Category: Blog

It's nearly the end of another year, and as the New Year dawns upon us, it's time for new resolutions, new hopes, and new beginnings. But, before moving on to the next year, let's see how far you have kept up with the promise of taking care of your health this year. So, did you get that foot checkup that you had promised yourself to go for regular? Or, are you still ignoring that nagging heel pain and putting off your podiatrist appointment for another day?

Not going for that foot wellness checkup affects you in two ways, in terms of your health benefits and your health. Let's see how that happens.

Reasons to get a foot wellness check within this year

• The impact on your health benefits

Now, the thing about putting off foot wellness check for another year is that it will not only affect your health, but also have an impact on your health benefits. Most of the health plans are deductible according to the calendar year, which starts on 1^st January and ends on 31^st December. Thus, the deductibles reset every year from 1^st January. So, if you have met your deductible, there's no better time than now to get that foot checkup done, or else you will just be losing out on your money.

• The impact on your health

The foot issues that you are suffering from might not seem like something major enough to undergo treatment right now, but it can soon take a turn for worse. It is better to nip the problems and pain in the bud than letting it grow into something unbearable and difficult to treat. Here are a few foot issues that are better to be dealt with now than later.

Heel pain

Plantar fasciitis, or heel pain as it is commonly known as, occurs from inflamed tissues that extend from the toes to the heels. Patients feel pain at the arch and bottom of the foot, and the pain increases over a couple of months.You need to contact DeNiel Foot & Ankle Center now. The podiatrist will examine your foot and take your medical history to start the treatment.

Achilles Tendonitis

Strenuous physical activities can lead to an inflammation of Achilles tendon, which attaches the heel bones to calf muscles, causing pain. Patients feel tightness in the calf muscles, in addition to a limited range of motion in foot.Under the effective treatment of Dr. Shobowale, you can find long-term relief from the pain of Achilles tendon.

Hammertoes

A contracture deformity of both or one of the joints of the fifth, fourth, third or second toes is called Hammertoes. This is something that starts as a mild issue but the conditions gets worse as time passes. After Dr. Shobowale evaluates your condition, she will offer you the treatment that meets your needs.

Bunion pain

Bunion is a bony bump that forms on the inside of the patient's foot at the joint of the big toe. The pain increases slowly. The pressure on the big toe causes it to lean towards the second toe, and thus, gradually the normal bone structure changes. Depending on your condition, the podiatrist might ask you to go for surgery or get you on pain medication.

None of these foot issues (and many others like these) is not noticeably prominent at the onset. But, it is only a matter of time for the pain to become unbearable. So, pick up that phone and book your appointment with DeNiel Foot & Ankle Center now to avail the finest treatment using your health benefits.

The popular tale that you must have heard from grandmothers is that the toads give you warts. This is nothing but a tale and the real story to cure wart on foot is far more complicated than that. Warts appear on the skin on the attack of a virus. This gets specifically seen in the areas that have broken skin like the areas on the side on the sides of nails or the skin picked by shaving. The thing that is still largely unknown is why and how certain people are more susceptible than others when it comes to getting warts. The general belief that exists is that children having weaker immune system compared to the adults are more prone than the adults in the matters of getting warts.

The spread of warts on feet

In the matter of treatment of warts, you must know they are contagious in nature. They can spread from one part of the body to another. This is the prime reason why you are advised to wash your hands well after you have touched a wart. Never pick or scratch warts because even that can lead to it spreading to other parts. If you shave on the part that has warts, the virus gets transferred to the razor and eventually to other parts of the body. 

The plantar wart treatment experts will tell you that one can get warts from touching the body of someone else too. So if you see that someone close to you has warts, you need to refrain not just from touching that area of the person but also take care about not using any of his things like bathmats or towels.

