Plantar warts are growths that typically develop on the heels or balls of your feet, and the majority of them go away on their own without posing any substantial health risks. However, plantar warts can occasionally be painful and uncomfortable, necessitating their removal with specialized medicine. A little, fleshy, grainy, tough growth on the bottom of your foot that may or may not be accompanied by black pinpoints is one of the most typical signs of a plantars wart. Many people mistake warts for corns, however a wart differs from a corn in that it disrupts the natural ridges and lines in the skin of your foot, but a corn does not.

The outer layer of skin on the soles of your feet can become infected with the human papillomavirus (HPV), which results in plantar warts. The most typical settings for HPV to flourish are warm, damp places like a locker room or swimming pool.

Even though it could take a year or two, the majority of plantar warts disappear on their own. Contact your Kitchener foot specialist if your warts are bothersome or spreading.

Hammer toe, Mallet Toe, and Claw Toe are all different types of conditions that can result in serious discomfort.

Hammer Toe

A hammer toe is a toe that is contracted at the middle joint in the toe. Ligaments and tendons tighten and cause the toe’s joints to curl downwards. Hammer toes may occur in any toe except the big toe. There are two types – flexible and rigid. In a flexible hammer toe, the joint has the ability to move. A rigid hammer toe does not have that same ability to move. Both flexible and rigid hammer toes can be painless but on occasion may cause pain due to callus or corns caused by rubbing on the top of shoes.

Mallet Toe

Excessive rubbing of the mallet toe against the top of the shoe can lead to pain and the development of a corn. The tip of the toe is often turned down against the shoe causing pressure and discomfort.
A mallet toe occurs when the joint at the end of the toe cannot straighten. Mallet toes can cause extreme discomfort and can be aggravated if restrictive or improperly fitting footwear is worn for a prolonged period of time.

Claw Toe

A claw toe is a toe that is contracted at the middle and end joints in the toe and can lead to severe pressure and pain. Ligaments and tendons that have tightened and caused the joints to curl downwards. Claw can be flexible and/or rigid. In a flexible claw toe, the joint has the ability to move and can be straightened manually. A rigid claw toe does not have that same ability to move or has very little movement and is extremely painful.

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Athlete’s foot is a common fungal infection of the skin on the feet. Fungal germs or fungi often occur in small numbers on human skin where they usually do no harm.However, if conditions are right they can invade the skin, multiply, and cause infection. The conditions fungi like best are warm, moist and airless areas of skin, such as between the toes.

Athlete’s foot can also be passed on from person to person and common symptoms include:

• A rash that becomes itchy and scaly.
• The skin may become cracked and sore.
• Tiny flakes of infected skin may fall off.
• The rash may spread gradually along the toes if left untreated.
• In some cases it spreads to the soles.
• Scaling rash on the entire sole and side of the foot

Fungi do not usually go deeper than the skin into the body. However, other germs (bacteria) may enter through the cracked skin of untreated athlete’s foot. This can occasionally cause more serious infections of the foot or leg.The infection sometimes spreads to a nail. This can be treated.

Shin splints are a frequent ailment, particularly among runners and other athletes. After jogging or even walking, patients who overexert their muscles report pain in the front or inside of the lower leg or shin. Without a prior history of trauma, the pain typically develops gradually. Because there is a higher danger of stress fractures, shin splints shouldn’t be ignored.

Stress on the muscles in the front of the foot might result in shin splints. Common causes include wearing athletic shoes that are worn out and have inadequate shock absorption, having flat feet, which puts more strain on the lower leg muscles during activity, or having high arched feet.

The inside of the ankle and foot are covered by the posterior tibial tendon. The posterior tibial tendon enters the foot at the bottom, passing behind the inside bump of the ankle. The tendon is crucial for maintaining the foot arch and assists in turning the foot inward during walking. Flat feet are a result of post-tibial tendon dysfunction because the tendon is unable to support the arch. Plantar fasciitis, heel spurs, and/or heel discomfort may result from this. Weight bearing will make the pain worse, especially when walking or running.

