Items filtered by date: November 2012

For those passing Columbus City Hall this month, you may have noticed that the building has been lit in an unusual hue of blue. This special lighting has been put in place to raise awareness of diabetes as part of National Diabetes Month. Blue for awareness of diabetes is great, and preventing your toes from turning blue is one reason that diabetic foot care should be an integral part of the health of an individual with diabetes or pre-diabetes.

Individuals with diabetes, are at an increased risk for a vast array of problems in the lower extremity.

Seemingly minor problems in an individual with diabetes can evolve much more rapidly than they would in a healthy individual to become a life threatening condition. Tinea pedis or athlete ’s foot is four to five times more prevalent in individuals with diabetes versus those without. This fungal foot infection can break down the skin, especially when it occurs between the toes, to allow bacteria to enter into the deep spaces of the foot and lead to more serious infection. Lower extremity infection and its sequelae have become the leading cause of hospitalization of diabetic patients. A variety of factors in diabetes lead to the development of serious infection in the feet. High blood sugar damages many tissues in the body including nerves, blood vessels and immune cells. Without healthy nerves, sensation is lost in the foot and wounds develop because the individual cannot feel the pain that healthy nerves would detect. When blood vessels are damaged, tissues normally supplied with blood and nutrients from these vessels die from lack of oxygen and gangrene occurs. When the immune cells are damaged, infection cannot be fought off. It is for all of these reasons that self-foot exams and regular lower extremity exams from your podiatrist are critical in stopping diabetic foot infections before they get the chance to progress.

In order to prevent ulcers and life and limb threatening infections, diabetic foot exams should be conducted once per year in an otherwise healthy diabetic individual. If upon routine exam, a patient is found to have diminished sensation or an absent pulse (indicating nerve and artery damage) a foot assessment should be conducted every three to six months. When a patient has these signs of nerve and artery damage along with calluses and deformities of the feet, such as bunions and hammer toes, they are at a higher risk of ulceration and should see their podiatrist every three months. Along with regular exams, other preventative measures such as custom orthotics or padding may be deemed necessary to reduce the risk of ulceration and possible need for amputation in the future.

Please visit www.ColumbusFoot.com for more information or call 614-885-3338 (FEET) to schedule an appointment with a podiatrist in Columbus, Ohio. Columbus Podiatry & Surgery is located on the North side of Columbus, Ohio near Worthington.

Columbus Podiatry & Surgery has opened a new location in Gahanna, near Easton. Please call 614-476-3338 (FEET) for an appointment with a podiatrist in Gahanna, OH today.

While some people enjoy both their mashed potatoes and their gravy to be a little lumpy, finding a lump on your foot is not desired by anyone! While the odds of a soft tissue mass in the foot being a life threatening cancer are very low, diagnosis should be sought to rule out the possibility and to deal with any symptoms that may be occurring due to the location of the growth.

The overall incidence of soft tissue tumors in the foot has been difficult to estimate because many of these lesions are unnoticed, or not reported because they are not causing pain or irritation. The most common soft tissue growths in the foot are ganglion cysts and plantar fibromatoses. Ganglion cysts are thought to form from an irritation of joint capsule or tendon sheath that forms a fluid filled out-pouching that eventually becomes rather dense. In the foot, these cysts most commonly develop on the top of the middle portion of the foot. The size of a ganglion cyst can change over time, growing and shrinking and even completely disappearing before returning. While these cysts are not malignant, surgical removal may become necessary if the cyst interferes with the ability to wear shoes, the movement of the foot or causes pain by impinging on nerves in the area.

Plantar fibromatosis is a disease in which lumps, or plantar fibromas develop in the plantar fascia. The plantar fascia is the band of connective tissue that connects the heel bone to the toes to help maintain the arch, and becomes inflamed in the common condition of plantar fasciitis. Most commonly, these bumps form in the highest point of the arch and can become painful overtime with irritation by shoe gear or the ground. While the exact cause of the development of these growths is unknown, it is believed that small cuts in the plantar fascia heal with an excessive healing response causing their formation. Plantar fibromatosiss has also been associated with epilepsy, diabetes, and a family history of their occurrence. Orthotics may be used to provide cushion and off-load the area of the mass.

While it has been estimated that only one out of 100 soft tissue lesions is malignant, any changes in a mass or development of a new mass are certainly worth being evaluated for both peace of mind and overall health. MRI imaging study or biopsy will often be deemed necessary by your podiatrist to further evaluate any mass.

Please visit www.ColumbusFoot.com for more information or call 614-885-3338 (FEET) to schedule an appointment with a podiatrist in Columbus, Ohio. Columbus Podiatry & Surgery is located on the North side of Columbus, Ohio near Worthington.

