Kids and Foot Problems

At the Advanced Physical Medicine Foot Clinic we do treat kids! When I was a resident at St. Joseph Hopsital, I even was called for consultations for newborn babies with ingrown toenails! Surprisingly, children can have a variety of foot problems: ingrown nails, warts, pain, fatigue, breaks or fractures, flat feet, athlete's foot, infections, and more. Often, there are a variety of straight forward ways to make the little ones feel better fast! Dr. Bender, 708-763-0580

What is a Neuroma?

A neuroma is caused when there is inflammation around a digital nerve. This is a nerve that goes to the toes and passes between two bones called metatarsals. Often, the bones are too close together, and they rub on the nerve causing friction and inflammation. The inflamed area around the nerve can form something similar to a ball, which can cause the toes to spread and may feel like a rock, bunched up sock, or swollen area on the bottom of the foot. Additionally, there is often pain with the neuroma, and this can be aggravated by certain activities, high heels, shoes with little support, shoes with pointed toes, and barefoot walking. The pain can be sharp, burning, aching, or shooting. If you have this type of pain, it is important to see a foot doctor for treatment. Dr. Bender, 708-837-2540

Cowboy's Dez Bryant to have Foot Surgery due to a Fracture

Last night, Dallas Cowboy, Dez Bryant, was injured during the team's first official game of the season. Reports state that Dez Bryant has a fracture or break of the fifth metatarsal bone on his foot. This is a bone on the outside of the foot that is frequently injured by athletes. Depending on the exact site of the break on the fifth metatarsal, it is sometimes called a Jones Fracture. Fifth metatarsal bones can have slow healing if broken in certain areas of the bone due to a reduced blood supply. Additionally, elite athletes often need surgery for this injury to adequately stabilize the bone with a screw or other hardware and to get them back to their sport as soon as possible. Patients that are not elite athletes may or may not require surgery for this fracture.

What to do with a splinter in your foot!?

Over the summer, my daughter stepped on something (which was a small splinter or piece of wood). This reminded me that it would be a perfect topic for my blog. What should you do if you step on a splinter? If you can easily see the splinter and remove it, you should do so and apply antibiotic ointment and a band aid. However, it is important to see a foot doctor if you have stepped on a splinter and cannot remove it, are in severe pain, or it looks infected (red, hot, swollen pustular drainage). The sooner you schedule an appointment, the better, as the small piece can move deeper into the foot or cause an infection (as it is a foreign object). If the condition is severe and you are unable to get an appointment with a podiatrist, you should go to the emergency room. Additionally, patients with poor circulation, diabetes, cancer, rheumatoid arthritis, or any form of disease with decreased immunity, should schedule a podiatry visit to have the area assessed. These patients are more susceptible to infection and may heal slower. Some patients may require x-rays, MRIs, or CT scans if the splinter has traveled further into the foot, and some patients need the splinter surgically removed if it is deeper in the foot and/or infected. If your foot hurts, give us a call! 708-763-0580

What is the calcaneus?

The calcaneus is the heel bone. It is the largest bone in the foot, and it is, obviously, very important for standing, walking, running, and jumping. With heel strike, our foot begins to take a step. Thus, this bone endures a lot of pressure as soon as we decide to undertake a weightbearing activity. Additionally, the calcaneus has several muscles on the foot that begin or originate from it, and several muscles become tendons and insert on the back of it. All of these structures are important for allowing the foot to move properly. This area of the foot is complicated and important. Thus, when people develop heel pain, there can be a variety of causes. X-Rays, CT scans, and MRIs may be required along with a thorough clinical exam and history from the patient to determine why there is heel pain. If you have heel pain, give us a call! 708-763-0580.

Vacation Closure

Dr. Bender is out of town Aug. 7-16. Please call Eliza or Kasia if you need assistance during this time, 708-763-0580.

What is a Stress Fracture of my foot?

The foot is made up of 28 bones and many soft tissue structures (tendons, muscles, nerves, ligaments). A stress fracture is a hair line or small crack in a bone. Usually, the condition has foot swelling and pain associated with it. The foot is a common place for stress fractures because it is used for weightbearing. Additionally, repeated microtrauma (marching, running, walking, dancing, etc)is a typical cause of foot stress fractures. Stress fractures may not be visible on a normal x-ray for 21 days and advanced tests such as MRI may be necessary along with a clinical exam to diagnose a stress fracture. Stress fractures require immobilization in a surgery shoe or boot and often take 6-8 weeks to heal if treated promptly. Some stress fractures are not immediately diagnosed because the patient does not remember any specific injury or event that caused the fracture. Thus, they often wait to see if the condition will get better on its own and delay their doctor's appointment. Dr. Bender 708-763-0580