PODIATRY BLOG

Runners enjoy their sport for many reasons. It’s great for cardiovascular health and fitness, it’s relatively inexpensive, and it’s easy to do on most days. Most people wouldn’t pick summer as their favorite season for running because heat humidity take a toll. But there are advantages to summer running, including long daylight hours that make it possible to run at times when it’s typically dark out. 

There are sections of bones that are known as growth plates located throughout the growing body. There is a growth plate in the metatarsal bones, the long bones that run along the foot and connect with the toes. Freiberg’s diseaseoccurs when a series of microfractures develop in this growth plate and disrupt the circulation in the bone, leading to a loss of blood flow and eventually to a condition known as avascular necrosis(cellular death) in the head of the bone. 

At Advanced Feet and Ankle Care, Jason Grossman, DPM often sees patients whose issues can be attributed to an unvarying exercise routine. Engaging in repeated, unchanging physical activity can create a host of podiatric issues. Occasionally switching up your workout can increase strength, flexibility and balance while lowering your risk of common complaints including:

Athletes are at increased risk for a wide range of issues related to the health of your feet, ankles, and lower legs. Among them is turf toe, a sprain of the big toe joint. Read on to learn more about the causes and symptoms of turf toe, as well as what your podiatrist can do to help. 

Do you find yourself climbing into bed at the end of a long day, looking forward to stretching out and relaxing, but plagued by odd sensations in your legs that make it impossible to get comfortable and fall asleep? You might be among the 10% of Americans living with Restless Leg Syndrome (RLS), also known as Willis-Ekbom Disease. RLS is a sleep-related movement disorder characterized by overwhelming and sometimes uncontrollable urges to move the legs while at rest that make it difficult to relax or sleep.

A Deep Vein Thrombosis (DVT) is a blood clot that forms in a vein deep in the body, usually the lower legs. DVT is one of the most dangerous conditions podiatrists see in patients. Upon diagnosis, DVT’s require immediate treatment. Roughly 15% of DVT’s dislodge and travel to the lung, where they can cause a life-threatening Pulmonary Embolism (PE).

Have you ever heard the words “Hallux valgus”? Sounds serious and a little bit scary, doesn’t it? Don’t panic. Hallux valgus is just the official medical term for a bunion. Hallux is the word for your big toe, and valgus means bent or twisted. When you put them together, you’ve got a bent or twisted big toe – in other words, a bunion.

Stubbing your toe hurts and can lead to an injury that is more serious than it initially appears. Because there is little to no fat at the front of the toe to help absorb any impact, and because there is a concentration of nerves in the feet and toes, a stubbed toe is intensely painful at the moment it occurs. Typically, that discomfort subsides quickly or after a few minutes of rest and ice. But what if the pain doesn’t go away or you start noticing other unusual symptoms? It’s time to call the podiatrist.