Items filtered by date: April 2012

While people around Columbus may feel as though they have difficulties finding comfortable shoes, one man from Rochester, Minnesota has truly not had a pair of properly fitting shoes in six long years. Igor Vovkovinskiy is the tallestman in America at 7 feet 8 inches tall. His feet are so large that no shoe template existed for the estimated size 26 extra wide shoe he would need. Because of this, the $16,000 price of the shoes posed a major barrier to Igor’s foot health, until he reached out via the internet to ask for donations. He has now surpassed the $16,0000 goal and has various shoe companies offering to produce the shoes.

Like Igor, people suffering from a variety of diseases or congenital deficits may also require a custom or modified shoe in order to maintain good foot health. Nerve disease is one condition that can result in the need for custom shoes. When loss of sensation occurs in the feet, bony changes can occur that result in arthritis. This arthritis resulting from nerve disease is called neuropathic arthritis. Individuals with diabetes represent a major portion of the population who develop neuropathic arthritis in the form of Charcot foot. In Charcot foot, damage is inflicted on the foot bones as the individual continues to walk on damaged tissue because they are unable to feel pain from the damage. The bone fragments into pieces, and then coalesces and reforms into an extremely misshapen foot. A Charcot foot is typically very wide with complete collapse of the arch by the time bone remodeling is complete. The combination of foot deformity with inability to feel is a potent combination leading to the development of dangerous ulcers for a diabetic patient.

Luckily, custom shoes can be found with much less work than Igor had to put in to obtain his, simply by visiting your podiatrist. Charcot and other complications of diabetes can frequently be avoided through regular podiatric care. It is believed that the biomechanical condition called “equinus” where the foot is unable to lift off the ground, which can result from overpronation, contributes to the development of Charcot foot and ulcers in patients with diabetes. Your podiatrist at Columbus Podiatry and Surgery can create individualized custom orthotics using a digital gait scanner to correct these biomechanical abnormalities. Unlike Igor’s $16,000 extremely large shoes, many insurance companies recognize the need and offer coverage of custom shoes and orthotics for diabetic patients meeting specific criteria.

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

No matter what sport you are following this time of year, odds are good that you are going to see a few athletes using tape to support their feet and ankles. Recently, Derrick Rose of the Chicago Bulls caused a stir over the use of ankle taping after he felt that the tape on his ankles hindered his ability to play to his full capabilities. Tape can be very beneficial for a wide variety of conditions in the foot and ankle in both athletes and non-athletes if done correctly.

While Derrick Rose suffered an ankle sprain last year during the playoffs, he was lucky enough to not miss any games due to the injury. This year he has not been so fortunate with his ankle injury and has been forced to miss playing time. Rose is right to take care of this injury because many ankle sprains can progress to cause chronic ankle instability requiring surgical treatment to fully cure, even when they are properly cared for. When the ligaments that stabilize the movements of the bones in and around the ankle joint become damaged, unnatural or excessive movement of the bones can result. These abnormal movements can give the feeling of the ankle “giving out”, and can be painful. Another condition called peroneal subluxation can contribute to chronic lateral ankle instability. The tendons of the muscles peroneus brevis and peroneus longus run along the outside of the foot near the ligaments that are commonly damaged in ankle sprains. If the tendons become irritated a tendonitis can result. Peroneal subluxation can also occur if the fibrous structure that normally keeps the tendons on their course becomes damaged. This allows the tendons to move out of place and causing a “snapping” sensation on the side of the foot.

If these conditions of ankle instability are not painful, they can be treated with conservative methods such as taping or bracing to help maintain the stability of the ankle and prevent further damage to the foot and ankle. When diagnosed with lateral ankle instability, your podiatrist may offer to tape your foot and ankle to provide some relief immediately until a more structured brace can be ordered or ankle surgery can be performed.

While taping may not have been Rose’s favorite treatment option for his ankle injury, many people find taping to be a great option, either temporarily or to be used as needed, for conditions of the foot and ankle. Other conditions that may gain some relief from orthopedic taping in addition to or before the use of surgery, physical therapy or custom orthotics include: Achilles tendonitis, heel pain, posterior tibial tendonitis, and overpronation.

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

Fans of both American Idol and Aerosmith may have noticed that Steven Tyler has recently been getting media attention not for his singing, dancing or judging skills – but for the wild appearance of his toes! Stephen claims that the years of dancing and wearing ill-fitting, unsupportive shoes have taken their toll on his feet, which now bear a variety of deformities.

The most noticeable problem in Stephen’s feet is his overlapping and underlapping toes. The second toe of his right foot completely overlaps the big toe, or hallux, and toes three, four and five of both feet underlap the adjacent toe. Not only are underlapping and overlapping toes thought of as cosmetically unappealing, but they also can cause painful corns and calluses on the tops of the toes and make finding properly fitting shoes a challenge. Many times underlapping of the toes are a congenital deformity that is present from birth. Most commonly the fifth toe will be rotated and underlap the fourth toe, a condition specifically called digiti quinti varus. There are a variety of underlying causes of digiti quinti varus but one of the most common is a coalition, or fusion of the two bones that normally make up the fifth toe. Another common cause of underlapping and overlapping toes that develop early in life is muscle and ligament imbalances, which can often be treated by taping and bracing. When the condition develops later in life, as in Steven Tyler’s case, a tear of the plantar plate may have occurred. The plantar plate is a thickening in the capsule of the joint at the base of each two and serves as an attachment for ligaments that connect the metatarsals. When the plantar plate tears, these connections are disrupted and the involved toe may deviate over another and metatarsalgia, or pain in the forefoot, and swelling may develop.

