A podiatrist can help you with a variety of conditions that affect the feet, including Morton’s neuroma. A neuroma is the thickening of nerve tissue in the body, with Morton's neuroma specifically happening in the ball of the foot. It’s caused by an irritation in the nerve between the third and fourth toes. Patients experience pain while walking, with a burning, tingling, or numbness. 

• Trauma or injury to the foot, damaging the nerve and resulting in swelling.
• Improper footwear, like shoes that squeeze the foot together. High heels also increase pressure on the vulnerable areas.
• Recurring stress to the feet through repeated physical activities or exercise. This is common with patients who are constantly on their feet due to their job. 
• Deformities of the foot, like a high arch or flat foot. These lead to instability throughout the foot. 

• Taping and padding: This is a special type of tape and bandages that you place on the bottom of the foot. This helps with your symptoms. 
• Orthotics: These are the custom shoes that your podiatrist can create for you. 
• Medication: Cortisone injections reduce the pain and inflammation in the foot. Anti-inflammatory drugs also reduce your swelling. 
• Surgery is the last resort for treatment. The procedure is done on an outpatient basis. The injured nerve is removed and recovery takes a few weeks.

Exercise is an important aspect of keeping our bodies healthy and happy. That’s why it’s so important to wear the correct shoes for certain activities. Whether you’re an athlete, workout buff, or enjoy walking and hiking, you need the proper footwear. It makes the difference between enjoying your favorite activities and sitting out with an avoidable injury. Talk to your podiatrist to have your feet evaluated for your future workout needs.

• Running requires shoes with shock absorption. Your feet take on a lot of pressure and friction. Cushioning your shoes in the correct areas keeps you from feeling the pain. 
• Traction is important in sports that need quick changes in direction and sprinting, like basketball. Traction should never be too high or low. The right shoes keep you from slipping on the floor while letting you move and pivot.
• Ankle support is a must. It limits the side-to-side movement that knocks your ankle out of alignment. This kind of support keeps ankle sprains at bay. For sports like basketball, hockey, skiing, and skating, make sure that your shoes aren’t too high. Otherwise, they will dig into your Achilles tendon. You can also wear soft ankle braces.
• Arch support varies for everyone. Your podiatrist can test your foot to determine your gait. Depending on the results, your podiatrist can recommend orthotics or special shoe inserts.

Sore heels and arches when you wake up in the morning. That's what people who have plantar fasciitis notice. Hopefully, this heel pain sends sufferers to Foot & Ankle Specialists of Connecticut in Danbury, New Milford, and Plainville. Here, your podiatrists, Dr. Treadwell, Dr. Davis, and Dr. Jimenez, diagnose and treat many foot and ankle problems, and yes, they can help you manage plantar fasciitis.

The details on plantar fasciitis

Plantar fasciitis affects about two million Americans, according to the American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeons. It's an inflammatory problem involving the band of connective tissue located between the base of the toes and the heel bone (calcaneus).

Sharp heel pain and pronounced soreness across the arch of the foot are common. People usually notice symptoms improve as the day advances. Also, pain starts after a long walk or gym workout.

Why do people develop plantar fasciitis? Contributing factors include:

• Being overweight
• Being a woman
• Standing for long periods of time at work
• Very high arches or flat feet
• Problems with gait, or how you put your foot down when you walk or run
• Tight calf muscles

Feeling better

As stubborn as plantar fasciitis can be, you can improve your foot function and resolve heel pain with help from your podiatrist at Foot & Ankle Specialists of Connecticut in Danbury, New Milford, and Plainville. Your foot doctor will examine your foot, take X-rays, and watch how you place your feet on the floor as you walk.

Then, your foot doctor will put together a care plan fine-tuned to your needs. It may include:

• Resting and elevating your foot
• Icing the heel and arch of the foot
• Stretching exercises for your foot and your calf muscles
• Ibuprofen or other anti-inflammatory medication
• Cortisone injections
• Customized shoe orthotics to correct your gait and support your arches
• Good quality shoes and sneakers

In the most extreme cases, patients require corrective surgery and casting. However, this is more the exception than the rule.

