Paige Denn

Feet Problems

Fallen Arches Explained

Overview

Flat Feet

If you have flat feet, you may also experience pain throughout the lower body and into the lower back. Orthotics can be prescribed to create a system of support for the body and surgery can also offer a more permanent solution. Contact us today to discuss which treatment option may be right for you.

Causes

Generally fallen arches are a condition inherited from one or both parents. In addition, age, obesity, and pregnancy cause our arches to collapse. Being in a job that requires long hours of standing and/or walking (e.g. teaching, retail, hospitality, building etc) contributes to this condition, especially when standing on hard surfaces like concrete floors. Last, but not least unsupportive footwear makes our feet roll in more than they should.

Symptoms

Knee/Hip/Back Pain - When the arch collapses in the foot, it triggers a series of compensations up the joint chain, leading to increased stress on the knee, pelvis and low back. Plantar fasciitis - This condition is characterized by heel pain, especially with the first few steps you take. The plantar fascia stretches as the arch falls, putting stress on the heel. Bunions - If you see a bony bump developing at the base of your big toe, you are likely developing a bunion. It may be swollen, red or painful when it rubs against your shoe. A flattened arch spreads the forefoot and causes the big toe to deviate toward the second toe. Shin splints - This term generally refers to pain anywhere along the shinbone. It is typically due to overuse and is aggravated after exercise and activity.

Diagnosis

Diagnosis of flat feet or fallen arches can be made by your health practitioner and is based on the following. Clinical assessment involving visual gait assessment, as well as biomechanical assessment. A detailed family and medical history. A pain history assessment determining the location of painful symptoms. Physical palpation of the feet and painful areas. Imaging such as MRI or x-ray can be used by your practitioner to assist in the diagnosis.

pes cavus

Non Surgical Treatment

Traditionally, running shoes have contained extra padding to support the feet in general and fallen arches in particular. Orthopedists may prescribe orthotics for people with flat feet. More recently, however, the argument has arisen for shoes that provide a more minimal amount of padding and support for the feet. The idea here is that the feet will strengthen themselves. Since there are multiple options, anyone with flat feet or fallen arches would do well to explore them all.

Surgical Treatment

Flat Feet

Surgery is typically offered as a last resort in people with significant pain that is resistant to other therapies. The treatment of a rigid flatfoot depends on its cause. Congenital vertical talus. Your doctor may suggest a trial of serial casting. The foot is placed in a cast and the cast is changed frequently to reposition the foot gradually. However, this generally has a low success rate. Most people ultimately need surgery to correct the problem. Tarsal coalition. Treatment depends on your age, extent of bone fusion and severity of symptoms. For milder cases, your doctor may recommend nonsurgical treatment with shoe inserts, wrapping of the foot with supportive straps or temporarily immobilizing the foot in a cast. For more severe cases, surgery is necessary to relieve pain and improve the flexibility of the foot. Lateral subtalar dislocation. The goal is to move the dislocated bone back into place as soon as possible. If there is no open wound, the doctor may push the bone back into proper alignment without making an incision. Anesthesia is usually given before this treatment. Once this is accomplished, a short leg cast must be worn for about four weeks to help stabilize the joint permanently. About 15% to 20% of people with lateral subtalar dislocation must be treated with surgery to reposition the dislocated bone.

Understand Heel Ache

Overview

Heel Discomfort

Heel pain is often the result of a heel spur, which is a bone growth on the heel bone. Heel spurs are usually located on the underside of the heel bone where it attaches to the plantar fascia, a long band of connective tissue running from the heel to the ball of the foot. This connective tissue holds the arch together and acts as a shock absorber during activity. If the plantar fascia is over-stretched from running, wearing poor-fitting shoes or being overweight, pain can result from the stress and inflammation of the tissue pulling on the bone. Over time, the body builds extra bone in response to this stress resulting in heel spurs.

Causes

A flattening or overstretching of your plantar fascia can cause microscopic tears, inflammation, and a burning sensation. While developing slowly, there may be a sudden severe event sometimes occurring in only one foot at a time. Plantar Faciitis can affect people of all ages and backgrounds. Some contributing factors include age, weight-bearing activities, sudden increase in physical activity, improper shoes, excess weight or a recent weight gain (as little as 5 pounds), and poor biomechanics (flat feet, high arches or unnatural gait).

Symptoms

See your doctor as soon as possible if you experience severe pain accompanied by swelling near your heel. There is numbness or tingling in the heel, as well as pain and fever. There is pain in your heel as well as fever. You are unable to walk normally. You cannot bend your foot downwards. You cannot stand with the backs of the feet raised (you cannot rise onto your toes). You should arrange to see a doctor if the heel pain has persisted for more than one week. There is still heel pain when you are not standing or walking.

