Foot Pain- Podiatrist Whitestone NY

Heel Pain Treatment Options

Heel Pain Treatment Options
Heel pain is an overuse injury. If you experience heel discomfort after long periods of rest or when you wake up in the morning, then your podiatrist may diagnose you with plantar fasciitis. Continue reading for tips on managing this condition.

Rest Your Foot

Heel pain develops when the long, strong, ligament on the bottom of your foot becomes inflamed at its attachment to your heel bone due to overuse. For this reason, podiatrists advise patients to rest their foot to avoid aggravating their symptoms and allow the inflammation to subside. Keep weight off your foot as much as possible and see your podiatrist at the earliest chance. The longer you wait the longer it may take for your podiatrist to heal you.

Ice Your Foot

Applying cold to the area is an excellent way to reduce inflammation in the painful heel. Reduce your pain symptoms and the inflammation applying an ice pack, ice bath, or ice massage for 15-20 minutes every hour.

Take Pain Relievers

Your foot doctor may advise you to take over-the-counter non-steroidal anti-inflammatory medications (NSAIDs) to help you manage your pain and reduce inflammation in your painful heel.

Stretch Your Foot

Your foot doctor may advise you to take over-the-counter non-steroidal anti-inflammatory medications (NSAIDs) to help you manage your pain and reduce inflammation in your painful heel.

Wear Custom Orthotics

When the arch of your foot gets proper support, the weight of your body is then properly balanced through your feet which reduces the excessive stretching of the over-stretched ligament in the bottom of your foot. Custom-made arch supports (“orthotics”) made from molds taken of your foot may provide you with long-term relief from heel pain symptoms.

Are you looking for treatment for heel pain near Whitestone? If so, then please contact Family Foot Center today by calling (718) 767-5555.

GRodriguez2020-11-10T09:52:37-05:00October 12th, 2020|

Is A Custom Orthotics Treatment Right For You?

Orthotics are custom-made arch supports that are an effective treatment for many different types of foot pain and conditions.

An Orthotics treatment can provide additional support and stability for individuals with imbalances in their feet and legs. While over-the-counter orthotic devices are available, severe leg or foot pain are usually best corrected with prescription orthotic supports. Consult with your podiatrist and keep reading to find out if you should consider getting orthotics.

You Experience Foot or Leg Pain after Exercise: Muscular soreness after an intense workout or athletic competition is not out of the ordinary. Pain in your joints, knees, or lower back may indicate that something is wrong. Functional orthotics are rigid, supportive devices which provide shock absorption and prevent excess pronation or “flat feet” as is commonly known. In addition to reducing joint pain, orthotics can also help prevent sprains and strains of muscles and joints.

You Have Difficulty Wearing Shoes Comfortably: If your feet are irregularly shaped, it can not only make finding a comfortable pair of shoes more difficult, but it can also lead to painful problems with your feet and legs. Orthotics can be used to create a better-fitting shoe for your feet, and ultimately reduce pain and stress associated with an imbalanced gait or improperly aligned foot.

You Are Bothered by Constant Calluses or Foot Ulcers: Orthotics are perfect for alleviating pains associated with foot ulcers, calluses, or bunions. These orthotics are make everyday activities like walking more comfortable, even with troublesome foot sores.

You Find it Difficult to Walk, Run, or Stand Up without Foot Pain: If you experience chronic foot or leg pain associated with everyday activities, it is likely an indication that you suffer from some sort of structural or biomechanical problem. Orthotics can compensate for imbalanced movement and irregular foot structure. With a prescription orthotic, walking and standing can be completely painless.

If you think you may need custom-made orthotics or any other form of foot care, then call Family Foot Center at (718) 767-5555. We have over 23 years of experience in treating foot, heel, arch and leg pain as well as plantar warts and so many other podiatric foot problems.

GRodriguez2019-06-20T16:20:34-05:00June 20th, 2019|

Ingrown Toenail Treatment

Ingrown toenails are a common foot problem that can rapidly worsen if not treated right away. An ingrown toenail grows into the skin of the toenail groove, instead of growing on top of the skin of the toenail groove. Keep reading to discover some of the common causes of ingrown toenails and how your podiatrist can care for them to relieve pain, and treat & prevent infection.

Causes of Ingrown Toenails

Clipping toenails too short or incompletely rounding their corners when you cut or file them can lead to the toenail growing into the skin of your toe.
Thicker toenails may be more likely to become ingrown if cut improperly.
Tearing off an incompletely cut-through toenail at its corners puts you at very high risk of developing an ingrown toenail.
Pressure exerted by tight shoes can cause ingrown and other toenail problems, especially if you are an athlete.

