Dallas (214) 340-8885
Athens (903) 677-9090
Gun Barrel City (903) 887-4341
Dallas (214) 340-8885
Athens (903) 677-9090
Gun Barrel City (903) 887-4341
If you are suffering from tenderness, pain, or stiffness in the joints of your feet or ankles, call us to schedule an appointment.
Many people suffer from foot problems because their shoes are poorly fitted. When shopping for a new pair of shoes, fashion usually triumphs over comfortability. A pair of well fitted shoes is essential in preventing foot problems and potential injuries.
Poorly fitted shoes can cause foot issues such as plantar fasciitis, bunions, hammertoes, ingrown toenails, and foot pain. Shoes such as high heels and sandals may cause problems for your feet. These shoes put the foot in an unnatural position for long periods and fail to provide good foot support. It is recommended to not wear either one for an extended period.
When you are trying on shoes, make sure they have enough space for your toes to move around. Shoes shouldn’t be cramped but also shouldn’t have too much room that your foot moves around in them. A snug shoe is a good choice. They should also provide good arch support and cushioning. Athletic shoes tend to offer both good support and cushioning. A degree of flexibility is necessary so they aren’t too stiff or too unsupportive.
If you can wear your shoes for a long period of time without experiencing any discomfort, this is a sign that your shoes fit properly. Do not be too dismayed if the shoe isn’t a perfect fit at first; many shoes take a few days to weeks to properly break in. However don’t expect an uncomfortable shoe to become fitted to your foot.
For those with foot conditions such as flat feet or pronation, orthotics may be helpful or even necessary to prevent foot pain. Orthotics are inserts that are placed in the shoe and provide support and cushioning for the foot. While there are many types of orthotics out there, custom-made orthotics may be necessary depending upon your foot and foot conditions.
Feet change in size over time. It is important to check your foot size over time so that you can make sure you have the perfect fit for your feet. A podiatrist can provide more information on proper shoe fitting and foot orthotics.
If you are wearing shoes that don’t fit correctly, you may not even notice. Wearing shoes that don’t fit correctly can lead to a variety of problems. Common foot-related issues that poorly fitted shoes can cause include plantar fasciitis (inflammation of the tendon that runs along the bottom of the foot), bunions (deformity of the big toe joint), blisters, corns, calluses and inflammation of the ball of the foot. Ways to ensure that your shoes fit correctly include making sure there is about a centimeter and a half between your toe and the edge of the shoe, checking that the ball of your foot is at the widest part of the shoe, and having your feet are measured by a professional. Anyone experiencing foot pain while wearing shoes may wish to consult with a podiatrist to be sure their shoes fit properly.
Finding a properly-fitting shoe is important in reducing injuries and preventing foot problems. For more information about treatment, contact Dr. Jonathan Kletz from Texas Foot Works. Our doctor will treat your foot and ankle needs.
Proper Shoe Fitting
A common concern when it comes to foot health, having properly fitted shoes can help prevent injuries to the foot. Out feet affect our posture and gait, which in turn affects the biomechanics and overall bodily structure. With 33 joints, 26 bones, and over 100 ligaments, the potential for serious injury is much greater than one realizes. Although the feet cease growth in adulthood, they still change shape as they mature. Here are some factors to consider when it comes to investing in proper fitting shoes:
Keeping in mind how shoes fit the biomechanics of your body, properly-fitting shoes are vitally important. Fortunately, it is not difficult to acquire footwear that fits correctly. Be sure to wear shoes that support the overall structure of your body. Do your feet a favor and invest in several pairs of well-fitted shoes today.
If you have any questions please feel free to contact one of our our offices located in Dallas, Athens, and Gun Barrel City, TX . We offer the newest diagnostic and treatment technologies for all your foot and ankle needs.
The feet, being the foundation of the body, carry all of the body’s weight and are therefore prone to experiencing pain and discomfort. If you are experiencing foot pain, it is important to determine where in the foot you are experiencing this pain to help discover the cause of it. While pain can be experienced virtually anywhere in the foot, the most common sites of foot pain are in the heel and ankle.
Heel pain can be due to a multitude of conditions including plantar fasciitis, Achilles tendinitis, and heel spurs. Pain experienced in the ankle can be a sign of an ankle sprain, arthritis, gout, ankle instability, ankle fracture, or nerve compression. In more serious cases, pain in the foot can be a sign of improper alignment or an infection.
Foot pain can be accompanied by symptoms including redness, swelling, stiffness and warmth in the affected area. Whether the pain can be described as sharp or dull depends on the foot condition behind it. It is important to visit your local podiatrist if your foot pain and its accompanying symptoms persist and do not improve over time.
