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Foot Notes

Posts for tag: Orthotics

May 22, 2019

If your child’s heel hurts, they may be suffering from something called Sever’s Disease. Severs Disease, or Calcaneal apophysitis, is a condition that includes the painful swelling of their foot’s growth plate. Sever’s Disease is something more apt to be found in children. The pain will most likely emanate from the soft cartilage that lays next to the heel bone where much of the child’s foot growth occurs. Damage to this part of the foot can develop into something much more pronounced and painful over time if not corrected. The best person to diagnose Sever’s Disease is your podiatrist who should be consulted if your child is suffering from any type of heel pain.

Signs of Sever’s Disease include:

  • Pain and Redness in the heel
  • Foot Stiffness upon waking
  • Limping or walking on tiptoes to avoid pressure on the heel
  • Swelling

Often developed during puberty, Sever’s Disease can be caused by the rapid and uneven growth of foot bones, ligaments, tendons and muscles resulting in the distortion of the growth plate.

Candidates for Sever’s Disease include:

  • Athletes whose feet often hit a hard surface like in basketball, tennis, running and gymnastics
  • Anyone ages 9 to 16
  • Anyone who does a lot of standing

Treating Sever’s Disease includes:

  • Ice – Apply ice every 1 to 2 hours for 15 minutes at a time
  • Pain medicine – use Tylenol and only as directed on the bottle. If you are unsure of the dose, speak to your podiatrist
  • Orthotics - Wear specially designed foot supports to take stress off heel
  • Well-fitting shoes – choose footwear that is well cushioned and/or is open in the back to alleviate pressure on the heel
  • Physical therapy – see a physical therapist to strengthen your feet especially near the heel
  • Foot cast – as determined by your podiatrist
  • Activity change – change or reduce the amount of activity that led to the condition
  • Stretch – stretch your foot muscles before any activity
  • Lose weight – obesity can also contribute to Sever’s Disease

With appropriate treatment, most patients will resume activities in 2 weeks to 2 months.

Do you suspect your child may has Sever’s Disease or any other foot concerns schedule an appointment with Clark Podiatry Center to see our board-certified podiatrist, Dr. Brandon A. Macy who is  associated with New Jersey Children's Foot Health Institute . Come see us at our Clark, New Jersey office today!

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By Clark Podiatry Center
May 15, 2019
Category: Bunions
Tags: Orthotics   Proper Footwear   arthritis   bunion   callus   corn   podiatrist  

One of the many problems that a person can have is developing a bunion. What is a bunion? A bunion is a painful bone deformity, or bump, at the base of the big toe.

Symptoms of a bunion can include:

  • A large or growing bump on the inside of your big toe’s joint.
  • Pain and swelling
  • A callus or corn on the bump
  • A hardening of the skin on the big toe
  • Difficulty walking on the inflamed foot

There are several causes of a bunion which can include:

  • Poor fitting shoes – shoes that are too narrow. Proper footwear is crucial to healthy feet.
  • Heredity – genetic traits passed down from previous relatives.
  • Rheumatoid arthritis – an inflammatory condition in your joints which helps distort the toe.
  • Polio – Rare but possible condition that weakens muscles.

Bunions can be treated surgically and non-surgically.

Non-surgical treatments include:

  • Good fitting footwear – choosing footwear that allow greater space near the toes will allow them to stretch and move in a more natural position.
  • Orthotics – using a type of specific padding. While you can purchase an orthotic at your local drug store, seeing your podiatrist to determine which type of orthotic is your best choice.
  • Ice – applying ice to the swollen area will usually reduce pain and swelling.
  • Medications – using non-steroid, anti-inflammatory medicine can reduce the pain and swelling.

If the above treatments do not help or help enough, surgery may be needed. Surgery is not recommended for children, however, as their feet are still growing. Less invasive treatments will probably be best. During surgery your podiatrist will realign the bones and ligaments to return the foot to a more natural and comfortable position. This should relieve the pain and swelling and reduce the bump. While usually very effective, taking the proper time to recover is very important.  Surgery is usually completed in one day.

 If you believe you have or are developing a bunion or have any other foot concerns, please make an appointment with us. Dr. Brandon A. Macy, who is associated with New Jersey Children's Foot Health Institute, will assess your feet and find the appropriate treatments to get you back to being active. Call Clark Podiatry at (732) 382-3470.

 

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By Clark Podiatry Center
May 01, 2019

Choosing the right Orthotics for a child can be much more important than for an adult. A child’s orthotic will guide the proper growth of their feet for the rest of their lives and help with the proper alignment of the ankle, knees, hips and lower back, hopefully eliminating the need for one when they are older.

Of course, not all children’s feet will need an orthotic because their feet are growing. By age 5 or 6, if a child has not developed an arch or is having other problems, call your podiatrist. They will diagnose the problem and, if needed, make sure their feet are appropriately matched with the correct orthotic.

Common reasons for an orthotic include:

  • Over pronation – when your feet tilt inward. Can lead to shin splints, stress fractures and a collapsed arch.
  • Supination – when your feet tilt toward the outside. Can lead to stress fractures.
  • Flat feet – No arch.
  • High arch – Is not usually not supported in a regular shoe.

