Seniors are prone to foot injuries, and weight gain is often a contributing factor. 

 

The injuries are largely due to wear and tear over years of walking, running, and constant pressure on the feet. Every step exerts fourth times your body weight of pressure on your ankle. The more extra weight you carry, the harder it is on your feet and ankles. Shoes are also an issue. People who stay active as they age are less prone to foot and ankle problems. 

 

The award-winning expert podiatrists at Advanced Podiatry of Manhasset, Maspeth, Huntington, Plainview, and Coram advice people to seek treatment when they first experience pain, or start to develop an issue. Often there are simple treatments that can help relieve the pain, make you feel better, and prevent more serious injuries. 

 

Unfortunately, lots of people try to work it out on their own when first developing a problem, which leads to further injuries that are hard to treat later. 

Flat feet or collapsed arches are a common yet painful deformity. There are numerous causes of flat feet such a ligamentous laxity, tightness of the Achilles tendon, and weakness of the soft tissue support structures that hold up the arch of the foot. In adults, the most common cause of a collapsed arch is weakening of the posterior tibial (PT) tendon. This tendon is responsible for holding up the arch in the sole of the foot, and as this tendon becomes weakened or diseased, the arch begins to lower.

Conservative treatment is aimed at supporting the arch of the foot through orthotics or braces. These devices take stress off of the posterior tibial tendon so that it does not have to work as hard to suspend the arch. If orthotics and bracing fail and symptoms of arch pain and discomfort persist, then surgical management may be considered.

In very mild cases of flat feet when there is weakness of the posterior tibial tendon but no structural change or flattening of the arch, then repair of the tendon may be performed. However, as this condition progresses, the arch collapses and there is a visible deformity of the foot. In these instances, the goal of surgery is to reconstruct the arch of the foot. This is done by performing bone cuts referred to as “osteotomies” to form a new arch by repositioning the bones of the rearfoot, midfoot, and / or forefoot. At times, a bone graft may be inserted to help restore the arch of the foot. These types of procedures are often performed with a concomitant Achilles tendon lengthening procedure. This is because a tight Achilles tendon has been directly associated with flattened arches.

In severe cases that are associated with arthritis of the foot, fusion procedures of the hindfoot are performed. Because the foot is no longer flexible, reconstructing the arch by cutting and repositioning bones would fail in these more severe cases. Instead, the joints of the foot are fused together an into a proper position that restores the arch. Although this fusion surgery referred to as “arthrodesis” is more involved and has a longer recovery time, it is highly effective in restoring the arch of the foot.

There are numerous procedures that have been described to fix flat feet, and there is certainly no one size fits all approach. The surgeons of Advanced Podiatry will take time to evaluate, diagnose, and manage each case of flat foot deformity. We take into account the patient’s history, the level of deformity, and most importantly – the patient’s values, goals, and expectations. If you are having pain in your arches, do not hesitate to make an appointment at one of our locations!

This weekend we saw a lot of significant injuries in the NFL.  One of the main factors that experts are attributing this too is the choice of shoe gear in relation to the playing surfaces.  

You have probably read plenty of studies on the importance of sitting correctly. However, we don’t hear nearly as much about the importance of walking correctly, even though the consequences of walking abnormalities are just as serious. Rheumatologists, Physiatrists, Orthopedists, Neurologists and Podiatrists all agree that poor gait can lead to back pain. 

These injuries are some of the most commonly diagnosed lower extremity fractures. Most commonly they are caused by crush injuries, such as dropping a heavy item on top of the toe. Another common method of injury is excessive axial load, an example is stubbing toe on a piece of furniture. Hyperextension and stress fractures of toes are uncommon.

If the fractures are open, meaning there is an overlying cut or scrape, they require immediate management to minimize the risk of infection. These do occur quite commonly and a timely evaluation can make all the difference.

For closed fractures, ones with no break in the skin, they may often be subtle with minimal bruising initially. X rays are effective for quick diagnosis, our staff can perform several radiographic views in the office to evaluate the presence of a fracture and whether it is in a good position. Fractures sometimes may cause a dislocation of the toe, which can put pressure on adjacent arteries and compromise the blood flow to the digit. In these instances, a small injection may be required to numb the toe and allow our doctors to manipulate the fracture into a better position.

In the case of a stable, nondisplaced toe fracture, treatment may simply be buddy taping the fractured digit to a neighboring toe and dispensing a rigid-sole shoefor ambulation to limit joint movement.

Toe fractures usually take 4-6 weeks to heal but this time frame may increase if you have underlying comorbidities or if the fracture is in several pieces. Rarely, surgery may be required to anatomically align the toe and stabilize the fracture with either pins or screws.

If there is a possibility you may have a toe fracture, our recommendation is to come and see one of our doctors as soon as possible for a definitive diagnosis and treatment plan to get your injury healed as fast as possible!