Foot Pain: Tarsal Tunnel Syndrome

Have you had tingling and numbness extending to your toes lately? A possible cause could be tarsal tunnel syndrome which is due to damage of the tibial nerve, a nerve that runs through your leg and foot. The injury can be due to trauma, pressure or entrapment. It can also be a result of your shoes being too tight. This causes delay in the signals being sent through your nerves which causes the numbness and tingling.

When you are having symptoms like this in your foot, the podiatrist will run through several different signs and tests to see if this is the condition causing your pain. Some of the signs depending on how far along your disease can include not being able to curl your toes and weakness in some of the muscles in your feet. The actual condition can be tested through an EMG which is an instrument that analyzes the amount of electrical activity passing through your muscles; you can also do a nerve conduction test that will directly test the nerve.

The treatment of tarsal tunnel is broad, dependent upon the severity of your condition. The first line is typically a pain killer. Depending on how severe your pain is, your podiatrist can determine the best type of pain killer for you. Sometimes, the nerve can be compressed as a result of your particular foot type. If this is the case, orthoses can be designed for your specific foot type that will help your foot to sit in a more favorable position. By doing this, you can relieve the pressure that was being put onto your nerve and reduce or eliminate the pain.  In the most severe cases, surgery to release the impinged nerve can relieve the symptoms. However, this is the last resort that will only be used after the doctor has exhausted all other options.

If you or someone that you know is experiencing numbness or tingling in your foot, there is a wide variety of conditions that could be the cause. Our office staff can help you set up an appointment so that Dr. Wachtel can determine the cause of your symptoms and get you back up on your feet again. If you live in the Tewksbury, North Andover, Methuen or Lowell Massachusetts area, please give us a call and we would be more than happy to help you.  

Growing Pains

Many children will tell their parents that they have aches and pains in different parts of their body. Kids are very active and as a result they can end up with a lot of bumps and bruises. As a result, a lot of people will pass off a child’s pain as being nothing more than “being a kid.” There is an actual condition though that is known as growing pains.

Growing pains is a pretty nondescript term that actually refers to several different forms. In some cases, children may have pain at night in their thighs, but it does not cause them to wake up at night. Another form may occur in the knees or the ankles. They can also experience pain right before bed time. At its worst though, sometimes pain can occur in the legs and feet and the child can wake up crying at night. This can be mistaken for night terrors.

The most important thing to remember in all of these varieties of growing pains is that you need to listen to children. Although it can be difficult to determine the source of the pain or the amount, there are a couple of conditions that present with similar characteristics but are more severe including arthritis.

If it is determined that your child is suffering from growing pains, there are a few treatments that can be considered. These include warm compresses to help with the pain, pain killers that are prescribed by your podiatrist, pain relief creams and showing your child a lot of love and consoling.

If you have a child who is suffering from pain in any of their lower extremity joints, and live in the Methuen, North Andover, Lowell or Bradford, Massachusetts area, our office staff would be more than happy to help you set up an appointment.

Barefoot Running

For the past several years, barefoot running has taken off in popularity. Many believers have claimed that barefoot running has cured them of any foot pain or shin splints and allowed them to run farther than what they did before. There have been some pros and cons that have been associated with barefoot running.

There has been some research done showing that when you run barefoot that your foot naturally lands in a different position. However, it has also been shown that it is possible to achieve this with proper training. It was also originally proposed that running barefoot would add less weight reducing the amount of energy required for each step. This theory was disproved by a research group in Colorado who showed you actually use more energy as a result of your body needing to provide a greater amount of shock support.

The largest issue that has been raised with barefoot running is the lack of protection your feet have. Most people when running barefoot choose to run on grass, but there is still a fair amount of people that run on trails and sidewalks. This is opening you up to injury from stepping on rocks or twigs and to infection from any bacteria that is present where you are running. One way that this can be avoided is through using the popular Vibrams. They are advertised as running barefoot although you still have some protection between you and your running surface.

The most important thing to remember when starting a new running routine, whether you are barefoot or not, is that you need to begin slowly. The biggest mistake that many people make is thinking that they can start out at the same mileage they had last time they ran. If it has been more than a couple of weeks though, your body needs to be warmed up slowly so that you do not injure yourself. Common injuries are shin splints and stress fractures. So, start out at a low mileage and your body will be able to work back up to the level you were at before.

If you live in the Methuen, North Andover, Bradford or Lowell Massachusetts area and you are experiencing any foot or ankle pain since starting a new workout regimen, our office staff would be more than happy to help set up an appointment for you. We will get you back out to enjoying your running route as soon as possible.

