All About Feet Library

This is a library of every article written by a FAANT doctor or staff in the last few years. The collection is quite extensive and there are some overlapping articels, but basically this is everything you ever wanted to know about your feet and ankles! Throw in some running and triathlon advice mixed in with all about shoes and socks; and you have a FAANT lasagna of artilces. Enjoy!

PS. If you want more content, send us an email and we will blog or write about it.

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Foot Pain and Deformities:

• Osteoporosis and Your Feet   
  Osteoporosis affects your feet. Osteoporosis is a loss of bone density causing a thinning of the bone. This can lead to pathological fractures.
• Why is My Heel Pain Back?   
  Why is My Heel Pain Back? Lots of different reasons. Let's discuss recurrent plantar fasciitis and heel spur syndrome.
• Heel Pain Treatment Algorithm   
  Heel pain, whether plantar fasciitis or plantar fasciosis, is a common foot problem that responds best to a step wise clinical protocol approach to treatment.
• Arthritis and Your Feet   
  Arthritis is a very common reason patients suffer from foot pain. Here are some tips to keep you or your family member moving in the right direction. We also want to help guide you through any arthritic complications you may be suffering from like decreased mobility and structural changes in your feet. Let our podiatrists help you control your arthritic foot issues.
• Posterior Tibial Tendonitis   
  Many people have begun a vigorous exercise program to start their New Year’s resolution of losing weight and getting in shape. But with this, comes unexpected pain that stops the workout sessions and ultimately prevents them from fulfilling their goal. Pain along the inside of the ankle that extends to the inside arch is often due to strain of the posterior tibial tendon.
• Holiday Foot Pain   
  Well our house had a great Thanksgiving holiday filled with turkey and way too much stuffing. But instead of putting up Christmas decorations like many others did, we decided to paint our living room. Why I don’t know, but after standing on a 10 foot ladder for hours I realized why foot injury and pain is so common this time of year.
• Are Your Legs Different Lengths?   
  From early in the development process, the body's two halves develop independently. As they develop, usually they will be very similar and almost identical. But since they are independent, each individual has eyes that are different sizes, nostrils that are different sizes and ears that are different sizes. This difference can also be seen in different size feet and legs. In many individuals this may be without problems, but in a runner this matters.
• How to Get Rid of Your Winter Alligator Skin   
  Get Rid of My Dry Skin Dry skin! As the air gets cold, the moisture in the air decreases. The air will steal moisture from your skin and as a result, your skin will be drier this time of the year.
• The Outside Of My Foot Really Hurts!   
  What is the lateral column of my foot? The lateral column of the foot consists of the calcaneus,the cuboid and 4th and 5th metatarsal bones. Many things can cause you to have lateral column pain including arthritis, biomechanical abnormalities (the way you walk), acute fractures secondary to trauma, or overuse syndrome.
• Midial Tibial Stress Syndrome   
  Medial tibial stress syndrome also been called "shin splints" is the most common injury in the legs of active individuals. Females are more commonly affected, along with 22 percent of all injuries in aerobic dancers. Anyone participating in running or jumping acitvites are likely to develop this stress syndrome.
• Five Healthy Feet Tips for a Happy New Year   
• My Big Toe Joint Hurts! The Arthritis You Never Knew!   
  Have you ever suspected you have arthritis in your big toe joint? It is one of those conditions that slowly creeps up on you. You may be going about your business only to notice that your big toe joint hurts! You may end up limping around for an hour or even a few days and then it disappears only to reappear when you least expect it! What’s up with this? Well, it may be plain ol’arthitis!
• Why Are My Feet Hurting Now?   
  "I have never had a problem with my feet before. Why are they hurting now?" I have heard on so many occasions patients ask this question. I must admit, this is really a very good question! Why do your feet hurt now?
• State-Of-The-Art Treatments For Foot Pain   
  Let me start with the fact that foot pain is NEVER normal. If your feet or ankles hurt, there is usually a reason. Some common reasons may include poor shoes, infections, injuries or strained or torn tendons or ligaments. Understanding and fixing the cause of the pain, or making adjustments to alleviate the pain over time is often possible. What I want to discuss is a new treatment that allows correction of pain that is not alleviated through standard treatments.
