Children's Feet

There is no such thing as normal foot pain for a child. When a child complains of foot pain the parents take them to the pediatrician and he just says "he will outgrow it." Sound familiar? The most common pain is when he or she wakes up in the middle of night with a leg cramp. This is commonly called "growing pain." This should not be a concern if they occur infrequently. When it occurs, have the child stand and "walk it off." If it is a nightly occurrence, like several times a week, you should visit your doctor.
But it is a bigger concern if the child has pain when standing, walking, or running. These can be caused by biomechanical imbalance that cause instability of the leg and foot. This is when a visit to a podiatrist is highly recommended. Usually a custom orthotic will be prescribed.

Flat Feet and Children

Parents often wonder if their child's flat feet should be of a concern. Most children have no symptoms but they may appear to walk or run awkwardly. There could be a complaint of pain or cramping in their feet, legs or knees. Parents may think these are just growing pains. But growing should never hurt. Any pain or difficulty with a child's feet should be evaluated by a podiatrist.
Ignoring your child's flat feet can result in lasting damage that could continue to cause problems throughout his life.

My Dr. says I have a stress fracture in my foot. What is that?

A stress fracture occurs when muscles become fatigued or overloaded and cannot absorb the stress and shock of repeated impact. Fatigued muscles transfer that stress to bone that is nearby and you have the result of a small crack or fracture, in the bone.
Stress fractures in the foot are usually caused by overuse. They can also be caused by repeated pounding on a hard surface, like running on concrete. Improper footwear during sports activities can contribute also.
Women seem to be at a greater risk of stress fractures because of osteoporosis (thinning of the bones). This results in decreased bone density which is a risk for stress fractures.
The best treatment for a stress fracture is rest. If rest isn't followed through then chronic problems such as a larger and more persistent stress fracture can develop. Re-injury may result in a chronic foot problem and the fracture might never heal properly. At the Advanced Footcare Clinic we usually put a patient with a stress fracture into a soft cast (not a fiberglass cast) and an MC Walker boot to help immobilize (or rest) the foot.

With warmer weather finally here you may be thinking of how your feet look after being in boots or shoes with heavier socks on all winter.
Pamper your feet by soaking them in warm water with Tea Tree soaks added to the water. Tea Tree crystals deodorize and clean the feet.
Then inspect for any calluses or thicken areas of skin. Right after a shower is the best time to use pumice stone to scrap away any calluses. Don't ever use a razor blade! At Advanced Footcare Clinic we recommend Gormel 20. This is a cream that contains 20% urea which is the highest amount of urea that you can purchase without a prescription. This Gormel helps to exfoliate and moisturize any calluses and roughen areas on your feet.
If you want nail polish on the nails we recommend that one week out of the month you let your nails "air" out by being polish free.
Inspect your sandals from last year. If look very worn then they need to be disposed of.

Plantar Warts Causes
The human papilloma virus (HPV) causes plantar warts. The virus attacks the skin through direct contact. Some people are more susceptible to the human papilloma virus than others.

At our practice, Advanced FootCare Clinic, we see children more often with warts then adults because their immune system isn't developed enough to ward off the virus.

The warts usually are not painful, depending on where they are located on the foot. If on the heel or the ball of the foot the warts can be painful.

The most common symptom of Morton's neuroma is a localized pain in the interspace between the third and fourth toes caused by an enlarged nerve. It can be sharp or dull and you usually notice it more when walking or by wearing tight shoes. Some people feel like they are walking on a pebble, or that they have a wrinkle in their sock.
To diagnose the neuroma the Dr. will probably palpate the area to see if he can elicit pain by squeezing the toes from the side. Then he may try to feel the neuroma by pressing a thumb into the interspace.
An x-ray will probably be taken to rule out any kind of fractures and to rule out arthritis.
An MRI determines if there is an neuroma and the size of it. The Dr. can then determine how to treat the condition. Injections can be given to shrink the enlarged nerve or possibly surgery to excise it.

Findlay's Day of Dance

The Advanced Footcare Clinic will be at the Day of Dance for Health event sponsored by Blanchard Valley Health Systems! The event is to raise awareness for women's health issues, as well as enjoy a day to enjoy different dance styles, watch dance performance groups, take in music, eat good food, sign up for give-a-ways, receive health screenings and even win door prizes. Our office will have a booth at this event to share valuable health information about your feet. When you are exercising or dancing regularly you can really improve your over-all health. But nothing will hinder your ability to do so quicker than sore feet. So we want to give you tips on how to avoid this type of pain, as well as making you aware that we are available when you do experience foot problems. We will also have special offers and products from our office. Our display will include examples of our new therapeutic shoes. We want our patients to see that our shoes are not what they traditionally think of as therapeutic shoes, but they have been updated to offer great style as well as great footcare. And these shoes are available to all our patients, not just diabetics. We will also have an offer on a free pair of Dr. Comfort brand slippers for anyone who makes an appointment to see the podiatrist. And lastly, we will be offering free giveaways on some of our most recommended moisturizers, creams, scrubs, soaks, and other products.

The event will be held on Saturday, February 27th from 10:00am to 2:00pm. It will be in the University of Findlay's Koehler Center and the admission fee is a toothbrush and/or tube of tooth paste for charity. There is no preregistration required. Any questions can be directed to 419-423-5551. We look forward to seeing you that Saturday to enjoy yourself and learn all about women's health needs.