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Small, red, itchy, and sometimes painful bumps that cover an area of the skin on your feet can be uncomfortable and embarrassing. How and why did it develop and what can you do about it? The first step in figuring out what is happening is to have our podiatrist take a look, especially if it won’t go away or gets worse. You should also try to think about anything you may have changed or tried for the first time. Have you come in contact with some poison ivy? Did you buy new leather shoes and sweat in them? Maybe you…

What is that acronym, you might wonder. Does it have something to do with peanut butter and jelly? Well, actually, it stands for World Pediatric Bone and Joint Day! Continuing the theme of Bone and Joint Action week, tomorrow, October 19th is designated to raise awareness about how musculoskeletal diseases affect children. The reason is that 10% of those who have a disabling bone and joint problem are children. Additionally, some of the adults that are affected by musculoskeletal disease have been affected since childhood. The focus of this year is on how obesity affects children’s bone and joint disorders. The…

Why the focus, specifically on bones and joints? Well, October 12th-20th is Bone and Joint Action Week! According to the US Bone and Joint Initiative, more than half of the population who are at least 18 years old have musculoskeletal conditions. So you can see why it’s important to talk about how we can take care of our bones and joints! What are common musculoskeletal conditions? Anything that affects our bones, joints, nerves, and soft tissues (muscles, ligaments, tendons) are musculoskeletal issues. These include: arthritis, osteoporosis, back pain, traumatic injury, spinal deformity, as well as childhood conditions. How can you take care of…

The fall can be a good time for taking hikes. There are several parks and nature preserves in which you can enjoy a beautiful hike in the Dallas area. We’ve got some tips for caring for your feet, which we hope is informative for new hikers and hiking enthusiasts alike! Preparation: Start slowly and on an easy trail. Taking on a difficult hiking trail can lead to pain, swelling, and other symptoms of injury. Try some easier trails in the neighborhood, which is a great way to test and break in your hiking shoes. Toenails: Check your toenails for any…

After you take some time to get used to saying the word, you may wonder what that is! Doesn’t really sound harmless, does it? Well, your intuition is correct! It is a condition of inflammation or injury of the tendons around the sesamoids (two small bones near a joint). In this case, they are the sesamoids right under the big toe joint). As with other forms of tendonitis (like Achilles tendonitis), it is a condition that commonly affects athletes that injure the tendons via overuse from repetitive motions or from traumatic injury. Dancers, basketball players, and runners are prone to this condition, causing…

Some of our actions are second nature. Walking, yawning, and even brushing your teeth – there are some things that we just don’t think about while we are doing it. But maybe it’s time for us to pause for a moment and think about the way we walk. If you’ve never thought about it before, it may seem strange to analyze the way you walk, also called your gait. Where do you even start? What do you look for? And why should you do it? Read further and we’ll help you figure it out! Where to start: Stand up straight.…

Bunions are a bone deformity that can really affect quality of life, depending on how far the issue has progressed. The bony growth on the side of the big toe joint not only causes pain and irritation, but it can also make it difficult to fit into footwear made for the masses.  Non-invasive treatment of this uncomfortable deformity includes addressing symptoms of bunions, such as: bony growth, swelling or redness, corns or calluses, pain, stiffness, or inflammation of the joint. Treatments may include: Changing your shoes to ones that have a wider toe box so that your toes and joints do not…

These days, there are so many technological devices that seem to grab and keep our children’s attention. Many children can spend several hours at a time, engrossed in the screens. This has led to a more sedentary lifestyle for children, making it more important than ever for parents to encourage physical activity. One such way is to have children participate in sports, whether it be in a children’s group setting, after school programs, private lessons, or community leagues.   Participating in group activities can benefit children in many ways, including teaching sportsmanship, promoting teamwork skills, and improving social skills. The…

Feet have the important task of bearing our entire weight and keeping us mobile. The heel part of the foot, in particular, endures a lot of impact and stress. Because of this, heel pain is a common occurrence for many people. For some it is just mild pain, but for others, it can be debilitating and affect mobility. Treating heel pain will depend on the cause of the pain, from injuries to genetic disease, and tissue strain. Here are some common causes of heel pain and ways to prevent and treat them.  Heel Spur from Plantar Fasciitis – When the plantar…

Folks who have been diagnosed with diabetes will quickly learn that there are many changes they must make in their lives. From checking their blood sugar levels to changing their diet and activities, there are many lifestyle changes involved. This includes checking the feet daily in case of secondary issues that arise due to the way diabetes affects the body.   The following are common secondary issues that affect the feet for people who have diabetes: Diabetic peripheral neuropathy: The most common of issues, diabetes can cause high blood sugar levels, which can damage nerves. This results in a burning sensation that…

