Biopsy Chronic Ulcers

Longstanding ulcerations may not be healing as a result of the cause of the ulceration. There are several skin cancers that may take on the appearance of an ulceration. When an ulcer is taking longer than it should to heal or has an appearance that is just not quite the way that it should look it is important to take a closer view as to what is really going on. 

A biopsy is a simple test that your podiatrist can do in the office. It involves a small punch biopsy. Your doctor will numb you up so that you don't feel the biopsy. After taking the biopsy, it will be sent off to a pathology lab. Within a couple of weeks, your results will be back and treatment can continue from there. If your results do not show any signs of cancer, then your treatment will continue, but if there is cancer then depending upon what type it is will determine the next steps. Most likely though, it will require excision to remove the cancerous tissue. 

Biopsy is a gold standard that you podiatrist will most likely do during your first couple of visits. it is a way for us to know exactly what we are treating and be able to get you the best results possible. If you or someone you know has an ulcer on your foot or leg it is important for you to see your podiatrist so that your ulcer can be treated quickly. If you live in the North Reading or Billerica, Massachusetts area, Dr. Wachtel would be more than happy to see you and help treat your feet. We are also happy to announce our Methuen and North Andover offices located at 451 Andover St. Suite 300, North Andover MA 01845 and 87 Jackson St, Methuen, MA 01835

Jim Graham Plantar Fascia

New Orleans Saints player Jim Graham is dealing with a lot of pain right now from a partially torn plantar fascia. He is not on the injured list, but they are taking it day by day to determine how he is feeling and what his activity level can be for that day.

Plantar fascia tears are a common result of plantar fasciitis. Your plantar fascia extends from your toes to your heel bone. When the band of tissue has been constantly stretched it can end up having microtears throughout the body of tissue and these tears can cause a lot of pain and inflammation. A partially torn plantar fascia can be an issue for a patient due to some fibers still holding on that are stretching and tearing throughout the day.

So, how can we treat this condition? For plantar fasciitis, the best form of treatment is stretching. By stretching your calf and the plantar fascia, you can loosen up this band of tissue to where it is not as tight and the tissue can move with more flexibility. Another treatment option is steroid shots combined with stretching, because the steroid shot will stop the inflammation cycle and allow you to be able to do the stretches more comfortably. Orthotics are a great treatment option because they can take the stress off of the band of tissue and provide long term relief. Finally, if all other treatment options fail, surgery is the final step for treatment.

Heel pain is not something to be taken lightly, it can affect your everyday performance. If you notice you are having heel pain, it is important that you seek care from your podiatrist so that your plantar fasciitis can be treated before it becomes a chronic more difficult condition to treat.. If you live in the Reading or Dracut, Massachusetts area, Dr. Wachtel would be more than happy to see you and help treat your feet. We are also happy to announce our Methuen and North Andover offices located at 451 Andover St. Suite 300, North Andover MA 01845 and 87 Jackson St, Methuen, MA 01835

Infected Ulcers

A second cause for ulcers not healing is infection. An ulceration can show various signs of infection. The most characteristic of these signs is redness, pain, swelling, heat and eventually a loss of function of the extremity. There are other things that can serve as clues that you could be dealing with an infection. One of these is drainage. There are some types of drainage that are normal. These include a bloody discharge or a clear fluid. The types of drainage that you should be wary of is a fluid that is milky, thick and has an odor to it.

Another sign that points to an infection of your ulcer is if there is redness extending from your ulcer that travels up. This is called cellulitis and it is a sign that there is an active infection occurring. One way that your podiatrist will keep track of your cellulitis is by using a skin marker to draw a line so that they can tell if the redness is receding or if it is growing.

If your podiatrist is suspecting infection they may culture your wound to send it off to a lab and see if anything grows from the swabs. Your doctor may also send you to get some blood work done to see if you have a white blood cell count. In the case of infection, white blood cells will increase and is a way to determine if an active infection is occurring.

