Our Foot & Ankle Care FAQ

A stress fracture can be very painful and inconvenient for an active person. It is defined as a small crack in the bone, and sometimes severe bone bruising. If they go unchecked, stress fractures can lead to further injury, so it’s important to know the symptoms and the causes in order to protect your feet from further damage. 

The Causes of Stress Fractures

Usually caused by overuse or repetitive activity, stress fractures are very common in athletes—especially runners or those participating in running sports like soccer. Even people with very healthy bones can experience a fracture when they partake in frequent and repetitive movements. This is why athletes, who practice skills and drills regularly, are most at risk. Most high-impact sports are at risk for stress fractures due to the intense practice schedule and the constant need to push the body that much further for competitive reasons. 

On the other side of the coin, those with very weak bones can experience stress fractures. This includes those with osteoporosis and other reasons for bone fragility. If a bone does not have enough density to uphold during normal daily impact, a fracture can occur. 

Shoes can also be a stress fracture culprit. Whether it’s high heels or old, ill-fitting shoes, various types of footwear can put you at risk of injury. Those with foot deformities can also experience a stress fracture, including those with severe bunions. 

Any bone in the foot or ankle can be affected by a stress fracture, including: 

• The metatarsals (connectors of toes to the foot) 
• The calcaneus (heel bone) 
• The navicular (near the ankle) 
• Any bone that makes up the ankle joint including the tibia and fibula

The Symptoms of a Stress Fracture 

There are telltale signs of a stress fracture that will help you know if you have one. Of course, the most obvious one is persistent pain. Other symptoms include: 

• The pain subsides when the foot is rested. 
• Pain that increases during normal, non-stressful activities. 
• There is obvious swelling on the top of the foot or outside of the ankle.
• The fracture site is tender to the touch.
• There is visible bruising. 

A stress fracture will almost always cause pain at a very specific location whenever pressure is placed on it. 

Diagnosing a Stress Fracture 

There are a few different ways to diagnose a stress fracture. First is a physical examination. It is very important that you see a doctor if you even suspect you have a stress fracture, as ignoring it can lead to the bone breaking completely. Your doctor will ask you about your medical history and your regular activities. They may also ask you about medications and diet. The doctor will then examine your foot looking specifically for points of pain and applying pressure to them. Pain response is the most common way to diagnose a stress fracture. 

Your doctor might also confirm the diagnosis through imaging such as X-rays. While it can be helpful to get imaging done, it is not a good diagnostic on its own since tiny cracks can be difficult to see via X-ray. If in fact the crack cannot be seen, your doctor might order an MRI. 

Stress Fracture Treatment 

There are a few different ways to treat a stress fracture, including both surgical and nonsurgical measures. The easiest ways to heal a stress fracture include: 

• Medication. Anti-inflammatory medications can help with the pain. 
• Crutches. Crutches keep the weight off the injury and can help with both healing and pain management. 
• Modified activity. For approximately six to eight weeks, you may need to prevent any physical activity that causes you pain or places further stress on the injured area. 
• Protective footwear. Your doctor might suggest sturdy footwear to help prevent further injury during your healing process. Brace shoes are available through a podiatrist. 
• Cast. While not always appropriate for a stress fracture, some cases do warrant the doctor to apply a cast to keep your bones in a fixed position. This is usually the treatment when the bones on the outer side of the foot are injured. 

Surgical treatment is sometimes needed if a stress fracture is severe or you are unable to keep weight off of it for whatever reason. Surgery usually involves supporting bones through an inserted fastener. Also known as internal fixation, pins, plates, and/or screws are placed into the foot to hold it together while it heals. 

Are You Looking for a Stress Fracture Expert in Austin, TX?

If you are looking for stress fracture care, you should reach out to an experienced podiatrist. Austin Foot and Ankle Specialists can help. Our office provides a wide variety of advanced, effective treatment options for all kinds of painful conditions. Ready to schedule an appointment? Contact us online or call our Austin office at 512.328.8900.

Related Links: Foot and Ankle Surgery How Long Do Stress Fractures Take to Heal?  Sports Injuries

 

Proper foot care is important for everyone, but it is especially important for diabetics. Due to circulation issues, diabetic feet tend to be more susceptible to injury—and often those injuries can go undetected. For this reason, it’s a good idea for these individuals to have a consistent relationship with a podiatrist regardless of whether or not they are experiencing pain. 

