General Podiatry Archives - Page 13 of 17

General Podiatry Archives - Page 13 of 17 - Anderson Podiatry Center Anderson Podiatry Center

Reconstructive Foot Surgery: Part 1

Posted on April 11, 2017 by admin

What is reconstructive foot surgery?

“Reconstructive surgery” is a term you may have heard from time to time. This can mean very different things depending on what we are “reconstructing” and why. Reconstructive surgery can correct a condition you were born with like clubfoot or cleft palate. Or, it can correct something that developed due to an injury or chronic condition. Examples of this are arthritis or a deformity caused by injury, neurological condition, etc. These conditions can range in severity from “mild but annoying” to “severe and debilitating” and everywhere in between.

Examples of reconstructive surgery could be something as simple as a correction of a bunion deformity or a hammertoe deformity. In other cases, it could be a more severe deformity, such as a flat foot deformity that may need to be addressed surgically both in the child or in the adult. For others, it could be addressing an arthritic joint surgically. In many situations the option of reconstructive surgery occurs when conservative measures fail and if the symptoms are severe enough to affect a patient’s activity of daily living. One should be properly educated about the potential risks of surgery and consequences of delayed surgery.

It’s important that you as the patient understand why you are going to have the procedure done and what other options are available to you. When treating patients with these issues, our goal is get maximum improvement without needing surgery. when surgery is needed, we’ll advise you and consult with you about the various treatment options that we offer.

If you have questions, please schedule an appointment and come see us for an evaluation. We would love to help you get back on your feet.

Does Foot Size Change with Age?

Posted on April 4, 2017July 1, 2025 by admin

Have you ever slipped on a pair of shoes you haven’t worn in a while, only to find they feel tighter or looser than you remember? It’s not just your imagination—your feet can actually change size over time. As a podiatrist, I’ve seen countless patients surprised by this phenomenon, and it’s always a great conversation starter in the office. Let’s dive into why this happens and what it means for your foot health.

Are your feet really growing?

If you are in your 30’s or 40’s and you swear your feet must be growing because your shoes are getting tight, you are not alone. I am often asked by patients “Why are my feet a different size than they were when I was younger?” This is actually very common for people in this age range. The truth is that the foot size does change.

Why does foot size change happen?

This happens because of the gradual collapse of the arch of the foot. This isn’t necessarily a dramatic, painful drop that is readily noticeable, but something that occurs very slowly. Let’s say you were to build a rock arch and put it up in your backyard. You would notice that 30 or 40 years later, that rock arch does not look the same as it did when you built it. In spite of the wondrous design of the human foot, the miles add up. The ligaments that support the 26 bones of the foot gradually weaken, causing the arch to fall. As that part comes down, the foot elongates. Oftentimes, this means going up one and even two shoe sizes larger. Resulting in your foot size changing!

One of the most common reasons for foot size changes is aging. As we grow older, the ligaments and tendons in our feet naturally lose some of their elasticity. This can cause the arches to flatten slightly, making your feet longer or wider. I often joke with my patients that their feet are “settling” like a house foundation, but it’s a real and sometimes uncomfortable process.
Pregnancy is another big factor. Many women notice their feet grow a half size or more during pregnancy due to hormonal changes that loosen ligaments and the added weight that flattens the arches.
Weight fluctuations can also play a role. Gaining or losing a significant amount of weight can alter the structure of your feet, causing them to spread out or shrink. While some patients can lose a lot of weight and are thrilled to fit into smaller shoes, other patients gain weight and find that their favorite sneakers no longer provided the support they need.
Even something as simple as swelling can make your feet feel like they’ve changed size. Conditions like edema, prolonged standing, or certain medications can cause temporary swelling, making your shoes feel tighter by the end of the day. I always remind my patients to pay attention to these changes—it’s your body’s way of signaling that something might be off.

Remember growing pains?

I would liken this phenomenon to the growing pains that occur in adolescence. As the foot elongates it creates a passive and active strain on the ligaments, tendons, and muscles in the foot that often leads to some of the more common conditions that present here in our office. These conditions include plantar fasciitis, Achilles tendonitis, other tendon issues in the foot, as well as bunions and neuromas.

