Sever’s Disease Houston‘s formal name is calcaneal apophysitis; it causes heel pain due to the irritation and swelling of the growth plate. The growth plate is a weaker layer of cartilage near where the bone growth takes place. The muscles and tendons become tight during growth pulling the heel and when active the tendons and muscles pull injuring the growth plate. Within a few months of management, the condition goes away without any lasting problems.

Who gets the Sever’s Disease and the Heel pain?

1. It is common in the skeletal of immature athletes because of an overuse injury to the Achilles tendon.
2. It is common in kids within the growth spurt especially between the age of 9 to 14 years old and common in males than females. It is because of the rapid growth rate in active adolescents.

• iii. Young people engaging in active activities or sports that require repetitive jumping and running such as cross-country, gymnastics, basketball, and soccer.

Risk factors that increase chances of developing sever’s disease

• Overuse injury from all-year-round sports or activities.
• Worn-out footwear or poorly fitting footwear.
• Poor training mechanics and training on hard surfaces.
• Biomechanical factors such as poor heel flexibility.
• Being overweight adds pressure to the foot.

Sever’s Disease Treatment

Severs disease treatment is self-limiting because it revolves around maturity and the closure of apophysis.

The non-operative options of severs disease treatment include

• Resting or enjoying periods of inactivity without active sporting until the symptoms subside.
• Wearing proper footwear, well maintained and updated.
• The use of orthotics or casting is dictated by clinicians for severe symptoms of the condition. It may mean some periods of immobilization depending on the severity of the symptoms. Heel pads and heel cups can also be used.
• Utilization of Achilles tendon stretches and include heel cord stretching, to strengthen dorsiflexor.
• Apply ice to the foot before and after activities, especially sports.
• Take over the counter painkillers with the guidance of a health professional.
• Wear open shoes at the back to avoid irritation to the heel.

The improvement of the symptoms takes place from 6 months onwards. It might not be necessary for injections or surgical interventions since the condition does not cause long-term complications.

Preventative measures

Preventative measures should be to avoid overuse injuries to the foot. It is essential to maintain adequate hydration, have adequate sleep, a balanced diet, and increase activity level at the rate of 10 percent every week.

Use stretching to maintain flexibility and use proper equipment and techniques for sporting activity.

Specialize in one single sport in the early years. Sometimes patients are involved in multiple sports that can cause a challenge during the healing process from the disease.

Sever’s disease Houston issues can be very uncomfortable to live with. If you are experiencing pain with your sever’s disease and the heel pain, contact the podiatrist at DeNiel Foot & Ankle Center. Our doctor can provide the care you need to keep you pain-free and on your feet.

A bunion, usually a bony bump, that forms on the joint of the big toe. It means that some bones at the front of the foot have moved out of place, causing the big toe to pull towards the smaller toes, forcing the joint to stick out. The area around the joint is red and sore. The most obvious symptom of a bunion is a bulging lump at the joint of the toe. Avoid bunion surgery by seeking solutions immediately you notice bunion symptoms.

Causes of bunions

The exact cause of bunions is not known, but other likely reasons are

1. Foot deformities at birth.
2. Inherited foot type.
3. Foot injuries and stresses.
4. Some bunions have been linked to inflammatory rheumatoid arthritis.
5. Tight or too-narrow shoes or high-heeled shoes cause bunions though some experts disagree with this.

Other factors that increase the risk of developing bunions are:

• Wearing high heels is believed to be the number one risk factor. High heels force the toes to the front of the shoes causing the toes to cramp.
• Wearing too narrow or tight shoes, likely pointed, cause bunions due to pressure on the toes cramped together.
• The tendency to develop bunions might be a result of inherited anatomy or structure of the foot.
• If you have an underlying condition, such as rheumatoid arthritis, it likely favors the development of bunions.
• Adolescents, especially girls, are likely to get bunions. It is not known why, but doctors suspect the constant need to change footwear around this age as a contributing factor. However, bunions in adolescents and young people have not been linked to any underlying health condition.
• Bunionette forms at the little toe’s joint, often known as a tailor’s bunion, is caused by the pressure put on the side of the foot. It often happens due to sitting cross-legged for long hours, putting pressure on the side of the foot leading to bunions near the pinky toes.

Unless you seek bunion treatment Houston, bunions are permanent. However, several measures will make you comfortable and slow bunion progression. Some measures include

1. Maintain a healthy weight that does not put pressure on your feet.
2. Buy the gel-filled pad or moleskin from a drugstore for the protection of the bunion. You need to test the moleskin for a short time to determine if it helps ease pressure and pain.
3. Buy over-the-counter arch supports or shoe inserts that will position the foot correctly.
4. Following your podiatrist‘s guidance, use a splint at night to ease the discomfort and hold the toe straight.
5. Take pain killers that are anti-inflammatory such as ibuprofen.
6. Use massage, warm soaks, and icepacks regularly. If you have circulation problems, consult the foot doctor before using an icepack.
7. Buy proper fitting shoes with a wide toe box with room for your toes. The heels of the shoes should be lower than two inches.