Nerve Damage in Diabetes 

It seems only natural to go to the doctor when you’re experiencing pain. Many of us would not consider going to a specialist like a podiatrist until we are dealing with significant pain or injury. Unfortunately for diabetics, nerve damage is one of the common side effects of their condition—and this can make proper treatment of injuries difficult. 

This nerve damage is called neuropathy, and its most common symptom is numbness. It is considered to be one of the more frequent complications of living with long-term diabetes, and it’s caused by poor blood sugar control over an extended period of time. While all of our nerves can be affected by high sugars, the longest nerves—the ones that extend from spine to toe—tend to be the most impacted. This is why you will experience neuropathy in your feet and legs before your hands or arms. 

The Risk of Neuropathy Injury 

Our feet take a beating. Between walking, exercising, and potentially ill-fitting footwear, our feet endure more hits and strains than any other part of our body. In a healthy individual, a cut or blister on the foot isn’t usually a big deal, but it can turn into a severe issue for a person with neuropathy. 

Diabetic neuropathy causes numbness, which in turn can lead to obliviousness to injury. Without pain, we aren’t alerted to anything being wrong. But diabetes can cause quickly cause a lot of issues. Poorly controlled blood sugar can lead to dried-out skin, which in turn causes calluses or even ulcers on your feet. Combine this with the numbing lack of circulation and you just might find yourself walking around on an injury you don’t even know you have. Since the numbness prevents you from being aware of an issue, this can allow a minor injury to turn into a more serious infection. 

Proper Prevention 

Daily self-care is essential to make sure your diabetes stays in check and injuries are avoided. Follow all maintenance plans followed by your doctor, including proper diet and timed insulin. Then, work a self-examination of your feet into your daily routine. 

In the morning, before bedtime, and also anytime you take your shoes off, take a few moments to look over your feet. Check for any signs of strain—chafing, blistering, cuts, or bruises. You might want to use a mirror to help you check the areas that are hard to see. 

If you notice any irregularities, write down what you see and the date you noticed it. Some find it helpful to also take a photo. Practice at-home treatment and spend as much time off your feet as you can. Pay close attention to the irregularity and observe it for any changes or progressions in the coming days. 

Finally, know when it’s time to see a podiatrist. As a general rule, you should make an appointment if you’re experiencing any of the following: 

• Pain in your legs or thighs, even if you don’t have sensation in your feet 
• A change in foot shape 
• Severely dry or cracked skin on your feet
• Any change in skin color or temperature to the touch 
• Thickened or yellowing toenails 
• Blisters, sores, ulcers, corns, or ingrown toenails 
• Any evidence of a fungal infection like athlete’s foot

It’s also a great idea to visit a podiatrist several times a year even if you do not experience any issues. The professionals at Austin Foot and Ankle Specialists are able to provide thorough foot examinations and preventative measures that can help a diabetic avoid severe injury. 

Are You Looking For Diabetic Foot Care in Austin, TX?

If you are looking for diabetic foot care, you should reach out to an experienced podiatrist. Austin Foot and Ankle Specialists can help. Our office provides a wide variety of advanced, effective treatment options for all kinds of painful conditions. Ready to schedule an appointment? Contact us online or call our Austin office at 512.328.8900.

Related Links: Healthy Foot Care for Diabetes Diabetes and Your Feet The Importance of Understanding and Performing a Foot Self-Exam

 

 

In a small percentage of the population who has a rather stable foot structure, a good motion control running shoe can reduce the tendency to pronate or collapse the arch during activity and as a result, experience relief from some mild symptoms in their feet, knees, or even backs.  But factually speaking, very few people who suffer from any significant structural problems or who have any significant pathology can go without an orthotic in combination with a good motion control running shoe. 

We highly recommend that our patients get a good, solid and well constructed motion control shoe or sneaker when we dispense their orthotics.  The orthotic and shoe work together to provide maximum stability and corrective position which allows and encourages optimal and non-pathologic function of the foot and ankle during activity. 

Lastly, the "supportive insoles, arch supports or arch cookies" that are promoted to be in these types of shoes and sneakers are obviously generically placed into the shoe or sneaker which simply does not support every individual's arch or foot structure the same way.  This can be an issue for many people.  Any significant degree of asymmetry or difference in foot structure from one foot to the other generally necessitates a custom-made orthotic that will fit and work in conjunction with a well supportive shoe or sneaker.

Are You Considering Custom Orthotics  in Austin, TX?

If you are considering custom orthotics, you should reach out to an experienced podiatrist. Austin Foot and Ankle Specialists can help. Our office provides a wide variety of advanced, effective treatment options for all kinds of painful conditions. Ready to schedule an appointment? Contact us online or call our Austin office at 512.328.8900.