Laser Treatment for Heel Pain

Plantar Fasciitis is a condition characterized by a sharp pain in your heel when you wake up in the morning or after you stand up after a long time of sitting. Plantar Fasciitis can result from having certain foot types including being flat footed, from being obese, from being active with running or things such as standing for a long time with shoes that don’t have good support. The plantar fascia is a stretch of tissue that goes from your heel to the base of your toes. When it is constantly stretched over and over again it can for microtears in the fascia causing inflammation. This is the basis behind plantar fasciitis.

Plantar fasciitis can be a debilitating condition due to the amount of pain that it causes. This can make it very difficult to be able to get up out of bed in the morning or standing up again. There are several different treatment plans for this condition, including steroid shots, stretching exercises and orthoses. Another option though is laser treatment. This treatment works by aiming a light beam towards the injured area that stimulates the healing nature of cells. This takes your injury from a chronic state that does not have the necessary healing properties and take it back to an acute healing state.

Laser treatment requires several treatments to fully restore the tissue. This therapy has seen remarkable results and has shown significant improvements in the majority of individuals. There are very few contraindications to this treatment and those include people who are pregnant or those with tumors in the area.

Laser therapy is just one form of treatment for people who are suffering from plantar fasciitis. Dependent upon your particular foot type and condition, the best treatment plan for you can be determined. If you or someone that you know in the North Andover, Methuen, Tewksbury and Boston, Massachusetts has been experiencing heel pain, our office would be more than happy to help you make an appointment.

Chelsea Clinton's Cam Walker

Chelsea Clinton was seen walking around New York City this past weekend wearing a medical boot on her right foot. Reports claim that this is not the first time that Chelsea has injured her foot. She reportedly fractured her heel just 2 years ago. So, many people are wondering if this is a flare-up of an old injury or if it is completely new.

The brace that Chelsea is wearing on her foot can be referred to as a Cam Walker. These boots are prescribed to patients for a variety of medical conditions. These include sprains, fractures, diabetic ulcers and Achilles tendon injuries. The brace serves to hold your foot in a stationary, stabilized and immobilized position that decreases the pressure and impact that the foot sustains while walking.

The usage of a cam walker varies dependent upon your particular injury. For someone that needs to be held in an off weight bearing position, the boot is sometimes used in a similar manner as a cast. In other cases it may be used for a walking boot that is decreasing the mobility of the joint allowing healing while still allowing you to be mobile. A cam walker also has the ability to adjust the amount of moving up and down that the ankle can undergo. This ranges from zero movement by locking the brace at 0 to as high as 45 degrees. This gradual increase in degrees of motion allows the doctor to control the range of motion your joint can undergo. This gradual therapy allows a patient to slowly work back up to their range of motion after suffering from an injury.

The most important key to the usage of a Cam Walker is following your physician’s instructions. Since the boot has a multitude of uses, the settings that your doctor prescribes are the ones that will be beneficial towards your condition. Altering these settings can impede your body’s healing process and prolong the injury.

If you or someone you know in the Methuen, Lowell, North Andover, Bradford or Tewksbury Massachusetts area have been suffering from an ankle or Achilles injury our office would be more than happy to help you schedule an appointment. There are many difference treatments for these different injuries and Dr. Wachtel will be able to determine the one that is best for you.

Callus Treatment

Many people have calluses on the bottom or sides of their feet. Calluses are the result of increased pressure. There are many things that can cause an increase in pressure on your feet. This includes tight shoes, excess pressure from a particular bone that is positioned differently than where it usually is as a result of trauma, disease process or even genetics.

The product of the month for April is Callex ointment. This ointment is used to soften calluses and treat dry cracked skin. Calluses are dry dead skin that will often not have any symptoms. However, if the callus is thick enough, it can end up pushing even greater pressure against the foot, in this case it is necessary to remove the callus which also removes the discomfort. Calluses on your heels can also lead to heel cracking. When the callus builds up, it may end up splitting as a result of your dry skin. This can be prevented though by moisturizing your skin.

One way to do this is by visiting your podiatrist and having your calluses removed. This is done by scraping them off which is a completely painless procedure because the skin is dead. Once the callus build-up has been removed, this ointment can come into play. By using the ointment on a daily basis, it helps to keep your skin softer which prevents the formation of the hardened calluses.

If you or someone that you know has been suffering from discomfort related to their calluses and you live in North Andover, Methuen, Lowell or Boston Massachusetts please feel free to call our office. We would be more than happy to help you make an appointment and get you back up on your feet again.