What is the solution to your foot size changing?

The best thing to do is to get custom insoles to support your foot during this transitional phase of life. These orthotics are streamlined, and thin and will allow you to continue to wear fashionable shoes while having the support that you need. We take a cast of your foot and then send it to a lab to pour a plaster mold and have essentially a “bust” of your foot. Then, they design the orthotic specific to that shape.

This orthotic is made of a thin, graphite, composite that holds up for anywhere between 7 to 10 years. For most patients, this is an integral portion of their treatment protocol, and we are able to create a custom product at an affordable price. We also have new regenerative medicine therapies that combined with custom orthotics, can help people get back to their normal activities much faster than other treatments before.

Frequently Asked Questions

Q: How often should I measure my feet?
A: It’s a good idea to measure your feet once a year, especially if you’ve experienced weight changes, pregnancy, or are over the age of 40.

Q: Can foot size changes cause pain?
A: Yes, wearing ill-fitting shoes due to size changes can lead to discomfort, blisters, or even long-term issues like bunions or hammertoes.

Q: What type of shoes are best if my feet are changing size?
A: Look for shoes with adjustable features, like laces or straps, and plenty of room in the toe box. A podiatrist can help you find the perfect fit.

At Anderson Podiatry Center, we’re here to help you understand these changes and provide solutions, whether it’s recommending the right footwear, custom orthotics, or treatment for an underlying condition.

Your feet are the foundation of your body, and taking care of them is essential for staying active and pain-free. If you’ve noticed changes in your foot size or have concerns about your foot health, don’t hesitate to reach out. We’d love to help you step forward with confidence.

Learn more about regenerative medicine or custom orthotics.

To make an appointment, click here.

Heel Pain in Active Kids: Sever’s Disease

Posted on March 14, 2017July 1, 2025 by admin

I’ll start by mentioning that I am not a big fan of this condition being referred to as a “disease.” That word tends to upset needlessly. It’s not a “disease,” but is simply an inflammation of a growth plate in active children. A more accurate name is Sever’s Calcaneal Apophysitis, but that doesn’t exactly roll off the tongue. For now, let’s further abbreviate and just call it “Sever’s.”

Now that I got that off my chest, let’s review some basics of this very common complaint. Sever’s is an inflammation of the heel bone growth plate in children, and is most common in adolescents. This inflammation is thought to be caused by repetitive trauma to the growth plate caused by impact from running, jumping, etc. It is named for Dr. James Sever who initially described it in 1912. The pain involved can vary from patient to patient in severity and timing, but the location of the pain is always going to be located in the back part of the heel bone at the growth plate as seen below.

When a child is developing this issue, they will typically complain about aching pain in the heel that usually occurs following some type of physical activity. It most commonly affects just one foot, but can certainly occur in both. This pain will fluctuate up and down depending on activity, but can eventually lead to significant pain during sports, which can really limit the child’s ability to participate in ANY physical activity.

Diagnostic studies like X-rays are usually normal; the diagnosis is made by the location and timing of the pain. Treatment for Sever’s includes taking a short break from sports, regular stretching and icing of the heel, inserts for the shoes (heel lifts and orthotics), physical therapy, and in more severe cases I may recommend temporary cast immobilization.

For most children, the pain resolves in a few weeks and they are able to get back to their full activity level. Long term pain or damage from Sever’s is very rare, and the inflammation of the growth plate will always stop once the foot is done growing, so the long term prognosis is good for just about any child suffering with this.

If you think your child may be dealing with Sever’s or any other type of foot pain, please don’t hesitate to make an appointment with me at either of our office locations in Fort Collins or Cheyenne.

The quicker you do, the quicker your child can get back to being active and pain free.

The Patient Who Motivated Me Again

Posted on March 3, 2017 by admin

Spring is almost here, and with it comes that wonderful weather we all enjoy so much. After spending the winter months cooped up inside, I can’t wait to be outdoors and soak up the Colorado sunshine. Although Thanksgiving was many months ago now, I find myself realizing that being mindful of what I’m grateful for should be a daily occurrence instead of a yearly one.

