Is an ingrown toenail, flat footedness, a diabetes related foot issue or other issue with your feet causing pain or embarrassment? If so, remember foot pain can range in severity from ingrown toenails to foot ulcers and many foot and ankle problems tend to worsen overtime. The quicker an individual responds to a foot problem, the more likely they are to have a broader range of treatment options and healing times are usually shorter in duration.
Let’s take for example an ingrown toenail that you dig out every couple of weeks to relieve the pain. Many people will attempt to cut the corner out of the toenail for relief. If successful, relief may be only temporary as the ingrown toenail is likely to return; if not successful, the toenail could become infected. There is a quick and simple way to resolve ingrown toenails permanently and the recovery time is fast.
A woman in her mid-80s has severe pain in the middle of the foot due to a collapsed flat foot. The pain and deformity occurred about 20 years ago without any traumatic injury. However, at her age, she is unable to undergo the procedure to correct her pathology. What could have been a source of relief for many years, had she had the procedure done 20 years ago, is now a condition that can only be treated with braces and medical shoe devices.
Diabetic foot ulcers occur as a result of various factors and are responsible for more hospitalizations than any other complication of diabetes. Foot ulcers occur in 5-10 percent of the diabetic population and up to 3 percent will have lower limb amputations as a result of prolonged ulcerations. As the ulcer grows and becomes infected, surgery is often required to clean out the infection. In severe cases where the infection has spread to the bone, amputation may be one of only a few options.
If you or a loved one is experiencing foot pain, I invite you to attend the free community seminar hosted by myself, Dr. Kert Howard and Dr. Adam Mathews. This seminar on foot care will be held on Thursday, January 15, 2015 in the Pebble Creek Auditorium in Portneuf Medical Center. Doors open at 6pm and the presentation will begin at 6:30. A question and answer session will follow the presentation.
The majority of us all rely on our feet as a means to get us where we need to go. When our feet are in pain, we are unable to enjoy daily activities, which may lead to an array of other health conditions. Don’t ignore foot problems. Take the time now so your feet can continue to hold you up, move you around and get you from here to there.