All About Those Mallet Toes

Do you have any toes that are knocking up against your shoes? This could be due to a mallet toe. Mallet toes can be a result of wearing shoes that are too tight. When they are too small, they allow your toes to bump up against the end of your shoes forcing your toe to push down to allow more room. This means that the joint that is at the end of your toe is bent downward. Since it is bumping up against the end of your shoe, this can cause a great amount of pain. Over time, this can result in your muscle ligaments shortening and forces your toe to remain stuck in this position. A mallet toe can also be as result of a genetic component.

Now the fact that your toe is bent is not the real problem here, the issue has to do with the pain you are feeling that is impeding your daily routine. There are several non-surgical treatments that can be tried to correct your pain. These treatments include getting you into the proper shoesize, a deeper toe box in your shoes to take the pressure off your toes. If this does not work, then there are pads that can be used to offload your toes and keep them from rubbing against your shoes. If none of these work, then surgery can be considered to straighten the joint out, which will remove the pressure from your toe.

It is always important to take a conservative approach initially because there are risks associated with any surgery. This is why we always try the non-surgical approaches initially. If you or anyone that you know is experiencing a painful toe joint and you live in the Methuen, North Andover, Lowell, Bradford or Boston Massachusetts area, our staff would be more than happy to take care of you and get you back up on your feet again.  

Heel Spurs: Not Just for Horses

Have you ever felt pain on the bottom of your heel? This pain could be as a result of a bone spur which is caused by extra bone growth. This extra bone can end up tearing or rubbing against soft tissue at your heel resulting in irritation that causes inflammation and swelling.

Extra bone is not something that forms in your body simply because it wants to. It is the result of some amount of injury, extra pressure, stress or rubbing that causes the extra bone to form as a way of “protecting” your body. Extra bone can also form as a result of tight ligaments. This can occur due to running, poorly fitting shoes or even being overweight. When the ligament is tight and pulls on the area, the area becomes inflamed and it causes the extra bone to form. These bone spurs can often exist without causing you any pain or discomfort. But in some instances, it can become pronounced enough that it causes discomfort. In order to confirm that a bone spur is the cause, x-ray imaging is necessary to visualize the area.  

There is a wide variety of treatment that can be used for heel spurs. Starting with the basics of resting your foot, ice and anti-inflammatory treatment we can gauge whether your bone spur needs more treatment or not. If this does not work, then there are other treatments that can be considered. Another option is padding in the heel part of your shoe. If this works, orthoses can be designed that include the padding built into your orthoses. This serves as a more permanent way to treat your condition while still using the padding. Dependent upon your foot type, there are both custom and general orthoses. By talking to your podiatrist, they can determine which type of treatment is best for you.

If you or someone you know has heel pain and you live in the Methuen, North Andover, Boston, Lowell or Bradford area our office staff would be more than happy to help you set up an appointment and get you back up on your feet as soon as possible.

Hammertoes: They aren't from the Hardware Store

Do you have any toes where your toe bones are curled to look like a hammer? This is a condition where the middle joint of your toe is bent, typically in your 2^nd, 3^rd and 4^th toe. This condition can progressively become worse over time as a result of shoes that are too tight or high heels. When you are wearing your shoes that are either improperly fitted or too high, your toes are forced into a contracted position where your toes are essentially bunched up onto themselves. If this position is maintained, your muscles will eventually shorten and become stuck that way. Many people have this condition and it has no pain associated with it, but in some instances you may experience discomfort due to your toes pushing up against your shoes. In the cases where people experience pain from this condition, there are several different types of treatments that can be tried.

It is always best to try non-invasive treatment plans for any condition that you may have. There are fewer risks involved with these treatments and they allow you several options to consider. In the case of hammertoes, there are several noninvasive treatment plans such as padding, wider shoes or shorter heels. By coming into the office, you can be properly fitted for shoes to determine your correct shoe size and width. There have been several studies done that show that anywhere from 60-80% of the population are wearing the wrong size shoes. With hammertoes, it is important to get the proper sized shoes so that your toes have room to expand to their proper length. The other option is padding. With the proper shoe depth, if there is still pain on the top of your toe joints, padding can be used to help prevent the toes from hitting the top of your shoes. In some instances though, padding and changing your shoes may not help relieve the condition. In these instances, the next option is surgery to elongate the joint and remove it from its contracted position.

If you or someone you know is dealing with this condition and you live in the Methuen, North Andover, Burlington, Lowell, or Bradford Massachusetts area, please feel free to contact our office. Our staff would be more than happy to get you an appointment and assist you with your condition.