Infection is a cause for your ulcer not healing. It is a situation that can be fixed through antibiotics. If you notice any of the above signs and symptoms, it is important that you seek care from your podiatrist so that your ulcer and infection can be monitored for other complications. If you live in the Rading or Dracut, Massachusetts area, Dr. Wachtel would be more than happy to see you and help treat your feet. We are also happy to announce our Methuen and North Andover offices located at 451 Andover St. Suite 300, North Andover MA 01845 and 87 Jackson St, Methuen, MA 01835

Why is my Ulcer Not Healing?

Ulcers can be very finicky things. One week you have had great success and the ulcer has shrunken down dramatically and then next thing you know that ulcer has sprung to life and has doubled in size. There are multiple reasons as to why your ulcer may not be healing and over the next couple of blogs, we are going to discuss some key factors.

The first factor that we are going to talk about is your blood flow. If those pipes are not wide open and clear you may be having issues with blockage. You may be wondering why on Earthy would blood flow affect how my wound is doing? There are a couple of reasons. The first main one is oxygen. Oxygen is incredibly important for energy and vitality of your tissues. If there is a disconnect where your tissues aren't getting enough oxygen, you can actually get an ulcer just from that. This ulceration is called an ischemic ulcer because your tissues will actually die as a result of lack of blood flow and the only real fix for this is to send you to a vascular doctor and see what they can do for you.

The second reason that poor blood flow is a problem is that you will not receive the antibiotics or the nutrients that may be necessary for your wound to heal because if there is no flow transporting these vital substances to your wound then there is effectively a block. It is as if a beaver has built a dam in your transport system and all of the good stuff is being blocked from reaching you.

The reasons for blood flow mentioned above are the same reasons that your podiatrist will check your pulses and may run some diagnostic tests on you to see if there is enough blood flow reaching your tissues. If you have an ulcer it is important that you seek medical help from your podiatrist so that your ulcer can be monitored for other complications such as infection. If you live in the Chatham or Dracut, Massachusetts area, Dr. Wachtel would be more than happy to see you and help treat your feet. We are also happy to announce our Methuen and North Andover offices located at 451 Andover St. Suite 300, North Andover MA 01845 and 87 Jackson St, Methuen, MA 01835

Carl Nicks MRSA Infection

Carl Nicks, guard for the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, is currently out after having surgery done on his left foot for his MRSA infection. The sportscasters are reporting that no other information has been passed on from the Bucs about details of the surgery. However, we do know that this is the second time that this was Carl Nicks second bout with MRSA.

MRSA is a highly contagious infection that can be spread easily and is very hard to treat. MRSA is very resistant to most antibiotics and as a result it can be hard to find an antibiotic that will treat the condition. The tricky part is that even if you get the MRSA to go away with antibiotics, there is still the chance that it could return. The ultimate treatment for MRSA infections that have reached the bone is amputation. Amputation can be very difficult for a football player if you are talking about amputating the big toe because this is the main source of balance, without it, it would be very difficult if not impossible to make those sharp cutting moves that football players are so dependent on for their routes.

So if you or someone that you know is struggling witha blister, open wound or a scratch that is just not healing right, you should seek support from your podiatrist. MRSA infections can be very difficult to treat and it is important to get a jump on them early. If you live in the Reading or Dracut, Massachusetts area, Dr. Wachtel would be more than happy to see you and help treat your feet. We are also happy to announce our Methuen and North Andover offices located at 451 Andover St. Suite 300, North Andover MA 01845 and 87 Jackson St, Methuen, MA 01835

Yellow, Thick, Crumbly Nails

It is starting to get colder outside and its time to be putting those little toes away into closed toed shoes and boots. With this being said, it is the perfect time to be treating your toenail fungus. Toenails take about 6 months to a year for them to fully grow out and so you are looking at the exact time frame that you would need between now and when it becomes sandal season again.

