Items filtered by date: December 2012

With the holidays fast approaching, many individuals may feel the mounting pressure of finding the perfect gift by spending hours at the mall. The pressure placed on feet dashing from store to store can add up, and in individuals with diabetes can become dangerous. Even though the holiday of St. Nicholas passed this past week, in which children leave their shoes out to be filled with treats, individuals with diabetes may still want to leave their old shoes out for good and opt for a better, pressure relieving pair.

High pressure in a healthy foot signals pain, and subsequent alleviation of the inciting pressure by the person moving their foot or changing their shoe to stop the pain from occurring. In diabetic individuals with peripheral neuropathy, pain and areas of high pressure cannot be felt due to loss of sensation. This loss of sensation causes of loss of protection to the foot and wounds may develop in areas of abnormally high pressure. Any deformity that predisposes the foot to rub in a shoe creates an area that is more likely to ulcerate. Surgery to remove deformities including bunions, hammer toes and bony bumps in the ball of the foot are one of the ways that your podiatrist may remove an area of increased pressure that is likely to develop or has previously developed an ulcer. Surgery to lengthen the tendon that attaches the calf muscles to the heel bone is also used to lessen pressure on the ball of the foot. When this tendon is too tight, the heel is lifted and the front of the foot is levered down towards the ground, creating an area of high pressure.

Along with surgery, regular callus and corn removal by your podiatrist is also very helpful in removing pressure. Shoes, casting and custom orthotics are all used to better disperse pressure on the foot. These treatment means are also useful to prevent ulcers from developing or recurring. By custom molding shoes to the foot, deformities are accommodated for and areas of high pressure are relieved. Custom orthotics for diabetic patients with neuropathy are made with several layers of material so that any friction that would normally be imparted to the foot is instead absorbed by the orthotic. Talk to your podiatrist about taking pressure off this holiday season and keeping your feet healthy!

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.

Holiday parties filled with colorful drinks and rich meals are an integral part of this time of year for many people. However, all of this drinking and feasting can increase your risk of a painful attack of the arthritic condition that tends to strike in the foot known as gout.
Gout is a disease of the metabolism or breakdown of purines. Purines are nucleotides that are essential to the survival of all the cells in our bodies because they are vital building blocks of DNA. While we naturally make proteins, they are also found in many foods. When purines are broken down by the body, uric acid is created. Abnormally high levels of uric acid in the body, or hyperuricemia, precede the development of gout.

When the excess uric acid causes crystals to form in the joint, the joint will become inflamed and often extremely painful. Gout more commonly affects men, but its prevalence increases in women after menopause. The most commonly affected joint is at the base of the big toe, or hallux called the metatarsophalangeal joint (MPJ). Other than the MPJ of the hallux, gout also occurs in the ankle, wrist and knee. The affected joint will most often become red, hot and so painful that even the weight of a bed sheet will feel unbearable. A bump, or mass filled with the urate crystals is also often seen at the joint affected.

It is important to rule out a paronychia which is an infection of an ingrown toenail, a painful fracture, and other types of arthritis of the foot before being able to offer relief from gout. With proper diagnosis, gout can be managed and the pain eliminated with various medications. Lifestyle changes can also be helpful in gout management and prevention. Excessive alcohol consumption and a diet rich in meat and seafood are associated with a greater risk of gout. So while it may be difficult to resist this holiday season, you will certainly regret not limiting your intake of these items if you are unfortunate enough to develop painful gout later on!

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.