Most of the population doesn’t even know that some people suffer from hyperhidrosis. If you’re among those who don’t know what it is, it’s essentially a condition in which people experience excessive sweating on certain parts of the body. Most of excessive sweating happens on the hands and feet, but can be in the armpit and the body overall. There isn’t a particular known cause, other than the fact that it is inherited. There isn’t even a known solution to stop the excessive sweating – only some short-term treatments to reduce the sweating.   The biggest concern for hyperhidrosis is…

Unless it becomes painful, you may not even notice that you have a plantar wart, which can look like calloused skin. In fact, some can come and go without needing treatment. But when they don’t go away, they can become annoying and unsightly. Taking your shoes off, especially at a friend’s house during summer would feel like a no-no.   So what can you do about it?   First, be sure to spread love, not warts. Plantar warts are caused by the Human Papillomavirus (HPV) and are contagious through direct contact, shared towels and clothes, or while walking barefoot in locker…

You’ve probably seen products for corn removal and callus pads at your local drugstores and supermarkets. You may have wondered about them, and who would need them. Or maybe you’ve had corns and calluses, but they haven’t gotten better. Well, we’re going to talk about your options today. Corns and calluses develop due to constant repeated friction on the skin of your feet. Thick skin that forms as a bump is called a corn, while thick skin that develops on the bottom of the feet are called a callus. If you’ve had them, you know that not only are they unpleasant…

The weather has changed so drastically – do you even remember what winter felt like? Something along the lines of, “it was a bit colder,” right? Along with the change in weather comes a change in the way you should care for your feet. Now that we are smack dab in the middle of the summer, you probably find yourself thinking about ways to keep cooler. This may include wearing tank tops, shorts, and some flip flops or sandals. But we want to warn you, don’t forget about foot care just because it’s summer! Your feet in the summer are…

Have you seen those commercials that say that eating their foods can help you be healthier? Eat this cereal to lower cholesterol. Drink this product to build strong bones. Eat spinach to get strong. (Okay, that last one was from the cartoon Popeye, but still.) Have you ever seen any commercials telling you what to eat for healthier feet? Probably not. It’s another way that your feet can get neglected when considering your overall health. If you think about it, your feet have bones, joints, tissues, and skin, just like the rest of your body. So eating for your feet…

If you’ve got arthritis, it can really affect your quality of life. Simple things, even just walking around and standing, can be such a painful activity. Because it can affect any joints, the feet and ankles, which have 33 joints, are particularly susceptible to pain. The disease is primarily one of inflammation and stiffness, so it’s not something easily treated with surgery or other procedures. It’s a disease managed by lifestyle changes, medications, and pain management. We always want our patients to be educated in their self-management of the disease. The following are some ways you can care for your arthritic…

If you like to wear open-backed shoes, such as sandals, you are more prone to experiencing heel fissures or calluses. Without the support of the back of your shoes, the heels of your feet are subject to friction from sliding around. In addition, exposure to the open air can cause dry skin around the heel. Dry, cracked skin and calluses can occur on the heels and be not only annoying, but painful as well.   To treat mild to moderately dry heel fissures and calluses, try some of the following: Hydrate: Drink plenty of water throughout the day. If you’re dehydrated,…

Spring and summer are prime time for that fresh cut grass smell. But in order to get that smell, you need to mow your lawn. Some people find that time to be rewarding, but for others, it’s usually a teenager’s chore. Not only do you have to beat the summer sun and heat, you also have to be careful of the dangers of using a power lawn mower. Unfortunately there are thousands of hand and foot injuries each year, with even children and pets being accidentally involved. There are several precautions to take when using a power mower, whether you are 12…

Bone tumors, both benign and malignant, can affect any bone in the body. Whether or not they are cancerous, bone tumors tend to weaken bone as cells rapidly divide to form a new growth of abnormal tissue. The weakened bone can then be more easily fractured from stress or injury. Identifying a bone tumor: Usually a patient will feel pain in the area of the tumor. Instead of a sharp pain, it can be a dull or achy pain that increases with activity. Night sweats and fevers may accompany these symptoms. However, some may not even feel pain, but instead…

Your body goes through a lot of changes during pregnancy – the belly becomes bigger and rounder, hormones change and fluctuate, bones shift, and some parts of your body swells. In particular, your feet can undergo much more stress than they normally do in order to keep you active and stable. Some foot problems pregnant women may encounter include: Pain along the plantar fascia (ligament on the bottom of your feet) – As you carry more weight, the feet have to work harder and undergo much more pressure than they are used to. Excess weight can even change your feet to be…