Learn more about plantar fasciitis

The professional team at Foot & Ankle Specialists of Connecticut in Danbury, New Milford, and Plainville, CT, ask you to call them about your heel pain and other symptoms. They serve the areas of New Britain, Bristol, Southington, Farmington, New Fairfield and Ridgefield, CT. There are three offices:

• In Danbury, phone (203) 748-2220
• In New Milford, phone (860) 355-3139
• In Plainville, phone (860) 747-2200

The arches of the feet play a role in supporting your body’s weight when standing or in motion. The tarsal and metatarsal bones make up the arches of the feet, also receiving additional support and stability from tendons and ligaments; however, our feet, like the rest of our body, can be affected by infections, disorders, and structural changes that can impact not only the health of our feet but also our mobility. It’s important to recognize the warning signs of arch problems so you know when you need to see a podiatrist.

Arch Pain Causes

If you are dealing with arch pain it is most likely caused by an injury or by structural abnormalities in the foot. For example, those with very high arches as well as those with flat feet may experience arch problems due to these common structural issues.

As a result, there are other factors that could also lead to further arch problems including:

• Being overweight or obese
• Aging
• Plantar fasciitis
• Cavus foot
• Posterior tibial tendon dysfunction

It’s important to understand a little bit more about these common foot disorders and how they could affect the arches of your feet.

Plantar fasciitis

This condition that causes inflammation and microtears in the plantar fascia is also the most common cause of heel pain. Of course, because the plantar fascia (a ligament that connects the toes to the heel bone) also supports the arches of the feet this can also lead to arch pain. This condition is usually the result of overuse and is seen most often in runners. If you have plantar fasciitis it’s important to avoid physical activities until the fascia has fully healed.

Cavus foot

This condition, which affects the structure of the foot, leads to excessively high arches. People who’ve had a stroke, as well as people with certain conditions such as cerebral palsy may be more likely to develop cavus foot. This problem causes arch pain when standing or walking and can increase the risk for ankle injuries. Your podiatrist may choose to treat cavus foot through custom-made orthotics (shoe inserts), bracing, or by recommending specialized and supportive footwear.

Posterior tibial tendon dysfunction

The posterior tibial tendon runs from the calf muscles to the inner portion of the foot. This condition leads to changes in the tendon, which in turn affects its ability to support the arches of the foot. Flat feet can be caused by posterior tibial tendon dysfunction, and this is often the cause of flat feet that develop in adulthood. Like the other conditions above, treatment for PTTD usually involves bracing, orthotics, or providing custom devices that provide additional support to the arches of the feet.

If you are experiencing foot pain, swelling or other problems that affect mobility then it’s time that you turned to a podiatrist for care. Conditions and injuries that don’t respond to rest and at-home care may require more advanced treatments and therapies.

Athlete’s foot is a common fungal infection of the feet that is typically characterized by itchy, burning patches of skin between the toes that may also crack or bleed. Since untreated athlete’s foot can spread to the toenails, it’s particularly important that you treat this problem as soon as you notice it. Athlete’s foot won’t typically clear up by itself; however, home remedies and treatments may be all you need to eliminate the fungal infection.

Treating Athlete’s Foot

If you are an otherwise healthy individual who is just dealing with an unfortunate bout of athlete’s foot chances are pretty good that you’ll be able to treat the problem on your own. There are a variety of over-the-counter antifungal creams and ointments that can be applied directly to the skin. Make sure to read and follow all instructions to ensure that the medication gets rid of the infection.

Along with properly treating your athlete’s foot it’s also important to keep feet as dry as possible. After all, fungus thrives best in warm, damp environments. By keeping feet dry you make it a less hospitable environment for this infection. This means wearing clean socks and shoes every day. Opt for socks with natural fibers, which are breathable and can wick away sweat. If your feet are particularly sweaty you can also apply an antifungal powder throughout the day.

When to See a Podiatrist

If you find that cracked, painful feet are making it difficult to stand or move around then this means it’s time to see a podiatrist for treatment; however, if the fungal infection isn’t impacting mobility then you may be able to treat the problem on your own with over-the-counter medications.

If you notice signs of an infection such as a swollen foot, pus draining from the foot, increased redness, or open sores it’s also important that you see a doctor right away. Antibiotics will be necessary in order to treat the infection.

If you are dealing with diabetes, nerve damage in your feet or other problems that impact the health of your feet it’s even more important that you see a podiatrist right away if you notice symptoms of athlete’s foot or other problems. Do not try to treat the infection on your own, as this could lead to more serious complications.

If you are dealing with persistent or recurring athlete’s foot it’s important that you also have a podiatrist that you can turn to for answers. While this condition may seem harmless it’s important that you don’t leave it untreated. A podiatrist can provide you with the treatment you’re looking for.