Foot injuries have always been prevalent in the NFL; a team can have multiple players out at a time with foot injuries. The Charger's 6'4" tight end, Antonio Gates, has been suffering with foot problems for over a year. Gates tore his plantar fascia in October of 2010 and played on it through December. He hoped that by resting in the off-season, the injury would heal itself. The R&R didn't seem to work, Gates is still suffering from foot pain.

Injuries of the plantar fascia can be very painful. Plantar fasciitis (also known as a heel spur) is heel and arch pain on the bottom of the foot that results from overpronation of the connective tissue on the bottom of your foot.

There's a steps you can take do to avoid plantar fasciitis. 1) Stretch your plantar fascia before running or engaging in activities. Even if you're not going to do something strenuous, it's not a bad idea to stretch your feet periodically.  2) Wear shoes that support your arches or put  arch-supporting inserts in your shoes. Your shoes should cushion your feet and support your arch. Have you ever walked around all day in a pair of cheap flip flops? At the end of the day, the bottom of your feet feel like they've been pulled apart.  3) Ice if you need to. If the pain gets to be bad, take a break from being on your feet by icing them and maybe an ibuprofen to reduce swelling.

For more information on Plantar fasciitis, visit our plantar fasciitis webpage: http://www.coachellavalleypodiatrist.com/library/1915/PlantarFasciitis%28heelspur%29.html

Children are typically very active.  With this increased activity, injuries are going to happen.  When there is a severe injury to the foot or ankle, your podiatrist should be seen to make sure there is not an injury to the growth plate.

What is the growth plate?  The long bones in the body grow, become larger over time as the kids grow.  The growth plate is at the end of the bone and allows this growth to occur until maturity when the growth plate is now incorporated into the bone and growth ceases.  During the growth period, this area of the bone is softer than regular bone and can become injured.

Injuries and accidents happen in children.  This can cause a separation, compression, deformity or angulation of the growth plate.  This can result in growth disturbances as the child grows.  That is why it is important to have your kids evaluated and treated.   Left untreated, this can cause an abnormality in the length or angulation of the bone growing and cause the child problems for the rest of their life.  The changes which occur due to an injury can be subtle and need the expertise of your podiatrist. 

What Is That Growth on the Bottom of my Foot?

Patients will come into the office concerned about a growth or lump on the bottom of their foot. They cannot remember anything which could have caused this to appear. No injury that they remember. They typically tell me that while they were in the shower, they noticed something when they were washing the foot. They don't know when it first appeared, only that it is there now. Many of them state there is no pain involved, but they are concerned since it is there. Some patients have pain when they walk because of the pressure of the growth.

These growths are called fibromas or plantar fibromatosis.

Most often the growth feels like a hard nodule, sometimes the size of a pea, sometimes larger. It often forms in the medial or inside slip of the plantar fascia, the band of tissue that attaches from the heel to the ball of the foot. If examined closely, there are oftentimes other nodules present. Ultrasonography can be done in the office to get a clear picture of the growth and determine the size.

Treatment can range from watching the growths to see if there is any change in size, (if it is not painful), or attempting to decrease the size of the lesion, or surgery to remove the growth. For some people, massaging the growth twice a day can soften and decrease the size over time. Sometimes an injection into the lesion can accomplish the same result. Orthosis can sometimes be utilized an the treatment as well. If conservative measures are not enough to alleviate the symptoms, surgery is sometimes necessary.

An unbelievable 72 percent of Americans say they do not exercise because foot pain prevents them from doing so, according to a recent survey by the American Podiatric Medical Association (APMA). This finding, coupled with the fact that rates for obesity in the United States are skyrocketing, per the Centers for Disease Control, makes getting an appointment with a podiatrist and addressing foot pain critically important.

The study surveyed 1,000 US adults, ages 18 and older, to gain public opinion on attitudes toward foot health and foot care. Results showed that Americans do not take the care of their feet very seriously and view their feet as the least important body part in terms of their health and well-being. This is in distinct opposite to the finding that feet were the number one body part to experience pain, even more so than the teeth or skin. As foot pain can contribute to a variety of detrimental health events, including hip, knee and back pains, it is important that Americans seek the care of a podiatrist immediately if problems arise. Why is this so?

Podiatrists are physicians, surgeons and specialists who treat diseases, injuries and deformities of the foot and ankle. We deal with orthopedic, medical, dermatologic, and neurological problems of the feet and ankles. Podiatrists should be an active part in every patient's health care team. This is very essential, especially for those people who are experiencing frequent foot and ankle pain to seek care from a podiatrist.

It is critical that people examine their feet and pay attention to symptoms of pain, deformity, or changes in their feet and seek expert treatment for foot and ankle problems. A podiatrist can help get you back on your feet quickly so you are able to exercise, but we are also the first doctors to help find possible signs of diabetes, arthritis, nerve and circulatory disorders, which can all be detected in the feet. Early diagnosis and treatment are essential for the well being of each patient.

Holiday Stress Equals Stress Fractures

Do you feel stressed during this time of year around the holidays? Do you feel that you have to go shopping, buy many gifts, and then carry them around while you do more shopping? This is what many people do which is vastly different from their everyday activities.

This puts them at a greater risk of developing a stress fracture in their foot. When activity levels increase rapidly, or carrying more weight for periods of time, can cause increase stress and forces to the bones in the foot and may weaken them. This causes them to fracture or break, which will result in the foot swelling and there being pain noted on weight bearing. Often times the foot is not swollen in the morning, however, it becomes more swollen and painful as the day progresses and you are on your foot. Day by day the foot gets worse, both swelling and with pain.

If you have to do a lot of shopping, wear good supportive shoes and take breaks periodically. Try and have a cart to carry the purchases so you are not adding extra weight that your body has to support. Take it easy the next day to help relieve the stress.

If this is happening to you, see your podiatrist for care. The earlier treatment is started, the quicker you will be back on the road to recovery.