INGROWN TOENAILS, PLANTAR FASCIITIS, METATARSALGIA, TENDONITIS, WARTS, CORNS, FUNGAL NAILS

COMMON TREATABLE AILEMENTS INCLUDE:

• PLANTAR FASCIITIS
• INGROWN TOENAILS
• METATARSALGIA
• CORNS
• ATHLETE'S FOOT AND FUNGAL NAILS
• WARTS

WHAT IS PLANTAR FASCIITIS?

ARE YOU SUFFERING FROM PAIN OR ACHING IN YOUR FEET?

YOU MAY HAVE PLANTAR FASCIITIS. 

PLANTAR FASCIITIS CAN ONLY BE OFFICIALLY DIAGNOSED BY A MEDICAL PROFESSIONAL. THE DOCTOR WILL LISTEN TO YOU DESCRIBE YOUR SYMPTOMS AND PERFORM A PHYSICAL EXAMINATION IF NECESSARY. THERE ARE SEVERAL FACTORS TO CONSIDER WHEN DIAGNOSING THIS CONDITION. WHETHER IT'S PAIN IN THE BALL OF THE FOOT, ARCH, OR MORE GENERAL ACHING PAIN IN THE ENTIRE FOOT, PLANTAR FASCIITIS CAN OCCUR IN MANY UNCOMFORTABLE EXPRESSIONS. LIFESTYLE, ACTIVITY-LEVEL OR WEARING IMPROPER FOOTWEAR FOR EXTENDED PERIODS OF TIME MAY CONTRIBUTE TO WHY YOU ARE EXPERIENCING SYMPTOMS OF PLANTAR FASCIITIS.

WHAT TREATMENTS ARE AVAILABLE FOR PLANTAR FASCIITIS?

ARCH EXERCISES ARE A FORM OF PHYSICAL THERAPY THAT RELIEVES PLANTAR FASCIITIS PAIN. ONE CRUCIAL STRETCH IS HOLDING THE TOE BOX AND BENDING IT UPWARD, STRETCHING THE ARCH MUSCLES OUT. ANOTHER STRETCH CAN BE PERFORMED BY GETTING ON YOUR HANDS AND FEED, TOES ON THE GROUND AND HEELS IN THE AIR. THEN, SLOWLY SIT BACK ON YOUR ANKLES UNTIL YOU FEEL THE ARCH STRETCH. LASTLY, AN ORTHOPEDIC FOAM ROLLER AND CUSTOM INSOLES ARE ESSENTIAL TO TREATING THIS PAINFUL PROBLEM.

INGROWN TOE NAILS

WHAT CAUSES INGROWN TOENAILS? OFTEN, THEY ARISE BECAUSE ONE WEARS SHOES THAT ARE TOO TIGHT. IT CAN ALSO HAPPEN FROM IMPROPER CUTTING AND GROOMING OF THE TOENAILS. INSTEAD OF GROWING OUTSIDE THE NAIL, AN INGROWN TOENAIL GROWS UNDERNEATH THE SKIN. ALTHOUGH IN-GROWN NAILS DON'T ALWAYS SEEM LIKE AN URGENT ISSUE, THEY HAVE TO BE TREATED IMMEDIATELY. IF LEFT UNTREATED, THEY CAN LEAD TO SERIOUS INFECTIONS.HOW DO YOU TREAT INGROWN NAILS? ALTHOUGH THE DOCTOR HAS EFFICIENT WAYS TO TREAT THIS PROBLEM FAST, IT STARTS WITH PREVENTION. PROPER NAIL GROOMING IS ESSENTIAL. NEVER CUT YOUR NAILS TOO SHORT, IN ADDITION, WEAR COMFORTABLE, FORM-FITTING SHOES.

METATARSALGIA: BALL OF FOOT PAIN 

ARE YOU EXPERIENCING EXCRUCIATING PAIN IN THE BALL OF YOUR FOOT, YOU MAY HAVE METATARSALGIA. UNLIKE PLANTAR FASCIITIS, WHICH IS INFLAMMATION AND PAIN IN THE ARCH MUSCLES, METATARSALGIA IS CAUSED BY PAIN IN THE MANY JOINTS AND BONES OF THE FOOT. AN X-RAY MAY BE NEEDED TO PROPERLY DIAGNOSE AND TREAT THIS CONDITION.  ALTHOUGH IT'S NOT A DANGEROUS DISEASE OR SERIOUS HEALTH RISK, METATARSALGIA IS EXTREMELY PAINFUL. THERE ARE A VARIETY OF TREATMENTS INCLUDING SHOES THAT ARE PROPERLY FITTED AND GETTING A PAIR OF CUSTOM INSOLES. ALTHOUGH IT'S NOT LIFE-THREATENING, IF MUSCLES AROUND THE JOINTS ARE TORN, YOU MAY NEED SURGERY.

