Summer is fast approaching.  Take care of your feet now so you can make sure they’re ready for the action they’ll see during the warmer months.  Each problem has a time frame to see results or correct the problem.  But you’ll want to start thinking about treatment now, so you can be ready to go by summertime.  Below are some common issues you might want to take care of sooner rather than later.

Plantar Fasciitis: Foot and heel pain can be a common problem among active people whether you’re training for a marathon, or just on your feet at work every day.  Symptoms start with pain in the arch and heel.  There are many treatments that are successful if the treatment is started early on.  It could be as simple as a pair of orthotics and stretching.  Some people might benefit from shockwave therapy or the Koby Isogard procedure that Dr. Young performs.

Toenail Fungus: If you are one of the 36 million people suffering from toenail fungus, we are happy to offer the PinPointe Footlaser.  A laser specifically developed to treat toenail fungus.  It is more than 80% effective and Dr. Young even offers a free initial consultation.  Keep in mind that it takes a few months to see that healthy new nail growing in.

Medical Pedicures:  If you just want to get your feet feeling fresh and ready to go for sandal season, you might want to look into a medical pedicure.  It can offer a clean, safe alternative to your standard salon pedicure.  This will allow Dr. Young to take care of any corns, calluses, dry cracked heels, as well as evaluate your overall foot health.

Foot Surgery:  If you have been considering having foot surgery for Hammertoes or Bunions, spring is a good time to schedule it.  That will give you enough time to heal before summer.

Problem with Cold Feet?

Some patients can develop cold feet due to medical conditions such as diabetes, poor circulation, arthritis and Raynauds disease.

We are now offering Infracare Cold Feet Socks at Lincoln Park Podiatry.  These socks are designed specifically for people who have a problem with cold feet.  They are embedded with bio-materials including Tourmaline, which has the ability to amplify and hold heat.  It works in a similar way to the reflective material that is used in thermal blankets or built into the lining of a winter coat.  The socks will use the body heat you have and reflect it back while raising the temperature of your feet 7-10 degrees.  

Your skin is your defense against the outside world.  When it is healthy, it is pliable and resilient against pressure and friction.  When it becomes excessively dry, the surface flakes and becomes brittle.  It is no longer pliable and cracks can form.  These cracks can develop into full thickness fissures.  Particularly seen in the heels, these fissures can easily become inflamed, infected and very painful. 

Persons with auto immune disorders, diabetes, and peripheral vascular disease are especially prone to having excessively dry skin.  In the case of persons with neuropathy, they may not feel the pain of fissured skin.  Serious infections can develop without their awareness. 

Getting into the habit of putting cream on one’s feet twice daily is difficult.  But as important as applying cream, the quality and kind of cream that is used is also as important.  Since the skin has urea and lactic acid normally using creams with those ingredients is recommended.  Wearing socks with silicone lining is a relatively new idea for very dry cracked skin.  Wearing shoes with closed heels and not opened backs help support the skin and prevents cracking.  Drinking enough water and having the proper fats in your diet that includes beans and nuts also helps the quality of the skin. 

As a podiatrist, I frequently give injections of anesthesia or cortisone to the feet of patients.  No one likes these because they can be quite painful.  Usually patients endure the few seconds it takes but some request that I use a freezing spray to lessen the pain.  I find that this doesn’t work very well and it’s messy because the spray runs down the foot.

Now there is a new device specifically designed for management of pain associated with injections of medications.  It’s called a Vibration Anesthesia Device™ (V.A.D.) and it simply vibrates at the injection site which blocks the pain perception pathway to the brain.  This vibration lessens the patient’s perception of the needle or injection. 

This is great for anyone who gets local anesthesia or cortisone injections. 

Thanks to all of our patients for their positive feedback.

Are your foot mechanics optimal when walking or running?  Do you have foot pain, hip pain, knee pain or back pain that might be caused by poor foot function?  Perhaps you would benefit from wearing custom made foot orthotics.  Dr. Debra Young can now analyze your foot function with the computerized GaitScan™ system and determine if the pain you are experiencing is related to faulty foot function that can be corrected with custom orthotics.  By correcting foot misalignments you can improve your speed, improve your balance, and eliminate pain.  For your free gait analysis, please call us at 773-327-0006 for an appointment.

Foot Pain – You Don’t Have to Live With It!

