Items filtered by date: July 2013

Bowling was big in Columbus last week as a great activity for those looking to beat the heat. This past Saturday was the annual Bowling for Rhinos fundraiser thrown by the Columbus Zoo to raise money for the Lewa Wildlife Conservancy in Kenya and the International Rhino Foundation. If your feet aren’t sore from all the strikes and spares at that event, the 2013 Bowling’s United States Open is being held at several bowling centers around Columbus throughout the week. For bowlers, good foot health is imperative to maintain the pain-free motion required for an effective throw of the ball.

While bowling is a relatively low impact activity, the repetitive nature of the required foot motion puts those playing regularly at risk of a sports injury. With one foot repetitively sliding, excess pressure is placed on the plantar, or bottom aspect of the foot. In response to pressure, the top layer of skin cells, the stratum corneum, builds up to protect underlying tissues. This excess of hardened skin is commonly called a callus or corn. Not only are these areas often painful with continued pressure, in individuals with peripheral neuropathy due to diabetes or other causes, there is a risk of skin ulceration. Pain from calluses may be relieved with regular use of a pumice stone or a daily application of a cream that may be dispensed by your podiatrist. Custom foot orthotics can also provide pain relief, in addition to relieving the area of increased pressure causing the skin buildup. Depending on the underlying cause of the callus, orthotics created may be stiff and act to improve the function of the foot, or softer and accommodative of the deformity causing the pressure.

In the non-sliding foot, another repetitive motion is occurring: push-off from the big toe. This motion can result in a jamming of the joint at the base of the big toe and eventual development of arthritis. This condition, in which joint motion becomes limited and often painful, is called hallux limitus. While the toe push-off motion is unavoidable during bowling, custom orthotics can be created with modifications to limit pain and progression of arthritis. If big toe arthritis progresses to become unbearably painful, more invasive treatments including injections or surgery may be necessary. Taking good care of your feet and addressing problems when they first begin will allow bowlers to continue striking out the competition in all of their upcoming matches!

Please visit www.ColumbusFoot.com for more tips for healthier and happier feet 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.

While those interested in pop culture news may still be wondering when Jennifer Aniston’s wedding is to occur, the actress did share an interesting story about her fiancé. Jennifer revealed to reporters this past week that she is currently experiencing some foot pain from a fracture in one of the bones of her toe. She related that the injury occurred when her fiancé accidentally stepped on her foot!

The bones that make up the toes are called phalanges. The big toe, or hallux has two phalanges and the four smaller toes have three phalanges each. Fractures of the toe bones are fairly common. When a heavy weight drops on the toe causing fracture, as in Jennifer’s case of someone stepping on your foot, this is called a crush injury. The toe will typically become swollen and reddened in color following the trauma. Changes in the toenail may also be noted in crush injuries. The nail often darkens to a blue-black color as a small area of bleeding, or subungual hematoma, forms under the nail. While the nail may be kept in place to help splint the toe bone in most cases, the hematoma should be drained by your doctor. Drainage needs to be performed in a relatively short period of time following the injury to remove the potential source of infection.

Toe fractures are also commonly called “bed post” or “night walkers’” fractures due to their common occurrence after someone stubs their toe when getting out of bed in the dark. Even if the toe is displaced in addition to the fracture, these injuries typically heal without the need for surgery. Both Jennifer’s direct blow and the “bed post” toe fractures are treated similarly. Any dislocation of the toe or displacement of bone fragments can typically be physically reduced by your podiatrist. If the toe heals in a non-reduced, non-anatomic position, the fragments will fuse in an abnormal position resulting in toe deformity. The affected toe is splinted after reduction to maintain correct position by taping the toe to the adjacent toe, or “buddy taping”. Motion is reduced by placing gauze or another soft material on the side of the toe. Protection during weight bearing may be provided with the use of a stiff soled shoe, cast with a toe plate or in a walking boot depending on what is deemed most appropriate for the patient. If surgery is needed, it is more commonly for fractures that have affected the hallux. Fracture fragments that affect the motion of any joint can cause painful sequelae. More motion is required in the hallux compared to the four smaller toes, causing more notable pain with ambulation when there is any abnormality of joint surfaces. Hopefully Jennifer was able to have her affected toe taped by her podiatrist and can take a break from high heels for a while as healing occurs!

