According to the American Podiatric Medical Association (APMA), the average person walks between 8,000-10,000 steps a day, but that number dramatically increases during the holiday season. Whether you are a frequent flier or an occasional tourist, your feet often bear the brunt of aches and pains during holiday travel. Inappropriate footwear and inadequate circulation are two of the most common causes of complaints, but no matter what causes you to experience tired feet, here are some easy tips  from the APMA to help prevent these and other issues.

Ouch! My ingrown toenails are so painful I can barely put a sock or shoe on!  What should I do?

Let us help! This is such a common question, and we get asked all the time the best way to handle Ingrown Toenails. 

Ingrown Toenails can be extremely painful and are often caused by cutting our toenails incorrectly. There are a few people who inherited really bad toenails, but the rest are self-inflicted. Then we shove our foot into shoes that are too narrow or tight and we make them even worse!

Help is on the way! There are some simple steps you can follow to avoid ingrown toenails. First, cut your toenails straight across the top, not rounded. Second, avoid tight shoes and socks. Yes, the socks can do it! Third, and most important, stop picking at your toenails! Fourth, (and yes it sounds like common sense, but you would be surprised) please clean your toenail clippers with alcohol before you cut your nails. Self-inflicted infections are common.

If you are like  many of the poor souls who are seeking help, it is time to come to our office so we can take a look. Often, a round of antibiotics and a minor procedure in the office are all that is needed to alleviate your pain. Sometimes, a more advanced procedure, called a matrixectomy, is needed to remove a deformed toenail permanently. 

Do not perform bathroom surgery on your ingrown toenails! This can lead to a significant infection and even toe loss in the immunocompromised population with diabetes or vascular disease.

Contact Us for immediate help and we can help you get rid your toe pain!

Take a second to think about it, but chances are you have been ignoring one of the 5 problems listed below? Your not alone! It's common to struggle with foot pain and not do anything about it. Let us help you get back to pain free feet!  

1. Heel Pain. It’s #1 on the list because of how often it occurs. There are many reasons heel pain can occur and many of them are easily resolved with proper care.
2. Ankle Sprain. There are many important ligaments that support your ankle. Ignoring or not treating them can lead to a repetitive problem and sometimes completely destroy these tissues.
3. Achilles Pain. Most often caused by entering a new activity or increasing the intensity without proper training or warm up. Tendonitis can be treated conservatively and should be. Failure to get proper and timely treatment can result in ruptures, which do require surgery to repair.
4. Big Toe Pain. Some problems affecting the big toe, such as gout, are often too painful for you to ignore. Stiffness or decreased motion is more likely to take a backseat. This is often the result of damage to the joint due to poor foot mechanics; mechanics that can easily be adjusted with inserts.
5. Ingrown Toenails. Some individuals are more prone to developing them than others, but avoiding tight fitting shoes is a contributing factor you can easily implement. A simple in-office procedure can have you walking pain free.

All of our podiatrists are well qualified to identify and treat all of these problems. The Foot and Ankle Specialists of Utah website can help you schedule an appointment. Seeking proper treatment sooner, rather than later, can help you avoid future problems that may prevent you from many activities you enjoy. Call us today for an appointment!!!.........enteee 

The term hallux limitus is Latin with Hallux referring to the big toe and Limitus meaning decreased or limited motion of the joint. So together meaning there is limited motion in the big toe joint.

Symptoms:

• Limitation of motion of the big toe joint
• Swelling
• Stiffness in big toe
• Bone mass or Bump on top of the big toe
• Bone spurs
• Skin irritation from the top of the shoe
• Cannot bend or push off from the big toe so  you have a tendancy to put more pressure on the outside part of your foot causing pain on the outside of the foot

Common Causes: 

• repetitive trauma causing small bone spurs
• injury
• inherited foot structure

Treatment:

• Custom orthotics to equalize pressure
• NSAIDS: anti-inflammatory (such as acetaminophen)
• Surgery to clean the joint and remove spurs

Recommendation:
 
The best non surgical treatment for Hallux Limitus, in addition to anti-inflammatory medication, is Custom Foot Orthotics. There are 2 main reasons for this:

1. They help increase available range of motion within the first metatarsal phalangeal joint by altering and improving mal-alignment and improper biomechanics.
2. Prevents compensation which can lead to additional foot trauma and cause other injuries.

At Foot and Ankle Specialists of Utah we do several orders for custom orthotics every week. What's so great about custom orthotics?  We have them made for your feet specifically! We can do any orthotic  modification needed to  ensure the orthotics fit your feet perfectly!  

Hammertoes are one of the most common toe conditions, usually stemming from muscle imbalance in which the joints of the second, third, fourth or fifth toe are bent into a contracted, claw-like position. In the early stages, hammertoes are flexible and can be corrected with simple conservative measures, but if left untreated, they can become fixed and require surgery.
The most common cause of hammertoes is causes by balance issues. Tight-fitting and high-heeled shoes often aggravate the condition, crowding your toes forward. A hammertoe can also be the result of injury in which you break or jam the toe, or from conditions like arthritis or stroke that affect nerves and muscles. In some cases, hammertoes may even be inherited.
Because of their clenched, claw-like appearance, hammertoes will generally be visibly present. Other signs and symptoms include:

• Difficult or painful motion of a toe joint                         
• Redness or swelling at a toe joint
• Development of calluses and corns
• Open sores in severe cases

At Foot and Ankle Specialists of Utah we recommend the following for preventing and treating your hammertoe:

• Wear comfortable, proper-fitting shoes that provide support and allow enough room for your toes
• Avoid high-heeled or narrow-toed shoes
• Stretch your toe muscles to relieve pressure and pain
• Apply splints, cushions or pads to relieve pressure

Generally, a modification of footwear will reduce the symptoms associated with hammertoe. Other non-surgical treatment includes padding to shield corns and calluses and orthotic devices that are placed in the shoe to help control muscle imbalance. Dr. Perlstein can help you determine the best treatment for your symptoms. Severe cases that don't respond to conservative measures may require surgery to restore your toe's flexibility and eliminate the pressure.
Hammertoes are progressive - they don't go away by themselves and the condition usually gets worse over time.

Once we have evaluated your hammertoe, a treatment plan can be developed that is suited to your needs.