treatment – Anderson Podiatry Center

What You Should Know About Bunion Treatment

Posted on November 17, 2020 by admin

What Are Bunions?

You have all seen a person wearing beautiful sandals, but notice a big bump or protrusion on the side of their foot by the big toe. Or maybe you’ve seen an area of the shoe by the big toe that is being pushed out- looking as though it wants to bust through. This is a bunion.

There are several hereditary factors that can cause bunions; and the most popular opinion is that shoes aggravate it. Bunions become a big issue when they start to cause skin irritation, redness and swelling, so it’s fair to look into bunion treatment options before things get bad.

Why Do We Get Bunions?

There are varied factors that lead to the formation of bunions. As foot specialists, we believe that in most cases shoes can aggravate the problem, but are not usually the main cause. In fact, the foot type you’ve inherited has a lot to do with creating the bunion.

The first metatarsal (the bone that leads down to the great toe joint) needs to be very stable. Many people tend to over-flatten their feet in their arch, causing instability of the first metatarsal. This results in an abnormal pulling of the tendons which causes the big metatarsal to move away from the others, thus creating the bunion bump. To simplify, the bump is caused by the misalignment of the first metatarsal and the second metatarsal.

There are other bunion formation theories that involve the shape of the tarsal bones (these are the small cube-shaped bones in your arch). Some believe that the different shapes of these bones associated with your first metatarsal leads to more instability, and therefore can create the bunion deformity angle.

Treatment:

There are various bunion treatments that can be attempted, such as padding, wearing different shoes, custom-made orthotics or cortisone injections. Oftentimes these can help, especially if the bunion is at an earlier stage, but in many cases these options are only a temporary fix.

It is important to know that as time goes on and the deformity of the bunion gets worse, people can even develop an arthritic condition in the great toe joint.

For many patients, surgery is the most popular bunion treatment option because it is considered a permanent correction. We discuss this very carefully with patients because it can lead to risks such as recurrence, infection, nerve injury, or slow/delayed bone healing.

The Most Popular Surgical Options:

There are different approaches taken to correct a bunion surgically – the simplest being what is called the Silver bunionectomy (also known as the McBride bunionectomy). This involves shaving off the extra bone on the inside of the big toe. Another common procedure is the Austin Bunionectomy, where the bone by the big toe joint is pricesely shifted over towards the second bone; therefore reducing the angle between the two bones.

Depending on the severity of the deformity, other bunion treatment options may take precedence – such as the removal of a wedge of bone towards the arch. This is reserved for more severe deformities and will also close the angle down to bring the first metatarsal closer to the second metatarsal.

At Anderson Podiatry Center, we believe we have perfected these techniques to give our patients the maximum correction, so they can get back to normal activity in their shoe gear. For most patients, it takes six to eight weeks to achieve this. If you’ve started noticing difficulty in wearing shoes, and are therefore limiting your shoe selection, please book an appointment to discuss treatment options. A consultation with us can go a long way; let us help you get back to pain-free activities.

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.

4 Essential Points to Understanding Foot Warts

Posted on October 25, 2016July 1, 2025 by admin

Tis the season for witches and warts! But foot warts aren’t selective to green-faced brewers; even the cleanest mortals can fall prey to these nasty little growths.

Foot warts can be the most persistent, painful, and embarrassing nuisances, but sometimes it seems it would take a magic spell to be rid of them! But take heart, for the solution you seek is not in a black kettle, but right here on this page!

What are foot warts?

If you don’t know what exactly a foot wart is, you are not alone. Many people still believe warts come from toads—not so. They are actually a virus. Unlike the viruses that plague us from the inside of our body, warts are very much visible on the surface of our skin. They are small, hard, grainy growths. Oftentimes you can see little black dots on the surface, which are the blood vessels feeding the growth (very vampire-esque).

The unsightly appearance of warts is not their only detestable trait; some warts can be agitating or even painful, especially those located on the bottom of your feet known as plantar warts. These warts can be mistaken for callouses or bunions since they do not rise up off the skin as much as other warts, particularly because they are being pressed down on when you walk—which is what makes them the most uncomfortable type of wart.

How do you get foot warts?

