- Warts
- Arthritis
- Plantar Fasciitis
- Primary CareThis is a thickening of the surface layer of the skin, usually in response to pressure or friction. Corns or calluses may form on the ball of the foot, the heel, the top or tip of a toe. Calluses may be simple thickening of the skin. Sometimes they have a deep seated “core”. They can be the result of a wart or a boney prominence. They may also be formed by soft tissue masses that require a biopsy or removal. Many of the conditions mentioned in this website (bunions, hammertoes, warts, e.g.) may be the cause of the corn or callus. Scraping or shaving the callus offers periodic relief and simple procedures may offer permanent results. Diabetics should never attempt to scrape or cut their calluses/corns or use acid corn remover pads (most of these pads advise diabetic patients to not use their products). Diabetic patients should follow their primary care physician’s or family doctor’s recommendations and seek treatment from a qualified podiatrist.
- Depression
- Diabetes Care
- MRIWarts are often found on the bottom of the foot, but can occur anywhere on the body. Warts are caused by a highly contagious virus (human papilloma virus or HPV). Treatment may include acid applications, freezing treatments, scraping or excision under local anesthetic, and laser surgery. Lumps and masses of the foot or around the ankle are often bursas, ganglion cysts, inclusion cysts, fibromas or lipomas. Ganglion cysts are best thought of as sacks of fluid from tendons or joints under the skin. While they are not generally harmful, they can be painful. Bursas are small sacks of fluid that the body produces to cushion prominent bones or protect tendons from irritation. On occasion they can become inflamed and irritated themselves. Inclusion cysts form when the body walls off a foreign body like a splinter, piece of glass or metal. Fibromas and lipomas are commonly occurring masses of fibrous or fatty tissue and frequently occur around the ankle or the bottom of the foot. There are many other kinds of masses. It is difficult to definitively diagnose a mass without microscopic examination. Often, experience, x-rays or MRI’s tell the doctor what type of mass the patient is presenting. Pads, cortisone injections or surgical removal of the mass may provide relief.
- X-Rays
- Computed Tomography
- Bunion Surgery
- Bunions
- Ingrown Toenails
- Corns
- Cyst
- CallusesNumbness is often experienced by diabetics, but other patient types may experience the condition. Numbness and tingling can be the source of bothersome irritation, but more importantly, it reduces our ability to detect pain. Without pain, diabetics (or any patients suffering from neuropathy) could encounter cuts, sores, fractures, foreign bodies (splinters, tacks, needles, glass), calluses, infections, ingrown nails or other problems without knowledge. Anyone with numbness is urged to check their shoes daily and examine their feet (particularly the bottoms) and visit a podiatrist. Treatment may include oral medication, routine care, orthotics, and shoe changes. Numbness or tingling may also be caused by an isolated impinged nerve, a neuroma (or nerve growth), swelling, medication/alcohol side effects, injury or other conditions.
- FungusThickened, brittle, flaking and discolored nails are often the cause of fungus. Most often, antifungal topical creams and polishes fail at reducing or resolving the fungus. If a fungus greatly thickens the nail, a patient cannot cut their nails properly and experiences pain and infections. A podiatrist can successfully cut significantly thickened nails and provide current and safe treatment options including prescription polishes, oral medication and routine care.
- Rashes
- Skin CareDiabetics can enjoy a lifetime of good health if they educate themselves and adopt proper regimens. Those with diabetes, especially those with poor control of their disease, have a high risk of eye disease, kidney disease and amputation. It is estimated that 15% of diabetics will undergo an amputation of the foot or leg and the diabetic population is ever increasing in the United States. Diabetics are recommended to visit a podiatrist routinely for nail and skin care. Even the smallest of cuts, ingrown nails, skin rashes or structural changes may result in a rapidly progressing problem. Non-healing skin ulcers, infections, redness, swelling, numbness, tingling and pain may be some of the problems a diabetic experiences. Often, a diabetic does not experience pain when encountering a severe problem (infections, skin wounds, e.g.) because of commonly occurring diabetic foot numbness (diabetic neuropathy). A foot doctor is often the first physician to recognize a problem before it becomes severe. Simple visits can prevent major problems.
- Sports Medicine
- Physical Therapy
- Flatfoot Correction
- Heel Pain
- Orthotics and Prosthetic Therapy
- General Podiatry
- Achilles TendonitisMany injuries and medical problems may cause ankle pain. Among them include Achilles tendonitis and ankle joint arthritis. Fractures, sports injuries, ankle sprains, tendonitis and ruptured ligaments may also reduce a patient’s ability to bear weight or walk. Immediate diagnosis is crucial to avoid persistent pain for months or years. In-office x-rays or MRI’s often provide answers and treatment may include immobilization (taping, casting, ankle braces), physical therapy, oral medications, cortisone injections, arthroscopic surgery or other surgical procedures.
- Bunions ProblemsA bunion is a condition that affects the bones and joints associated with the great toe. It is one of the most common deformities of the foot. The condition develops slowly and results from the gradual dislocation of the big toe joint. The big toe drifts away from the body’s mid-line (and toward the smaller toes). This causes a prominence of bone on the inside (medial) margin of the forefoot. This is termed a bunion. As the deformity progresses, the big toe may push against the second toe or may overlap or under lap the second toe. There are no exercises, splints or other devices that reliably correct a bunion. Orthotics can sometimes slow or halt the progression of a bunion while pads, cortisone injections and changes in shoe widths may offer some relief. If a patient has a bunion that causes continued pain, Ridgeland Foot & Ankle doctors offer the newest corrective surgical techniques that allow most patients to walk during their entire recovery period. We have the experience to correct bunions or to repair bad results from a patient’s previous bunion surgery.
- Calluses
- Diabetic Foot Care
- Flat Feet
- HammertoesA hammertoe is a condition in which the toe buckles, causing the middle joint of the affected toe to poke up. Often a corn or callus develops on the top of the toe or the tip of the toe or under the ball of the foot behind a hammertoe. Pads, orthotics, corn/callus scraping, shoe modifications, cortisone injections or easy surgical procedures often provide periodic or permanent relief.
- Heel SpursThe most common cause of pain on the bottom surface of the heel, is plantar fasciitis (inflammation of the plantar fascia). The most common symptom of plantar fasciitis is heel pain experienced while standing/walking after sitting for a period of time or arising out of bed. The plantar fascia a broad band of ligament-like tissue which runs along the bottom surface of the foot, from the heel to the toes. Long standing inflammation may cause the formation of a heel spur which is visible on x-ray. Treatment may include custom made inserts (orthotics), oral anti-inflammatory medication, cortisone injections, or surgery. In most cases, non-surgical treatment is successful.
- Heel Pain
- Ingrown ToenailsIngrown toenails are caused by impingement of the skin along the margins of the nail by the nail plate. Some ingrown toenails are chronic, with repeated episodes of pain, inflammation, and infection. Infection results when inflamed tissues are colonized by bacteria or yeast. Pain can be present without infection, and occasionally infection is present without pain. An ingrown nail may seem trivial, but in the presence of other illnesses (diabetes or vascular/circulation problems), the condition may result in serious infection or amputation. Treatment is very simple and usually involves removal of a portion of the nail under local anesthetic. If the infection is severe or the patient is immunocompromised, oral antibiotics may be prescribed.
- Plantar Fasciitis