Each of the above conditions requires a different type of orthotic. The 3 main types are:

  • Rigid – controls the motion of the foot with some arch support
  • Semi-rigid – a less stiff orthotic that will provide more cushioning than a rigid orthotic yet provides good arch support
  • Soft or cushioned – an orthotic that provides cushioning and shock absorption

With supination and pronation usually comes some type of pain that will indicate a problem, but not all pain of course will be eliminated with an orthotic. Other unseen issues may be contributing to your child’s foot pain making it all the more important to make an appointment to see your podiatrist. 

If you believe your child may need an orthotic, or you have any other foot concerns, please make an appointment with us. Dr. Brandon A. Macy, who is associated with New Jersey Children's Foot Health Institute, will assess your feet and find the appropriate treatments to make sure your child’s feet are corrected and back on track to a healthy, active and productive life. Call Clark Podiatry at (732) 382-3470.

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By Clark Podiatry Center
April 09, 2019

It probably won’t be a surprise to you that much of a child’s foot health is inherited. High or no arches, tendencies to walk bow legged or the development of calluses are just some of what a child can expect if their parents suffered from the same. One common malady, however, is something called Severs Disease. Also known as Calcaneal apophysitis, Severs Disease is the inflammation of the growth plate in the heel of growing and active children. Severs disease causes pain and a slight swelling around the heel making it difficult to walk or run.

Treating Severs disease includes the following:

  • Reduce activities – Have your child immediately refrain from any activity that causes heel pain.
  • Ice – apply ice to the heel for 20 minutes 3 times a day.
  • Orthotics – children with high arches, no arch, or bowlegs an orthotic may be needed to alleviate the stress on the heel. See your podiatrist for this.
  • Short leg casts – in more dramatic cases children may need to have a short leg cast to temporarily rest the Achilles heel.
  • Shoes – wearing more elevated and cushioning shoes.
  • Stretching – stretching the Achilles tendon can loosen the affected area.
  • Pain meds – using non-steroidal anti-inflammatory pain medications like ibuprofen and naproxen can help. Male sure to only use as directed and see your podiatrist if you have any questions.

As long as the treatment works, your child can go back to their active self. It is not uncommon, though, for the malady to return unless long term care such as the above is taken. Some of the sports which would be prone to this are running, basketball, tennis and gymnastics, but any activity that requires pounding their feet on a hard surface can induce Severs.

If you or your child has heel pain or any other foot concerns, please make an appointment with us. Dr. Brandon A. Macy, who is associated with New Jersey Children's Foot Health Institute, will assess your feet and find the appropriate treatments to get you back to being active. Call Clark Podiatry at (732) 382-3470.

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By Clark Podiatry Center
March 05, 2019
Category: Heel pain
Tags: x-ray   Flat Feet   Plantar Fasciitis   Orthotics   Shoes   stretch   MRI  

The foot is one of the most complicated parts of the human body. With 19 separate muscles, 26 bones, 33 joints, and at least 107 ligaments and tendons, it is easy to see why taking care of your feet is very important. One of the common ailments many people experience is called Plantar fasciitis, a painful inflammation of connective tissue that runs across the bottom of the foot connecting the heel bone to the rest of the foot.  Plantar Fasciitis is commonly experienced by people whose feet constantly pound hard, flat surfaces and are often caused by Heel Spurs or bony protrusions of calcium on the heel.

Risk Factors for Plantar Fasciitis

  • Age - Between the ages of 40 and 60.
  • Diabetes
  • Exercise -  Activities that put a lot of stress on your heel - long-distance running, jumping activities, basketball, ballet, and aerobic dance.
  • Foot mechanics - Having flat feet, a high arch or an abnormal pattern of walking that distributes weight unevenly on the foot.
  • Obesity - Being overweight.
  • Occupation - Factory workers, teachers, construction workers, athletes, nurses and others who walk or stand a lot on hard surfaces.

Some of the ways to avoid Plantar Fasciitis

  • Lose weight.
  • Always wear appropriate athletic shoes.
  • Wear shoes that are supportive, have good arch support and absorb shock well.
  • Stretch and warm up before exercising.
  • See your doctor if you suspect you have Plantar Fasciitis.

If you do see your doctor, there are several ways to treat the ailment depending on the severity of the inflammation. They include:

  • Examination- Physical examination of the inflamed site.
  • X-Ray or MRI (Magnetic Resonance Imaging) to see if there is a damaged nerve or fracture.
  • Ultrasound
  • Medicine - Doctor prescribed mostly over the counter pain meds.
  • Stretching - ligaments, tendons, and muscles before exercise especially.  
  • Therapy -  Physical Therapy, Night Splints and the use of Orthotics.
  • Surgery - At times this may be necessary if other methods are not successful.

If you have any questions or would like to see a podiatrist, please make an appointment with our friendly staff. Dr. Brandon Macy will assess your feet and find the appropriate treatments to get you back to being active. Call Clark Podiatry at (732) 382-3470. If you have concerns with your children’s feet, Dr. Macy specializes in pediatrics and can assess your children’s feet at New Jersey Children’s Foot Health Institute.

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Podiatrist - Clark, Dr. Brandon Macy, 1114 Raritan Road, Clark NJ, 07066 732-382-3470