What do a 70-year old woman with diabetes and an 8-year old boy with an intoeing deformity have in common? They both are improving their foot health by wearing custom-fitted orthotic devices. Orthotics are inserts that fit into shoes to correct an abnormal walking pattern or redistribute pressure to alleviate a foot problem. Some shoe inserts…
The professional baseball season has just started but already the injuries are mounting up. Yankee reliever pitcher Bryan Mitchell will be out until at least August because of injuries suffered in a recent Disney World game against the Braves. One injury is bad enough, but Mitchell had the unfortunate luck to suffer two at the…
Ah, the lowly foot. It’s the last thing we think about – maybe because it’s so far away from our brains? – unless it hurts. Our feet are amazing combinations of bones, muscles, joints, ligaments and tendons. Together they work hard to allow us to walk, jump and run, and even help us keep our…
Although young and resilient, children and teens are not immune to sports-related injuries. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) reports that more than 2.6 million teens and children are treated each year in U.S. emergency rooms for injuries suffered while participating in sports activities. Without taking the proper precautions, your child may be one of…
Heel pain in a child may be linked to a growth spurt. In other words: Growing pains may be real! A child with heel pain or difficulty walking may have Severs Disease/Calcaneal Apophysitis. In this condition, the heel bone grows faster than the surrounding tendons and muscles during a growth spurt, and they are overstretched. In addition,…
Do you have an itchy rash on your feet or between your toes? Have you noticed patches of scaly, dry or blistered skin anywhere on your feet? Athlete’s foot is caused by a contagious fungus that thrives and spreads in warm, moist places like your socks and shoes. Because it is so contagious, you may have…
It’s fun to walk barefoot and many of us do it at home and in public places. But walking without protection on your feet can make you susceptible to picking up contagious foot problems. One of these is plantar warts. These growths are caused by a virus that thrives in public gyms, showers and pools. The…
Have you noticed that your child’s toes point inward when he or she walks? This is a foot abnormality called in-toeing and is fairly common in young children. Children can also be seen out-toeing which is just the opposite and where the toes point outward when walking. This condition is much less common than in-toeing. Although different from each…
If you have a stabbing pain on the bottom of your heel that hits you when you first get out of bed in the morning, you may have plantar fasciitis. The pain may gradually subside as you begin to move about, but can strike again after you’ve been sitting for a while. The plantar fascia is…
Usually patients with flat feet know that they have this condition, but if you’re not sure try this easy test. Stand on a firm surface like a sidewalk or bathroom tile, or a piece of newsprint with wet feet. Check your footprint: does the full outline of your foot appear? If yes, you probably have flat feet….