Doctor William Scholl said, “WHEN YOUR FEET HURT, YOU HURT ALL OVER!”  Foot pain can really affect our ability to enjoy our daily activities.  Unfortunately many people tough it out and wait until the pain is almost unbearable before they go for help.

Pain can occur anywhere in the foot, including the heel, toes, ball of foot, arch or ankles. If you seek treatment at the first sign of a problem, we have a better chance of helping you avoid much unnecessary discomfort and pain. 

Foot pain can be caused by a wide range of conditions or injuries.  Poorly fitting shoes are often to blame, but athletics, aging, being overweight, structural defects and medical conditions, such as arthritis and diabetes, also increase your chances of having foot problems. 

Are you experiencing pain from any of these foot problems?

        bunions                                      hammer toes

        corns, calluses                         ingrown toenails

        plantar fasciitis (heel pain)    arch strain

        sports injuries                          complications of diabetes

        pain in ball of foot                    poor biomechanical alignment

Most people only think about seeing a podiatrist when they have foot pain or problems.  But it’s important to keep your feet as healthy as possible with regular care and early treatment for any problems. 

Many people of both genders need more help with their feet than a typical nail salon can provide.  Medical pedicures target   unsightly and uncomfortable conditions like corns, calluses, ingrown toenails, and dry cracked heels. They are particularly beneficial for seniors and moms-to-be!

It is also the most careful and thorough care for people with more serious health conditions like diabetes, vascular disease, poor circulation, rheumatoid arthritis or underlying foot deformities (and often covered by insurance). 

Yes, a medical pedicure does cost more than a traditional salon pedicure but many patients say it’s an expense they’re willing to pay.  And, because the benefits of the medical pedicure last longer, you won’t need them as often.

Debra Young, DPM, Your Foot Wellness Doctor

Fact:  Over 75% of Americans experience foot health problems in their lives but only 12% who have foot ailments have visited a podiatrist.*

Many people are not aware of all the types of services a foot specialist, or podiatrist, can provide.  It’s not unusual for people to just live with some types of foot pain and problems because they’re not aware that a podiatrist can provide relief.  I’ve had friends, acquaintances, patients and even doctors and other medical professionals say to me, “I had no idea that you provided that service!”

As with other medical professions, some podiatrists tend to avoid some of the more routine treatments like seniors’ nail care.  I have always liked that aspect of my practice but also enjoy the challenges of employing the most current surgical techniques to relieve my patients’ painful conditions such as bunions, heel pain and misaligned toes.

* Illinois Podiatric Medical Association, 2010

Believe it or not, a minor foot problem can lead to major hip pain.  If you are experiencing hip pain, seek medical advice and don’t be surprised if your podiatrist holds the answer to your hip pain.  Bringing the foot back into proper alignment through the use of custom foot orthotics or arch supports is a very effective treatment for structural foot problems that lead to hip pain.

Stiffness and Pain of the Great Toe Joint

The healthy joint is covered with artilage and looks white, smooth, slick.  Arthritic joints looks yellow or grayish, with thinning of the cartilage and even erosions.  Bone spurs develop around the edges of joint. Spurring further restricts the motion of the joint and contributes to more cartilage erosion.  The ability of the toe to bend up or down is affected.  Shoes and even walking barefoot are painful.

What does it feel like?

Painful, dull aching.  The pain can go up the foot, ankle and leg.  The mechanics of the great toe joint are important.   Shorter steps, even slight in toeing can occur unconsciously to avoid moving the painful joint.

How does this develop?

Arthritis can affect the bunion joint.  It results from wear and tear on the joint surface over time.  The condition may follow an injury or, in some cases, may develop without injury but develops by the way one walks.

It is uncertain about the true cause but it is evident that there are several things to suspect.  Often the first metatarsal is longer than the second metatarsal.  This is thought to cause the joint to press into the ground harder with every step. The result is jamming of the toe against the joint. Gradually the joint widens and develops spurs.  There can be a trauma such as kicking or dropping something on the foot.  It may damage the cartilage, which would not show up on an x-ray but will result in arthritis many years later.

Treatment:  what’s available?

Non-surgical

Treatment begins with medications to control, pain and  swelling, Some improvement is seen in about 10 days.   Shoes that have a stiff soles feel more comfortable. Cortisone injections have been given but usually give very short-lived relief. Orthoses help by improving your gait and can prevent the need for surgery.  Physical therapy to gently relieve the pain has helped many people.