Yes. Especially if you are competitive or do extensive mileage each week.  Experience has shown us that when the orthotics place the bones of the foot in a more corrected and structurally aligned position, this necessitates less energy expenditure by the muscles of the foot and leg as the bones of the foot lock together and in essence, stay aligned during the thousands of "up and down pistoning motions" while cycling. 

Conversely, when the foot is not in its ideal structural position, it necessitates the muscles of the foot and lower leg to work harder to keep nudging the bones of the foot back into their ideal alignment.  This done over and over during the hours and thousands of downstrokes of the cycling action, causes the muscles to work much harder and predisposes them and even the bones of the foot to injury from overuse.  

Almost one for one, the cyclists who use these types of orthotics in their cycling shoes have relayed they go faster and longer using less energy and experiencing significantly less "fatigue" during cycling.  Depending on the style of cycle shoe, you may necessitate a pair specifically for that activity but for the most part, the orthotics that you can put into your sneakers or lace-up dress shoes fit into cycling shoes. 

Are You Considering Custom Orthotics  in Austin, TX?

If you are considering custom orthotics, you should reach out to an experienced podiatrist. Austin Foot and Ankle Specialists can help. Our office provides a wide variety of advanced, effective treatment options for all kinds of painful conditions. Ready to schedule an appointment? Contact us online or call our Austin office at 512.328.8900.

Laser treatment for toenail fungus gets to the root of the problem—fast! In fifteen minutes, you’ll enjoy the benefits of fungus-killing focused light that will bring healing to your unsightly nails. Creams, lacquers, and oral treatments are hit and miss. They may or may not reach the source of your crumbling, yellowing nails. In fact, topical nail applications simply can’t get to the hard-to-reach nail bed.

Enjoy safe, pain-free treatment for your fungal toenails with Blue Shine Laser Therapy. This laser uses light to reach the source of your infection. In as few as 6-9 months, you can expect a new, healthy nail in place of the old, infected one—now that’s a solution that works.

If toenail fungus has you hiding your feet, it’s time to take action. Call Austin Foot and Ankle Specialists at (512) 328-8900 or complete our contact form today to learn more about laser treatment for toenail fungus. Dr. Craig H. Thomajan DPM, FACFAS looks forward to helping you end the embarrassment of fungal nails.

Are You Looking for a Foot Care Doctor in Austin, TX?

If you are looking for foot care, you should reach out to an experienced podiatrist. Austin Foot and Ankle Specialists can help. Our office provides a wide variety of advanced, effective treatment options for all kinds of painful conditions. Ready to schedule an appointment? Contact us online or call our Austin office at 512.328.8900.

We treat post-static dyskinesia (meaning impaired movement after being at rest) in various ways, once we have determined what is causing your discomfort. Early morning heel pain when you first step out of bed is most often due to plantar fasciitis—inflammation of or damage to the ligament under your arch.

RICE therapy (rest, icing, compression, elevation) can help bring down swelling and soreness, and stretching exercises can help recondition the ligament and reduce the damage to the heel from the ligament pulling on it too tightly. For persistent pain, we can try injection therapy using medication, extracorporeal shockwave therapy using energy waves, or cryotherapy using low temperatures. Once the pain has subsided, we will evaluate the biomechanical issues causing your plantar fasciitis and design custom orthotics to correct them.

Are You Looking for a Plantar Fasciitis Specialist in Austin, TX?

If you are looking for plantar fasciitis care, you should reach out to an experienced podiatrist. Austin Foot and Ankle Specialists can help. Our office provides a wide variety of advanced, effective treatment options for all kinds of painful conditions. Ready to schedule an appointment? Contact us online or call our Austin office at 512.328.8900.

Ankle fracture recovery time depends on your individual health and the seriousness of your injury. A simple fracture where the bones stay aligned will heal more quickly than a complex one that requires surgery. In general, you can expect six or more weeks to recover. Even after that, you may need to take it easy for a time. The doctors will check your healing progress by taking regular X-rays and using them to determine when it is safe for you to return to your activities.

Are You Looking for a Stress Fracture Expert in Austin, TX?

If you are looking for stress fracture care, you should reach out to an experienced podiatrist. Austin Foot and Ankle Specialists can help. Our office provides a wide variety of advanced, effective treatment options for all kinds of painful conditions. Ready to schedule an appointment? Contact us online or call our Austin office at 512.328.8900.

