Hallux Rigidus

HALLUX RIGIDUS is a disorder of the joint located at the base of the big toe. It causes pain and stiffness in the joint, and with time it gets increasingly harder to bend the toe. Hallux refers to the big toe, while rigidus indicates that the toe is rigid and cannot move. This is actually a form of degenerative arthritis.

This can be very troubling and even disabling since we use the big toe whenever we walk, stoop down, climb up or even stand. This is a progressive condition, the toe's motion decreases as time goes on. The toe's range of motion gradually decreases until potentially reaches the end sta

ge of "rigidus" in which the big toe becomes stiff or what some people call a "frozen joint."

Common causes of hallux are structural abnormalities of the foot that can lead to osteoarthritis in the big toe joint. People with fallen arches or excessive pronation of the ankles are susceptible to developing hallux rigidus.

Symptoms include: pain and stiffness in the big toe while walking, bending etc. Pain and stiffness aggravated by cold, damp weather. Swelling and inflammation around the joint.

As the disorder gets more serious additional symptoms may develop including: pain even during rest, difficulty wearing shoes because bone spurs develop, dull pain in the hip, knee, or lower back due to changes in the way you walk.

The sooner this condition is diagnosed, the easier it is to treat. Therefore, the best time to see a podiatrist is when you first notice symptoms. If you wait until bone spurs develop, your condition is likely to be more difficult to manage.

In diagnosing hallux rigidus the doctor will examine your feet and move the toe to determine its range of motion. X-rays help determine how much arthritis is present as well as to evaluate any bone spurs or other abnormalities that may have formed.

Early treatment may prevent or postpone the need for surgery in the future. Treatment for mild cases may include: shoe modifications- shoes with a large toe box put less pressure on your toe. Stiff or rocker-bottom soles may also be recommended. Orthotic devices- custom orthotic would improve foot function. Medications- oral nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs such as ibuprofen may be recommended to reduce pain and inflammation. Physical therapy- ultrasound therapy or other physical therapy modalities may be undertaken to provide temporary relief.

On our website www.vailfoot.com we offer powerstep insoles. Even though a custom orthotic insole is the best device, these powerstep would help till you were able to make an appointment with a podiatrist to get your foot checked out. To make an appointment at the Advanced

Foot Care Clinic call 419-423-1888

Heel Pain

Heel pain is most often caused by plantar fascitis, a condition that is sometimes also called heel spur syndrome. Heel pain may also be due to other causes, such as a stress fracture, tendinitis, arthritis, nerve irritation. Because there are several potential causes, it is important to have heel pain properly diagnosed.

Plantar fascitis is an inflammation of the band of tissue that extends from the heel to the toes. This band is called the

plantar fascia. The fascia first becomes irritated and then inflamed, resulting in heel pain.

The most common causes of plantar fascitis relates to faulty structure of the foot. People who have problems with their arches, either overly flat feet or high-arched feet are more prone to developing plantar fascitis.

Wearing non-supportive footwear on hard, flat surfaces puts abnormal strain on the plantar fascia and can also lead to plantar fascitis. Obesity may also contribute to plantar fascitis.

The symptoms are: Pain on the bottom of the heel, pain that is usually worse upon arising in the morning and when sitting and getting up and pain that increases over

a period of months.

To arrive at a diagnosis, the podiatrist will examine your foot and rules out all the possible causes for your heel pain other than plantar fascitis.

X-rays or other imaging modalities may be used to distinguish the different types of heel pain.

Treatment will contain some or all of the following:

stretching exercises- exercises that stretch out the calf muscles help ease pain, (2) avoid going barefoot-when you walk barefoot you put undue strain and stress on your plantar fascia (3) ice- this helps reduce inflammation. Do not apply ice directly the skin. (4) limit activities-cut down on extended physical activities to give your heel a rest, (5) she modifications-wearing supportive shoes that have good arch support, (6) medications-oral non steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs such as ibuprofen may be recommended to reduce pain and inflammation, (7) orthotics-custom orthotics that fit into your shoe help correct the underlying structural abnormalities causing the plantar fascitis, (8)

night splint wearing a night splint allows you to maintain an extended stretch of the plantar fascia while sleeping. This may help reduce the morning pain experienced by some patients, (9) physical therapy exercises and ultrasound therapy may be used to help provide relief, (10) injections- corticosteroid injections are used to help reduce the inflammation and relieve pain.

So if you are experiencing heel pain give the office of Dr. T. F. Vail's office a call at 419-423-1888 to set up an appointment to make sure that it is plantar fascitis and not another condition.

Check out our website at www.vailfoot.com. There are numerous products that we offer to patients that are experiencing heel pain.

This is what a night splint looks like that you should wear at night. It stretches the plantar fascia at 90 degree angle so that in the morning you will not experience heel pain.

Peripheral Neuropathy

Peripheral neuropathy is a term that refers to disorders of the peripheral nerves. This nervous system is made up of the nerves that branch out of the spinal cord to different parts of the body.

The peripheral nervous system consists of motor (to help move) nerves and sensory (to help feel) nerves. Either or both sets of nerves can be affected in neuropathy.

If a sensory nerve is damaged, the predominant symptoms are pain, numbness, tingling, burning or a loss of feeling. They often begin gradually. There may be tingling sensation or numbness that starts in the toes or the balls of the feet and spreads up.

Diabetic neuropathy is the most common type and can lead to serious complications in those with diabetes. Diabetic peripheral neuropathy means damage of nerve fibers in people with diabetes. There are three types of diabetic peripheral neuropathy: Sensory which is loose the ability to detect sensations such as heat, cold, pain. Motor: is loss of strength to control movement and autonomic which regulate functions such as heart rate and digestion.

The treatment for peripheral neuropathy will differ, depending on the cause. For example, if it is caused by diabetes the therapy involves better control of the diabetes. If it is caused by a

vitamin deficiency, then supplementation will help.

As numbness is common in peripheral neuropathy, damage to the foot can go undetected and lead to serious complications especially in those who also have diabetes. It is best to protect the foot with good fitting footwear and the foot should be inspected daily for damage. Particular attention should be paid to corns and calluses as these may need treatment by your podiatrist.

If you are diabetic it is very important to have your feet evaluated by a podiatrist Give the office of Dr. T. F. Vail a call to set up an appointment if you experience any of the above symptoms or you a diabetic. 419-423-1888.

Or you can go to our website and there are various products for diabetics and if you are experiencing neuropathy.

This product is called Corganics Relief Topical Analgesic Cream. It is specially formulated for diabetic neuropathy, restless leg syndrome and deep muscle and joint pain.