Video blog from Dr Giacalone discussing bunions and their treatment.
For more information on Hallux Abducto Valgus deformities, also known as bunions, click here!
Saturday, January 17, 2009
Friday, January 9, 2009
Oh My Aching Toes!
“My toes are hurting every time I put on a pair of shoes! Even my Crocs hurt! I’ve noticed some little red spots on my toes that seem to be growing. What’s going on? I’ve tried to scrub them off but they hurt! I even tried some pads but they just made my shoes hurt more! Help!”
Sounds like she may have corns! Corns: such a simple name for a relatively complex problem. Corns can be extremely painful and actually are caused by several different foot ailments, so finding the root cause can take some detective work.
What is a corn?
The name “corn” came from the appearance of a bump that looks like a corn kernel on or between your toes. Corns are actually your body’s defense against the rubbing of your shoes. They are protective layers of compacted, dead skin cells. Corns can be “soft” or “hard”. Soft corns are usually seen in between the toes and hard corns are on the tops or tips of your toes.
What causes a corn?
These annoying bumps are caused by repeated friction and pressure from skin rubbing against bony areas or against an irregularity in a shoe like a seam. Either your toes are crooked or the shoe just does not fit properly. The friction and pressure can cause painful burning or aching which makes wearing shoes very uncomfortable.
Why do my corns hurt even without shoes?
If you have pain in a corn, even when you do not have shoes on, you have most likely developed bursitis which is inflammation of the joint under the corn. Bursitis is often treated with an injection of anti-inflammatory into the inflamed area. This type of pain should be evaluated by your podiatrist, because the other reason for pain without shoes is an infection in or around the corn. Toe infections can become serious and may even lead to amputation in some patients. Don’t ignore your toe pain!
How are corns treated?
The pain from corns often may be relieved by moleskin or padding on the affected areas. A good moisturizing cream can also help. Your podiatrist can scrape or “debride” the corn to reduce the thickness, but remember never to cut corns with any instrument at home, and never apply home remedies or “corn remover patches”. These invite infection and can make your corns a foot emergency!
There are only two permanent treatments for corns:
1. Surgically correct crooked toes also known as hammertoes.
Or
2. Find the culprit shoe and stop wearing it!
Don’t ignore your toe pain from corns! Relief is simply a visit to the podiatrist away!
Sounds like she may have corns! Corns: such a simple name for a relatively complex problem. Corns can be extremely painful and actually are caused by several different foot ailments, so finding the root cause can take some detective work.
What is a corn?
The name “corn” came from the appearance of a bump that looks like a corn kernel on or between your toes. Corns are actually your body’s defense against the rubbing of your shoes. They are protective layers of compacted, dead skin cells. Corns can be “soft” or “hard”. Soft corns are usually seen in between the toes and hard corns are on the tops or tips of your toes.
What causes a corn?
These annoying bumps are caused by repeated friction and pressure from skin rubbing against bony areas or against an irregularity in a shoe like a seam. Either your toes are crooked or the shoe just does not fit properly. The friction and pressure can cause painful burning or aching which makes wearing shoes very uncomfortable.
Why do my corns hurt even without shoes?
If you have pain in a corn, even when you do not have shoes on, you have most likely developed bursitis which is inflammation of the joint under the corn. Bursitis is often treated with an injection of anti-inflammatory into the inflamed area. This type of pain should be evaluated by your podiatrist, because the other reason for pain without shoes is an infection in or around the corn. Toe infections can become serious and may even lead to amputation in some patients. Don’t ignore your toe pain!
How are corns treated?
The pain from corns often may be relieved by moleskin or padding on the affected areas. A good moisturizing cream can also help. Your podiatrist can scrape or “debride” the corn to reduce the thickness, but remember never to cut corns with any instrument at home, and never apply home remedies or “corn remover patches”. These invite infection and can make your corns a foot emergency!
