Westborough Podiatry

Corrective shoes are sometimes worn after a surgery or ulcer treatment to help support the feet during the recovery period as much as possible. Your podiatrist will have all the information and advice that you need.

A flat foot is literally a structural deformity that results in the lowering of the arch of the foot. It’s important to treat this with prescription orthotics, as other related problems can develop such as ankle, knee, hip, or lower back pain.

Small bunions that form at the base joints of the little toes are sometimes called bunionettes. They’re caused by conditions like arthritis, inherited structural defects, or wearing tight shoes that crowd your toes and push joints out of alignment.

It’s important to get treatment for hammertoe as quickly as possible. The condition begins as a mild bending of one or more of the toes, which retain some flexibility for a while. During this period, treatment such as padding, medications and splinting or strapping is usually successful.

A bunion is one of the most common types of foot conditions. A structural deformity within the big toe causes it to move toward the second toe. Orthotics can help manage the pain.

For those who are struggling with osteoporosis, a podiatrist can be a huge help. It is far easier for you to hurt the bones in your feet without realizing it, so a check-up every year can actually help identify a lot of issues early.

Avoiding painful ingrown nails of the feet is as simple as using proper toenail cutting technique. Trimming toenails straight across instead of at an angle, as well as leaving them just a bit longer than your toes, will help.

Mallet toes have an abnormal bend in the joint closest to the toenail and are a common side effect of aging. They occur most often in the toe next to the big toe and are common in women who wear shoes with narrow toe boxes or high heels.

Does it ever seem like your feet can only make it through a few hours at work before you’re forced to kick off your shoes under your desk? This could be a sign of the damage your dress shoes are doing to your foot. Remember, seeing a podiatrist could help you make your shoes more bearable.

The anatomy of a human foot is complex, as it needs to provide a sturdy foundation for the rest of a body. Each foot has 26 bones and 33 joints. The total 52 bones makes up more than 25 percent of the 206 bones in an adult human.

A bunion is a painful swelling on the first joint of the big toe that causes the toe to point inward. In a bunionectomy, a surgeon excises part of the bunion and realigns the toe, often with pins, screws or wires.

If you sustain an injury to your ankle and the ankle does not heal well, arthritis and ankle deformities can occur. Therefore, it is essential that you visit a podiatrist if you think you may have an ankle fracture.

Bunions and corns are both common foot problems, but the similarity ends there. A bunion is a deformity of bone that presents as a bump behind the big toe. A corn, on the other hand, is just hard skin that forms between toes or on top of the toes.

Have you started to notice that your feet are sometimes turning blue or purple? While your feet may have slight discoloration in reaction to extremely hot or cold temperatures, this is generally not normal and is worth a trip to see us.

Foot or ankle numbness and soreness, or heel pain are signs that you need to see a podiatrist. Also, if you have bunions, corns, calluses, arch pain, discolored toenails, pain, and swelling or numbness in your feet ankles or toes, these need to be treated as well.

While heel pain is common for many adults, it doesn’t have to be a condition you’re stuck living with. Regardless of the cause of your pain, let’s talk about the treatments that are available to you.

What causes foot odor? Even though your feet have more than 250,000 sweat glands, it’s not the sweat. Most stinky feet are caused by odor-causing bacteria that thrive in dark, moist environments — such as the inside of your tennis shoes and socks.

Treatment options for bunions depend significantly on how much discomfort the bunions cause. In most cases, wearing shoes aggravates bunions, and the extent of the pain is usually the main indicator of whether you need some type of surgical procedure.

Peripheral Arterial Disease (PAD) is a condition that you can see your podiatrist for. PAD causes the narrowing of the arteries in your legs when plaque builds up.

Weight can have a huge impact on the physical health of your feet. Be sure to exercise regularly to maintain your good health. Exercising is a great conditioner for your feet.

Hammer toes occur when the first join of the toe is bent or contracted. It usually occurs on the lesser toes, and can be one of two types: flexible hammer toes, which are less severs; and rigid hammer toes, which need more serious treatment.

Did you know that the way you walk could be causing inflammation in your ligaments, leading to heel pain? If you’ve been suffering from chronic heel pain, let’s talk about what treatments are available.

If you injure your ankle, always use an ice pack. Heat will only exacerbate the swelling. Wrap the ice pack in a towel before holding it against o your skin.

Walking is a great way for you to lose excess weight. That alone can help with some types of foot pain, but if you are pushing too hard, it can also lead to plantar fasciitis and other types of foot pain. A podiatrist can help you prevent and treat those problems.

Unsurpisingly, the toe box is the front part of a shoe. Did you know that the middle part, where the laces are, is called the vamp?

Did you know that the footwear you choose can actually damage your feet? If you’ve been experiencing an increase in pain lately, let’s talk about changes you can make to correct it.

Did you know that you can get stress fractures on the bones on your foot? Runners, gymnasts, and dancers are more prone to these kinds of fractures, but they can also happen by simply tripping or stumbling and landing the wrong way.

If the virus creating the warts persists, individual warts can spread rapidly and root deeply into the bottom of the foot. In serious cases, removing and then cauterizing the base of existing wart is the best way to avoid new warts.

Corns and calluses are created by an abnormal position of the bone in the toe. Often, hammertoe in the middle three toes leads to corns and calluses. The condition is more painful when a bursal sac forms between the bone and the corn or callus.

If you are starting a new exercise program which involves a lot of footwork - like walking, hiking, jogging or running - start out slow and gradually increase your exercise regimen with time to reduce risks for feet and ankle injuries.