Items filtered by date: September 2017

After an ankle sprain or repetitive strain on the ankle joint, lingering pain localized in the front and outside part near the ankle could be a condition called Sinus Tarsi Syndrome. This is an acute or chronic painful condition on the lateral aspect of the sinus tarsi, which is a small tunnel sitting between the talus and the calcaneus of the hindfoot, that is part of the subtalar joint. Sinus Tarsi Syndrome often includes localized pain to the sinus tarsi region, swelling, pain when weight bearing, and range of motion of the subtalar joint with inversion or eversion. Other than an ankle sprain, another risk factor of sinus tarsi syndrome is having flat feet or a very pronated foot type because of increased pressure on the sinus tarsi that can lead to soft tissue impingement in the small tunnel canal of the sinus tarsi.

The following are treatments that may be considered by your doctor or podiatrist for Sinus Tarsi Syndrome:

• Rest, icing, and decreasing any painful physical activities
• Orthotics to correct the over-pronation position of the foot
• Ankle bracing to stabilize the foot and prevent the painful subtalar range of motion
• Oral Nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs) – ibuprofen
• Corticosteroid Injections
• Surgery – either through open surgery or close surgery (arthroscopy) to surgically remove soft tissue plug that causes the painful sinus tarsi impingement. Another surgical option is a subtalar joint fusion.

Sinus Tarsi Syndrome can be a very debilitating condition if not treated and is therefore important to have the correct diagnosis by a podiatrist to properly address this problem. Usually conservative treatments are quite effective such as orthotics in which a podiatrist can prescribe custom orthotics to correct any abnormal foot biomechanics contributing to the painful foot condition. Although rarely indicated, surgery may be considered after all conservative treatments have been exhausted.

Please visit our website for more information or call 614-885-3338 (FEET) to schedule an appointment with us at our Columbus or Gahanna office

Unlike athlete’s foot, a fungal infection of the foot, the soggy nature of feet in shoes can also foster a stinky bacteria infection called erythrasma. The bacterium that grows in this environment is called Corynebacterium minutissimum. This bacteria is part of the normal skin flora but under the right moist condition, it can proliferate leading to a superficial bacterial skin infection. Erythrasma most commonly causes bacterial infection in the webspaces of the toes and gives the clinical appearance of red or brown scaly patches of skin with soggy looking itchy skin.

The following are diagnosis and treatment options that may be considered by your doctor or podiatrist for erythrasma in the feet:

• To diagnosis erythrasma your podiatrist may use a Wood’s lamp, which would reveal a fluorescent coral red color.
• A culture swab of the affected skin can also be done that’s viewed under a microscope that can also help confirm the diagnosis of erythrasma. This may also reveal a concomitant fungal infection.
• Proper moisture control between the toes by using moisture-wicking fabric socks and making sure to dry in between the toes.
• Treatment typically involves antibiotics either oral erythromycin or azithromycin. Your doctor or podiatrist may prescribe a week of antibiotic therapy.
• Topical antibiotics may also be prescribed such as topical erythromycin drops.

Good hygiene and keeping the feet clean and dry especially in between the toes will help calm down the symptoms of erythrasma as well as prevent any recurrence. With the use of proper antibiotics therapy, improvement should be seen within two weeks so call your podiatrist today for the treatment of this uncomfortable itchy condition called erythrasma!

Please visit our website for more information or call 614-885-3338 (FEET) to schedule an appointment with us at our Columbus or Gahanna office