Park East Podiatry

Flat feet can be present from birth due to conditions such as Marfan syndrome. The tendon damage that leads to adult-acquired flat foot may be caused by:

• Overuse or injury of tendons
• Ligament injuries
• Inflammation
• Nerve damage
• Fractured or dislocated bones
• Obesity or pregnancy
• Aging
• Diabetes or rheumatoid arthritis

Lifestyle choices such as ill-fitting shoes, overuse, misuse, or aging can cause painful foot conditions, such as:

• Bunions – bony protuberance on outside of big toe
• Hammertoe – Claw-like toes
• Flat foot – collapse of arch over time
• Plantar fasciitis – inflammation of tissue on sole
• Heel spurs – bony growth on heel
• Corns and calluses – buildup of tough skin
• Ingrown toenails
• Morton’s neuroma – a growth of nerve tissue between the third and fourth toes

Foot injuries that cause pain include:

• Sprains and strains – tears in ligaments and tendons
• Fractures – broken bones
• Foreign bodies – stepping on glass; getting a splinter

A number of medical conditions can also cause your feet to hurt, including:

• Gout – inflammation and crystal deposits in the joints
• Osteoarthritis – worn-out cartilage in joints
• Rheumatoid arthritis – inflamed and damaged joints
• Diabetic foot conditions – potentially serious; must be monitored carefully
• Plantar warts – warts on soles of your feet

The bend in hammertoe is caused by the tendons underneath the toe pulling harder than the tendons at the top of the toe, creating unequal pressure. Hammertoe can arise as a consequence of:

• Wearing high heels or shoes with narrow toe boxes
• Ageing
• Injury
• Nerve damage
• Muscle imbalance
• Second toe that’s longer than big toe
• Chronic disease, including diabetes
• Bunions

Pain in your heel can be caused by a number of factors, but the most common cause is plantar fasciitis, with or without a heel spur. Some other common causes of heel pain include:

• Plantar Fascia Fibrosis
• Achilles tendonitis
• Stress fracture
• Bursitis (joint inflammation)
• Plantar Fascia Tear

Overuse or excessive stress on the fascia may irritate, inflame, and even tear the tissue. Plantar fasciitis pain feels like you’re being stabbed in the heel. The pain is often most excruciating in the morning, when you’re taking your first steps. You may also feel pain in the arch of your foot.

You can tell if you have an ingrown toenail if you see the edge of your nail disappearing into the flesh at the edge of your toenail. Other symptoms include:

• Pain
• Swelling
• Redness

If your ingrown toenail has become infected you may also notice pus oozing out of your toe or smell a foul odor. If your toenail is infected, you should contact Park East Podiatry immediately.

If you had athlete’s foot, it may have spread to your toenails. Conversely, if you have a toenail fungus, it can spread to the skin between your toes and develop into athlete’s foot.

You’re at increased risk for toenail fungus if you:

• Sweat heavily
• Have a history of athlete’s foot
• Are older, with slower growing nails
• Walk barefoot in warm, moist areas such as gyms, showers, and pools
• Have a weakened immune system or other conditions, such as diabetes
• Have a small nail or skin injury
• Have a skin condition, such as psoriasis

A foot neuroma — sometimes called Morton’s neuroma — is a pinched and swollen nerve that usually appears between your third and fourth toes. Neuromas are fibrosous around the nerve, and can be very painful, especially when you walk.

The main symptom of a neuroma is pain between your toes when you walk. You might even feel like you have a pebble or rock in your shoe. Other symptoms are:

• Pain at the front of your foot
• Pain in the ball of your foot when you step on it
• Numbness and tingling in the ball of your foot
• Swollen areas between your toes
• Pain that radiates to your toes

Northwest uses proprietary carbon-based aerospace materials to create strong, flexible orthotics that are credit-card thin. Northwest orthotics can bend and flex along with your foot without ever losing their shape or strength.

A sprain refers to damage to your ligaments. Ligaments are the thick, elastic-like bands that connect your bones to one another and give them stability.

You can sprain your ankle if you twist, turn, or roll your ankle and stretch one or more of your ankle ligaments beyond their normal range of motion. Doctors classify sprained ankles into three different types, based on the kind of movement that caused them.

Ranging from most common to least common, the three types of ankle sprain are:

• Lateral inversion sprain — foot rolls inward, injuring ligaments on outer side of ankle (especially the anterior talofibular ligament)
• Medial eversion sprain — foot rolls outward, injuring ligaments on inner side of ankle
• High ankle sprain (aka syndesmosis) — foot rolls outward and leg rolls inward

The symptoms of a sprained ankle vary according to how much ligament damage has occurred:

• First degree – slight stretching of one or more ligaments causes mild tenderness
• Second degree – partial tearing of a ligament causes moderate tenderness and swelling, as well as possible ankle instability
• Third-degree – complete ligament tear results in severe pain, swelling, and ankle instability