Have you ever gotten out of bed in the morning, taken three steps across the floor and suddenly felt like someone had smashed your heel with a hammer while you were sleeping? You might have plantar fasciitis, something that, as a podiatrist, I see a lot of in my Westchester Health practice.
As a podiatrist with Westchester Health, I see a lot of foot problems caused by diabetes, because these tend to be among the most common complications associated with diabetes. Some of my patients take good care of their feet, but sadly, some do not. If not managed properly, diabetes can cause irreversible damage to the feet and in the worst cases, amputation. As I tell all my diabetic patients, 95% of their diabetes care depends on them.
I realize that people love flashy, high-fashion shoes but as a podiatrist with Westchester Health, I see firsthand the damage they can cause to feet and ankles. As well as exacerbating toe deformities, calluses, corns, bone spurs and other problems, wearing the wrong or too-high shoes puts tendons, joints and entire muscle groups at risk of serious injury.
No matter how careful you try to be as you go through life, minor cuts, scrapes, bruises and sometimes even more serious wounds do happen. When the injury occurs on your feet, heels or ankles, it can be especially painful and hard to heal. That’s why proper care and treatment for a foot wound from the very moment it occurs is very important to ensure proper healing.
In my Westchester Health podiatry practice, my goal is to help you achieve freedom of movement without pain. Foot and ankle pain can be especially difficult to deal with, especially since as upright humans, we spend a good majority of our lives on our feet. In fact, most people put 75,000 miles on their feet by the time they reach age 50.
As a podiatrist with Westchester Health who specializes in conditions of the feet and ankles, I see a lot of plantar fasciitis, the most common cause of heel pain. Whether caused by overuse, flat arches, a job that keeps you on your feet or badly-fitting shoes, for many people the pain of this condition can be excruciating. To help relieve the symptoms and causes of plantar fasciitis, and possibly prevent it altogether, I offer this blog of remedies and preventative actions you can do at home.
Each winter in the US, approximately 15-20% of people with diabetes end up in the hospital because of a foot ulcer or infection. In some cases, these foot problems lead to amputation. That’s why I tell all of my diabetic patients at Westchester Health that foot care is always very important but during the winter, it is even more crucial to keep your feet healthy. Winter moisture, cold and dryness can easily cause numbness and decreased circulation, increasing the risk of a diabetic foot problem.
Did you know that most people log 75,000 miles on their feet by the time they are 50? For some people, all of this wear and tear can cause severe pain in the foot and ankle, requiring surgery. So how can you tell if you would benefit from surgery? John Viscovich, DPM, MBA, FACFAS, a board certified podiatrist with Westchester Health, offers this information.
The proper care and treatment for a wound as soon as it occurs is essential to ensure that it heals effectively. To help people understand how to care for a wound when they get injured, John Viscovich, DPM, MBA, FACFAS, a podiatrist with Westchester Health, offers these 9 important first aid tips.
Did you know that plantar fasciitis is the most common cause of heel pain? That’s because the plantar fascia is the flat band of ligament tissue that connects your heel bone to your toes and if it becomes strained, it becomes swollen and irritated. And that is very painful. Some patients describe the feeling as if someone is hammering nails into their heel. To help ease the pain, Dr. John Viscovich, a podiatrist with Westchester Health, outlines 7 treatments you can do yourself to lessen and maybe even eliminate this condition.