• Cavus Feet(High Arches)   
  You’ve been told your whole life you have a high-arched foot and that’s why you have trouble fitting shoes. What you have in medical terms is a cavus foot type. For many people, this is just the way God made them, and they inherited it from someone in their family (Yes, you can blame Grandma). For others, their cavus foot developed as a result of an accident, neurological problem, or medical condition like multiple sclerosis, polio, or Charcot-Marie-Tooth (that’s a mouthful).
• Flexible Flat Feet   
  I have had flat feet forever, but now they hurt every day! What can I do? Millions of Americans have flat to low arched feet and no pain. It is the painful flat foot that should be treated. Flat foot is actually a garbage catch-all term for a variety of complex foot deformities.
• Equinus   
  Equinus is not another name for a horse. It is a disorder that is characterized by a tight Achilles tendon. If you have an equinus, you have difficult bringing the top of your foot toward the front of your leg also known as a lack of dorsiflexion. This can occur in one or both feet and is compensated for by either picking up their heel early in gait, toe- walking or flattening their arch.
• Cross Over Toe   
  "My toe has a mind of its own!" As podiatrists, we have heard this many, many a time! Why would a perfectly straight toe decide to take off in another direction? A cross over toe is a toe that had lost the stabilizing network of ligaments that keep the toe straight. What that means is that if any of these ligaments holding the toe straight are be strained or torn, the toe will deviate from its normal position. How does this happen?
• Haglund's Deformity   
  So you have had a bump on the back of your heel for a long time. Why is it starting to hurt?
  That bump on the back of your heel is called a "Haglund’s deformity". Sounds ugly doesn’t it? And some times the pain with it is uglier than the name!
• Posterior Tibial Tendon Dysfunction (Adult-Acquired Flat Foot)   
  Noticed that your foot is getting flatter and more painful? Do you have difficulty walking or performing exercise activity without leg and arch pain? Have you heard the term "fallen arches"? All of these things refer to a condition known as posterior tibial tendon dysfunction.
• Tarsal Coalition   
  This condition occurs from an abnormal connection between two bones in the back of the foot known as tarsal bones. This connection can be made of fibrous tissue, cartilage or bone. Once this abnormal connection forms, it causes limited motion of the foot which leads to pain. This is most often a hereditary condition, but can also be caused from arthritis or trauma.
• Gout   
  Gout used to be known as the disease of kings. Too much red meat and red wine caused the kings of old to suffer from gout. This is actually only one cause of gout, but an important safety tip! Gout is a disorder that results from a build up of uric acid crystals in a joint. This can be your big toe joint, ankle, or knee, most commonly; but can occur in any joint or tissue in the body. (I’ve seen it in an earlobe!) Simply said, gout hurts so bad you don’t even want a sock or sheet on your foot, let alone a shoe!
• Ganglionic Cyst   
  Where did that bump on your foot come from? If it is soft, or at one time was soft and is now getting harder, you are probably looking at a ganglion cyst. The word "ganglion" is taken from the Greek word "ganglia" to mean "knot of tissue". These "knots" are also known as "synovial cysts" and arise from a herniation of a joint lining or from the sleeve that wraps around some tendons. If they do not hurt, we treat them conservatively.
• Chronic Regional Pain Syndrome or Reflex Sympathetic Dystrophy   
  This is an uncommon, chronic condition that affects an arm or leg with intense burning, aching pain and swelling. Changes in skin including texture and color as well as temperature may occur. And this is one of those conditions that has the medical community baffled. No one really knows why it happens. It seems to be more common in women, but men can be affected and it can happen in any age group.
• Rheumatoid Arthritis   
  Rhuematoid Arthritis, or RA, is a systemic inflammatory disease that causes pain, stiffness, swelling and loss of motion in the joints. It is an automimmune disease, in which a person's immune system attacks his or her own body tissue. In RA, the immune system attacks the synovium, which is the tissue that lines the joints, causing inflammation in and overgrowth of this tissue.