The prevention of warts

There is no full-proof way to prevent the coming of or cure warts. You can take certain precautions that can minimize the risks. Make sure that you keep your skin moisturized, healthy and free from any kind of cuts as a plantar wart removalprocess. If you are someone who has the habit of biting the nails or cuticles, then it is best to stop as these are the most likely places for the development of warts. Use fresh and clean towels wherever you go and ensure that your hands are always clean and washed. When you are going to places like gyms or public toilets, make sure that your feet stay covered with sandals or flip-flops at all times to stem the growth of wart on foot. 

Wart treatment at home and clinics

The doctors take any one of the two approaches. They either burn it off or use liquid nitrogen to freeze the skin of the wart. The home remedies that are popular in treating warts is using things like apple cider vinegar and hydrogen peroxide to make the wart fall off on its own after a few days. Most warts are benign, and people prefer only to get them removed for cosmetic reasons. 

Baking powder and Vinegar

It is known as an age-old therapy that treats warts effectively. You can make a paste of baking powder along with vinegar to treat warts. Moreover, they have antibacterial properties which kill the germs present on the external surface of warts. On the other hand, you can also use tea tree oil as it is a popular option to get rid of warts.

It also keeps the area clean and moist which makes sure that the affected area is not dry. A dry area on the surface of a mole would always pose problems. It is so because a dry wart surface can create friction which may cause further pain.

The Achilles Tendon orcalcaneal tendonorheel cord, is the big entwinedensemble of fibrous tissuesthat is located at the back of the lower leg and connects the calf muscles(gastrocnemius and soleus muscles) to the heel bones (calcaneal tuberosity on the calcaneus).It is the largest and the strongest tendon in the human body. The Achilles tendon endures a lot of stress and pressure in the normal day-to-day activities, such as, walking, jumping, running, as well as athletic activities. However, a rupture in the Achilles tendon can be caused among the people of any age group, but most ruptures are caused during the age of 30-50, among the people who are very physically active or are professional athletes.

The tears in the tendon fibers can result in a partial or total disruption of the tendon. If you hear sudden pop sound at the back of the calf, then the condition might need instant medical care.

Achilles Tendon: Causes

Achillis Tendonitis is normally caused by repetitive and intense pressure on the Achilles Tendon. The structure of the Tendon weakens with age, making it more prone to the injury. There are two main types of Tendonitis:

The first type of Tendonitis, Non-insertional Achilles Tendonitis, usually affects the younger adults. It causes pain and swelling as the small slits of the middle fibers of the tendon begins to disrupt.

The second type of Tendonitis, Insertional Achilles Tendonitis, can occur at any age, even to people who are not very physically active. The pain is caused due to additional bone development at the spot where the Tendon meets the heel bone.

Achilles Tendon: Symptoms

Achilles Tendonitis can weaken the tendon and can make the tendon more prone to the rupture, which may require an immediate surgical repair. The symptoms of Achilles Tendonitis are:

1. Stiffness, aching or swelling within the tendon. Pain can be at its intensity upon waking up in the morning and worsening during the day due to increased activities. The pain would occur at the back of the leg or near the heel.

2. Powerful penetrating pain when the sides of the tendon are squeezed. However, when the back of the tendon is touched or squeezed there is considerably less pain.

3. Enlargement or growth of nodules may arise in the spots where the tissue is injured. The patient will experience difficulty in bending the affected foot.

Achilles Tendon: Treatment

After the Achillis Tendonitis is diagnosed by the doctor through your medical history, visible symptoms and X-ray results, it is important to get the right treatment.Treatment depends on the severity of the injury. If the injury is not very intense, the doctor will ask you to take considerable amount of rest, frequent ice compression at the affected area, intake of pain relieving drugs, special exercises that you can do on your own to strengthen the calf muscle, physiotheraphy, orthotic shoes (to lift your heel).

If the above treatment is not of much relief then the foot doctor might recommend surgery. Some of the surgical methods may include: surgery to extend the gastrocnemius (calf muscle) decline or surgery to remove the excess bone growth and to repair the tendon. 

It is very important to seek out a podiatrist if you believe you have an injury in the Achilles region, because further damage could result in severe complications that would make being mobile difficult, if not impossible.