Depending on the location and condition of your foot pain, your podiatrist may prescribe certain treatments. These treatments can include but are not limited to prescription or over-the-counter drugs and medications, certain therapies, cortisone injections, or surgery.
If you are experiencing persistent foot pain, it is important to consult with your foot and ankle doctor to determine the cause and location. He or she will then prescribe the best treatment for you. While milder cases of foot pain may respond well to rest and at-home treatments, more serious cases may take some time to fully recover.
There are ligaments that form a “capsule” around the joint at the base of a toe. These ligaments can become inflamed, which is known as capsulitis. This condition typically occurs in the second toe, although it can sometimes affect the third and fourth toes. Capsulitis is believed to be a reaction to dysfunctional foot mechanics that put an excessive amount of pressure on the ball of the foot beneath the second toe. Severe bunion deformity, an unstable arch, tight calf muscles, and having a second toe that is longer than the big toe can all contribute to this condition. Capsulitis can make it difficult to wear shoes or walk barefoot. Additionally, there may be pain and swelling in the ball of the foot and at the base of the toe. A sensation of walking on a marble may also be present, similar to another condition known as Morton’s neuroma. It is important to have a podiatrist properly diagnose and treat this condition in its early stages when it can still be treated conservatively, to stabilize the toe and avoid it from drifting towards the big toe.
Foot Pain
Foot pain can be extremely painful and debilitating. If you have a foot pain, consult with Dr. Jonathan Kletz from Texas Foot Works. Our doctor will assess your condition and provide you with quality foot and ankle treatment.
Causes
Foot pain is a very broad condition that could be caused by one or more ailments. The most common include:
Diagnosis
To figure out the cause of foot pain, podiatrists utilize several different methods. This can range from simple visual inspections and sensation tests to X-rays and MRI scans. Prior medical history, family medical history, and any recent physical traumatic events will all be taken into consideration for a proper diagnosis.
Treatment
Treatment depends upon the cause of the foot pain. Whether it is resting, staying off the foot, or having surgery; podiatrists have a number of treatment options available for foot pain.
If you have any questions, please feel free to contact one of our our offices located in Dallas, Athens, and Gun Barrel City, TX . We offer the newest diagnostic and treatment technologies for all your foot care needs.
Our bones are important aspects of our body and they are constantly changing. The heavier the workload for a bone, the more likely it is that calcium will be placed in it. When a bone isn’t used often, there won’t be much calcium within it. When stress from repetitive loads prevent the bone from being able to repair itself, cracks will start to form. Stress fractures are defined as cracks in a bone that result from repetitive force, such as overuse.
The most common cause of stress fractures is a sudden increase in intensity and duration of physical activity. For example, if you begin to run long distances without working your way into doing so, you will be more likely to develop a stress fracture.
Common symptoms of stress fractures are pain and swelling near the weight bearing area on the injured bone. When initial x-rays are performed, it is possible that the fracture will not show up. However, once the stress on the area continues, the damage will increase, and the fracture will be severe enough to show up on an x-ray. Certain parts of the foot are more likely to develop stress fractures than others. Areas that typically have these fractures are: the metatarsals, the navicular bone, the calcaneus, tibia, and fibula.
Since women are at an increased risk of developing osteoporosis, they are twice as likely as men to sustain a stress fracture. Additionally, old age causes a decrease in bone mineral density which is why elderly people are also likely to develop these fractures.
It is important for you to be professionally diagnosed by a podiatrist if you suspect you have a stress fracture, because there are other injuries that can easily be mistaken for a fracture. Sprains, strains, shin splints, plantar fasciitis, and Morton’s neuroma can all easily be mistaken for stress fractures in the foot. Your podiatrist will likely ask you a series of questions to determine what type of pain you are experiencing. These questions will help your doctor identify whether you have a stress fracture.
The best method of treatment for a stress fracture is rest. Additionally, a walking boot, cast, or crutches, will help rest the area that is injured. The typical healing time for stress fractures is 4-12 weeks, however this depends on which bone is involved.
When someone engages in regular physical activity, such as running, jumping, or other repetitive movements, this can stress the bones in the feet and lower legs. Over time, these repetitive movements and stress can lead to the development of tiny hairline cracks in the bones. These stress fractures can also develop when the type, duration, intensity, or frequency of physical activity occurs. Unlike more severe breaks due to acute trauma, which can cause immediate and intense pain, the pain from stress fractures can be duller and develop more gradually. Ballet dancers and athletes engaging in high impact sports such as basketball, tennis, track and field, soccer, and hockey are at greater risk of developing these microscopic fissures in their foot or lower leg bones. Along with a dull pain which intensifies during physical activity, there may be swelling, tenderness and bruising in the affected area. A podiatrist should be consulted if there is any pain in the feet or lower legs. They will perform an exam, test sensitivity to pressure in the affected area, and may use X-rays or bone scans to properly diagnose the issue. This professional assessment and care will not only help heal the stress fracture, but also prevent it from becoming a more severe break.