Diagnosis

To arrive at a diagnosis, the foot and ankle surgeon will obtain your medical history and examine your foot. Throughout this process the surgeon rules out all the possible causes for your heel pain other than plantar fasciitis. In addition, diagnostic imaging studies such as x-rays or other imaging modalities may be used to distinguish the different types of heel pain. Sometimes heel spurs are found in patients with plantar fasciitis, but these are rarely a source of pain. When they are present, the condition may be diagnosed as plantar fasciitis/heel spur syndrome.

Non Surgical Treatment

Orthotics, by treating the cause of the problem, lead to the cure bette than 90% of the time. A small number of patients have waited so long that the plantar fascia has become thickened and filled with scar tissue and are not helped by ?conventional? means. Those are the patients that have, traditionally, required surgical treatment in which the plantar fascia is cut off the heel bone. Luckily, most surgery has been replaced by a relatively new mode of treatment, ESWT or Extracorporeal Shockwave Therapy. ESWT involves the application of multiple shockwaves to the diseased tendon or ligament and has an approximately 85 to 90% success rate. Keep in mind we are talking about this success rate in patients who are ?tough cases,? that is, already had the conventional treatment. The ESWT machines look like miniature renal lithtripsors (kidney stone crushers). There are virtually no side effects to ESWT other than the price as only about 30% of insurance companies are paying for it. They realize that it is less costly and safer than surgery but also know that many more people who would avoid surgery would have no problem getting ESWT so the volume of services would go up. You don?t have to live with painful heels.

Surgical Treatment

Extracorporeal shockwave therapy (EST) is a fairly new type of non-invasive treatment. Non-invasive means it does not involve making cuts into your body. EST involves using a device to deliver high-energy soundwaves into your heel. The soundwaves can sometimes cause pain, so a local anaesthetic may be used to numb your heel. It is claimed that EST works in two ways. It is thought to have a "numbing" effect on the nerves that transmit pain signals to your brain, help stimulate and speed up the healing process. However, these claims have not yet been definitively proven. The National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE) has issued guidance about the use of EST for treating plantar fasciitis. NICE states there are no concerns over the safety of EST, but there are uncertainties about how effective the procedure is for treating heel pain. Some studies have reported that EST is more effective than surgery and other non-surgical treatments, while other studies found the procedure to be no better than a placebo (sham treatment).

heel bursitis

Prevention

Heel Discomfort

Heel pain is commonly caused from shoes that do not fit properly. In addition, shoes need to have ample cushioning and support, particularly through the heel, ball of the foot, and arch. Shoes should also be replaced if they become too worn. One sure sign of wear and tear is overly worn areas of a shoe's insoles. If the heel or ball of the foot is particularly worn, damage could easily occur since the bottom of the foot is not getting the cushioning it needs.

Causes Of Functional Leg Length Discrepancy

Overview

People with leg length discrepancy, when one leg is longer than the other, usually have a waddling-type gait where the hips seem to move up and down during walking as the body tries to compensate for the inequality. There are two types of leg length discrepancy. The first type of leg length discrepancy involves a structural defect, where one bone is longer or shorter than the corresponding bone of the other limb. This can occur within the femur (upper leg bone) or the tibia and fibular (lower leg bones). Functional leg length discrepancy results from altered mechanics due to a malalignment in the spine or lower extremity.Leg Length Discrepancy

Causes

Common causes include bone infection, bone diseases, previous injuries, or broken bones. Other causes may include birth defects, arthritis where there is a loss of articular surface, or neurological conditions.

Symptoms

Children whose limbs vary in length often experience difficulty using their arms or legs. They might have difficulty walking or using both arms to engage in everyday activities.

Diagnosis

Infants, children or adolescents suspected of having a limb-length condition should receive an evaluation at the first sign of difficulty in using their arms or legs. In many cases, signs are subtle and only noticeable in certain situations, such as when buying clothing or playing sports. Proper initial assessments by qualified pediatric orthopedic providers can reduce the likelihood of long-term complications and increase the likelihood that less invasive management will be effective. In most cases, very mild limb length discrepancies require no formal treatment at all.

Non Surgical Treatment

After the leg length discrepancy has been identified it can be categorized in as structural or functional and appropriate remedial action can be instigated. This may involve heel lifters or orthotics being used to level up the difference. The treatment of LLD depends on the symptoms being experienced. Where the body is naturally compensating for the LLD (and the patient is in no discomfort), further rectifying action may cause adverse effects to the biomechanical mechanism of the body causing further injury. In cases of functional asymmetry regular orthotics can be used to correct the geometry of the foot and ground contact. In structural asymmetry cases heel lifts may be used to compensate for the anatomic discrepancy.