I’m always grateful for my wife, my family, and my patients, but I also want to share the gratitude of having an active body that can still do amazing things! I celebrated my 64th birthday this year (Ouch!), so being able to enjoy skiiing, hiking, biking and having the ability to do those things has become more meaningful to me.

Of all these activities, running is the one I have become the most grateful for and I’ll tell you why. It all started back in college.

Back then it was almost un-cool to run on the street (or anywhere) in Boulder. People would occasionally make comments or even laugh at me. Hard to believe now but it was true then!

I then went to medical school in San Francisco, which, in contrast, was a great place to run. It was a way to relieve stress and give me energy after sitting in class for long hours. Then early in my practice years I ran a marathon, and since then several half marathons and many 10K’s as well. I continue to run to this day.

But I have the most gratitude for what I’m still able to do right now. I don’t need to run another marathon to feel fulfilled.

Several years ago I took some time away from running because my body didn’t feel too good the next day. When I did run, it was very short distances. Then, I met the man. He came to me as a patient. (I’ll let you in on a little secret, when we really get to know our patients, we doctors sometimes get as much or more from them than they get from us). All I can remember was that he was a retired surgeon, in his 70s, and was in really good shape; he looked like Adonis. I asked what he did to stay in such good shape and he said:

“I live in the mountains west of Boulder and I run on trails. If I ran on streets and sidewalks I would run less than a mile and hurt the next day” (sounded like where I was headed). “That just doesn’t happen running on trails.”

I believe people are sometimes put in our paths for a reason. He changed my whole attitude and gave me confidence. With ankles that sprain easily, I gradually took his advice to heart. I found trail running a great way to stay in shape. It still clears my mind from the stresses of life; running a business with 25 employees, doing research, and writing a book means I’ve got a lot going on. It’s a great way to problem solve. The sweat and oxygen rev up the creativity.

So, on most weekends, you can catch me running up around Horsetooth. I’m the middle-aged guy (don’t tell anyone I’m 64) you might pass on Tower Road, Blue Sky Trail or Horsetooth Trail (those are my favorites), and Adriann, my wife, sometimes joins me.

I’m very grateful to have this active life. And it’s even more amazing that I have such an athletic wife to share those times with. The motivation all started from one of you, a patient, and I hope this blog motivates you to keep your body moving too. Consider trail running for yourself as you get older, and let us know what your favorite trails are in the comments below. See you out there!

Chronic Nerve Pain: Hope vs. Medication

Posted on February 28, 2017July 1, 2025 by admin

My motivation for writing this blog is to reach out to those taking medications for their nerve pain; to encourage you to pause and consider other options for treating your restless legs or neuropathy. To help illustrate my point, I would like to share with you a story:

A patient I recently saw, I’ll call her Carol, had been to my office years ago and had surgery performed on one of her feet. She returned with a new complaint of chronic nerve pain, having been told she had neuropathy. She was also concerned that her foot was going to need surgery to fuse an arthritic joint. So, she had nerve pain and joint pain.

It had been 10 years since I had seen her, and she had gained some weight since then. The weight gain started when she sought treatment for her neuropathy. A pain specialist she was referred to treated her nerve pain with a heavily marketed drug for treatment of diabetic nerve pain.

She, like many others I see, was taking a lot of this medication. It does reduce some of the pain, but the trade-off is she had now gained 30-40 pounds, which is a common side effect.

Because I am confident that many of these folks can have their nerve pain reversed, it’s personally very frustrating to hear these stories. I’ve seen four patients this year who have gained 60 pounds. Yes, 60! Imagine the strain that puts on the rest of the body. High blood pressure, potential for diabetes, increased cancer risk, not to mention joint pains that will limit activity even more.

Over time, with the added weight, her arthritic feet became more painful. She was now also on a narcotic medication to help manage all this pain, which puts her at risk for addiction.

I reviewed with her the new treatment options we offer. Though there are no guarantees, we do have a very high probability of reversing her severe nerve symptoms using our nerve decompression procedures. She will need to slow down for a few days, but will be walking the next day.

Once her nerves start functioning better, there is a good chance she can get off these drugs, or at the very least, lower the dosage. With her her nerves functioning better she may have more arthritic pain since she will now be able to feel her joints. If that occurs we will consider regenerative treatments using FDA-approved placenta cells to help her arthritic joints. As a last resort, it will be back to surgery to fuse the joints.