Warts appear when your skin comes in contact with the wart virus and causes an infection. They most often develop in broken skin, such as a cuts or scratches. Cracked dry feet, for example, are susceptible to plantar warts, especially when walking bare-foot in a public area like a locker room shower.

Children develop plantar warts more commonly than adults, most likely due to their weaker immune systems, as well as the fact that they more commonly play with their shoes off and around other children or equipment that may be carrying the virus.

Warts are not loners. Like all viruses, they like to spread. So to add to their list of unpleasant qualities, warts can multiply–on your skin, your friend’s skin, your kid’s…anywhere they touch they make friends! This is why it’s critical to attack a wart virus as soon as it’s discovered and uproot it before it has a chance to colonize! Fortunately, this is not a fast-growing virus comparatively, so no need to panic when a wart makes its appearance! Just address it as soon as it’s noticed.

How to Avoid Foot Warts:

Wash skin regularly -namely exposed skin like hands and feet
Keep hands and feet moisturized
Wear sandals/flip-flops when using locker rooms or public showers
Cover open cuts with bandages

How to get rid of foot warts:

Oftentimes warts disappear on their own, but this usually takes a year or more! Some warts can be taken care of with over-the-counter treatment. But if this fails, you will need to seek medical care from a dermatologist, or in the case of plantar warts, a podiatrist.

No need to blend in with the witches and goblins this month (there’s face paint for that!). Take care of those pesky foot warts once and for all!

Restless Leg Syndrome (RLS): Finally, a New Option to Help You and Your Partner Sleep Better- Part 1

Posted on June 7, 2016July 1, 2025 by admin

You crawl into bed wanting nothing more than to drift blissfully off to sleep. You fluff the pillows just right, wrap up in your favorite blanket, close your eyes, and…suddenly have an irresistible urge to move your legs.

This isn’t exactly the ending you -or your partner- were hoping for. In fact, your uncontrollable urge to move your legs might even land you on the couch. Thankfully, there is a new option to help, which will be discussed more later on.

Restless Leg Syndrome (RLS) is a nervous system disorder that creates itchy, creepy crawly, “pins and needles” sensations in the legs. The sensations are strongest when you’re lying or sitting down, which is why sleeping can be so difficult.

As discouraging and even painful as RLS may be, it’s often very frustrating for your partner as well. Unless they enjoy that driving-on-a-dirt-road feeling while lying in bed, your RLS symptoms probably drive them crazy.

RLS affects up to 10% of the population. It’s most common for middle-aged and older women, though men and younger children can contract it.

Though the exact cause of RLS is unknown, it is widely speculated that genetics play a huge role, as nearly 50% of people with RLS have a family member with the condition.

Factors that may contribute to RLS include:

Chronic diseases-Iron deficiency, Parkinson ’s disease, diabetes, peripheral neuropathy, and kidney failure are often accompanied by RLS symptoms. When these conditions are treated, RLS symptoms often subside.
Medications- Anti-nausea drugs, antidepressants, antipsychotics, and cold and allergy medications containing antihistamines have been known to worsen RLS symptoms.
Pregnancy- Some women will experience RLS during pregnancy, especially during the third trimester. It typically goes away around a month after delivery.
Sleep Deprivation-If a person is sleep deprived it may trigger symptoms, or worsen existing RLS symptoms.
Alcohol- Alcohol use can intensify RLS symptoms. Limiting, or even eliminating alcohol use may help relieve symptoms.

Although there generally is no cure for RLS there are many treatment options, including:

Avoid certain substances that worsen RLS, such as alcohol, caffeine, and nicotine.
Seek treatment for any current medical conditions, like the ones listed above, that RLS is associated with.
Physical therapy, stretching, baths, massages, exercise, and relaxation techniques before bed may help alleviate symptoms.
Medications, which are often prescribed with severe symptoms.

The above treatments can often help alleviate symptoms of RLS, but again they don’t cure it. Also, medications don’t always work and can have very bad side effects. As mentioned above, there is hope with a new treatment option offered by Anderson Podiatry Center.

Now that you have some background knowledge on RLS stay tuned for next week’s post to learn about nerve decompression treatments, and how with them you can finally find the relief you need.