treatments – Page 2 – Anderson Podiatry Center

How to Stop Tendonitis Progression

Posted on July 19, 2016July 1, 2025 by admin

We all know living an active lifestyle is an essential component to being healthy. Whether you are a mega multi-marathon runner, an avid tennis player, a yoga instructor, or a mall walker, your exercise is an important part of your daily routine. However, this healthy lifestyle of yours is threatened when injuries arise in your feet, such as tendonitis. Tendonitis is common and painful, but there are ways to keep the tendonitis progression to a minimum.

Tendonitis progression can affect various muscles in the body, including the feet. Posterior tibial tendinitis, for example, is an inflammation of the tendon that runs from the inner ankle to the shinbone. Some symptoms to look for to determine if you do indeed have tendonitis are:

Pain that increases when the affected area moves, such as when walking
A cracking or grating feeling when the injured tendon moves
Swelling
Redness and heat from the affected area
The development of a lump along the tendon
Difficulty standing on your toes
Pain on the inside of the foot or ankle

Tendonitis is a common injury, and is caused by the repetition of a particular movement over time. Though not as common, it may also arise after a sudden injury. Some of the risk factors which increase the likelihood of getting tendonitis are:

Age- Tendons become less flexible and more susceptible to injury the older you get.
Certain jobs- If your job consists of repetitive movements, awkward positions, frequent
Overhead reaching, vibration, or forced extension you have a greater risk of hurting the tendon.
Diabetes- Though experts are unsure why, people with diabetes tend to have a higher risk of developing tendonitis.
Sports- The most common cause of tendonitis comes from sports injuries, especially in sports like running, swimming, basketball, tennis, golf, etc.

Whatever reason caused your tendonitis they all have the same risk: the injury is progressive and will worsen if untreated!

So, how do you stop this progression? The answer is simple, start treatment right away! Treatment options include:

Rest, ice and elevation- these steps can often help alleviate pain.
Platelet-Rich Plasma Therapy and AmnioFix Therapy– Anderson Podiatry Center has been doing these treatments to repair feet and ankle tears longer than anyone in the Rocky Mountain region.
Custom orthotics– These are made by a podiatrist from a mold of your actual foot to help give you the best results.
Surgery– If the tendon is torn too badly, surgery may be the best option.

Before starting any treatment, it is extremely important to have your injury properly evaluated. All too often people think they have tendonitis, when in fact they have a tendon tear. The huge problem with this is that the two injuries are treated differently.

Dr. Anderson of Anderson Podiatry Center explains the concern with this. He says, “People have been known to stretch a suspected tendonitis, as it’s recommended sometimes. If the tendon is torn it will damage it more.” He also says how with a mild tear surgery may be avoided with regenerative medicines like Platelet-Rich Plasma Therapy and AmnioFix Therapy.

Again, the earlier you get your tendon checked by a podiatrist the better. Podiatrists are able to determine the extent of the injury, and get you the care you need before your injury progresses any further.

Get treated, and get back to your healthy lifestyle!

5 Ways to Fix Your Hallux Limitus- The Pain in Your Big Toe

Posted on July 12, 2016July 1, 2025 by admin

Walking is an essential function in your daily life. So, if you experience pain in your toe, especially when you walk, it can be extremely frustrating and debilitating. What’s worse, the pain is often exacerbated with certain footwear, such as flip flops, so now you struggle walking and are limited in what shoes you can wear. Luckily, there are options.

Hallux limitus is an arthritic condition that limits the motion and function of the big toe joint. Hallux limitus is similar to a bunion. It is often painful, and can make it difficult to walk. Some symptoms to look for with hallux limitus are:

A grinding or grating of the big-toe joint when you move it
A bone spur grown on top of the big toe joint
Swelling and inflammation
Deep, aching, chronic pain
Stiffness and limited motion
Overall joint tightness
Difficulty wearing shoes like high heels, flip flops, and other low support shoes

Hallux limitus, like bunions, is progressive! If left untreated the symptoms worsen and turn into hallux rigidus- no motion of the big toe joint
at all. Hallux rigidus is more painful than hallux limitus. The pain can be so severe that it often decreases your activity, makes you afraid to take long walks, and takes away your ability to run altogether.