Laser nail  therapy is a process where specific wavelengths are used to kill the fungus that is causing your toenails to become yellow, thick, flaky and crumbly. Using the laser nail therapy can require 1 usage to several depending upon how receptive your body is to the treatment. Often times, your podiatrist will pair the laser therapy with an additional antifungal treatment to make sure that your fungus is fought the best way that it can be. Consulting with your podiatrist will provide you with knowledge about the treatment options that are best for you. They will also be able to give your a good idea as to the results that you can expect.

So if you or someone that you know is struggling with fungal toenails that you are  not happy with their appearance or they are causing you pain due to their thickness and pushing against your shoes. If you are needing fungal nail treatment, you should seek support from your podiatrist. If you live in the Wesford or Dracut, Massachusetts area, Dr. Wachtel would be more than happy to see you and help treat your feet. We are also happy to announce our Methuen and North Andover offices located at 451 Andover St. Suite 300, North Andover MA 01845 and 87 Jackson St, Methuen, MA 01835

Julio Jones Out for the Year

Julio Jones of the Atlanta Falcons is out for the rest of the season. In Monday night's game against the New York Jets, Jones injured his foot and broke one of the screws that was placed during a previous surgery. Jones will need surgery and will require the rest of the season to recover and rehab.

Hardware placement in any kind of surgery is always a procedure that could eventually lead to needing to have that hardware removed. Sometimes, your hardware can end up becoming more prominent or it can sometimes back out. In either of these situations, it is better to have your hardware removed so that it no longer hurts and doesn't cause you further damage. In some instances, your hardware can actually break. This often takes a great deal of force, much like can be expected in the life of a football player.

As simple of a procedure as removing hardware seems, you are still going to have all of the same issues as you will with any other surgery. You will still have pain, swelling and an incision site that needs to be healed. Depending upon whether or not your incision site is on the top or bottom of your foot will also dictate healing time. If the incision is on the bottom of your foot then it means that healing time will take longer due to it being an area where pressure would be when you walk.

If you are having any pain in your foot where you had surgery then you should head to your podiatrist to have an x-ray. It is very important that you seek medical care to prevent further damage. If you live in the Reading or Chatham, Massachusetts area, Dr. Wachtel would be more than happy to see you and help treat your feet. We are also happy to announce our Methuen and North Andover offices located at 451 Andover St. Suite 300, North Andover MA 01845 and 87 Jackson St, Methuen, MA 01835.

What's With This Painful Heel?

Are you having pain at the first step out of bed in the morning? Do you have pain through the arch of your foot? Do you feel like you would rather slam your finger with a hammer that take a step and feel the pain of your foot If any of these symptoms describe you, there is a good possibility that you have a conditioned known as plantar fasciitis. This condition stems from a tightening of the band of tissue that extends from your heel to your toes.

So, if you are having this severe pain, what can you do to treat your foot? You can apply ice to the area to reduce your inflammation. You can also take ibuprofen to reduce your inflammation. The most important thing you can do for yourself is stretching. There are several different stretches you can do that is the most important part of your treatment. In order to reduce the pain you are feeling you must stretch out the tissue so that you are not so tight and you won’t cause little tears in your fascia.  There are several stretches you can try at this website http://physicaltherapy.about.com/od/flexibilityexercises/a/footstretch.htm.

If you are having the above mentioned symptoms of heel pain, then it is important that you seek help from your podiatrist. It is very important that you seek medical care to prevent further damage and pain from a chronic condition. If you live in the Dracut or Chatham, Massachusetts area, Dr. Wachtel would be more than happy to see you and help treat your feet. We are also happy to announce our Methuen and North Andover offices located at 451 Andover St. Suite 300, North Andover MA 01845 and 87 Jackson St, Methuen, MA 01835.

How Does Your Toe Get Put to Sleep?

What is it like to get your toe numbed up for surgery or for getting your toenail removed? Many people are scared of needles and understandably so. There is usually at least one bad experience that you can think back to where an injection really hurt or someone said something that made you even more nervous. Regardless of the situation, it is a fear that is shared by many people.

