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Podiatrist- Indianapolis 7430 N. Shadeland Suite 290 Indianapolis, IN 46250 (317) 841-7990 |
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Heel pain is very common, and many people who suffer from this have the initial instinct to buy pads to place under the heel to reduce pressure and pain. The pads, made of gels or composite foams, can certainly reduce some pressure to the bottom of the heel, and may improve the pain when one places direct weight on the heel. However, these pads are actually not the best choice for heel pain, as the problem usually lies in front of the heel, not under it.
Most heel pain is due to an arch abnormality in which there is either excessive strain on the arch, or increased shock to the arch. When the arch is stabilized, this strain or stress is removed for the most part, and the underlying cause of heel pain is controlled. While this does not resolve active heel pain once it is already present, it is a very important part of heel pain treatment and is the most important part of keeping heel pain from returning once it is gone.
This arch support can take the form of all sorts of devices placed in the shoes, from soft foam inserts to firmer, semi-flexible plastic padded inserts, all the way to solid prescription orthotics. They significantly differ from simple heel pads in that they fit into the arch, and offer stabilization where it is needed..
There are some causes of heel pain, particularly a stone bruise or bursitis, in which a gel pad under the heel is superior to an arch support for treatment. In these cases, direct pressure reduction under the heel controls the underlying source of pain, and support of the arch is helpful, but not necessary.
We carry the Powerstep line of arch support inserts which actually have foam heel padding in addition to serving as an arch support. This insert works well for nearly all causes of heel pain, as part of a comprehensive treatment program. If you are suffering from heel pain, please consider these excellent inserts as part of your treatment program with our doctors.
Is this you? If so, you may need to see us before the summer gets into full swing. Pain in the ball of the feet can be due to several different conditions, depending on the exact location. The conditions that are of greater concern include a neuroma, joint inflammation and tearing, a stress fracture, as well as sesamoiditis.
In between the long bones of the foot, there are nerves that run underneath and branch off into the toes. When one has a slightly flatter foot or a higher arch, the strain on the foot caused by an unsupportive sandal can allow the nerve's covering to become irritated and inflamed, leading to pain, and sometimes a feeling of a lump in the ball of the foot with occasional tingling and burning. The result is a neuroma, which is a thickened inflamed nerve. This condition can become chronic, and if not treated soon enough may require surgery.
The joints at the base of the toes can also become inflamed and irritated due to poor foot support in a sandal, and can lead to pain in the ball of the foot. Called the metatarsal phalangeal joints, these joints can develop swelling and damage in the tissue that envelopes the joint itself, and sometimes the tissue that supports the joint on the bottom can tear, leading to further swelling and a dislocation of the toe. Like a neuroma, untreated joint tissue tearing can require surgery if not addressed soon enough, and non-tearing inflammation of the joint tissue can become a chronic problem if the foot support issue is not addressed.
Stress fractures are common in the metatarsal bones near the middle of the foot, and can be found in the ball of the foot as well near the head and neck of the metatarsal. Stress fractures form as a result of long term, on-going bone stress that creates microscopic fractures in the inner substance of the bone. Unlike full fractures, stress fractures can take months to develop, and even longer to heal. Prompt treatment can shorten this time significantly.
Finally, if pain is felt under the big toe joint in the ball of the foot, the culprit may be inflammation or even fracture of a small round bone called a sesamoid. There are two sesamoid bones under the 1st metatarsal head at the base of the big toe. The can be injured when there is poor foot support and when one jumps from a height or runs for exercise or sport, or even simply with extended activity. Sesamoiditis develops as the sesamoid becomes inflamed, which can lead to a stress fracture or full fracture at some point. Prompt treatment can shorten the typically long treatment time required to heal this condition.
If you are developing pain under the ball of your foot while in sandals or any other shoe, it is a good idea to visit one of our podiatrists for an assessment and for treatment. Dr. Kilberg, Dr. Fulkert, and Dr. Schulman are highly experienced at treating these types of foot conditions, and can help make your summer comfortable and carefree without the discomfort and worry of foot pain. Give us a call today!