Also, hallux limitus when left untreated often leads to other foot and ankle problems. When you have such pain in your big toe you often overcompensate to alleviate the pain, which puts extra stress on other parts of your foot and ankle. Now, you not only have pain in your big toe, but your foot and ankle as well.

Hallux limitus is usually caused by two factors: genetics or an injury to the big toe joint. Some people are born with a predisposition to conditions like arthritis or high or low arches, which can all lead to foot problems like hallux limitus later in life. Also, hallux limitus can stem from repetitive movements, or damage to cartilage in the toe.

Again, hallux limitus is progressive, and only gets worse the longer you wait, which is why early treatment is vital! Seeing a podiatrist will reveal the exact stage of your hallux limitus, and then help to determine the most appropriate action to take out of the five common treatments. The treatments include:

Custom Orthotics– Unlike over-the-counter orthotics, custom orthotics, made by a trained podiatrist, take a mold of your actual foot. They then create orthotics specifically designed to correct your individual foot problems.
Cortisone Injections- These are injected directly into the joint to reduce swelling and inflammation, however they are only short term solutions that may damage the joint.
Platelet-Rich Plasma Therapy– This new tissue regeneration therapy can be used as an alternative to surgery that has a fast recovery time.
AmnioFix Therapy– This new, regenerative medical product containing organic cellular components enhances healing, reduces scar tissue formation, and reduces inflammation.
Surgery– In the more advanced stages of hallux limitus surgery may be needed.

Of the treatments above, the Platelet-Rich Plasma Therapy and AmnioFix therapy have shown to be the most successful in early treatments. When used before hallux limitus progresses too far they can even prevent the need for surgery all together. Come visit your podiatrist in Fort Collins or Broomfield for further consultation.

Restless Leg Syndrome: Finally, a New Option to Help You and Your Partner Sleep Better- Part 2

Posted on June 14, 2016July 1, 2025 by admin

As discussed in the previous blog post, RLS can be extremely difficult to live with, especially with the limited treatments available. However, there is hope with nerve decompression treatments. Keep reading to find out more about this revolutionary treatment, and how it can help you!

Dr. James Anderson, the founder of Anderson Podiatry Center, explains, “Over the past several years it has been discovered that the source of your RLS symptoms might be in the very place where the symptoms are: your legs. There are two, maybe three nerve tunnels, in your legs that are causing RLS in many cases.”

Again, the treatments discussed in part one of the post may offer short term relief for RLS symptoms, but they are not an actual solution, and the medications often have bad side effects. Anderson Podiatry Center for Nerve Pain, however, offers nerve decompression treatments, which may give long-lasting relief by treating what they believe the underlying cause of RLS is, not just the symptoms.

Their nerve decompression treatment is extremely successful, with 80-90% of patients getting better. It’s so successful, in fact, that they are submitting for publication what they consider to be the first study on RLS and nerve decompression treatment.

Dr. Anderson explains how they’ve put nerve decompression to the test statistically by studying 40 patients who went through a rigorous trial of before and after treatment. The results were very promising with high success rates.

Dr. Anderson perfectly sums up exactly why nerve decompression treatments may be the best solution to RLS. He says, “People do all this stuff- not sleeping, they take drugs, they just keep suffering- and they can have a relatively simple surgery in 40 minutes and it’s done! Typically, they walk out of surgery, and have relief in just a few days.”

What’s worse is the enormous lack of sleep mixed with having to take drugs can have a huge effect on your general health. Because of this, many people with RLS also suffer from weight gain, depression, and a huge decrease in activity level.

Don’t let RLS control your- or your partner’s- sleep anymore. Get help, and get back to your old self again!