Columbus Podiatry & Surgery has opened a new location in Gahanna, near Easton. Please call 614-476-3338 (FEET) for an appointment with a podiatrist in Gahanna, OH today.

With fall backyard football gatherings and holiday party peep-toed shoes in the near future, people in Columbus and across the country are looking for ways to relieve the pain and embarrassing appearance of fungal toenails. Onychomycosis, or fungal infection of the nail, is reported to affect up to nearly 15% of individuals in North America and can cause a variety of problematic symptoms.

Toenails that are discolored and thickened are the most common signs that a toenail has developed a fungal infection. These nails may also be painful. To be invaded by a fungus, nails first must have an inciting trauma or secondary condition that results in changes to the underlying nail bed. Most commonly, a small repetitive trauma caused by an abnormally functioning or deformed foot will contribute these changes. Other underlying causes can include vascular disease and psoriasis. Tinea pedis, or athlete’s foot is also often present and a contributing factor to the development of a fungal toenail.

Different types of onychomycosis exist and the specific type must be diagnosed to set a successful treatment plan. The classic symptoms described above are seen in the vast majority of cases and are caused when fungus enters under the tip of the nail and proceeds backwards. Another form of fungal nail is known as causes the nail to appear white and sometimes crumbly. While this form is rarer, it is also the form that responds most readily to topical treatment because the fungus is located primarily on the top of the nail.

Treatment of toenail fungus can be difficult. The first step in treatment is to first visit your podiatrist to obtain an accurate diagnosis as soon as changes in the nail are noticed. Early on, when less than half of the nail is infected, a topical nail polish-like solution can be applied daily. Once the fungus has caused damage in more than half of the nail, serious oral medications may be needed. At Columbus Podiatry and Surgery and Surgery, the PinPointe Foot Laser is available as a painless alternative that can be used at any stage of toenail fungus. Laser treatment of fungal nails avoids blood tests and the serious side effects including liver and blood cell disease that can be caused by oral medications. With all treatment plans for a fungal nail, underlying biomechanical issues need to be addressed with orthotics or shoe modifications if present to end the cycle of trauma allowing the fungus to enter the nail. Talk to your podiatrist to have toenails looking and feeling picture perfect for all your upcoming events!

Please visit www.ColumbusFoot.com for more information or call 614-885-3338 (FEET) to schedule an appointment with a podiatrist in Columbus, Ohio. Columbus Podiatry & Surgery is located on the North side of Columbus, Ohio near Worthington.

Columbus Podiatry & Surgery has opened a new location in Gahanna, near Easton. Please call 614-476-3338 (FEET) for an appointment with a podiatrist in Gahanna, OH today.

Whether you are trick-or-treating, visiting Hoffman’s Farm Market or other pumpkin patches, October in Columbus can mean a lot of walking. Foot pain should not be one of the scares you face this Halloween season, and the fright of a flatfoot should be made to disappear by a visit to your podiatrist as soon as possible!

While having flat feet can be normal in children, a flat foot that develops in adulthood is not normal and a sign of disease in the tendons in the foot. The condition known as posterior tibial tendon dysfunction, or PTTD, is the number one cause of unilateral acquired adult flatfoot. The posterior tibial tendon runs along the middle side of the foot, affects several joints and maintains the arch foot. In PTTD, the sheath surrounding the tendon becomes inflamed, which leads to the tendon beginning to degenerate and may eventually tear completely. While the exact trigger of this disease process is unknown, it has been associated with diabetes, obesity, hypertension and an underlying abnormality of the tendon. As the tendon degenerates, it will often cause pain along the middle side of the foot and an inability to rise up on the toes of the affected foot. As the muscle weakens, other ligaments and supporting structures in the foot fail and the foot transitions from a flexible flat foot to a rigid flat foot.

The earlier this disease is caught, the better the treatment outcome. Early on, while the deformity is still flexible, a sturdy custom orthotic called a UCBL or a lace up gauntlet style brace called an Arizona brace can be used to offer pain relief and prevent further degradation of the tendon. If the tendon has already torn, or relief is not gained through more conservative means, flatfoot surgery may be necessary. Addressing this problem as soon as possible can prevent years of a painful tendon and foot arch. Trick or treat and check your feet this Halloween!

Please visit www.ColumbusFoot.com for more information or call 614-885-3338 (FEET) to schedule an appointment with a podiatrist in Columbus, Ohio. Columbus Podiatry & Surgery is located on the North side of Columbus, Ohio near Worthington.

Columbus Podiatry & Surgery has opened a new location in Gahanna, near Easton. Please call 614-476-3338 (FEET) for an appointment with a podiatrist in Gahanna, OH today.