There are only two permanent treatments for corns:
1. Surgically correct crooked toes also known as hammertoes.
Or
2. Find the culprit shoe and stop wearing it!
Don’t ignore your toe pain from corns! Relief is simply a visit to the podiatrist away!
Tuesday, January 6, 2009
How Long Will it Take to Heal Doc?
This is the age old question isn’t it? “Doc, so how long will it take for this thing to heal?”
Where to begin on this seemingly so easy a question? There are sooooo many factors to take into consideration. This explains why you will hear doctors say “on average…” or “typically…”. We know from experience, and what we’ve read in the mountains of medical literature, when things are suppose to heal. This is the easy part. Here is a very short list of when certain body parts heal:
Bone: 6-8 weeks
Tendons: 3-4 weeks
Ligaments: 3-4 weeks
Stitches: top of foot or leg: 2 weeks, bottom of the foot: 3 weeks
Simple huh! Now for the fun part; we add the human factor to the equation and suddenly, all this simplicity flies out the window! What most patients don’t understand is why they may not fall into these criteria! There is a LAUNDRY list of the reasons why things don’t heal when they should and the number ONE reason things don’t heal when they should is that many patients (yes, I could be talking to you!) say they are listening but they are not doing what they are told to do to get them better! They cheat! Not a lot (though there is that distinguished class of patients who do!), but just a little bit! Yes, that little bit over the weeks it could take sets you back even more weeks! I have heard every excuse in the book as to why people couldn’t follow through with what I asked from them and believe me sometimes there is good reason. But all too often the reason is not all that worthy. A sampling of my favorites so far: “I walked around school in a regular shoe because the boot is ugly, but I was really good at wearing it around the house!” or “I know you told me not to, but I walked on it because I just wanted to see if it was getting better and now it hurts worse!”
Let’s keep it real. There is no guarantee that anything will heal at all much less in the intended time frame. But by not following instructions, you are just plain sabotaging your healing. We are a very small part of the healing equation. YOU MUST DO YOUR PART! Regardless of the reasons why you think you can’t, if you don’t, it will take you longer to get back to doing what you want to do in the first place! Do your part and at least give your body the chance it needs to work the miracle of healing. It really is trying and us “Docs” are really trying too!
Where to begin on this seemingly so easy a question? There are sooooo many factors to take into consideration. This explains why you will hear doctors say “on average…” or “typically…”. We know from experience, and what we’ve read in the mountains of medical literature, when things are suppose to heal. This is the easy part. Here is a very short list of when certain body parts heal:
Bone: 6-8 weeks
Tendons: 3-4 weeks
Ligaments: 3-4 weeks
Stitches: top of foot or leg: 2 weeks, bottom of the foot: 3 weeks
Simple huh! Now for the fun part; we add the human factor to the equation and suddenly, all this simplicity flies out the window! What most patients don’t understand is why they may not fall into these criteria! There is a LAUNDRY list of the reasons why things don’t heal when they should and the number ONE reason things don’t heal when they should is that many patients (yes, I could be talking to you!) say they are listening but they are not doing what they are told to do to get them better! They cheat! Not a lot (though there is that distinguished class of patients who do!), but just a little bit! Yes, that little bit over the weeks it could take sets you back even more weeks! I have heard every excuse in the book as to why people couldn’t follow through with what I asked from them and believe me sometimes there is good reason. But all too often the reason is not all that worthy. A sampling of my favorites so far: “I walked around school in a regular shoe because the boot is ugly, but I was really good at wearing it around the house!” or “I know you told me not to, but I walked on it because I just wanted to see if it was getting better and now it hurts worse!”
Let’s keep it real. There is no guarantee that anything will heal at all much less in the intended time frame. But by not following instructions, you are just plain sabotaging your healing. We are a very small part of the healing equation. YOU MUST DO YOUR PART! Regardless of the reasons why you think you can’t, if you don’t, it will take you longer to get back to doing what you want to do in the first place! Do your part and at least give your body the chance it needs to work the miracle of healing. It really is trying and us “Docs” are really trying too!
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