Stress fractures occur when there is a tiny crack within a bone. To learn more, contact Dr. Jonathan Kletz from Texas Foot Works. Our doctor can provide the care you need to keep you pain free and on your feet.
How Are They Caused?
Stress fractures are the result of repetitive force being placed on the bone. Since the lower leg and feet often carry most of the body’s weight, stress fractures are likely to occur in these areas. If you rush into a new exercise, you are more likely to develop a stress fracture since you are starting too much, too soon. Pain resulting from stress fractures may go unnoticed at first, however it may start to worsen over time.
Risk Factors
Stress fractures do not always heal properly, so it is important that you seek help from a podiatrist if you suspect you may have one. Ignoring your stress fracture may cause it to worsen, and you may develop chronic pain as well as additional fractures.
If you have any questions, please feel free to contact one of our our offices located in Dallas, Athens, and Gun Barrel City, TX . We offer the newest diagnostic and treatment technologies for all your foot care needs.
Plantar warts are growths that typically appear on the heels or other weight-bearing areas of the feet. These warts are caused by the human papillomavirus (HPV). The virus enters the body through breaks in the skin, such as cuts, that are on the bottom of the feet. Plantar warts are more likely to affect children and teenagers, people with weakened immune systems, people who have a history with plantar warts, and people who walk barefoot in environments exposed to a wart-causing virus.
If you suspect you have plantar warts, you may have the following symptoms: pain or tenderness while walking, a lesion that interrupts the ridges in the skin of your foot, small fleshy lesions on the bottom of the foot, or a callus where a wart has grown inward over a well-defined spot on the skin.
HPV causes plantar warts to form and is very common. There are more than 100 kinds of the virus in existence. However, only a few of them cause warts on the feet. The other types of HPV are likely to cause warts on other parts of the body.
If you have plantar warts, your podiatrist may try different treatment methods depending on your specific case. Some treatments for plantar warts are peeling medicines (salicylic acid), freezing medicines (cryotherapy), or surgical procedures. Laser treatments and vaccines are also used to treat plantar warts.
A wart on the sole of your foot, also known as a plantar wart, is a benign, fleshy growth that is caused by the human papillomavirus (HPV). Plantar warts are often painless and can go away on their own, however, this is not always the case. Warts can cause pain or discomfort if they are in areas that bear a lot of weight, grow inward due to pressure, or rub against your shoes and socks. Without treatment, plantar warts can also take years to disappear. One potential treatment option is cryotherapy. This is a fairly simple procedure in which the doctor applies a liquid nitrogen solution on the wart, freezing it. A blister then forms around the wart within 24 hours and can be removed after about one week. Two cryotherapy sessions may be needed to fully remove the wart. For more information about this and other treatments for plantar warts, please consult with a podiatrist.
Plantar warts can be very uncomfortable. If you need your feet checked, contact Dr. Jonathan Kletz from Texas Foot Works. Our doctor will assist you with all of your foot and ankle needs.
About Plantar Warts
Plantar warts are the result of HPV, or human papillomavirus, getting into open wounds on the feet. They are mostly found on the heels or balls of the feet.
While plantar warts are generally harmless, those experiencing excessive pain or those suffering from diabetes or a compromised immune system require immediate medical care. Plantar warts are easily diagnosed, usually through scraping off a bit of rough skin or by getting a biopsy.
Symptoms
Treatment
To help prevent developing plantar warts, avoid walking barefoot over abrasive surfaces that can cause cuts or wounds for HPV to get into. Avoiding direct contact with other warts, as well as not picking or rubbing existing warts, can help prevent the further spread of plantar warts. However, if you think you have developed plantar warts, speak to your podiatrist. He or she can diagnose the warts on your feet and recommend the appropriate treatment options.
If you have any questions please feel free to contact one of our our offices located in Dallas, Athens, and Gun Barrel City, TX . We offer the newest diagnostic and treatment technologies for all your foot and ankle needs.
Gout is a painful, inflammatory form of arthritis. Those affected will typically feel an intense stiffness in the joints of their feet, particularly in the big toe. Schedule a visit to learn about how gout can be managed and treated.