Leg Length Discrepancy Insoles

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Surgical Treatment

The bone is lengthened by surgically applying an external fixation device to the leg. The external fixator, a scaffold-like frame, is connected to the bone with wires, pins, or both. A small crack is made in the bone and the frame creates tension when the patient or family member turns its dial. This is done several times each day. The lengthening process begins approximately five to 10 days after surgery. The bone may lengthen 1 millimeter per day, or approximately 1 inch per month. Lengthening may be slower in a bone that was previously injured. It may also be slower if the leg was operated on before. Bones in patients with potential blood vessel abnormalities, such as cigarette smokers, may also need to be lengthened more slowly. The external fixator is worn until the bone is strong enough to support the patient safely. This usually takes about three months for each inch. Factors such as age, health, smoking and participation in rehabilitation can affect the amount of time needed.

What Is Mortons Neuroma

Overview

MortonA neuroma is a thickening of nerve tissue that may develop in various parts of the body. The most common neuroma in the foot is a Morton?s neuroma, which occurs between the third and fourth toes. It is sometimes referred to as an intermetatarsal neuroma. ?Intermetatarsal? describes its location in the ball of the foot between the metatarsal bones. Neuromas may also occur in other locations in the foot. MortonThe thickening, or enlargement, of the nerve that defines a neuroma is the result of compression and irritation of the nerve. This compression creates enlargement of the nerve, eventually leading to permanent nerve damage.

Causes

Occupational hazards. Individuals whose jobs place undue stress on their forefeet (with or without wearing improper footwear) are among those who complain of neuromas. Podiatric physicians report that individuals who work on ladders, or who perform activities on their knees (such as doing landscaping, carpeting, flooring, or other work on the ground) are at risk for this problem, too, since these activities cause stress to the nerve near the ball of the foot. Those who engage in high-impact activities that bring repetitive trauma to the foot (running, aerobics, etc.) have a better than average chance of developing a neuroma at the site of a previous injury. To put it more simply, if you have sustained a previous injury to your foot (a sprain, stress fracture, etc.), that area of your foot will be more prone to neuroma development than an area that has not been injured. However, sports injuries aren?t automatically a ticket to neuromas. Trauma caused by other forms of injury to the foot (dropping heavy objects, for example) can also cause a neuroma to develop at the site of the previous injury. Much though we hate to say it, sometimes neuromas just develop and nobody knows why. The patient doesn?t have a previous injury, is wearing properly fitted shoes, and doesn?t stress his/her feet with any specific activity but the neuroma develops anyway. It is important to remember that some of the factors listed above can work alone, or in combination with each other, to contribute to the formation of neuroma.

Symptoms

Symptoms associated with a neuroma include a dull burning sensation radiating towards the toes, a cramping feeling, or even a stinging, tingling sensation that can be described as being similar to an electric shock. It is often worse when wearing shoes with most people finding the pain disappears when removing their shoes.

Diagnosis

Plain x-rays of the foot may demonstrate that one or more of the metatarsals are long (Figure #5). Not uncommonly, the second and/or third metatarsal may be long relative to the third or fourth. This can create a situation where excessive load is occurring in and around the vicinity of the interdigital nerve.

Non Surgical Treatment

Ice therapy and anti-inflammatory medications or supplements. If conservative care measures fail to resolve your problem, some foot care providers may recommend a cortisone injection around your involved nerve to help reduce your swelling and inflammation. Concentrated alcohol injections around your affected nerve have also shown good results and should be considered before undergoing neurectomy, a surgical procedure to remove the enlarged, traumatized portion of your involved nerve.intermetatarsal neuroma

Surgical Treatment

The ultimate success of a Morton?s neuroma treated surgically can be variable. In cases where the underlying problem is only an irritated nerve (a true Morton?s neuroma), then surgery will probably be curative (although it may take a few months for the foot to fully heal). But in many cases, forefoot pain is more complex. There may be an irritated nerve or two causing pain, but the real problem is often excessive loading of the lesser metatarsals. The generic term for this condition is metatarsalgia. When considering surgery, identifying and addressing these problems may lead to a better end result.

How Shoe Lifts Treat Leg Length Imbalances

There are two unique variations of leg length discrepancies, congenital and acquired. Congenital means that you are born with it. One leg is structurally shorter than the other. As a result of developmental periods of aging, the human brain senses the stride pattern and recognizes some variation. Your body usually adapts by tilting one shoulder over to the "short" side. A difference of under a quarter inch isn't really abnormal, doesn't need Shoe Lifts to compensate and typically doesn't have a serious effect over a lifetime.

Leg Length Discrepancy Shoe Lift

Leg length inequality goes largely undiagnosed on a daily basis, yet this problem is simply corrected, and can eradicate a number of instances of back discomfort.

Treatment for leg length inequality usually involves Shoe Lifts. Most are low cost, generally being less than twenty dollars, compared to a custom orthotic of $200 plus. Differences over a quarter inch can take their toll on the spine and should probably be compensated for with a heel lift. In some cases, the shortage can be so extreme that it requires a full lift to both the heel and sole of the shoe.