I believe most of this could have been avoided. However, stories like Carol’s will continue to motivate our research team at Anderson Podiatry Center for Nerve Pain to bring more research and understanding to you, and those in the medical profession.

Please consider this: we believe many of you don’t need to go down the medication pathway, as it can be very destructive. Next time you or someone you know has been told to consider a drug for a nerve issue, know that there are more advanced treatment options.

Our desire is to address the cause of the problem, explain your treatment options, and ultimately, give you more hope.

What You Need to Know About Hammertoes

Posted on February 21, 2017 by admin

What are hammertoes? What causes this condition? What can you do about it? Today, we will discuss all those things. Most patients with hammertoes wonder why their toes are starting to curl or why they are no longer straight. While there can be other causes, like trauma, genetics plays the biggest role in their development, causing toes to curl over an extended period of time.

As the toes curl more they start to rub on the top of your shoes, or the tip of your toes may rub against the end of your shoes. You might start to notice a callus or corn on the top or tip of the toe, or the toe may start to rub against the adjacent toes. As the corn builds up it starts to cause pain. Pain can also develop in the joint due to contracture of the toe. Early on this can be reduced, but over time the soft tissue starts to adapt and the contracture becomes rigid.

So what can you do if you have hammertoes?

Treatment for hammertoes in their early stages can include trimming the corn/callous by a podiatrist, padding (available over the counter) to cushion the hammertoe or even a toe crest pad that rests underneath your toes. As you step down it helps to straighten the toes and take pressure off the tip of the toes and metatarsals. You can also wear shoes with a larger toe box to help reduce rubbing and shoe irritation. In rare instances cortisone injections can be used to reduce inflammation.

As hammertoes progress and if they are indeed causing you pain or affecting your daily life, then https://websitetest8.striveenterprisetest.com/anderson-center-for-surgery/surgical treatments are the best option to get you back to your activity level. This includes removing a small amount of bone in the toe and releasing soft tissue contractures. It often involves placing a pin or metal implant into the toe to help hold the position while the soft tissues and bone heal. Though surgery may sound daunting, most patients are excited to hear that they can typically walk the day of surgery in a special post-operative shoe.

If you are concerned about your toes starting to curl, come see us at Anderson Podiatry Center. We can help you better understand your treatment options, and start to feel like yourself again.

Get Back to Your Active Life, Fast

Posted on February 7, 2017July 1, 2025 by admin

Get Back to Your Active Life

The more time I spend with patients, the more I see that no matter what their symptoms are, their primary desire is essentially the same. They want to get back to their previous activity level, and they want to do it fast. Whether they are a runner, busy parent, or professional who works on their feet, it’s important to get back to their normal, active life.

In the field of podiatry, many treatments we have utilized in the past have been successful at curing the patient’s complaint, but it often take months to complete. Traditional treatments like orthotics, walking boots, cortisone injections and physical therapy have their place in our specialty, but can take months to relieve foot or ankle symptoms.

The exciting thing is we now have innovative treatment options that allow us to get patients back to those activities significantly faster. We have modalities that allow us to heal the tissue that produces the inflammation, rather than doing the old standby treatments of cortisone, anti-inflammatories and ice. These treatments reduce the inflammation, but do not heal the injured tissue itself.

There are two innovative treatment options that we have today that not only address the inflammation, but can help to heal the injured tissue. These modalities, AmnioFix therapy, and laser therapy, work at a cellular level by creating a response to the inner tissue that helps it to heal more rapidly than we have ever seen before.

AmnioFix Therapy is a simple, in-office injection that enhances healing, reduces scar tissue formation, and reduces inflammation. MLS Laser therapy is an FDA-approved therapy that accelerates cellular reproduction and growth, and therefore helps damaged cells to repair faster.

The third treatment is the use of custom orthotics. Though this has been around for many years, we have found that when we use regenerative therapies like the laser and AmnioFix, combined with orthotics, patients are able to get back to their activities faster than ever before. Additionally, we are seeing less patients going on to surgery because of the success of these new treatments.

