Items filtered by date: July 2012

Those seeking the thrill of surfing in Columbus this summer are going to have to take a vacation beyond Lake Erie if they want to experience some waves. Throughout the summer big wave surfing competitions are occurring, with the next big stop being the Billabong Pro Teahupoo in Tahiti starting August 16th. Footing is crucial for maintaining a steady balance and control of the board and unfortunately for one of the world’s top ranked surfers, Kolohe Andino, has lost that steady footing and number one world ranking due to a foot injury.

While training with his father, Andino suffered both a high ankle sprain and tore a ligament in the top of his midfoot called the Lisfranc ligament. Andino landed an aerial 360 before landing on his foot in such a way that it strained the connective tissue holding the tibia and fibula together known as the “tibial-fibular syndesmosis” and the lisfranc ligament. Lis franc injuries occur most commonly in 30-40 year old males and can be caused in a variety of ways. Football players are a group that more commonly experiences a Lisfranc injury, but falling off a bike or a horse can also cause similar damage. After the injury, an ecchymosis, or bruise may appear on the bottom of the foot and the entire foot may become swollen and painful. While Andino has been taking a break from suffer to recover for more than 10 weeks now, many Lisfranc injuries require surgery in order to return the stability of the structure of the foot.

18-year-old Andino is certainly not the first surfer to suffer a season damaging foot injury. World famous surfing pro Kelly Slater suffered a major foot injury to the joint at the base of his big toe, or hallux (where bunions develop) during his 2010 surfing season. Surfers can do their best to prevent injuries by purchasing a board with a hard plastic or rubber tip to soften the blow of an unbalanced landing or “wipeout”. Some surfers also utilize special booties to protect their feet from cuts and wounds. Stretching and strengthening the feet can also help to avoid lower extremity injuries. Like any foot and ankle injury in an athlete, wounds should be treated immediately to avoid infection, and painful injuries should not be ignored in order to continue enjoying the sport.

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.

With less than a month until the start of the 2012 Summer Olympics in London, athletes around the world are striving to be peaking just in time for competition. Unfortunately for the current world record holder in the marathon, Paula Radcliffe, old running injuries in her foot have begun to flare up at this most inopportune time.

As of now, Radcliffe is still set to compete in the marathon on August 5th. Her current foot problem is the result of an old stress fracture that was misdiagnosed in 1994. Radcliffe is no stranger to injuries and accidents and has shown great strength at working her way through to amazing race performances. In 2003, she dislocated her jaw, had whiplash injuries, severe bruising, developed an injury in her right shin and two partially punctured lungs throughout the course of one year. Not only did Paula recover from her injuries in 2003, but she ran her second ever marathon in which she set the world record that same year.

Now, in 2012, an improperly addressed injury from 1994 has resulted in osteoarthritis or degenerative joint disease in her foot. The fact that Paula was able to overcome such severe injuries and keep running in 2003 shows how severe osteoarthritis in the foot can be by the fact that Paula’s current foot pain threatens her even participating in the marathon. Following injury, or through excessive wear and tear on a joint, the lining of the joint wears away. This can then lead to overgrowth of bone around the joint and joint motion that is both painful and limited. In the foot, there are twenty synovial cavities, or joint spaces, providing many opportunities for osteoarthritis to develop when the foot is not functioning properly. According to her autobiography, Radcliffe’s 1994 stress fracture that resulted in her current osteoarthritis was partially due to overpronation, or flat foot. While being flat footed is normal in young children, in adults it can be both a sign of other underlying problems and a cause of new problems.

Overpronation contributes to bunions, tailor’s bunions (of the 5thtoe), posterior tibial tendonitis and dysfunction. Luckily, overpronation and the subsequent problems it can lead to can be corrected by wearing custom functional orthotics while running, and in shoes worn throughout the day. Hopefully Paula and her sports medicine doctors and podiatrists will be able to develop a custom orthotic or other treatment plan that can limit the motion of her painful osteoarthritic joint in time for the Olympic marathon!

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.

Fall camp for the Ohio State Buckeyes begins in five weeks and senior running back, Jordan Hall will need every one of them and then some to recover from the foot surgery he was forced to undergo this Saturday.

Earlier in the week, Hall had been walking barefoot in grass when he stepped on a piece of glass. The cut was deep enough to require surgery and a non-weight bearing cast for 6 weeks after, followed by 4 weeks of rehabilitation. There are many important structures located fairly superficially from the skin on the bottom of the foot that could have been damaged including the plantar fascia (which is known for becoming inflamed in plantar fasciitis) and a number of muscles, nerves and blood vessels. Ideally, injured tendons and ligaments can take up around six to eight weeks to heal to good strength, so it is likely some serious soft tissues needed repair to call for this length of time in a cast.

Although an extreme, Hall’s unlucky injury should serve as a reminder to others to always be aware of where you are walking barefoot this summer. Not only may dangerous objects such as nails or glass be lurking to damage the unsuspecting foot, much more common maladies can also arise from being barefoot. Both warts and athlete’s foot, or tinea pedis can be acquired by going barefoot in areas where others with these diseases have walked. Foot warts are caused by a strain of the Herpes Simplex Virus different from the strains of Herpes that cause sexually transmitted disease. Warts can resemble a corn or callus and can be very painful on the foot. Athlete’s foot commonly develops as an itchy, scaly rash on the bottom of the foot, or as itchy areas between the toes where skin will often show signs of breakdown. Increased wetness on the foot from improper drying after bathing, excessive sweating, or wearing wet socks and shoes can also contribute to the development of tinea pedis.

Individuals with peripheral neuropathy and diabetes should avoid walking barefoot due to lack of adequate nerve sensation and ability to detect the pain associated with a cut or scrape. When an individual with neuropathy, or nerve disease cuts their foot, they may not notice for a longer period of time than an individual with normal sensation. This can lead to serious complications such as infection. Luckily, Jordan Hall’s nerves quickly indicated to him that his foot was in trouble and he was able to receive medical attention quickly. Hall has reported via his twitter account that his surgery went successfully.

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.