As a general rule, for children under the age of 16 years, every year or every whole shoe size change as in foot growing from a size four to a size five.  After age 16, general rule is about once every two years.   From age 20, it changes to about once every three to five years which is of course only necessary if there are still issues of instability or pain.  With that being said, if the child's bone structure and or mechanics and instability are positively affected by the orthotics to the degree of becoming stable, the orthotics are only needed if the child/young adult is more comfortable wearing them than not.

Are You Looking for Pediatric Foot Care in Austin, TX?

If you are looking for pediatric foot care, you should reach out to an experienced podiatrist. Austin Foot and Ankle Specialists can help. Our office provides a wide variety of advanced, effective treatment options for all kinds of painful conditions. Ready to schedule an appointment? Contact us online or call our Austin office at 512.328.8900.

The answer to this frequently asked question is in fact neither.  This is to say that neither a "hard" or "soft" orthotic is better or in fact ideal.  An orthotic, when properly made, should be hard enough to gently support and realign the bones of your foot yet be soft enough to compress slightly during activity to allow your foot to function properly.  Your foot is dynamic - it is not rigid or static in nature.  Therefore, the best performing orthotic is one that is dynamic because it both supports and flexes in a controlled manor during activity.  The Total Contact Orthotics your doctor uses does just that.

Are You Considering Custom Orthotics  in Austin, TX?

If you are considering custom orthotics, you should reach out to an experienced podiatrist. Austin Foot and Ankle Specialists can help. Our office provides a wide variety of advanced, effective treatment options for all kinds of painful conditions. Ready to schedule an appointment? Contact us online or call our Austin office at 512.328.8900.

No, never.  A child should be comfortable throughout their growing years.  Oftentimes pain in the feet, ankles, knees, and back are an indication of faulty mechanics and the subsequent malalignment of the bones of their feet and ankles.  In our opinion, growing pains are not something you grow out of as they continue into adulthood in the form of other problems such as arthritis for example.  But fortunately "growing pains" or any other structural or functional problem your child is having is rather easily handled in almost every case with a good pair of total contact orthotics.  Your doctor can tell you very easily if your child will benefit from a pair of custom orthotics.   

Are You Looking for Pediatric Foot Care in Austin, TX?

If you are looking for pediatric foot care, you should reach out to an experienced podiatrist. Austin Foot and Ankle Specialists can help. Our office provides a wide variety of advanced, effective treatment options for all kinds of painful conditions. Ready to schedule an appointment? Contact us online or call our Austin office at 512.328.8900.

You absolutely can get a pedicure with a fungal infection, but it is important to honestly address the situation with the salon ahead of time. When doing so, find out if the salon has the proper sterilization practices and necessary tools to handle fungal nails. Keep in mind that you may be asked to bring in your own polishes and tools.

If you find yourself wondering whether it is safe to get a pedicure while having fungal nails, it might be time to look into treatment options to eradicate the fungus and restore your nails to their natural, healthy condition. Our practice offers laser therapy using the HyperBlue 1530, which is an FDA-approved machine, to eliminate toenail fungus at the source. This is a safe, effective, and painless procedure to clear up your nails. We also offer other treatment methods for dealing with this embarrassing condition.

Are You Looking for a Toenail Fungus Specialist in Austin, TX?

If you are looking for toenail fungus care, you should reach out to an experienced podiatrist. Austin Foot and Ankle Specialists can help. Our office provides a wide variety of advanced, effective treatment options for all kinds of painful conditions. Ready to schedule an appointment? Contact us online or call our Austin office at 512.328.8900.

From aqua shoes to FiveFingers styles to minimalist varieties, bare footwear is becoming a popular fad. There are opposing opinions, however, as to the safety of wearing these trendy types of running shoes. The theory behind them is that people have been running for millions of years, historically barefoot or in simple shoes like moccasins or sandals. Some feel that modern-day running shoes provide too much control and cushioning, reducing the ability of foot muscles and tendons to strengthen naturally. Opposing views suggest that foot and ankle injuries can be prevented by choosing running shoes with strong stability and support. As of today, the jury is still out on what’s best for the health of your feet.

Are You Looking for a Sports Injuries Expert in Austin, TX?

If you are looking for sports injury care, you should reach out to an experienced podiatrist. Austin Foot and Ankle Specialists can help. Our office provides a wide variety of advanced, effective treatment options for all kinds of painful conditions. Ready to schedule an appointment? Contact us online or call our Austin office at 512.328.8900.