Athlete's Foot

Athlete's foot is a skin disease caused by a fungus, usually occurring between the toes. The fungus most commonly attacks the feet because shoes create a warm, dark, and humid environment which encourages fungus growth. The warmth and dampness of areas around swimming pools, showers, and locker rooms, are also breeding grounds for fungi. The signs of athlete's foot, singly or combined, are drying skin, itching scaling, inflammation, and blisters. Blisters often lead to cracking of the skin. When blisters break, small raw areas of tissue are exposed, causing pain and swelling. Itching and burning may increase as the infection spreads. Athlete's foot may spread to the soles of the feet and to the toenails. It can be spread to other parts of the body, notably the groin and underarms.

Bone Spurs

A bone spur is an overgrowth of bone as a result of trauma or reactive stress of a ligament or tendon. This growth can cause pain and even restrict motion of a joint, depending on its location and size. Spurs may also be located under the toenail plate, causing nail deformity and pain. Surgical treatment and procedure is based on the size, location, and symptoms of the bone spur.

Bunions

A bunion is an enlargement of the joint at the base of the big toe—the metatarsophalangeal (MTP) joint—that forms when the bone or tissue at the big toe joint moves out of place. This forces the toe to bend toward the others, causing an often painful lump of bone on the foot. Since this joint carries a lot of the body’s weight while walking, bunions can cause extreme pain if left untreated. The MTP joint itself may become stiff and sore, making even the wearing of shoes difficult or impossible.

Bursitis

This is an inflammation of the bursa, a sac of tissue that protects bony prominences. It is typically treated with conservative measures.

Calluses

A callous is a build-up of dead skin cells, usually on the sole of the foot. They are typically painful and are caused by pressure on bony prominences. They may be pared down for temporary relief. Other measures are available for long-term treatment.

Corns

A corn is a thickening of the skin on bony prominences, always on the toe. They can be treated or removed with surgery, if necessary.

Forefront Surgery

Many foot problems do not respond to "conservative" management. Often when pain or deformity persists, forefront surgery may be appropriate to help alleviate them, or to restore the function of your foot.

Fungal Nails

Fungal Nails is an infection of the bed and plate underlying the surface of the nail, and is caused by various types of fungi, which are commonly found throughout the environment. When the tiny organisms take hold, the nail may become thicker, yellowish-brown or darker in color, and foul smelling. The infection is capable of spreading to other toenails, the skin, or even the fingernails. The toenails are especially vulnerable around damp areas where people are likely to be walking barefoot -- swimming pools, locker rooms, and showers, for example. Injury to the nail bed may make it more susceptible to all types of infection, including fungal infection. Those who suffer chronic diseases, such as diabetes, circulatory problems, or immune-deficiency conditions, are especially prone to fungal nails.

Gout

Gout is an extremely painful condition caused by a build-up of uric acid, typically affecting the big toe joint. But it can also affect other joints in the body. It is usually treated with steroids.

Hammertoes

A hammertoe deformity is a contracture of the toe(s), frequently caused by an imbalance in the tendon or joints of the toes. Due to the "buckling" effect of the toe(s), hammertoes may become painful secondary to footwear irritation and pressure. Corn and callus formation may occur as a hammertoe becomes more rigid over time, making it difficult to wear shoes. This deformity may be corrected through a surgical procedure to realign the toe(s).

Heel Pain

Heel pain is generally the result of faulty biomechanics (walking gait abnormalities) that place too much stress on the heel bone and the soft tissues that attach to it. The stress may also result from injury, or a bruise incurred while walking, running, or jumping on hard surfaces; wearing poorly constructed footwear; or being overweight. The heel bone is the largest of the 26 bones in the human foot, which also has 33 joints and a network of more than 100 tendons, muscles, and ligaments. Like all bones, it is subject to outside influences that can affect its integrity and its ability to keep us on our feet. Heel pain, sometimes disabling, can occur in the front, back, or bottom of the heel.

Ingrown Toenails

Ingrown nails, the most common nail impairment, are nails whose corners or sides dig painfully into the soft tissue of nail grooves, often leading to irritation, redness, and swelling. Usually, toenails grow straight out. Sometimes, however, one or both corners or sides curve and grow into the flesh. The big toe is usually the victim of this condition, but other toes can also become affected. Ingrown toenail may be caused by improperly trimmed nails, heredity, shoe pressure, or repeated trauma to the feet from normal activities.

Nail Problems

Toenails often serve as barometers of our health; they are diagnostic tools providing the initial signal of the presence or onset of systemic diseases. For example, the pitting of nails and increased nail thickness can be manifestations of psoriasis. Concavity—nails that are rounded inward instead of outward—can foretell iron deficiency anemia. Some nail problems can be conservatively treated with topical or oral medications while others require partial or total removal of the nail. Any discoloration or infection should be evaluated.

Neuromas

An irritation of a nerve may produce a neuroma, which is a benign enlargement of a nerve segment, commonly found between the third and fourth toes. Several factors may contribute to the formation of a neuroma. Trauma, arthritis, high-heeled shoes, or an abnormal bone structure are just some of the conditions that may cause a neuroma. Symptoms such as burning or tingling to adjacent toes and even numbness are commonly seen with this condition. If conservative treatment does not relieve the symptoms, then surgical treatment may be appropriate.

Orthotics

Orthotics are custom-made shoe inserts, prescribed by a podiatrist, made to accommodate a foot deformity. They can improve foot function.

Tendonitis

Tendonitis is an inflammation of the tendon (the end of the muscle that attaches to the bone). It can be painful and is treated with rest and ice packs. Occasionally, cortical steroid injections may be a necessary treatment.

Warts

Warts are one of several soft tissue conditions of the foot that can be quite painful. They are caused by a virus, which generally invades the skin through small or invisible cuts and abrasions. They can appear anywhere on the skin, but, technically, only those on the sole are properly called plantar warts. They are often mistaken for corns or calluses—which are layers of dead skin that build up to protect an area which is being continuously irritated. The wart, however, is a viral infection.