An injection for your toe or for your foot for surgery consists of a numbing agent that will put your nerves to sleep to where you won’t feel pain. A common misconception is that you won’t feel anything, but in reality you may feel some pressure, and that is perfectly normal. When the injection is placed you will feel a stick and then you will feel a bit of pain for the first couple of seconds and then it will start to feel numb. Your toe will stay numb for approximately between 4-10 hours depending on your body’s metabolism.

A numbing injection for your foot is not something that you should be overly concerned about. It does not take long and you will barely feel anything for the injection. It is much more important that you get your ingrown toenail taken care of or that you have an injection before surgery because it will greatly reduce your pain both during and after the procedure. If you are needing foot care, you should seek support from your podiatrist. If you live in the Wesford or Wilmington, Massachusetts area, Dr. Wachtel would be more than happy to see you and help treat your feet. We are also happy to announce our Methuen and North Andover offices located at 451 Andover St. Suite 300, North Andover MA 01845 and 87 Jackson St, Methuen, MA 01835

Jeff Driskel's Broken Ankle

Those of you that are fans of college football probably know that the Florida Gators quarterback Jeff Driskel broke his ankle in yesterday's game against Tennessee. Unfortunately for Driskel, this means that he will be out for the rest of the season. He will need surgery after his fracture and will require physical therapy to get back to the level of college athletics that he was at prior to his injury.

Ankle injuries are a pretty common occurrence for both athletes and non athletes alike. People commonly will sprain their ankles only to find out that they have actually fractured their ankles. People will commonly hear a pop that is associated with a broken bone, but sometimes you may have broken a bone and not here an audible pop. This is why it is so important that if you have injured your ankle you should seek help from your podiatrist to determine if you have actually broken your ankle. Your podiatrist will probably want to get x-rays, do a physical exam and talk to you about your options.

The most important thing you can be doing for your injured ankle is seeking medical care. You may have a serious injury that you don't know about and every day that you wait, it will become more difficult to repair. If you have injured your ankle, you should seek care from your  podiatrist. If you live in the Dracut or Chatham, Massachusetts area, Dr. Wachtel would be more than happy to see you and help treat your feet. We are also happy to announce our Methuen and North Andover offices located at 451 Andover St. Suite 300, North Andover MA 01845 and 87 Jackson St, Methuen, MA 01835.

Why is my Ulcer Not Healing?

Ulcers are a very finicky thing. One day they are looking great and you are almost healed and then the next thing you know, it has popped back open and you feel like you are back at square one. There are many different factors that contribute to healing. These include your nutrition, infection, blood flow and if there is any pressure to the area. If your ulcer is not healing or it has opened back up, chances are, one of these factors should be blamed. 

So, what can you do for an ulcer that is being stubborn or has decided to be a bit more awnry? The first thing you should do is head to your podiatrist. They are experts at foot ulcers and will be able to give you a good idea of what is going on. Once you see your podiatrist, they will do several things to check what is causing your ulcer to not heal. They will check your pulses, check for signs of infection, offload the pressure from the area of your ulcer and they may send you for some blood studies to see what your nutrition value is. 

The most important thing you can be doing for your ulcer is watching it like a hawk. Any changes in the healing of your ulcer or it opening back up is a sign that something is not working. If you have notcied something changing to your ulcer, you should seek care from your  podiatrist. If you live in the North Reading or Chatham, Massachusetts area, Dr. Wachtel would be more than happy to see you and help treat your feet. We are also happy to announce our Methuen and North Andover offices located at 451 Andover St. Suite 300, North Andover MA 01845 and 87 Jackson St, Methuen, MA 01835.

Break a Toe...

Have you recently dropped something on your foot or accidentally run into a bedpost or the wall? If you have and you have a lot of foot swelling? It is possible that you may have fractured one or more of your toes. If you have, you may see lots of swelling, bruising and have a lot of pain. If your swelling is not going down and it has been a couple of days, then you should go and see your podiatrist so that you can have x-rays done to confirm if they are fractured and whether or not the bone is displaced.