Immediately you notice changes in the structure of the toe or foot, visit a bunion doctor to avoid complications such as stiff toe, chronic toe pain, and foot/toe deformity.

Over at DeNiel Foot and Ankle Center  located in Houston, Texas, and covering surrounding areas like Cypress, and Katy, TX. Ejodamen Shobowale, DPM and her highly skilled staff provide personalized comprehensive care for all your podiatry and sport medicine needs. Whether the issue is foot-related like hammertoes, or toenail fungus or involves pain in the heel , nerves, or joints, Dr. Sho, as she is fondly called, can get you back on your feet in no time.

Morton neuroma is the thickening of the tissue around leading to the toes. This is a painful foot condition that affects the ball of your foot, especially in the middle of the third and fourth toes. The pain is sharp and burning and sometimes your toes feel numb. With Mortons feet, you always feel like you are standing on a fold in your sock or as if you are standing on a pebble.

Diagnosis

The neuroma specialist conducts a physical examination by pressing on the foot to determine the tender spot. Further examination is recommended to rule out other issues that could be causing the foot pain. An ultrasound would be the best exam because it uses sound waves to create a real-time image of the internal structures of the body. It will reveal the abnormalities of the neuromas. An x-ray can be done to rule out foot pain causes like a stress fracture. The MRI (Magnetic resonance imaging) uses a strong magnetic field and radio waves to visualize the soft tissues such as the neuromas. This is used when the patient is showing no symptoms of Morton neuromas, but the doctor suspects it could be the issue causing the patient discomfort. 

Morton’s neuroma can be uncomfortable and painful to live with. If you think you have Morton’s neuroma and need neuroma treatment, please reach out to the podiatrist at DeNiel Foot and Ankle Center. Their doctor, Dr. Ejodamen Shobowale will take care of all your foot and ankle needs plus answer any questions related to foot issues. 

Risk factors contributing to Morton’s neuroma

• Foot deformities such as hammertoes, bunions, flat feet, high arches leave the patients susceptible to the development of this condition.
• High heels or ill-fitting shoes and too-tight shoes, put extra pressure on the ball of the foot and your toes.
• High impact athletic activities such as running or jogging, are subject to repetitive trauma to the feet. Also, sports that feature tight shoes such as rock climbing or skiing put pressure on your shoes.
• Overweight people risk getting Morton neuroma because once they wear a high-heeled shoe the extra weight puts extra pressure on the feet.

Managing neuroma foot

There are various ways of managing the foot condition to improve the symptoms

• Relieve pressure off the foot by using over the counter shoe pads.
• Wear more supportive shoes with a wide toe box. If they have laces avoid tying them too tight. It is recommended that you wear shoes with proper insoles and shock-absorbent soles.
• Avoid pointed toed shoes or too tight shoes. Wear shoes whose heels are not more than 2 inches.
• Apply ice to the inflamed area to reduce swelling and pain.
• Rest your feet as much as possible.
• Massage the painful area of the foot.
• Wear proper athletic footwear with enough padding to cushion the balls whenever you’re taking part in sports or exercising.
• Reduce or manage your body weight so that you improve on the amount of pressure put on your feet.

 Neuroma treatment

Medications

Drugs temporally relieve symptoms of Morton’s Neuroma including pain, though, using medications for long is highly discouraged. Some of the medications used include corticosteroid injections and alcohol sclerosing injections. There are anti-inflammatory drugs that are taken orally to reduce inflammation such as aspirin and ibuprofen. You can have an anesthetic injection to temporarily relieve the pain through numbing the affected nerve.

Orthotics

Custom designed shoe inserts that reduce the pain by offloading the pressure off the nerve. The metatarsal pad is placed in the shoe insole for effective working. Custom made shoe inserts are individually designed to fit the different contours of your foot.

Surgery

When medication and management methods do not effectively relieve pain surgery is the next option. The surgical procedure known as neurectomy is used to remove part of the nerve tissue. Before the neurectomy is performed there is a procedure called cryogenic Neuro ablation therapy.  In this procedure, cold temperatures are applied to the nerves to destroy the sheath that covers the nerve and the nerve cells. Patients who have undergone this therapy are less likely to experience the symptoms of Morton neuroma again.

Decompression surgery can be done by cutting the structures nearby the nerve to relieve the pressure. Some of the structures removed include ligaments that bind the bones.