Are you starting to develop foot pain this early spring as the unseasonably warm Indiana weather lets you become more active outside? Take charge of it now before your pain lasts into the summer and really keeps you down!
Foot pain can have many causes, and can include heel pain from plantar fasciitis, bunion and hammertoe pain, strain from flat feet, hard calluses and warts, inflamed ingrown toenails, pinched nerves, and painful rashes and fungus infections. Many of these conditions are related to foot structure, shoe choice, and activity level, and the way each of these components come together. Treatment of foot pain involves addressing each of these components in order to provide permanent relief, and requires an expert to diagnose and properly address the somtimes complicated causes of foot pain.
The podiatrists at Indiana Podiatry Group, Dr. Kilberg, Dr. Fulkert, and Dr. Schulman, provide this expert care. They treat patients of all ages from all over central Indiana, including Indianapolis, Fishers, Carmel, Noblesville, Westfield, and Tipton. They use concise medical treatment combined with foot structural control, and surgical treatment when needed.
Don't let foot pain slowly build this spring and keep you hobling into the summer. Call Indiana Podiatry Group today to begin the first step towards pain relief!
Pain in the ball of the foot can have multiple causes, but nearly always is due to some issue with the way the foot is shaped. The ball of the foot is the place where the long bones of the foot (the metatarsals) meet the bases of the toes. This area endures a great deal of strain as the foot pushes off the ground during the motion of walking. This strain is increased even further when one's foot veers towards a flat structure or to a high arched structure. In either scenario, through differing reasons, the foot suffers through increased pressure to the ball of the foot, leading to injury of the tissue that surrounds the joints in the ball of the foot, the bones themselves, or the nerves that run in between the bones. The skin can even become affected by this increased pressure, as painful calluses can develop.
Treatment of pain in the ball of the foot involves first identifying what tissue is actually injured, and then identifying the underlying abnormality with the foot's structure. A combination treatment of inflammation-reducing medication and therapy, and increased structural support from arch support inserts and better supportive shoes is then initiated to relieve the pain. Treatment in the office is usually effective, with only a small number of people requiring surgical intervention to cure the underlying problem.
Don't let pain in the ball of the foot stop you from staying active. Call our office today so our doctors can cure this condition and get you back on your feet pain-free!
Do you have ingrown toenails that have bothered you in the past, but feel ok now? Do you think that you can change the way your nail grows but cutting it in a different way? Have you ever had to soak a painful nail or cut it back to make the infection go away, only to see the same problem return later on?
If you have answered yes to these questions, you may want to consider becoming proactive and stopping the nail from ever bothering you again.
An ingrown nail is formed when the nail root cells at the base of the nail are either malformed at birth or become damaged over the course of a lifetime of toe injuries and tighter fitting shoes. The side or sides of the nail curl inward toward the skin, instead of staying straight. When the skin becomes inflamed against this inward pinching nail, pain and infection can develop.
This inflammation and pain sometimes can go away with simple home-based treatment like soaking and antibiotic ointment, or hydrogen peroxide. However, it rarely stays gone for long. Cutting the nail in a different way at the tip will not change its growth from the base. The nail side is, in a way, destined to become painful again at some point as the nail grows, even if you cut it back for relief.
The foot specialists at Indiana Podiatry Group can perform a simple ten minute ingrown toenail procedure in the office that can permanently fix the ingrown nail, and produce a healthy nail border that cannot lead to pain and inflammation. Even if your nail does not hurt now, if it has ever been inflamed it will most likely become so again. By deciding proactively to rid yourself of the problem, you can prevent future toe pain, infection, and can live without worrying about how you should cut your toenails every time you groom your feet.
Call today for an appointment to see how we can help you rid yourself of this nuisance.