foot drop

Foot drop sometimes called drop foot, is a general term for difficulty lifting the front part of the foot. If you have foot drop, you may drag the front of your foot on the ground when you walk. Foot drop isn't a disease. Rather, foot drop is a sign of an underlying neurological , muscular or anatomical problem.

Sometimes foot drop is temporary, in other cases, foot drop is permanent. If you have foot drop, you may need to wear a brace on your a

nkle and foot to hold your foot in a normal position.

Symptoms may include: Difficulty lifting the front part of your foot, which is sometimes the only sign of foot drop. (2) dragging your foot on the floor as you walk. (3) Slapping your foot down onto the floor with each step you take. (4) Raising your thigh when you walk, as

if you were climbing stairs. (5) Pain, weakness or numbness in the foot.

Foot drop is caused by weakness or paralysis of the muscles below the knee involved in lifting the front part of the foot. The underlying causes of foot drop are varied. Often, neurological, muscular and anatomical problems overlap.

Treatment for foot drop depends on the underlying cause. If the underlying cause is successfully treated, foot drop may improve or even disappear. If the underlying cause cannot be treated, then it may be permanent.

Bracing or splints that fits into your shoe can help hold your foot in a normal position. Physical therapy including exercises that strengthen your leg muscles and help you maintain the range of motion in your knee and ankle may improve gait problems associated with drop foot. Surgery would involve infusing ankle or foot bones or that transfers tendons to stronger leg muscles may be helpful to improve walking difficulties.

www.vailfoot.com is our website that you can go to look at various braces that would help you if you have drop foot. This is an example of the Exoform ankle brace that helps to support your ankle. It is best to get professional advice as to what kind of brace would be best for you. Give Dr. T. F. Vail's office a call at 419-423-1888 to schedule an appointment if you are bothered by drop foot.

Plantar warts

Warts are small, usually painless growths on the skin caused by a virus called human papillomavirus (HPV). They are generally harmless. However, warts can be disfiguring and embarrassing, and occasionally they itch or hurt.

There are many types of warts, but we will discuss the

PLANTAR wart. They are found on the soles of the feet.

The typical wart is a raised round or oval growth on the skin with a rough surface. They tend to cause no discomfort unless they are in areas of repeated pressure. Large numbers of plantar warts on the foot may cause difficulty walking or running.

Some warts will disappear without treatment, although it can sometimes take a couple of years. Treated or not, warts that go away often reappear. All warts can spread from one part of your body to another.

Symptoms: Abnormally dark or light skin surrounding the lesion.

Rough growth or lesions on soles of feet-flat to slightly raised-painful to pressure

If the doctor is unsure if it is a wart or not a biopsy may be done to confirm that it isn't something else.

At Advanced Footcare Clinic we recommend using a paste that contains 60% salicytic acid. This is the highest amount of acid that you can obtain without a prescription.

So if you have been bothered by plantar warts and just cannot get rid of them call Dr. T. F. Vail, DPM at 419-423-1888 for an appointment.

Or on our webstore www.vailfoot.com there are products that contain the salicytic acid also. If the warts are in an area that causes discomfort when walking we have offloading pads that can help take the pressure off the area.

Nail Fungus

Nail fungus, or onychomycosis, is a condition that occurs when a microscopic fungus enters a toenail. It can also occur in fingernails but is more common in toenails.

Anyone can get nail fungus, but infections are more common in people over the age of 60 and people who have a weakened immune system.

Usually, nail fungus occurs when it enters the nail through a small trauma like a cut or break in the nail. Nail fungus is not caused by poor hygiene. It can spread from person to person. A warm, wet place like a locker room is a good place for fungus to grow.

Your nail will look thick and discolored. Uncommonly, you may feel pain in your toes.

Your doctor may be able to tell if you have fungus by looking carefully at your nails. He will do a scraping of some nail and tissue from under your nail and send it to a lab to determine for certain what kind of infection you have.

Treatment of nail fungus may include oral antifungal drug like Lamisil or a topical antifungal. Removal of the infected nail can be performed. At Advanced Footcare Clinic we offer to our patients a topical antifungal called Formula 3 which has been beneficial to our patients. It is not a prescription and is only sold in podiatry offices.

To prevent getting nail fungus infection you should avoid walking barefoot in public areas like locker rooms. Keep the inside of your shoes dry and change your socks frequently. If you have sweaty feet you should wear socks that wick away the moisture from your feet. At Advanced Footcare Clinic we offer to our patients socks that contain charcoal fibers that wick away the moisture from your feet. Wear proper fitting shoes that are long enough and the toe box is wide enough that isn't putting pressure on your toes. Use absorbent, antifungal powder.

On our website www.vailfoot.com we offer fungal soap which contains tea tree oil which is a natural antifungal in it that washes the fungus and bacteria off your skin when you use it in the shower.

Also we are offering to our patients a laser procedure that "zaps" away common fungus that causes the discolored nails. It is a Noveon laser and has been been very successful.

But people must understand that once they are successful in getting rid of the fungus that they still have to follow a good hygiene program, including antifungal spray for shoes, not going barefoot and keeping feet clean and dry.