Please visit www.ColumbusFoot.com for more tips for healthier and happier feet 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.

Those looking to cool off from hot temperatures around Columbus ought to be careful when going to visit any Lake Erie beaches in Ohio. Recently, environmental research has been released on how many times last summer E. coli bacteria were a threat to swimmers at coastal beaches. Unfortunately, E. coli was detected a higher number of times along Ohio’s Lake Erie beaches compared to any other coastal beach sites tested. The presence of disease causing bacteria at lake beaches can potentially cause dangerous tissue infections in the feet without proper care and precautions.

Bacteria and the infections they cause take a different course depending on a number of variables. While the severity of an infection and how the infection manifests itself may vary, one relative constant factor in developing a foot infection while in an aquatic environment is: the presence of a trauma or wound in the skin. Most bacteria found in lakes are unable to penetrate through intact skin to cause infection. However, when a scrape, cut or ulceration is present in the foot the bacteria may enter and cause disease. Signs of wound infection include: swelling, redness, increased skin temperature, pain, drainage from the wound and odor. Some infections acquired in a lake may have an unusual appearance. Bacteria called pseudomonas aeruginosa may cause wound drainage to have a blue-green appearance. These bacteria may also cause “Green Nail Syndrome” in individuals with prolonged exposure to the bacteria in water, in which the toenails appear greenish-black. If a wound infection progresses without being properly treated it may reach the bloodstream and manifest with system-wide symptoms of fever, nausea, vomiting and chills.

In order to prevent such infection from occurring, feet should be thoroughly inspected for the presence of any open wound before entering an aquatic environment. Even a small cut such as a nick while shaving the legs or a toenail being cut too short during a pedicure can allow bacteria to enter. By being aware of the wound and its appearance prior to a visit to the beach, it may be determined that water should be avoided altogether or, at a minimum, care may be taken to note if any changes occur. All wounds on the foot should be properly cleansed and cared for regardless of whether or not an individual will be entering water. Individuals with diabetes or other immune conditions should take extra precautions with care of wounds to avoid infection. With awareness and regular excellent foot care, Columbus travelers should have a safe and fun time cooling off at any beach they choose this summer!

Please visit www.ColumbusFoot.com for more tips for healthier and happier feet 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.

At the annual Red, White and Boom fireworks celebration last week for the 4th of July in Columbus, the summer season of fireworks, festivals and bonfires reached one of its high points. Luckily, very few injuries were reported during the celebrations on the 4th and the days following, however foot burns are a serious risk during many of these summer events. Burn wounds of the foot represent a unique and difficult area to treat.

Burns can occur from heat, electricity, chemicals or friction. In the foot, a recent study reported that most burns were due to scalding injuries. Burns can appear differently depending on severity. First degree burns affect only the most superficial skin layers and cause skin to appear dry and red. Second degree burns can vary in appearance from red with clear blisters to yellow or white. Second degree burns can also appear moist or dry and may be very painful or feel just an uncomfortable pressure sensation depending on how deep tissues were damaged. Third degree burns are also known as full thickness burns, as the entire thickness of the skin is damaged. Tissue will appear leathery and these wounds are typically painless. Fourth degree burns are the most serious and extend into underlying fat, muscle and bone. As a burn progresses from first to fourth degree, the severity of the wound and length of time required for healing increases.

Like other foot wounds, pressure caused by walking or standing must be removed in order to allow skin and underlying tissue to heal. Whether the wound is due to a burn, pressure or arterial disease, healing will be slowed in the presence of excess pressure. Offloading of the wound with customized orthotics or padding may be possible for small burn wounds. Wounds involving a large portion of the foot may require prolonged non-weightbearing or even hospitalization in order to alleviate pressure. Early treatment of burn wounds on the foot is crucial in order to decrease the occurrence of serious complications including infection, delayed healing, difficulty ambulating and prolonged bedrest. The likelihood of developing a complication is increased in smokers and individuals with diabetes and peripheral vascular disease. Individuals with diabetes and peripheral neuropathy are also at a higher risk of obtaining a burn wound due to lack of sensation. Space heaters and excessively hot foot soaks are dangers which individuals who lack foot sensation need to be aware of as a potential risk of a burn.

Please visit www.ColumbusFoot.com for more tips for healthier and happier feet 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.