If you have been struggling with conditions like heel pain, arthritis, tendonitis, ligament sprains or tears, tendon tears, or plantar fasciitis, and haven’t been able to be as active as you once were, come see us. You don’t have to endure daily pain and there are options that can help. We will work with you based on your lifestyle and goals to get you back to where you want to be.

Understanding Your Mobility : The Mobility Triangle

Posted on January 31, 2017 by admin

I’ve always been a visual learner, and I’ve always liked to teach. I have a passion for helping those with neuropathy, and challenging the status quo in regards to it. Putting all these together, I’ve come up with the concept of the mobility triangle. Why? Well, before I was trained in the treatment of neuropathy I was of the same belief as many in medicine that nothing could be done. However, I have learned that nerve function has a lot to do with your mobility.

During the past 14 years I’ve had the opportunity to extensively study about and receive training on restoring more normal nerve function by doing nerve decompression procedures. The potential benefits of these procedures outweighs anything I’d previously encountered as a doctor for patients suffering form neuropathy. Having nerves that function better can affect you in very significant ways. Before my exposure to these nerve procedures I was only able to help with foot pain itself, not in treating the underlying cause of the pain. Yes, pain does affect your mobility. With pain in your feet or legs you don’t want to move around much, but eliminating foot pain doesn’t increase your mobility nearly as much as improving the nerves themselves.

So now for the triangle concept. The triangle is composed of three factors: numbness, strength, and pain. Remember, nerves that are not performing optimally affect all three.

Numbness:

Without good sensation in your feet you are not going to want to ambulate as much. It’s difficult to feel the irregularities in the surfaces you walk on, and you’re more likely to fall. Walking on a mountain trail, for example, is an activity you may choose to avoid.

Strength:

When strength is an issue, walking is obviously effected. You may not be able to push of the ground with your feet as well or lift your feet off the ground (drop foot). Falls become more probable. Again, no motivation to walk on that mountain trail, or even sidewalks for that matter.

Pain:

Yes, pain! The burning, tingling, and nerve pain keep you from sleeping well, and often get worse with activity, so once again, no maintain trail for you.

Now let’s look at the mobility triangle with each of these three points. Simply stated, if any one of these three factors of pain, strength, or numbness is affected, it will tend to affect one or both other factors. Obviously to function well all three have to be working optimally.

For example, if you’re experiencing nerve pain you may become less active. This has a negative impact on your strength, making you even less active, and then your muscles become weak. You may even become diabetic, and your feet may eventually start to go numb. Or, you may have a lot of numbness, making it hard to walk and balance, and you become even weaker. This lack of activity can cause weight gain, which can lead to more arthritis in the knees hips and back. And so it goes. Each of these factors are important and have an impact on your general health in a big way.

It’s a simple concept. But I think it’s a good way for you to understand the importance of your nerves, and the role they play in the lower extremity and your general health.

Now for your next step. Imagine a way to reverse these problems. Imagine the potential to improve your mobility triangle. This is what you’re not being told. What you are told is to take drugs, live with it, nothing can be done, and/or it’s probably your back.

Few in medicine, aside from us, are looking at the optimum function of your lower limb in terms of maximizing nerve function. However, medicine is in the midst of being challenged with this concept.

Some of the research we are doing will help in these efforts. That’s good news for you! So, keep learning and we’ll keep researching and working to give those with mobility issues more hope. Our goal is to make your lack of mobility a memory.

3 Things to Know About Ingrown Nails in Children

Posted on January 24, 2017 by admin

Ingrown nails are a very common (and usually very painful) condition for all ages of people. Approximately three million ingrown nails are treated annually in the US. This problem is especially common in children between the ages of 9 and 18, and the big toe is by far the most common nail affected.

Causes of ingrown nails:

There can be multiple reasons for this, including: improperly fitted shoes (toes get squished in the toe box), minor trauma, improper cutting, as well as genetic factors, such as the shape of the nail and surrounding skin. Also, some sports tend to contribute to the development of ingrown nails. For example, soccer players can be susceptible due to repeated kicking in tight fitting shoes. Ski boots can also irritate nails due to tight fit.