• Osteoarthritis   
  The term arthritis covers more than 100 diseases. Arthritis is a general term that means inflammation of the joints. Osteoarthritis, also called DJD or degenerative joint disease, is the most common form of arthritis. It is associated with a breakdown of cartilage in the joints and can occur in almost any joint in the body.
• Living With Arthritis in Your Feet   
  Many of you have heard the term or know someone diagnosed with Rheumatoid arthritis (RA) or Osteoarthritis (OA). Could you be suffering one of these forms of arthritis as well?
• What is Psoriatic Arthritis?   
  What is Psoriatic Arthritis? What causes it? What are the symptoms? How is it diagnosed? How is it treated? The answers to to these and more found in this article.
• Plantar Plate Injuries   
  What in the heck is a plantar plate injury? (as we all tilt our heads to one side!) I can tell you it is a commonly misdiagnosed condition in my profession and one that if it is not treated early can end up needing surgery. The pain with a plantar plate injury is underneath the toe next to the big toe and can either start suddenly with a sharp pain or can come on gradually over time. In either case which you end up with is pretty constant pain under the ball the foot if it is not treated.
• Why is My Second Toe Curling?   
  In most circumstances, your second toe is curling because it is trying to stabilize your forefoot in gait. A bunion deformity (a.k.a. Hallux valgus) causes the weight to shift to the second MPJ (or knuckle). Over time, the flexor tendon causes the toe to curl and eventually a hammertoe can occur. This will then become a rigid deformity of the toe and cause pain in the joint.
• Forefoot Pain Got You down?   
  Forefoot pain got you down? Are you experiencing chronic pain in the ball of your foot? Have you noticed your second toe is curling more and lifting in your shoes? You may be experiecing a plantar plate injury.
• Painful Corns on Your Toes?   
  Got painful corns on your toes? Corns: such a simple name for a relatively complex problem. Corns can be extremely painful and actually are caused by several different foot ailments, so finding the root cause can take some detective work.
• Got the Ball of Foot Pain Blues?   
  Got the ball of foot pain blues? Pain under the ball the foot is known as "Metatarsalgia" in the podiatry world. Where your pain is in your forefoot makes a big difference on what your problem in particular could be. Mine happens to be underneath where my second toe, next to the big toe, attaches to the forefoot. This seems to be a pretty common area.
• Wobbly Ankles? There is Hope For Chronic Instability   
  Ever notice that you seem to sprain your ankles multiple times a year? Afraid to walk on uneven surfaces because you know that will result in pain or a sprained ankle? Think you have "weak ankles"? This is all known as chronic ankle instability.
• Got Heel Pain?   
  Heel pain is the most common complaint podiatrist see in our offices. The pain is greatest usually when you get up in the morning, but continues to worsen over time, until it hurts with every step you take and can even ache at night when resting. This syndrome is most commonly caused by several factors, including, but not limited to:
  Tight calf muscles, Increase in body weight, Sudden change in the amount of intensity of exercise, Improper or worn out shoes, and Abnormal foot biomechanics (excessive pronation or supination). More about it in this Article.
• Pregnancy And Your Feet: Adding Insult to Injury!   
  I don't care if you are a size 2 or 12 when you get pregnant, by the sixth month most woman are complaining of some kind of foot and ankle pain. As a mother of three, I can attest that every pregnancy was unique in its own way, but one constant through them all was "Oh! My aching feet!" and this is from a podiatrist. Let me share with you some of the tricks of the trenches and recommendation from the American Podiatric Medical Association that I learned which helped me survive the pregnancy trauma to my feet.
• Does Anyone Walk Normally?   
  In this age of insoles and orthotics for every activity and every shoe on the market; my patients often ask, "Does anyone walk normally?" And what is "normal gait" anyway? In normal gait, your heel swings from side to side as your foot moves. When the heel swings correctly, your foot can flatten and regain its arch as you walk. (normal pronation with resupination) But if your heel swings too much, your foot may flatten more than it should. (overpronation)
• Don't Mess With Puncture Wounds!   