If you do have a fracture, it will depend on the type and appearance on x-ray as to what treatment will be best for you. You may be able to get away with just wearing a boot or a postop shoe or you may need to have surgery. None of this can be decided until you have an x-ray. The important thing to remember is that it is much easier to do surgery on a newly fractured bone because not as much healing has occurred. Better reduction will be able to be achieved and your bone will look much more like it is supposed to.

If you have dropped something on your foot recently, you should seek care from your  podiatrist. If you live in the North Reading or North Billerica, Massachusetts area, Dr. Wachtel would be more than happy to see you and help treat your feet. We are also happy to announce our Methuen and North Andover offices located at 451 Andover St. Suite 300, North Andover MA 01845 and 87 Jackson St, Methuen, MA 01835.

Dress Shoes and Blistered Heels

Have you ever had that new pair of shoes that rubs against your heels and gives you blisters? Or maybe you have that favorite pair of high heels that after a night out leaves you wishing you had opted for flats. Regardless of how it happened, now that you have those blisters or raw heels, it's time to treat them. It is very important that when you have raw skin, you keep it protected from bacteria. A good barrier such as neosporin and a band-aid is always a good idea.

There are times that your wound can actually get infected though. In this situation, you may need to be put on a stronger antibiotic. If you start to notice redness around the wound, streaking up your leg or drainage from the area that is anything but clear, your wound could be infected. If this is the case, you need to see your podiatrist immediately. Your heel skin is very thin and your achilles tendon is right underneath the surface. This is an area of your ankle that needs to be well protected.

An important question is how should  you be avoiding this situation in the future? Women most often will buy their high heels about one size smaller than they should be. This helps you to better keep your shoe on your foot, but it also makes it easier for your heel to be rubbed raw. Many heels or dress shoes can be found that provide a little bit extra cushion in the heel area. These will help to prevent you from getting these blisters.

If you have a blister that appears infected, you should seek care from your  podiatrist. If you live in the Chatham or North Billerica, Massachusetts area, Dr. Wachtel would be more than happy to see you and help treat your feet. We are also happy to announce our Methuen and North Andover offices located at 451 Andover St. Suite 300, North Andover MA 01845 and 87 Jackson St, Methuen, MA 01835.

What Concerns Should You Have for your Feet in a Flood?

With all of the rain that Colorado is getting it is important to remember to keep your feet dry. Many people forget that when your feet sweat a lot and your socks get wet that your skin is basically sitting in a puddle all day. If you think about how your feet look after they have been wet for a long time, they get that wrinkly whiter look to them and they look like you have been swimming all day. This is not a big deal if your feet get a chance to dry out, but if they don't you can end up getting macerated skin that is not as strong as your regular skin and can actually break down.

So, why is this even important? Well, if you are a diabetic patient that already has difficulty healing wounds, you are going to be more prone to an infection or a long term ulcerations that can take anywhere from weeks to years to heal. If you are making your skin less strong, then it will be easier for you to rub a sore and introduce an infection. The most prone area to these kinds of sores is the skin between your toes. When they get wet, the rubbing motion of your toes can easily form a sore.

What can you do if this happens to you? Well, for one you need to see your podiatrist because they can offer you tips on how to prevent this from happening in the future and what to do for your current wounds. They will also be able to rule out any infection for you or deeper probing bone that should be of concern.

If you have unusually wet feetl, you should seek care from your  podiatrist. There could be an ulcer forming that could have an infection that needs to be treated with antibiotics and it could become much worse if not taken care of quickly. If you live in the Wilmington or North Billerica, Massachusetts area, Dr. Wachtel would be more than happy to see you and help treat your feet. We are also happy to announce our Methuen and North Andover offices located at 451 Andover St. Suite 300, North Andover MA 01845 and 87 Jackson St, Methuen, MA 01835.

Injured Achilles

Achille's ruptures are a fairly common occurrence and they tend to happen more often in sports that include jumping and fast side to side movements. They can also occur in just everyday life by stepping off of a curb wrong or going up a flight of stairs. Unfortunately, as important as it is for you to get back to exercise and work out, new work outs that are jumped into too quickly can lead to many injuries because you can irritate your tendons due to overstress.