Tyler has also complained of a history of Morton’s neuroma contributing to the painful state of his feet over the years. A neuroma is an enlargement of a nerve that typically results from irritation to that nerve. A Morton’s neuroma is found between the third and fourth toes that is the most common location of a neuroma in the foot. Metatarsalgia, tingling and burning pain are common complaints of those suffering from a neuroma. Neuromas may be treated by your podiatrist with injection of corticosteroids to decrease pain and swelling, or surgery to excise the painful neuroma. To avoid Steven’s neuromas and toe deformities, be sure to keep your feet in rock and roll shape with supportive shoes and regular checkups with your podiatrist at the first signs of problems!

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

This past week Logan Steiber of the Ohio State Wrestling team was awarded the Intermat Freshman of the year award. The exciting wrestling season may have recently come to a close in Ohio high schools and at Ohio State, but for serious wrestlers, offseason training will be starting shortly. While athletes are supposed to be the epitome of good health, wrestlers can face a variety of foot and other health problems both on and off the mat.

Wrestlers frequently will often force themselves to extremes to reach their weight class for wrestling. Those reaching for heavy weight status may, to the detriment of their own health, indulge in unhealthy eating habits. While the extra weight may provide an advantage in the short term of trying to hold down an opponent, the resulting diabetes later in life may end up knocking the wrestler’s feet out from under them. These facts were a sad reality this past week for the World Wrestling Entertainment’s retired wrestling legend Kamala when he underwent his third amputation in recent months from complications of diabetes and high blood pressure. Podiatrists work with their diabetic patients to avoid amputations at all costs, performing them only when it is necessary to save the patient’s life from an infection of the foot travelling further up the leg to the body causing gangrene, or tissue death and septicemia. By maintaining a low blood sugar, wrestlers with type 2 diabetes or pre-diabetes can avoid many of the complications seen in the foot that Kamala likely suffered from including neuropathy, and slow wound healing.

At the other extreme, wrestlers trying to remain a lightweight frequently take up running in the offseason. Wrestlers who enter into an intense running regimen too quickly after months spent just wrestling can experience common running ailments including shin splints, heel pain, and the development of painful corns and calluses. By starting off slowly with low mileage, purchasing proper shoe gear and stretching these injuries may be avoidable. Orthotics may also be helpful in avoiding painful conditions if the individual has underlying biomechanical and structural problems with their feet.

When they are in season, a study in the American Journal of Sports Medicine found that collegiate wrestlers have an injury rate second only to spring football. The ankle is one of the most commonly and most seriously injured parts of the body in wrestling. During takedowns and sparring, ankle sprains and muscle strains can occur when the foot is planted on the ground and forced to twist in an unnatural way. Wrestling is also notorious for the occurrence of athlete’s foot or “ring worm”. This skin condition is not actually due to having worms in the skin, but is caused by infection with a fungus. When it occurs in the foot this is also known as tinea pedis and can spread to cause fungal toenails if not treated.

Wrestlers should make good use of the beginning of their offseason to visit their podiatrist and make a complete recovery from any lingering foot and ankle injuries or skin infections. With good health, they will be quick on their feet when the time comes for their next big match!

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

Golfers hitting up the greens at the York, Worthington Hills, Muirfield or Tartan golf courses near the offices here at Columbus Podiatry in Surgery, need to take their feet into consideration when looking for ways to lower their scores. While many golfers look to the newest technology in their clubs and golf balls to enhance their drive, custom foot orthotics could be the missing link to correcting many parts of your swing!

Even though golf is thought of a relatively low risk sport, there are many painful foot problems that commonly arise in golfers from the intense amount of walking involved. Heel pain can occur from a variety of causes. Plantar fasciitis can cause heel pain that radiates down the arch of the foot and is often worst in the morning or upon standing after periods of sitting. Stress fractures of the calcaneus, which can occur from chronic strain on bone resulting from excessive walking, are another cause of heel pain. Metatarsalgia which is a term that refers to pain in the ball of the foot also commonly occurs in golfers. Stress fractures of the metatarsals, most commonly the second metatarsal, can be one underlying cause of this pain. Plantar plate tears can be another common cause of metatarsalgia. The plantar plate supports the head of the metatarsal bone and pain results from a tear because the metatarsal head becomes subjected to higher ground pressure with each step.

Many of these problems are caused not from golf itself, but because excess pressure from walking being placed on an abnormally functioning subtala rjoint, which is most commonly functioning overpronated. When this joint does not function optimally, problems can start in the foot, but may also progress higher up the body’s “kinetic chain” or chain of movement. This can result in knee, hip, back and neck pain. Using a digital gait scanner, as is used at Columbus Podiatry and Surgery, an orthotic can be fit specifically to address an individual’s foot problems and create a custom orthotic to correct any biomechanical problems. With improved function, a golfer’s body will have the capacity to achieve the perfect swing!!

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