Injury can be a cause of an ingrown toenail. Heredity can play a role. If a parent or close relative has had ingrown toenails you may be predisposed to developing them.

Ingrown Toenail Treatment

Treatment for ingrown toenails focuses on eliminating the ingrown nail and treating any infection and swelling it may have caused. If you have an ingrown toenail that is not infected (not red, not swollen, not draining), you can soften the toe by soaking your foot in warm soapy water for 15-20 minutes 3-4 times a day. As the nail grows out, trim it straight across; do not “dig” into the corners trying to get “at the root”. Doing so will only cause problems later.

If you cannot treat your ingrown toenail at home or it appears to be infected (it red or swollen or draining) visit a podiatrist. You may be given medication to treat the infection before it causes a bigger problem. A podiatrist can also painlessly remove the corner part of the toenail that is causing the problem. This is done painlessly and quickly in the office.

Diabetics should not be cutting their own toenails. Those with circulation problems or nerve problems should also not cut their own toenails.

People with diabetes, circulation disease, nerve disease, immune disease and in general those with any kind of compromised general health condition should not cut their own toenails. They should be seen by their podiatrist for regular examinations and professional toenail and foot care. Persons with these conditions should also not go to a nail salon to have their “toenails done”. Nail salon personnel, while well-intended, are neither medically trained to recognize nor to treat the foot health problems of persons with these kinds of conditions and can potentially cause more harm.

If you have had a history of an ingrown toenail there is a painless routine to permanently cure the ingrown toenail resulting in . . . no more ingrown toenail! Dr. Stanley J. Zawada of the FAMILY FOOT CENTER offers care of ingrown toenails, bunions, warts, corns, heel pain, foot pain, toe pain, and more.

FAMILY FOOT CENTER serves North Queens, North Flushing, College Point, Whitestone, Bayside, and surrounding areas. Contact our office today by calling (718) 767-5555 to schedule your appointment. Or call us to schedule your free foot health consultation for you, your family and friends. Find additional information about common foot conditions on our blog. Visit us on Facebook

GRodriguez2019-05-14T09:01:24-05:00May 14th, 2019|

Myths About Hammertoes

Misunderstandings related to hammertoes can cause people needless injury sometimes to the point of needing surgery or even amputation in the worst case scenarios.

Continue reading to learn more about common hammertoe misunderstandings that could lead to unhealthy feet..

#1: Hammertoes always require surgery.

Though surgery is a treatment option for hammertoes, it is not always the first suggestion a podiatrist may make.

If a hammertoe is diagnosed early enough, then your podiatrist may suggest wearing specially-made prescription insoles called orthotics that fit larger into your shoes replacing the factory insole.

Your podiatrist may also suggest stretches and/or exercises that focus on the muscles of the toes to relieve pain.

If these methods do not work, or the condition has progressed too far, podiatric hammertoe surgery may be the best course of action.

#2: Corns have nothing to do with hammertoes.

Corns are typically a result of having developed a hammertoe.

A corn is a collection of skin that develops on the knuckle or tip of a hammertoe from rubbing the inside of a shoe.

Many patients try over-the-counter corn pads to remove the corn or may try to cut it off themselves. This is not advised because it can lead to infection or the need to amputate the toe in some diabetics or others with circulation issues. Consult with your podiatrist before administering any medication at home.

#3: Hammertoes are only caused by arthritis.

Arthritis is just one cause of hammertoes.

Wearing too tight or narrow-toe high-heeled shoes can be a cause especially if you have long toes. As the toes crowd, the middle toes may curl downward, causing a hammertoe. The little “pinky” toe may receive a lot of pressure too and cause a corn with a hammertoe.

Hereditary plays a role too. If one or more of your blood-relatives has hammertoes you may develop them as well because they do “run in the family”.

Bunions are often seen with hammertoes. Bunions too may be caused by ill-fitting shoes and heredity.

Don’t hurt yourself or your feet!

Visit FAMILY FOOT CENTER in Whitestone, QUEENS, NY to have your hammertoes or any other foot problem professionally examined, evaluated and treated by our Board Certified Podiatrist.

We can be reached online or at (718) 767-5555. Visit us on Facebook

GRodriguez2019-02-11T11:55:16-05:00February 4th, 2019|