So, how can an Achille's injury be treated. There are two options, either conservative or surgical. Either way, it is important that you get to your podiatrist as quickly as possible. Achilles injuries are an emergency and require immediate treatment. If surgery is being sought after, it is best to have surgery within the first 24-48 hours. if you wait, then it doesn't really matter when surgery is because your tendon will have already started to retract. While you wait to go to the doctor, you need to stay off of it, ice, prop your foot up and take some ibuprofen if needed.

If you have injured your Achilles, you should seek care from your  podiatrist. There could be an injured Achilles that can become much worse if not taken care of quickly. If you live in the Chatham or North Reading, Massachusetts area, Dr. Wachtel would be more than happy to see you and help treat your feet. We are also happy to announce our Methuen and North Andover offices located at 451 Andover St. Suite 300, North Andover MA 01845 and 87 Jackson St, Methuen, MA 01835.

Athlete's Foot

Summer time is one of the worst times of year for athlete's foot. With the heat, the humidity and everyone wanting to go swimming, this leaves the perfect environment for fungus to grow. Fungus likes wet, dark area and in between your toes is the perfect definition of this. The harm of this environment for your feet is that athlete's foot can be something as simple as itching and burning, when it gets worse though, it can become an infection that could require surgery to rid the infection from your body.

So, what can you do to avoid athlete's foot. There are a few simple rules including don't share shoes with anyone, use a paper towel to dry between your toes after a shower, if your feet tend to get very sweaty then change socks throughout the day, and finally if you have a tendency to get athlete's foot, then you can spray your shoes with Lysol at night and let them dry before the next morning.

It is important when your foot starts to itch that you check your foot to see if it is dry, red or flaky skin. Athlete's foot generally  starts between your toes, but it can quickly spread to the entire foot. If you notice patches of dry skin with a clear center to them this is a pretty reliable sign that this is athlete's foot.

If you notice your foot is itching, dry skin, blisters or drainage from your foot, you should seek care from your  podiatrist. There could be an athlete's foot infection that can become much worse if not taken care of quickly. If you live in the Lowell or Reading, Massachusetts area, Dr. Wachtel would be more than happy to see you and help treat your feet. We are also happy to announce our Methuen and North Andover offices located at 451 Andover St. Suite 300, North Andover MA 01845 and 87 Jackson St, Methuen, MA 01835.

Do you Have Ankle or Arch Pain?

Do you have pain in the arch of your foot or on the inside of your ankle? Are you unable to stand on your feet for very long before you have to sit down and take a rest? Have you noticed that your foot seems flatter than what you remember? If you have noticed any of these things occur then you should come in and see your podiatrist immediately.

There is a condition where when your arch starts to collapse pressure and strain is placed on one of your tendons that causes irritation and a great deal of pain. The key to treating this condition is to get it early on. The sooner you start to treat this condition, the less of a problem you will have. However, if you choose to delay, the problem will continue to progress and can get to the point where conservative treatment is not an option.

In the early stages of this condition, you can start with orthotic inserts to help support the arch. If the condition has progressed, then you may need to use a brace in order to hold your arch that can be tightly tied and strapped to prevent the stress on your tendon. Past this stage, surgery becomes a possibility, but it is a very involved surgery that should be avoided if necessary.

If you notice your ankle or arch is hurting, you should seek care from your  podiatrist. There could be a problem with your tendon that can become much worse if not taken care of quickly. If you live in the Lowell or Reading, Massachusetts area, Dr. Wachtel would be more than happy to see you and help treat your feet. We are also happy to announce our Methuen and North Andover offices located at 451 Andover St. Suite 300, North Andover MA 01845 and 87 Jackson St, Methuen, MA 01835.

My Toe is Changing Color

Is your toe starting to turn a different color. Is it bluish or black? Changes in color can be linked  to blood flow and if you are diabetic then it is even more possible that it could have to do with your blood flow. As we start to get older, our pipes can start to get blocked and the arteries and veins may not work as well as they once did. If you are not getting enough blood flow to the area, you may start to notice the changes in skin color as a result.

