Treatment for Heel Pain - Podiatrist in Katy, TX - Ronald Bruscia, DPM

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Heel Pain - Podiatrist in Katy, TX - Ronald Bruscia, DPM

 

Dr. Ronald Bruscia of Family Foot and Ankle Wellness Center discusses the symptoms, causes and treatments for Heel Pain.

http://www.katyfootdoctor.com

  In our pursuit of healthy bodies, pain can be an enemy. In some instances, however, it is of biological benefit. Pain that occurs right after an injury or early in an illness may play a protective role, often warning us about the damage we've suffered. When we sprain an ankle, for example, the pain warns us that the ligament and soft tissues may be frayed and bruised, and that further activity may cause additional injury. Pain, such as may occur in our heels, also alerts us to seek medical attention. This alert is of utmost importance because of the many afflictions that contribute to heel pain.

 

Heel pain is generally the result of faulty biomechanics (walking gait abnormalities) which place too much stress on the heel bone and the soft tissues that attach to it. The stress may also result from injury, or a bruise incurred while walking, running, or jumping on hard surfaces; wearing poorly constructed footwear; or being overweight. The heel bone is the largest of 26 bones in the human foot, which also has 33 joints and a network of more than 100 tendons, muscles, and ligaments. Like all bones, it is subject to outside influences that can affect its integrity and its ability to keep us on our feet. Heel pain, sometimes disabling, can occur in the front, back, or bottom of the heel.

 

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Katy, TX - Diabetic Foot Care - Ronald Bruscia, DPM - Podiatrist

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Diabetic Foot Care - Podiatrist in Katy, TX - Ronald Bruscia, DPM

 

Dr. Ron Bruscia of Family Foot and Ankle Wellness Center discusses why diabetics must come in for a comprehensive foot exam to avoid the complications of diabetes.

http://www.katyfootdoctor.com

 

An Unwelcome Lifetime Companion
Diabetes, once diagnosed, is present for life. Considerable research is focused on finding a cure, and much progress has been made in treatment and control of the disease. The majority of people with diabetes have type II diabetes. Type I, insulin-dependent diabetes mellitus, once referred to as juvenile, or juvenile-onset diabetes, afflicts five to 10 percent of people with diabetes. Type II, non-insulin-dependent diabetes mellitus, once known as adult-onset diabetes, afflicts the other 90-95 percent, many of whom use oral medication or injectable insulin. The vast majority of those people (80 percent or more) are overweight, many of them obese. Obesity itself can cause insulin resistance. The socioeconomic costs of diabetes are enormous. The dollar costs have been estimated at 592 billion annually, about equally split between direct medical costs and indirect costs. Diabetes is the fourth leading cause of death by disease in the United States. Individuals with diabetes are two to four times as likely to experience heart disease and stroke. It is the leading cause of end-stage kidney disease and new cases of blindness among adults under 75. The trauma of amputation is particularly debilitating. It often ends working careers, and restricts social life and the independence which mobility affords. For more than 50 percent of those who experience an amputation of one limb, the loss of another will occur within three to five years. The key to amputation prevention is early recognition and foot screening, at least annually, of at-risk individuals. Those individuals considered to be at high risk are those who exhibit one or more of six characteristics: (1) peripheral neuropathy, a nerve disorder generally characterized by loss of protective sensation and/or tingling and numbness in the feet; (2) vascular insufficiency, a circulatory disorder which inhibits blood flow to the extremities; (3) foot deformities, such as hammertoes; (4) stiff joints; (5} calluses on the soles of the feet; and (6) a history of open sores on the feet (ulcerations) or a previous lower extremity amputation.

Ronald Bruscia, DPM - Bunions - Podiatrist in Katy, Texas

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Bunions - Podiatrist in Katy, TX - Ronald Bruscia, DPM

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Dr. Ronald Bruscia of Family Foot and Ankle Wellness Center discusses the symptoms, causes and treatments for Bunions.

http://www.katyfootdoctor.com

 Bunions
A common deformity of the foot, a bunion is an enlargement of the bone and tissue around the joint of the big toe. Heredity frequently plays a role in the occurrence of bunions (especially among women), as it does in other foot conditions. When symptomatic, the tissue may become red, swollen, and inflamed, making shoe gear and walking uncomfortable and difficult. If conservative care fails to reduce these symptoms, surgical intervention may be warranted. Dr. Bruscia will determine the type of surgical procedure best suited for your deformity, based on a variety of information which may include X-rays and gait examination. 

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Foot Warts - Plantar Warts - Podiatrist in Katy, TX - Ronald Bruscia, DPM

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Foot Warts - Plantar Warts - Podiatrist in Katy, TX - Ronald Bruscia, DPM

 

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Dr. Ron Bruscia of Family Foot and Ankle Wellness Center discusses the symptoms, causes and treatments for Foot Warts.

http://www.katyfootdoctor.com

 Warts
Warts are one of several lesser afflictions of the foot, which nevertheless can be quite painful. They are caused by a virus, which typically invades the skin through small cuts and abrasions. They are frequently called plantar warts, because they appear most often on the plantar surface, or sole, of the foot. They can appear anywhere on the skin, however, and technically only those on the sole are properly called plantar warts. Children, especially teenagers, tend to be mare susceptible to warts than adults; some people seem to be immune, and never get them.

Identification Problems
Most warts are harmless and benign, even though painful. They are often mistaken for corns, which are layers of dead skin that build up to protect an area which is being continuously irritated, whereas a wart is a viral infection. It is also possible that a variety of other more serious lesions, including carcinomas and melanomas, although they are not overly common, can be mistakenly identified as warts. Because of those identification problems, and for pain relief, it’s wise to consult Dr. Bruscia about any suspicious growth or eruption on the skin of the feet. On the bottom of the feet, plantar warts tend to be hard and flat, rough-surfaced, with well-defined boundaries; they are generally fleshier when they’re on the top of the feet or the toes. They are often gray or brown (but the color may vary), with a center that appears as one or more pinpoints of black.

Source of the Virus
The plantar wart is often contracted by walking barefooted on dirty surfaces or littered ground where the virus is lurking. The virus is also sustained by warm, moist environments, so that warts are often associated with communal bathing facilities – more for the wet surfaces, however, rather than for transmission in water, which probably is rare. If left untreated, warts can grow to an inch or more in circumference, and they can spread into clusters of several warts. Like any other infectious lesion, they are spread by touching and scratching, and even by contact with skin shed from another wart. They may also bleed, another route for spreading. Warts can last for varying lengths of time, which may average about 18 months. Occasionally, they spontaneously disappear after a short time. Perhaps just as frequently, they can recur in the same location. When plantar warts develop on the weight-bearing areas of the feet – the ball of the foot, or the heel, for example – they an be the source of very sharp, burning pain. Pain occurs when weight is brought to bear directly on the wart, although pressure on the side of a wart can create pain just as intense.

Tips for Prevention

• Avoid walking barefooted, except on sandy beaches
• Change shoes daily
• Keep feet clean and dry
• Check children's feet periodically
• Avoid direct contact with warts – from other persons, and from other parts of the body
• Do not ignore skin growths or changes in your skin
• Visit Dr. Bruscia as part of your annual health check-up

 

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