Items filtered by date: February 2013

Plantar fasciitis or inflammation of the plantar fascia is one of the most common causes of foot pain that leads people around Columbus to consult their podiatrist at Columbus Podiatry and Surgery. Runners and ballet dancers are commonly affected, but participants in all sports can fall victim to the irritating heel pain caused by this condition. Most recently, the Los Angeles Lakers’ forward Pau Gasol suffered a more acute athletic injury to his plantar fascia after suffering from plantar fasciitis for the past several months. In a game last Tuesday against the Brooklyn Nets, Gasol ruptured a portion of his plantar fascia, placing him out of commission indefinitely.

Plantar fasciitis or plantar fasciosis is a thickening of the band of tissue called the plantar fascia that supports the long arch at the bottom of the foot. The plantar fascia becomes taut with each step as the toes extend, and thus pain in plantar fasciitis is felt during weight bearing. Heel pain associated with plantar fasciitis occurs most commonly in the morning, or when taking steps after being seated for a period of time. In plantar fascia rupture or tear, pain occurs immediately after vigorous physical activity with bruising and swelling appearing in the plantar arch of the foot. In Pau Gasol’s case he related hearing a “pop” noise at the time of his injury.

In about 95% of individuals, plantar fasciitis pain can be relieved successfully with conservative treatment. This can include night splints, custom orthotics, a stretching and icing regimen, and corticosteroid injections. In patients who are still enduring severe heel pain after several months of conservative treatment, other more invasive options should be utilized. Extracorporeal shock wave therapy (ESWT) is one such technique in which shock waves applied to the affected heel area act to damage the nerves that send pain signals and to create small spaces that effectively separate the plantar fascia from the heel bone. This technique allows athletes to continue participating in their sport while they are undergoing treatment. Heel surgery can also be used to detach the plantar fascia from its attachment to the calcaneus where it is becoming taut and irritated. Endoscopic techniques can be used to achieve this result with a shorter healing time than the traditional method of making a larger incision in the skin and cutting the fascia. Pau Gastol should eventually have a decrease in his plantar fasciitis symptoms due to the release of fibers from the heel after he recovers from the trauma of his injury.

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.

January has brought news stories across the country about a condition that affects people everywhere, including here in Columbus: bunions. Young people being treated for bunions has been prominently featured in the Wall Street Journal’s Health section last week, famed English celebrity chef Nigella Lawson announced she underwent two surgeries for a bunion on each foot and earlier this month a new padded device called the Bunion Bootie published online tutorials on its use.

Bunions are a bony prominence that develops on the middle side of the big toe at the metatarsophalangeal joint. This exostosis, or extra growth of bone, can become irritated by rubbing on shoe gear, or the bone itself can irritate nerves in its proximity causing pain. The removal of this bony growth is typically the first step the surgical treatment of a bunion, but other foot deformities that are major contributors to the painful deformity must also be addressed. The deviation of the big toe, or hallux towards the lesser toes, combined with the movement of the metatarsal bone at the base of the big toe away from the metatarsal creates the deformity known as hallux abducto valgus. A number of surgical options exist to correct hallux valgus and most include a cut in the metatarsal. A number of the surgical options, selected based on the severity of the deformity, exist and were discussed in last week’s Wall Street Journal article.

Other possible factors contributing to the development of hallux valgus and thus pain must be considered when selecting a treatment plan. Other biomechanical deformities that contribute to hallux valgus development include overpronation and what is known as a flexible plantarflexed first ray. In this first ray deformity, the foot compensates by moving the metatarsal bone at the base of the big toe upwards, increasing the chance for hallux abducto valgus to develop. These two deformities can be addressed using custom orthotics to help treat and slow the progression of a bunion. At Columbus Podiatry & Surgery, a state of the art foot scanner is used to quickly and comfortably create orthotics that will be a perfect match to correct biomechanical problems in the foot. Diseases that can affect the entire body also can contribute to the development of a bunion. Some of such conditions can include: rheumatoid arthritis, cerebral palsy and gout.

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.