So, what should you do? When the color of your skin starts to change, it is important that you come to see your podiatrist so that they can help you determine what the change in color is due to. If it has to with blood flow, then it will be necessary to get blood flow studies to see how much blood is getting to your toes. If their is a blockage, then it may be something that vascular needs to intervene on.

Toe color changes can also result from poor venous return and so the blood pools in your feet and you can end up having color changes due to the collection of heme, a metal in your blood that can't be broken down. So, instead it collects and changes the color of  your skin to a dusky black color.

If you notice the color of your toes changing you should seek care from your  podiatrist. There could be a problem with your blood flow that can become much worse if not taken care of quickly. If you live in the Dracut or Chatham, Massachusetts area, Dr. Wachtel would be more than happy to see you and help treat your feet. We are also happy to announce our Methuen and North Andover offices located at 451 Andover St. Suite 300, North Andover MA 01845 and 87 Jackson St, Methuen, MA 01835.

Walking on a Stone

If you feel along the bottom of your foot, you will notice that there is a band of tissue that runs right under the skin. If you move your foot up and down you will see how this band of tissue moves with your foot. This tissue can sometimes have a ball of fibrous tissue that forms in the band. If an area of injury occurs in the fascia such as a small tear, a ball of fibrous tissue can form called a plantar fibroma.

So, what is the harm of these plantar fibromas. Well, the only time that it is an issue is if you experience pain. Some people will describe that they feel like they are walking on rocks. Others will say that they feel like they are walking on a ball under their foot. If this becomes enough of an issue, you can actually experience a great deal of pain because of the discomfort under your feet.

So, what are the options that you have for treatment? One option is to get a shoe insert that has extra cushion to try and prevent you from feeling like you are walking on a stone. The other option is to have the plantar fibroma surgically removed. This is the best way to take care of your pain long term, but it is a surgery and so conservative treatment is always the best first choice.

If you notice feeling like you are walking on a stone you should seek care from your  podiatrist. There could be a plantar fibroma that is causing you pain. If you live in the Dracut or Chatham, Massachusetts area, Dr. Wachtel would be more than happy to see you and help treat your feet. We are also happy to announce our Methuen and North Andover offices located at 451 Andover St. Suite 300, North Andover MA 01845 and 87 Jackson St, Methuen, MA 01835.

Wart that Won't Stop Growing

Everyone has heard of the painful plantar warts that are common in children and older adults. You know that when you step down and put pressure on them that they will be very painful. Many of you have also heard that they can be treated by freezing them repeatedly or with acid to burn them off. What you may not know is that there is a type of skin cancer that can look like a wart, but it will continue to grow and has been known to take over a very large percentage of skin of a person't foot.

So, how will you know the difference? The true way to know the difference is to biopsy the wart. Some other signs to look for though are that the lesion keeps growing and getting larger, that it is a strange shape with irregular edges and that the wart is not the same color throughout. All of these things point to cancer and point to you needing to see your doctor immediately.

The question many people would have at this point is what can be done? Since this is an aggressive skin condition that will continue to grow the treatment is excision. Your podiatrist will talk to you about potential treatment, but ultimately, once that wart has converted to a cancerous lesion, it needs to be removed from your skin. Prevention for skin cancer on your feet is to not forget to put sunscreen on your feet when you are out and about. It is a commonly missed area and unfortunately is an area that has skin just like everywhere else for you and can get cancerous lesions.

If you notice any lesion on your foot that is changing shape and characterisitcs you should seek care from your podiatrist. There could be a lesion that needs to be biopsied just in case, so it’s always important to get it checked out. If you live in the Dracut or Reading, Massachusetts area, Dr. Wachtel would be more than happy to see you and help treat your feet. We are also happy to announce our Methuen and North Andover offices located at 451 Andover St. Suite 300, North Andover MA 01845 and 87 Jackson St, Methuen, MA 01835.