Happy New Year!

We wish all our patients, friends, readers and visitors best of everything for the New Year, so that you can all enjoy each day in comfort and health!

Chicago Podiatric Surgeons

Corns, Calluses & Warts

Corns, calluses and warts are areas of thickened skin irritations that can occur on the foot. Calluses are thick, painful skin irritations that can occur on the bottom of the foot. If the thickened area is on top of the toes, we call it a corn. Corns are usually caused by shoes pressing against the toes. They are made worse if the toe is crooked or contracted (hammertoe). These areas generally represent areas of excessive pressure or friction in shoes or while walking on hard surfaces. Caution should be used whenever using any type of corn or callus removers because these medications contain acids that burn the thickened skin off. If you have diabetes, you should never use these medications without a physician's guidance. These irritations will generally reoccur after use of these medications because the source of irritation is still present. Home remedies might include shoe cushions or pads, and if they are between the toes, pads might be used. Warm water soaks and then buffing with a pumice stone may help. Creams and lotions may be of some temporary help. If none of this helps it's best to consult a specialis.

Chicago Podiatric Surgeons on video

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Weak Ankles Lead to Chronic Injuries

Do you suffer from frequent ankle sprains or feel like your ankle is going to give out? Do you feel unstable on uneven or sloped surfaces? If so, you may have chronic ankle instability. Ankle sprains represent about 85% of all ankle injuries
in the U.S. While ankle sprains often involve injury to the ligaments of the ankle, other structures in this area may also be damaged, including tendons, nerves, or cartilage. The full extent of the damage may not be apparent for weeks or even months after the initial injury or as you attempt to return to full activity.
Chronic ankle instability is characterized by a recurring “giving way” of the ankle. In addition to the swelling and pain associated with ankle sprains, structural changes of the ankle may occur, including arthritis. Many athletes suffer from chronic ankle instability due to repetitive injuries. If you suffer from frequent ankle sprains or feel you have “weak” ankles, this is a serious condition that needs to be evaluated.

R.I.C.E. - Rest, Ice, Compression, Elevation

When it comes to tendon, ligament and muscle injuries, R.I.C.E. is important First Aid. R.I.C.E. stands for Rest, Ice, Compression, and Elevation. Resting the injured areas gives them time to heal without risking re-injury. Ice is used to reduce pain and swelling. It is needed for the first 48 hours (20 minutes on / 20 minutes off) as long as there is swelling present. Wrap the ice in a thin towel so it doesn’t come into direct contact with the skin. Compression is accomplished by wrapping an injured area with an Ace, or elastic bandage. Compressing an injury helps lessen internal bleeding, and decreases bruising and swelling. Elevating the injured area allows accumulated fluids to drain from the area, thus reducing swelling.
More about injury prevention at www.chicagopodiatry.com

Chicago Podiatric Surgeons on YouTube

Chicago Podiatric Surgeons now has a YouTube presence. We invite you to visit our account for a quick tour of the facility.

We also invite you to visit ePodiatry.org. We decided to create this web site in response to a growing number of visitors to our web site (www.chicagopodiatry.com) looking for general podiatric information. Please refer to ePodiatry.org for the latest about treatment, prevention and locating a reliable podiatric clinic in your local neighborhood.

Avoiding Athlete's Feet

Athlete’s foot is caused by a fungus that produces skin rashes, typically on the soles of the feet and between the toes. It usually appears as itchy, red patches of skin that burn, blister, flake or crack.
Since the fungus spreads in areas that are damp and sweaty, you should keep your feet clean and dry. Always wear socks, and look for all-natural fibers that absorb sweat. Also choose shoes that are well ventilated, such as those with small holes or mesh.
Athlete’s foot is easily spread, and is often found in public locker rooms, pool areas, and showers. To avoid contracting the fungus in these areas, always wear flip flops or some other type of shoe.
Treatment typically involves an overthe-counter antifungal cream or spray, which can clear up the fungus in a few weeks. If athlete’s foot doesn’t clear up or recurs, you should consult about a stronger treatment.

