Foot problems don’t have to require casting or surgery to have a negative impact on your life. Many of our patients live with “minor” conditions for years, relying on over-the-counter creams or powders to relieve their skin & nail disorders. Unfortunately, these products may only provide short-term relief, wasting time and money and adding to their frustration.
Let Us Advise You on Your Troublesome Podiatry Problem
We take pride in the fact that we never give up on a patient. No matter how long you have struggled to overcome your ailment, our podiatrists can find an effective treatment to ease the pain and prevent your condition from coming back.
We Have Successfully Treated a Variety of Chronic Foot Skin and Nail Disorders, Including:
Athlete’s foot.
Athlete’s foot is a fungal infection that causes burning or itching between the toes or on the bottoms of the feet. It is easily spread by walking barefoot in public places (such as locker rooms and swimming pools), and the fungus thrives in dark and moist environments like the inside of your shoes. The condition is often irritating at first but may cause scaly or peeling skin and even swelling if it is not treated.
Gangrene.
Patients with diabetes must be extremely careful when it comes to taking care of their feet. Many people with diabetes develop nerve damage (neuropathy) in their extremities, affecting their sensation of heat, cold, and pain in their feet. A person with neuropathy might walk with a pebble in their shoe all day without realizing it and may not notice the resulting wound it creates. Unfortunately, neuropathy can also affect circulation, making the body less able to heal wounds in the feet. If left untreated, these wounds may become infected or progress to the point of tissue death or gangrene. We work to remove dead tissue and prevent patients with diabetes from developing pressure ulcers in the future.
Skin disorders.
The feet can play host to a variety of unpleasant and debilitating skin conditions, including corns, calluses, blisters, or infections. We regularly advise patients on proper foot care, footwear, and hygiene, helping relieve their pain and keeping the condition from coming back.
Toenail fungus.
Yellow, thickened, or crumbling nails may be a sign of toenail fungus, an infection that takes root under the surface of the nail. Over time, the fungus can alter the texture and appearance of the nail and may make it uncomfortable or painful to wear shoes. Foot spas used in pedicures are the most common way fungal nails are spread.
Plantar warts.
Warts are benign skin growths caused by the human papillomavirus (HPV), which enters the body through a break in the skin. Warts on the soles of the feet, known as plantar warts, are commonly passed between people walking barefoot in public areas. Plantar warts often appear as patches of rough gray or brown skin on the bottom of the feet and cause pain or irritation when walking or standing. Treatment may begin with conservative methods such as trimming away dead skin and applying topical medications, but more severe cases may require dissection and surgical removal of plantar warts.
Ingrown toenails.
Ingrown toenails, commonly known as toenail overgrowth, is a painful toe condition. It has three main causes: rounding the nail edges when cutting them or cutting the nails too short; wearing socks or shoes that are too tight and do not fit well. It starts with inflammation and pain at the point where the curling of the nail into the skin takes place. Later, the affected area starts to drain a yellowish fluid and extra tissue grows. If an ingrown toenail is not treated early, it can result in an abscess or an infection that requires treatment. There are two main treatment methods recommended for ingrown toenails and these are either nail surgery or self-care treatment. Self-care treatment is the simplest treatment for Ingrown toenails. However, it is only applicable if the ingrown nail is at its’ early stage and the inflammation is mild. The self-care treatment involves wearing comfortable shoes that are not tight and have a round space around the nails; trimming the nails straight to prevent nail pieces from piercing the surrounding skin; pushing the skin gently from the nail and practicing good foot hygiene.
On the other hand, if Ingrown Toenails are severe, then nail surgery becomes the best treatment plan. It involves two main options such as a partial nail avulsion or a total nail avulsion. Partial nail avulsion entails partly cutting a toenail. In most cases, it involves cutting the toenail edges to make them straight and narrow. This is the most common surgical procedure used to treat ingrown toenails and is better than ninety percent effective. If the toenail is quite severe then a Total Nail Avulsion may be the best optional treatment method. It involves removing the entire toenail.