TOP 10 FOOT AILMENTS WE SEE AT ACADEMY FOOT AND ORTHOTIC CLINICS CONT.
posted: Aug. 21, 2013.
THIS BLOG IS A CONTINUATION FROM YESTERDAYS.
6. ATHLETE'S FOOT
ATHLETES FOOT IS A COMMON FUNGAL INFECTION OF THE FOOT CHARACTERIZED BY ITCHING, SCALING, REDNESS AND THE FORMATION OF SMALL BLISTERS. THERE ARE OVER 60 DIFFERENT TYPES OF FUNGUS AND PEOPLE CAN HAVE MULTIPLE STRAINS OF ORGANISMS INFECTING THEM AT THE SAME TIME WHICH EXPLAINS WHY SOME PEOPLE ARE HARDER TO TREAT THAN OTHERS. WE TREAT ATHLETE'S FOOT VERY SUCCESSFULLY IN OUR FOOT CLINIC.
7. NEUROMAS
A NEUROMA IS A PAINFUL CONDITION REFERRED TO AS A PINCHED NERVE, SWOLLEN NERVE OR NERVE TUMOR. IT IS DEFINED AS A NERVE TUMOR TYPICALLY FOUND BETWEEN THE 3RD AND 4TH TOES. SYMPTOMS RANGE FROM PAIN, TINGLING OR NUMBNESS. IT CAN BE TREATED BY CHANGING THE FOOTWEAR TO INCREASE THE TOE BOX SIZE, CUSTOM ORTHOTICS WITH A METATARSAL PAD AND SOMETIMES EXCISION OF THE GROWTH.
8 CORNS AND CALLOUSES
THIS IS ONE OF THE CONDITIONS THAT WE SEE FREQUENTLY IN OUR FOOT CLINIC. IT IS A BUILD UP OF SKIN THAT FORMS AT POINTS OF PRESSURE OR OVER BONY PROMINENCES AND IS USUALLY DUE TO REPEATED FRICTION. IT IS TREATED BY REMOVING PAINLESSLY WITH A SCALPEL, CHANGING FOOT WEAR AND CUSTOM ORTHOTICS.
9. BUNIONS
BUNIONS ARE AN ENLARGEMENT AT THE BASE OF THE FIRST TOE CAUSED BY MISALIGNMENT OF THE JOINT. IT CAN BE SWOLLEN AND PAINFUL BUT MORE OFTEN THAN NOT IS IS ASYMPTOMATIC. IT IS USUALLY HEREDITARY BUT CAN BE CAUSED BY IMPROPER SHOES SUCH AS HIGH HEELS AND SHOES WHICH ARE POINTY. MOST BUNIONS DO NOT REQUIRE SURGERY AND YOU SHOULD NEVER CONTEMPLATE SURGERY ON AN ASYMPTOMATIC BUNION.
10. FLAT FEET, FALLEN ARCHES
FLAT FEET ARE A CONDITION WHICH THE MAJORITY OF THE POPULATION SUFFER FROM TO SOME EXTENT. MISALIGNED FEET CAN AFFECT THE BIOMECHANICS OF EVERY JOINT ABOVE THE FOOT INCLUDING THE ANKLE, KNEE, HIP AND SPINE. IT IS EASILY TREATED WITH CUSTOM ORTHOTICS.
BROUGHT TO YOU BY DR. JOHN A. HARDY, OWNER OF ACADEMY FOOT AND ORTHOTIC CLINICS.