Areas of concern in pediatric podiatry

Childhood foot and ankle disorders are a common area of concern for parents. The problems range widely and while most are not serious some do require intervention. From time to time we will use this space to answer some common questions about pediatric podiatry. Is heel pain a normal sign of growing pains? Occasional heel pain is common in children, but that doesn’t mean it is normal. In children, the heel bone (calcaneus) is not fully developed until around ages 14 to 16. Until the heel bone is completely fused, new bone forms at the growth plate (physis), an area located at the back of the heel. Calcaneal Apophysitis, also known as Sever’s Disease, is the most common cause of heel pain in children ages 10 to 14. It is an inflammation (not really a disease) of the growth plate in the heel due to muscle strain and repetitive stress, especially in children who are very active or overweight. This condition causes pain and tenderness in the back and side of the heel, and may be painful when touched. Pain usually decreases when activity is reduced. The condition may recur off and on for several years until the growth plate closes. This type of “growing” pain should be professionally treated. Some simple but effective treatments can reduce pain and keep your child active. Can the right shoes affect these problems? Many adult foot problems can have their origins in childhood, so attention to footwear in children can minimize the risk of these problems in adults. Poorly fitting children’s shoes can lead to a number of problems in adulthood. Given the high level of pain and discomfort that these problems can cause, it is obviously logical to attempt to prevent these problems by ensuring that the child’s shoe is fitted appropriately. Foot problems in children are often preventable by properly fitting footwear.

You can learn more about pediatric podiatry at www.chicagopodiatry.com.

How to "read" your footprints

When you take a step, your foot typically hits the ground heel first and rolls toward your toes, flattening the arch slightly. As you push off the ball of your foot, your arch springs back and does not touch the ground. That’s how normal feet are supposed to work. Unfortunately, many feet aren’t normal. If your foot rolls too much toward the inside, it’s called over-pronation. This leads to arch strain and pain on the inside of the knee. If your foot rolls too much to the outside, that’s under-pronation, and you’re more susceptible to ankle sprains and stress fractures. You can remedy foot pain by compensating for these tendencies, but first you need to determine which way your feet roll. Try this simple test:
Put your feet into a bucket of water, then make footprints on a piece of brown paper. What do your footprints tell you? If your footprint looks like an oblong pancake with toes, you pronate excessively or have flat feet. Try molded-leather arch supports off the pharmacy shelf. And when shopping for athletic shoes, ask for styles with “control” features — soles designed to halt that rolling-in motion. If arch supports or sports shoes don’t help, see a foot specialist about custom-molded orthotic shoe inserts. If there’s little or no connection in your footprint between the front part of the foot and the heel, you under-pronate or have a high arch. This means alot of your weight is landing on the outside edge of your foot. Ask for “stability” athletic shoes, which are built with extra cushioning to remedy this problem. And if you are prone to ankle sprains, wear high-top athletic shoes that cover the foot and ankle snugly to minimize damage from twists.
Learn more about this at www.chicagopodiatry.com

Connect with us online at chicagopodiatry.com

We would like to give you a taste of what we have to offer online at http://www.chicagopodiatry.com/. Not only will you find there all of our patient newsletters archived, but there is also information on specific foot and ankle problems, things to look out for, before and after photos, and helpful links to other organizations. The site also has valuable background information on our doctors and therapists, directions to the office and a tour of our facilities. Please note that patients now have the ability to request appointments online and fill out new patient information forms on our secure server. It’s fast, convenient and secure.

Welcome!

Welcome to our blog! The foot and ankle are amazingly complex. A sophisticated network of muscles, ligaments, blood vessels, and nerves, as well as over 25% of the bones in the human body are contained in the feet, so the range of potential problems is enormous. Nearly 80% of people will experience foot problems at some time in their life, and about 20% of them are experiencing it right now.
With this blog we will try to bring some insights to the treatment and preveniton of foot problems. We hope you will find our postings useful and practical. Should you ever have any concerns about your health, we will be happy to see you in our clinic.

Staff of the Chicago Podiatric Surgeons