Tag: foot

How to treat a hallux rigidus?

Discomfort within the great toe or hallux joint in the feet are often as a result of osteoarthritis. This frequently is recognized as hallux rigidus. There are lots of problems from the great toe or hallux joint that might cause pain, with gout symptoms being one more widely known disorder. In some cases the hallux joint is totally inflexible as well as other times it is not rigid, it simply has a lower flexibility which is lower than the normal. The most prevalent cause of a hallux rigidus will be osteoarthritis in the great toe joint. The osteoarthritis can come from a lot of wear and tear on the big toe joint from a dysfunctional issue with how the big toe joint will not move how it should. And the second reason for the osteoarthritis can be a one off (or a few) injury to the joint that does certain injury to the great toe joint and trigger the osteo arthritis to start. Typically, the pain sensation from this begins as a modest discomfort, from time to time having an periodic sharp shooting pain. With time, the hallux rigidus steadily worsens and may turn out to be fairly painful. It will also modify the way in which people walk.

The treatment options of hallux rigidus are usually relatively reduced because there is no solution for arthritis. The very first method is control over the pain sensation which may involve injection therapy into the big toe joint and also the taking of pain prescription drugs. This is likely to probably work effectively for the short term however it is not likely to heal the issue. Shoes that are a lot more stiff or have a rocker under the shoe are very helpful at decreasing the action in this great toe or hallux joint, however provide for near to regular walking. There is also a carbon fibre plate that could be placed in the shoes to ensure they are stiff in order that while walking the big toe joint does not move much. Foot orthotics are also commonly used and can frequently have a rocker or other design feature that ends underneath the big toe or hallux joint also to help minimize motion with the joint. They can also be comibed with a carbon fibre plate. You can also find other types of pads which you can use as well as strapping with the big toe or hallux joint which could also be used to limit movement with the joint.

Surgical treatment is another option that can be thought about with regard to hallux rigidus. There are a few distinct techniques that a surgeon could take. One is to only stiffen the big toe joint. This tends to certainly stop the pain but will affect the method you walk about to some extent. It is still an excellent choice. One more operative approach is usually to remove a bit of bone from across the hallux joint to permit the joint to move a bit more freely. The third operative approach is to replace the hallux joint with an artificial one or put a spacer in the big toe joint and so the osteoarthritis about the joints areas is removed and the two joints surfaces move on this spacer. The option of which of those alternatives is something that the operating doctor will have to make a decision based on how much deterioration has been done to the hallux joint and just how good the bone throughout the hallux joint is and exactly how deep the osteoarthritis should go.

 

What are the latest approaches to treating chilblains on the foot?

Chilblains are a frequent skin problem in the toes in people who have the risks based on how the tiny arteries react to cold. Chilblains are very common in the colder climates and practically unknown in the warmer environments. Inspite of being so frequent there's a lot that is not understood regarding chilblains. As an example, chilblains may impact some people for several years and after that just go away for no obvious rationale. These are definitely more prevalent in those who smoke cigarettes and more frequent in those with a smaller amount body fat. They seem to be more widespread in females. In spite of all of these known risk factors it is not necessarily very clear what the pathology is by which they increase the risk. Not understanding that it can end up being relatively challenging to understand therapy for them that are broadly effective. Most remedies are only based upon anecdotes when the natural development of them is usually to heal up regardless given time. This raises the issue concerning did the therapy work or did the chilblain get well on its own anyway.

All of these issues were broadly talked about in the Podiatry live show, PodChatLive where the hosts chatted with Joseph Frenkel, a podiatrist from Victoriain Australia. This particular episode was broadcast live on Facebook and it was later on added to YouTube and also an audio version as a podcast. The PodChatLive pointed out how straightforward it's to identify a chilblain using the standard history and appearance, but also exactly how difficult it really is to find out what is a good treatment. There's not much, if any reasonable evidence as to what works better and that treatment works much better than not doing anything. There was a reasonable consensus to be able to reduce the chilblains by keeping the feet warm and approaches to take care of the feet after a chilblain has developed. Precautionary strategies were likewise talked about since they do seem to be successful.

Do corns on the feet have roots?

Corns are a common disorder affecting the foot. They are a natural response to pressure as the skin thickens up to safeguard itself from that pressure. At some stage the process goes wrong and becomes so thick that it is painful. There is a continual myth that corns have roots that they keep growing back from whenever you attempt to take them off. This is just like the analogy of plants that re-grow from their roots if you chop the top of the plants off. That analogy has been given to corns since they keep growing back again, but they do not possess roots to grow back from.

Corns develop from pressure and a experienced podiatric doctor could easily eliminate a corn. The problem is that after the corn is taken away if the pressure which caused it is still there then, obviously, it is going to come back. It grows back because the cause is still there rather than because the podiatrist left a root there for the corn to grow back from. That pressure could be from a poor fitting shoe or from something like a mallet toe or hallux valgus that leads to greater pressure on an area. When the corn is beneath the foot, then the cause is elevated pressure on the location where the corn is, most likely due to the way you walk.

The misconception is persistant simply because they do come back, so its vital that you remove the cause at the same time the corn is removed. There is no root to be removed. This means that the pressure over the foot the location where the corn has been really needs to be decreased or removed. This may involve issues like using better fitting footwear or the use of padding to get pressure off the location where the corn is. Occasionally surgery can be necessary to the bone beneath the corn to get rid of the pressure. If that cause isn't eliminated or decreased then the corn will come back, so it's clear to understand where the myth regarding corn roots arises from.