  I stepped on something and it stuck in my foot. No big deal, I pulled it out and cleaned the area. Now my foot is red, hot and swollen....what should I do? This scenario happens every day and the swollen, infected part could have been easily avoided with a quick trip to the podiatrist.
• There Is Hope For Bunion Sufferers!   
  Who ever named it a "bunion?" Probably the same person who named an enlarged thyroid a "goiter", but seriously, bunions are the common description of a bump on the side of the big toe. Really they are much more than that.
• Killer Heels? Why Women Need to Rethink High Heels And 21 Tips For Better Foot Health   
  We all have them, those adorable, had-to-buy-them, high heel shoes hiding in our closet. In fact, many of us have hundreds of pairs! They are torture devices made by men for women because they make our butts look good. We also like the way they make us feel tall, in charge, and yes, sexy! High heeled shoes are seen as a career woman's six-gun, but what are we doing to our feet?
• When is A Bunion Not A Bunion?   
  When is a bunion not a bunion? Some doctors assume any pain in the great toe accompanied by a bump was a "bunion" or Hallux Abducto Valgus. Some cases its Hallux Limitis also known as osteoarthritis of the great toe joint. Hallux valgus is a crooked big toe joint. Over a period of years, the great toe becomes much friendlier with the second toe and drifts toward and eventually under or over the second toe. Hallux limitis is wear and tear arthritis or osteoarthritis of the great toe joint. Many people are predisposed to have this problem by the underlying biomechanical function of their joint.
• Got Cold Feet?   
  Got cold feet? I'm not talking about runaway brides, I mean it. Cold feet can be symptoms of many things like diabetes to frost bite. None of these disorders are minor and cold feet can be one of the earliest symptoms.
• Forefoot Pain Got You Down?   
  Forefoot pain got you down? Are you experiencing chronic pain in the ball of your foot? Have you noticed your second toe is curling more and lifting in your shoes? You may be experiecing a plantar plate injury.
• What Makes A Shoe Comfortable?   
  If you are like most women (and some men), you have at least 50 pairs of shoes in your closet and can't or won't wear many of them. They feel great or look awesome in the store, but by the time they get home and you pull them out to show all your friends or for an event; they hurt!
• Painful Lump In Your Arch? Could Be Plantar Fibromatosis   
  Painful lump in your arch? Plantar Fibromatosis. A lump in your arch that is firm and doesn't move. They usually start out as a very small pea sized nodule that increases in size over time. Most people don't even notice them until they get big enough to be annoying in your shoes or when walking barefoot. They can happen to anyone, but are most commonly seen in middle-aged to older patients and are much more common in men than woman.
• Why is There an Epidemic of Heel Pain?   
  Why is there an epidemic of heel pain? Everyone I talk to has had plantar fasciitis or at least has heard of it. Many can even spell it correctly. (Isn't that scary!) Most people suffer for months and even years before they seek medical attention. Even those treated with traditional methods seem to take just about forever to get better. So let's take a closer look.
• A Pain in the Heel: Achilles Burstis is Not Tendonitis!   
  Did you know that there are more than 250,000 Achilles tendon injuries in the United States each year? Of these injuries, almost 25% require some kind of medical intervention to heal. A fully ruptured tendon requires surgery. Most other injuries can be treated conservatively and will resolve without surgery.
• What is A "Sausage Toe"?   
  What is a "Sausage Toe"? Sausage toe is inflammation of the distal interphalangeal joints (tip of your toe and adjacent knuckle) that looks like a sausage or lollipop. Sausage toes should be treated aggressively to decrease the inflammation and joint destruction. Long term inflammation can lead to erosive changes and permanent joint pain and stiffness. Treated early, sausage toe can just be part of a whimsical story instead of a long term disability.
• Why Do Some Younger People Get Arthritis in Their Ankles?   
  Why do some younger people get arthritis in their ankles? Younger patients can experience arthritis in their ankles. There is no age limit, young or old, for this painful disorder. Some people have arthritis caused by a systemic disorder like juvenile rheumatoid arthritis. Most have a more traumatic type of arthritis caused by an injury.