sports shoes and women dress shoes. Please check them out on our web site, but also at our Flickr account.





Some of our latest images will be used in the patient handouts for young athletes by the American Academy of Pediatrics.

Tuesday, March 31, 2009

Podiatry on YouTube

The American College of Foot and Ankle Surgeons (ACFAS) now has its own account on the popular video sharing social networking site YouTube.com. Please check it out and watch some really interesting podiatry related interviews and short clips.

http://www.youtube.com/user/FootAndAnkleSurgeons

Friday, March 20, 2009

Heel Pain - Treatment

Conservative treatment is over 90% effective and consists of:

  • Oral anti-inflammatory medicine or steroid injections.

  • Physical therapy

  • Functional orthotics (shoe inserts that maintain proper biomechanics)


Anti-inflammatory medication and orthotics are key to long-term successful treatment.

If conservative treatment does not provide relief from heel pain, surgery may be necessary.

  • The most common procedure is an endoscopic plantar fascia release, which reduces the pulling tension of the structures around the heel.

  • Unless very large and projecting downward, the spur usually does not need to be removed, since the tension on the plantar fascia, not the spur, causes the symptoms.



You can download our Podiatry-at-a-Glance newsletter that talks about heel pain from out website.

Monday, March 16, 2009

Ingrown Toenails - Treatment

Treatment with over the counter products and topical or oral antibiotics is usually ineffective
since they do not address the ingrown nail itself. In order to resolve the condition the
offending nail border must be removed (Fig. 2).
  • If the nail is only minimally ingrown the offending border may be removed simply by
    trimming the nail margin. This does not usually require use of a local anesthetic.
  • If the nail is significantly ingrown or an infection is present, removal of the offending
    nail border and drainage of the infection usually requires local anasthesia and a more
    aggressive nail border resection. Any hypertrophic granulation tissue is usually resected.
    Antibiotics should be used appropriately.

  • In cases of reccurrent ingrown nails a matricectomy may be performed in which the
    offending portion of the nail is permanently removed.
  • If an abnormality of the nail, soft tissue, or bone is present a more involved surgical
    procedure may be needed to correct the condition and relieve the patient’s symptoms.


You can download our Podiatry-at-a-Glance newsletter that talks about ingrown toenails from our website.

Friday, February 20, 2009

Stress Fractures

Stress fractures are a type of injury. These fractures which may be partial or complete, result from repetitive subthreshold loading that, exceeds the bone’s intrinsic ability to repair itself. The repetitive forces of running or jumping and even benign activities such as walking, can cause these injuries. Stress fractures can occur in any bone, but most often afflict the weight-bearing bones of the lower let and foot.


SYMPTOMS
  • Localized bone pain
  • Pain exacarbated with weight bearing
  • With or without localized edema


Stress fractures are notoriously under diagnosed and under treated. This injury carries the risk of complete fracture, displacement, nonunion, and avascular necrosis, and may result in chronic disability. R.I.C.E (Rest. Ice. Compression. Elevation.) is always a good first step.
If you think you may be having this condition, please contact your local podiatrist immediately. You can also look for futher information on our web site.

Monday, February 16, 2009

Lateral Ankle Instability

The ankle is the most commonly injured joint in sports. Ankle sprains represent about 85% of all ankle injuries in the US. While an inversion ankle injury often involves injury to the lateral collateral ankle ligaments (Figure 1), other structures in this area may also be injured. These associated injuries may not be evident until weeks or months after the initial event, and may not present themselves until the patient attempts to return to full activity but is unable to because of persistent pain. Typical associated injuries include chronic lateral ankle instability, peroneal tendon damage, nerve injury, syndesmotic sprain or tear, and intraarticular cartilage damage. Although the injury may initially seem minor, a thorough evaluation and aggressive, conservative therapy is important in improving the outcome.
SYMPTOMS
  • Patients often complain that the affected ankle feels "unstable" or "gives out" frequently.
  • Patients typically feel unsteady when walking on uneven ground or sloped surfaces.
  • Repeated inversion injuries will occur with the slightest provocation.
  • Patients commonly report twisting or spraining ankles every few months with varying levels of severity.
  • Persistent swelling to the anterolateral aspect of the ankle
  • Bracing or taping may not provide adequate stability.


Initial treatment involves managing symptoms and biomechanical control. Non-steroidal anti-inflammatories or steroid injections, if used alone usually do not provide long term relief. If conservative treatment fails to provide relief or the ankle is too unstable to be controlled with bracing and orthotics, surgical treatment is warranted.

For a more thorough description of this condition please visit our web site and remember to always consult your local podiatris with any foot pain condition that you may be experiencing.

Thursday, January 29, 2009

Morton's Neuroma

Morton’s Neuroma is a term used to describe a benign enlargement of the third common digital branch of the medial plantar nerve located between the third and fourth metatarsal heads. Besides the third intermetatarsal space, a neuroma can develop in any area where a nerve becomes chronically irritated. A Morton’s neuroma is commonly due to specific anatomical and biomechanical relationships between the third common digital nerve, the third and fourth metatarsal heads, and the other structures in the third intermetatarsal space.

Some of the symptoms include:

  • One or more numb toes (usually the 3rd and 4th toes)
  • Feeling that something is between the toes or under the ball of the foot.
  • Sharp pain in the foot that radiates toward the toes or up the leg.
  • Early stage symptoms may be intermittent; however, late stage symptoms are constant.
  • Symptoms are almost always aggravated by shoes and frequently relieved by removing them and massaging the affected area.

Conservative treatment is usually effective but in certain cases a surgical intervention is necessary. It's always good to have your feet checked by your local podiatrist. And if you live in the Chicagoland area, Dr. Carr from the Chicago Podiatric Surgeons will be happy to schedule your visit.