TENDONITIS

ALTHOUGH THIS CONDITION IS SIMILAR TO PLANTAR FASCIITIS, THERE ARE KEY DISTINCTIONS. TENDONITIS IS GENERAL PAIN IN MUSCLES ALL OVER THE FOOT, NOT JUST THE ARCH AND UNDERSIDE. TENDONITIS IS OFTEN CAUSED BY SPENDING TOO MUCH TIME ON YOUR FEET DURING THE DAY. THERE IS ONE KEY STRETCH FOR TENDONITIS, THE STAIR STRETCH. STAND WITH THE BALLS OF YOUR FEET ON A STAIR. WHILE HOLDING ONTO THE WALL AND A RAILING FOR STABILITY. SLOWLY LOWER YOUR HEELS UNTIL YOU FEEL YOUR ACHY MUSCLES STRETCHING. ANOTHER IMPORTANT STRETCH TO TREAT TENDONITIS IS WITH A TOWEL. SIT ON THE FLOOR WITH YOUR LEGS DOWN AND TOGETHER, LIKE A NINETY-DEGREE ANGLE. GET A TOWEL AND PUT IT AROUND THE FEET WHILE HOLDING BOTH ENDS. PULL THE TOWELS CLOSER TO STRETCH THE ACHILLES TENDON MOST EFFECTIVELY.

WARTS

WARTS ARE HARMLESS GROWTHS THAT LOOK LIKE BUMPS ON THE SURFACE OF THE SKIN. THEY'RE CAUSED BY A VIRUS THAT CAUSES THEM TO PERIODICALLY GROW ON TOP OF YOUR SKIN. THEY MUST BE REMOVED AND WON'T GO AWAY ON THEIR OWN. YEARS COULD GO BY WITHOUT A FLARE-UP, BUT WHEN IT HAPPENS IT CAN BE VERY PAINFUL DEPENDING ON WHERE THEY OCCUR. PLANTAR WARTS ARE A COMMON AND EXTREMELY-PAINFUL VIRAL EXPRESSION. PLANTAR WARTS OCCUR ON THE BOTTOM OF THE FOOT, SO JUST WALKING CAN BE INSUFFERABLE. WARTS ARE ALSO VERY CONTAGIOUS, SO BE SURE NOT TO TOUCH OTHER PARTS OF YOUR BODY TO THEM, AND BE CONSCIENTIOUS FOR THE PEOPLE AROUND YOU. BURNING, FREEZING AND SURGICAL INTERVENTION ARE JUST SOME OF THE WAYS WE TREAT WART FLARE-UPS HERE.

CORNS

UNLIKE WARTS WHICH ARE CAUSED BY A VIRAL INFECTION, CORNS ARE CAUSED WHEN THE SKIN HARDENS AND BECOMES CALLOUS. DOCTORS AGREE THAT CORNS ARE MOSTLY-CAUSED BY TOES RUBBING AGAINST ONE ANOTHER. EVEN THOUGH THERE MAY BE HOME REMEDIES FOR CORNS, IT'S ESSENTIAL TO TALK TO A PODIATRIST BEFORE TRYING THEM TO TREAT ON YOUR OWN. THE DOCTOR WILL DIAGNOSE, TREAT, AND DESIGN AN AFTERCARE PROGRAM TO ENSURE YOU PREVENT THE RECURRENCE OF CORNS. LIKE MANY FOOT PROBLEMS, CORNS ARE OFTEN CAUSED BY TIGHT, ILL-FITTING FOOTWEAR. CUSTOM INSOLES AND PROPER FOOTWEAR IS ESSENTIAL TO ALLEVIATE THE PAIN CAUSED BY CORNS AND PREVENTING THEM FROM HAPPENING AGAIN.

FUNGAL NAILS

IT'S USUALLY EASY TO SEE A FUNGAL NAIL INFECTION; THIS INFECTION CAUSES THE TOENAIL TO TURN.A YELLOWISH COLOR, AND THE NAIL GETS THICKER. EVENTUALLY, IF LEFT TO PROGRESS, THE FUNGUS CAUSES THE NAIL TO BECOME FLAKEY, IT MAY BEGIN TO PEEL, AND MAY RESULT IN LOSING THE NAIL ENTIRELY. FUNGAL NAILS CAN BE TREATED BUT CONSISTENCY IS KEY. THE INFECTION THRIVES IN MOIST, DARK ENVIRONMENTS SO PEOPLE WHO SWEAT A LOT IN THEIR SOCKS ARE PRONE TO THIS INFECTION. YOU CAN ALSO GET INFECTED FROM PUBLIC POOLS AND SHOWERS. THE FUNGUS CAN EASILY RE-INFECT, SO BE WARY OF BEING BAREFOOT IN PUBLIC. IN ADDITION, CHANGE SOCKS OFTEN, KEEP YOUR TOENAILS TRIMMED, AND CONSISTENTLY WASH YOUR HANDS AND FEET.