Surgery

Surgery has come a long ways and varies greatly depending on the experience and training of the surgeon. Trimming of the spurs around the joint give temporary relief.  It is an old procedure that is no longer performed. Although it sounds like it would work, removing the spurs does not address the cause of the problem.

Osteotomies, or a cut in the bone, are preferred today.  They are performed on active people, and generally work very well to open the joint space or allow the remaining good cartilage to be used.   They are called joint preservation procedures.

Joint fusion is preferred by some surgeons to relieve pain.  To fuse the joint, a small amount of the joint is removed from both sides and joined.  It does remove the joint motion completely and eliminates the bone on bone arthritic pain.  Many patients are happy with the relief that they get.

Artificial joint replacement

Some surgeons favor replacing the joint with an artificial joint similar to what is done in the knee or hip.  One or both sides of the joint are removed and the space is filled with an implant.  There are many kinds of implants but they all act as spacers to eliminate pain and hopefully give some motion.  Generally implants are given to older patients who are also more sedentary.

What is new?  New cartilage! A healthier approach

Replacing the cartilage that is worn has been the goal for many years.  There is now a technique to grow new cartilage.  Dr. Young is trained and has experience with this technique.  It is more natural and having cartilage in the joint is preferable.  She is excited about the prospects of giving pain relief to people with arthritis in the great toe joint.

Make a consultation appointment with Dr. Debra E Young.  Board certified in foot and ankle surgery.  She is skilled at providing both new and time proven treatments for foot problems.

Debra E Young, DPM

773.327.0006

Debra E. Young, DPM, FACFAS

Diplomate, American Board of Podiatric Surgery

Fellow, American College of Foot and Ankle Surgeons

Fellow, American Professional  Wound Care Association

The range of motion at the first toe joint may be restricted due to arthritic changes in the joint and bony changes.  Bursitis, tendonitis, ulceration or abscess formation may occur secondary to the bunion deformity.  As the bunion deformity progresses, the great toe may over or under lap the second toe.  This may interfere with walking and balance, especially in older patients.

Many treatments are available for bunions. Conservative management, such as changes in shoe gear, padding and strapping, stretching, orthoses, and physical therapy often give relief.  Acute inflammatory conditions should be treated with the appropriate combination of stretching exercises, non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs, padding and stretching of the shoes and physical therapy.  Over the counter arch support devices or insole products may help or they may just take up more room in the shoes which are already crowded by the foot deformity.

Surgical correction of the bunion deformity may be indicated in individuals that have pain, disability, and fail to respond otherwise.  Realignment of the great toe joint by moving the metatarsal bone back into normal position is done on an outpatient basis.  Although generally there is minimal discomfort, it takes several weeks for the bone and soft tissues to heal completely.  Adjustment on one’s daily exercise activities are affected mostly, while minimal walking is possible right away in most cases.  Age, general health, and care of the foot postoperatively, all determine the ease of the recovery period and the final outcome.

More information on bunions is available from the office as well as a computerized depiction of the bunionectomy correction.

The three most common causes of pain under the heel are plantar fasciitis, bursitis and tarsal tunnel syndrome. The heel spur is caused by a thick, fibrous ligament, the plantar fascia, being physically pulled at its attachment to the bone.  The spur is formed by the body in response to the pulling.   An inflammation of this ligament, or plantar fasciitis, develops at the point at which it is being pulled from the bone.  Most often the use of oral anti-inflammatory medication, or injections to relieve the inflammation, rest, ice relief the pain.  Arch supports and shoes help by supporting the arch.  If the foot is excessively pronated then custom orthoses will not only relieve the inflammation and pain, but also will address the cause and prevent recurrence of the heel pain.  In stubborn cases, there are two treatments which we have found to be very successful. They require very little discomfort or time off yet they are very successful in relieving heel pain.

For more information

call our office at:

(773) 327-0006

Orthotics are orthopedic devices that are used to alter or modify foot function and are designed to treat, adjust, and support various biomechanical foot disorders.  The most effective orthotics are custom-made devices that are crafted to meet the specific needs of a particular individual.

Custom orthotics in my office are made from casts of the feet which provide an impression of any misalignments in foot structure. Using the cast and computer technology, technicians in an orthotic laboratory design a device that balances out deformities and corrects misalignments.

Many people do not realize that old orthotics can be refurbished for a very small fee and that the body of the orthotic is warrantied for life.

Debra Young, DPM, Your Foot Wellness Doctor