I recommend that all parents regularly check the fit of their children’s shoes and boots to see if the toes have adequate room, and make sure to replace any shoes that are getting too small. Children’s feet can grow rather quickly and even newer shoes may not fit properly for long.

Signs and symptoms:

Signs and symptoms of ingrown nails are pain and sensitivity to the nail and toe that may come and go. If an ingrown nail is getting infected it will usually look red and swollen and may even bleed or drain fluid. Home treatment for this issue are limited and not always very effective. Some common home remedies may even make the problem worse.

For example, you should never try to dig or cut out the nail border since the portion of the nail that is getting ingrown is deeper down in the toe than you think. Never try to place cotton under the nail. This is ineffective and may worsen the symptoms or infection. Don’t try and cut a notch in the nail, as this is also ineffective. There are a variety of over the counter remedies which at best don’t work and at worst may cause more severe infection.

One home remedy worth trying is soaking the foot in water and Epsom salts. This can help the nail drain and may give some improvement, however this will rarely fix the problem long term.

Solutions:

The best solution is to have the nail evaluated and treated by an experienced podiatrist. Ingrown nails can be treated quickly and safely in most podiatry offices. Treatment often involves numbing the toe and removing a small portion of the nail. If the nail has been ingrown more than once we will usually remove the nail corner and treat it with a chemical to prevent that sliver of the nail from growing back. This is a common and highly effective procedure with little pain or discomfort involved. I absolutely do not recommend that you ever dig at it, chop at it, or poke it with sharp objects. This will only make it worse.

So, if you think your child may have an ingrown nail, don’t wait until it gets infected or more painful. Make an appointment and nip it in the bud. The sooner it’s treated the sooner your child can get back to the fun stuff!

My Other Life in the Pits

Posted on January 17, 2017July 1, 2025 by admin

The alarm went off too early that day. I thought I had it perfectly planned how to get to the airport on time, but it still became a rush to get to the gate to Seattle. This is the intro to my other life.

For the last six years, my other life has revolved around racing. My wife Adriann and I have had the challenge of supporting our son’s efforts on the pathway to the IndyCar race series. This has involved many trips and many sacrifices. Most families would consider us nuts! It’s all my fault really, as I raced cars for a short five-year span in my early forties.

We’ve always believed in supporting our children’s passions. As with any professional sport, auto racing is no different, very few make it to the pinnacle. For us the plan was to go as far up the pathway to IndyCar as possible, as it’s considered the most difficult ladder to follow in the U. S. This year we found ourselves with Scott, our son, at the last level before IndyCar, the Indy lights series, starting his third year at that level.

I could argue that to go up to IndyCar from this level is more a matter of money, and lots of it. Most racers at this level have been vetted by the time they get here, so they’re all very talented. So, here’s the story of this family with little financial means or support to continue in Indy lights, or go up to IndyCar.

We made the decision to do a partial season in Indy lights and then change the plan. For now, we are going to where the opportunity and commercial money is, and for us that’s Red Bull Global Rally Cross. Scott recently completed his first weekend in Seattle and then his last race was in Los Angeles. It’s a different racing culture for us; younger, more TV exposure, and different cars.

We’ve been very blessed with an excellent race team, and with a man who believes in Scott and is branding him as his sports ambassador for his firm. Scott also has a team of people to brand him with other companies who fit in with his other passions: skiing, mountain biking, and mountain climbing.

So, the journey continues. For me the benefits have been enormous despite the sacrifices.

To see a young man grow and develop, and to have time on planes to write my book and blog in the meantime have been huge blessings.

I like to think we are never given challenges we can’t see our way through. We never know what will be there. For me personally its pushed my creative mind to think bigger about my professional passions. It was through Scott’s racing and the pathway to seek financial support for our son that led me to another opportunity: the chance to bring my knowledge and research in the treatment of neuropathy and restless legs to other countries.

We never know what our pathways will bring. For now, I’ll appreciate those quiet hours on a plane going and coming to each event. It’s time for me to continue writing and blogging. I hope to improve my ability to speak to you, and to understand what you want and need from each blog I write.

So, if you’re a parent maybe you can relate to what I want to finish by saying: the greatest rewards may come on our pathways to provide for the development of another person, like our children, and not all those things that society seems to think we need.