Surgery – Page 3 – Anderson Podiatry Center

Treating Neuropathy: 5 Stages

Posted on March 29, 2017July 1, 2025 by admin

Stage 1

In this stage, the patient is experiencing symptoms of neuropathy, but they are still very mild.

Stage 2-4

Many patients will experience the most pain here, along with the burning and tingling and it can become very hard to sleep. This is also where people typically begin taking neuropathy medication.

Stage 5

At this point, the neuropathy has usually progressed to where the patient’s feet are numb and very weak. They aren’t in pain, but often have trouble standing or walking and don’t have the strength that they used to have. If the patient is diabetic, the risk of amputation goes up here, because the nerves are often dead.

The good news is that patients have an opportunity to decrease the risk of getting to stage 5 and also of amputation. During the middle stages, the nerves are still very much alive and that’s where nerve decompression surgery plays a very important role in the patient’s treatment. Many ask, can you reverse neuropathy? We can go in and open up these nerve tunnels that are being compressed and many times, we can reverse the symptoms of neuropathy in feet, neuropathy in legs, and restless legs, which drastically improves the patient’s quality of life.

To learn more, click here.

In this video, Dr. Anderson discusses the five neuropathy stages, the symptoms that can occur at each stage, and treatment options that are available throughout the journey.

Treating Neuropathy: The Weight Gain Effect

Posted on March 21, 2017July 1, 2025 by admin

For many people diagnosed with restless leg syndrome or neuropathy, weight gain can be an unwanted side effect of the medications that are typically prescribed.

Weight gain can cause while treating neuropathy:

Increased blood pressure: Carrying extra weight puts more strain on your heart, causing it to work harder to pump blood, which can lead to higher blood pressure. Over time, this can damage your arteries, increasing the risk of heart disease and stroke.
Risk of developing diabetes: Excess weight, particularly around the abdomen, is a major risk factor for type 2 diabetes. Weight gain can lead to insulin resistance, where your body’s cells do not respond properly to insulin, causing blood sugar levels to rise.
Added stress on your feet: Your feet bear the weight of your entire body, and additional pounds can exacerbate foot pain and contribute to conditions such as plantar fasciitis and arthritis. For those already experiencing neuropathy, this added stress can worsen symptoms like pain and numbness.
Poor nerve function: Obesity can lead to metabolic and inflammatory changes that negatively impact nerve health. This can slow nerve function and worsen the symptoms of neuropathy, making it more difficult to manage.

Increased risk of developing cancer (and other diseases linked to obesity): Being overweight or obese is associated with a higher risk of several types of cancer, including breast, colon, and prostate cancer. Obesity can also increase the likelihood of developing conditions such as fatty liver disease, gallbladder disease, and sleep apnea.

In this video, Dr. Anderson talks about the dangerous potential of weight gain and how this can negatively affect your overall health.

Alternative Treatment Options for Neuropathy:

If you are experiencing these symptoms, there is hope. Many of our patients come to us with a desire to get off of their medications and explore other treatment options for neuropathy and restless leg syndrome. Here are some alternatives that may be beneficial:

Lifestyle Changes: Incorporating regular exercise, maintaining a healthy diet, and losing weight can significantly reduce symptoms. Exercise can improve circulation and nerve health, while a balanced diet can provide essential nutrients for nerve repair and maintenance.
Physical Therapy: Tailored exercises and physical therapy can help improve strength, balance, and flexibility, which can reduce symptoms and improve overall quality of life.
Supplements and Vitamins: Certain vitamins and supplements, such as B vitamins, alpha-lipoic acid, and omega-3 fatty acids, have been shown to support nerve health and reduce symptoms of neuropathy.
Alternative Therapies: Acupuncture, massage therapy, and chiropractic care are alternative treatments that some patients find beneficial in managing their symptoms without the side effects of medication.
Innovative Treatments: Advances in medical technology have led to new treatments such as electrical nerve stimulation and laser therapy, which can provide relief for some patients.

By addressing weight gain and exploring alternative treatments, it is possible to manage neuropathy and restless leg syndrome more effectively and improve your overall health and well-being.

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.

How to Know if You Need Surgery for Your Chronic Foot Pain

Posted on July 26, 2016July 1, 2025 by admin

If you’re suffering from foot pain that just won’t go away, you’ll try almost anything to find relief. Pain medications, physical therapy, orthotics, braces, special shoes, rest, ice, heat, massage…the list goes on.

But chronic pain is usually a side effect of something even bigger—chronic damage to the affected joints, ligaments, tendons, and muscles. The severity of this damage is often the most important criteria to consider when determining the best treatment.

What happens to your body parts from regular and long term damage?

Chronic damage to a joint leads to osteoarthritis.
Chronic damage to tendons causes thickening and scarring of tendons as well as possible rupture or tearing.
Chronic damage to ligaments creates joint instability, which can lead to arthritis and worsening of tendon issues.

In most cases, this damage is not going to be isolated to just one structure. Rather, people who suffer chronic pain usually have all of these structures damaged to some degree, and the parts that are the most severely damaged usually determine the best course of treatment.

Is it time for you to consider surgery?

First, we’ll need to determine how bad the damage is. This is where all those x-rays, MRIs, blood work, etc. come into play. X-rays will show severity of arthritis and an MRI will show the severity of damage to tendons and ligaments.

For more severely damaged structures, conservative treatment may have a low chance of success and https://websitetest8.striveenterprisetest.com/anderson-center-for-surgery/surgical treatment may be more likely, but rarely will an x-ray or MRI be the absolute deciding factor of treatment for a chronic issue. It’s just another bit of info to factor in.

Every patient is different, and I tailor the treatment of chronic pain to the particular demands of each person, based on their lifestyle. Together, we decide whether conservative treatments can successfully help with chronic foot pain. If not, it might be time to consider surgery, which, in most cases, can help you get back on your feet sooner, and hopefully pain-free!