Mid back pain is easily the most common health problem impacting people today. Around 80 million people are afflicted by back pain at some point in their life. It is a problem which costs businesses millions of dollars yearly as a result of lost time and production. New and better treatment solutions are continually sought after in the hope of decreasing the economical influence this condition causes.

Shoe Lift

Men and women from all corners of the earth suffer the pain of foot ache as a result of leg length discrepancy. In a lot of these situations Shoe Lifts are usually of beneficial. The lifts are capable of decreasing any discomfort in the feet. Shoe Lifts are recommended by numerous qualified orthopaedic physicians.

In order to support the body in a healthy and balanced fashion, the feet have a very important job to play. Irrespective of that, it's often the most overlooked zone in the human body. Some people have flat-feet meaning there is unequal force exerted on the feet. This will cause other parts of the body including knees, ankles and backs to be impacted too. Shoe Lifts make sure that the right posture and balance are restored.

Curing Leg Length Imbalances With Shoe Lifts

There are two different types of leg length discrepancies, congenital and acquired. Congenital indicates that you are born with it. One leg is structurally shorter in comparison to the other. As a result of developmental stages of aging, the brain picks up on the stride pattern and identifies some variation. Our bodies usually adapts by dipping one shoulder to the "short" side. A difference of less than a quarter inch is not grossly abnormal, demand Shoe Lifts to compensate and typically doesn't have a serious effect over a lifetime.

Leg Length Discrepancy Shoe Lifts

Leg length inequality goes typically undiagnosed on a daily basis, yet this problem is simply fixed, and can eradicate many incidents of lumbar pain.

Treatment for leg length inequality usually involves Shoe Lifts. They are economical, often being below twenty dollars, in comparison to a custom orthotic of $200 and up. When the amount of leg length inequality begins to exceed half an inch, a whole sole lift is generally the better choice than a heel lift. This prevents the foot from being unnecessarily stressed in an abnormal position.

Lumbar pain is easily the most widespread health problem impacting people today. Around 80 million people experience back pain at some point in their life. It's a problem that costs companies millions of dollars yearly because of lost time and production. Fresh and superior treatment solutions are always sought after in the hope of decreasing the economic influence this condition causes.

Shoe Lifts

People from all corners of the world suffer from foot ache as a result of leg length discrepancy. In these cases Shoe Lifts can be of very useful. The lifts are capable of decreasing any discomfort and pain in the feet. Shoe Lifts are recommended by numerous skilled orthopaedic practitioners".

In order to support the body in a balanced fashion, feet have a vital part to play. In spite of that, it can be the most overlooked zone of the body. Many people have flat-feet which means there may be unequal force placed on the feet. This will cause other areas of the body including knees, ankles and backs to be impacted too. Shoe Lifts guarantee that proper posture and balance are restored.

Are Shoe Lifts The Answer To Leg Length Discrepancy

There are two different types of leg length discrepancies, congenital and acquired. Congenital means that you are born with it. One leg is structurally shorter compared to the other. As a result of developmental stages of aging, the brain senses the gait pattern and recognizes some variation. The human body usually adapts by tilting one shoulder over to the "short" side. A difference of less than a quarter inch is not grossly irregular, does not need Shoe Lifts to compensate and commonly does not have a profound effect over a lifetime.

Shoe Lift

Leg length inequality goes largely undiagnosed on a daily basis, yet this problem is simply remedied, and can reduce quite a few instances of low back pain.

Treatment for leg length inequality usually consists of Shoe Lifts. These are typically very inexpensive, generally priced at under twenty dollars, compared to a custom orthotic of $200 or even more. When the amount of leg length inequality begins to exceed half an inch, a whole sole lift is generally the better choice than a heel lift. This prevents the foot from being unnecessarily stressed in an abnormal position.

Lower back pain is easily the most widespread health problem afflicting men and women today. Around 80 million men and women are affected by back pain at some stage in their life. It's a problem that costs employers millions yearly due to time lost and productivity. Fresh and better treatment solutions are continually sought after in the hope of lowering economic influence this issue causes.

Shoe Lifts

Men and women from all corners of the world suffer the pain of foot ache as a result of leg length discrepancy. In these cases Shoe Lifts can be of beneficial. The lifts are capable of easing any pain in the feet. Shoe Lifts are recommended by many qualified orthopaedic practitioners".

So that they can support the human body in a balanced fashion, feet have a critical function to play. Despite that, it's often the most overlooked area in the body. Many people have flat-feet which means there may be unequal force exerted on the feet. This will cause other parts of the body including knees, ankles and backs to be impacted too. Shoe Lifts make sure that correct posture and balance are restored.