When the tendon connecting the muscle to your bone is pulled and the muscle is overworked, posterior tibial tendonitis develops. The dysfunction of the posterior tibial tendon can also result from years of flat feet. When a muscle is overused repeatedly, the tendon’s damage accumulates, leading to tendonitis. At initially, the discomfort or swelling could come and go fast, but with time, it might get worse.

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Ingrown toenails are a very common problem affecting primarily the great toenail. An ingrown nail curves down and into the surrounding skin as it grows, causing the skin to grow over the nail. Symptoms of ingrown toenails are sore, often painful, nail folds with various degrees of redness, swelling, and sometimes clear or yellow drainage. Frequently, ingrown toenails resolve without medical treatment. Complicated cases may require treatment by a foot care specialist.

Ingrown toe nails care caused by the sideways growing portion of nail acting like a foreign body and pokes into or pinches off a small piece of skin at the outer edge of the toe. This may cause a break in the skin, causing inflammation and possibly infection. The inflammation often causes more thickening of the nail skin fold, further exacerbating the problem. The protruding piece of nail keeps pushing into the skin, causing further injury and pain.

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Putting weight on the heel can be quite painful if you have heel pain, which is a common ailment. Sometimes excessive impact on a particular area of the foot coupled with recurrent tension from overuse can result in heel pain. The reasons of heel pain syndrome are numerous. Just a few of the potential causes include wearing shoes with heels that are too low, a fat pad in the heel area that has thinned, or from an abrupt increase in activity. Plantar fasciitis is another potential source of heel discomfort.

Fungal nail infections are common. The infection causes thickened and unsightly nails which sometimes become painful. Toenails are more commonly affected than fingernails. It is more common in people aged over 55, and in younger people who share communal showers.Fungal nails can spread from a fungal skin infection. like athlete’s foot. A nail that has recently been damaged is also more likely to become infected. You have an increased risk of developing a fungal nail infection if you have various other conditions like diabetes, psoriasis, poor circulation, a poor immune system or a general poor state of health.

Often the infection is just in one nail, but several may be affected. At first the infection is usually painless. The nail may look thickened and discoloured but there are no other symptoms. White or yellow patches may appear. The nail may become soft and crumble. Bits of nail may fall off. The skin next to the nail may be inflamed or scaly. If left untreated, the infection may eventually destroy the nail and the nail-bed, and may become painful.

Fungal nails are difficult to treat and treatment does not always cure the infection and even if it does, it may not restore the nail’s appearance to normal. The anti-fungal medicines used need to be taken for several months – sometimes longer.

Corns and Calluses are two very similar and extremely common foot conditions.

Corns

Corns are a very common and usually form on the tops, sides and tips of the toes. They develop from an accumulation of dead skin cells on the foot. They contain a cone-shaped core or nucleaus with a point that can press on a nerve below and cause pain.

Corns can be caused by wearing tight fitting footwear, high heeled footwear, tight fitting stockings and socks, deformed toes, or the foot sliding forward in a shoe that fits too loosely. Corns in between the toes can result from bony prominences.

Callus

Calluses are caused by an accumulation of dead skin cells that harden and thicken over an area of the foot. Callus are the body’s way to protect the foot against excessive pressure and friction. Calluses are normally found on the ball-of-the-foot, the heel, and/or the inside of the big toe.

Calluses develop because of excessive pressure at a specific area of the foot. High-heeled dress shoes, shoes that are too small, obesity, abnormalities the way you walk, flat feet, high arched feet, bony prominences, and the loss of the fat pad on the bottom of the foot are all common causes of calluses.

Considered to be one of the most common problems of the forefoot. A bunion is a bony enlargement of the joint and surrounding soft tissues at the base of the big toe. The enlargement makes the big toe joint stick out further on the side, and forces the big toe to curve in closer to the other toes. For some people, bunions cause little or no pain.

Symptoms of bunions include inflammation, swelling, and soreness on the side surface of the big toe. The discomfort commonly causes a patient to walk improperly.

Some people develop bunions from wearing shoes that do not fit correctly (especially high heels or narrow-toed shoes). For other people, bunions are caused by factors beyond their control. These can include a family history of a foot type that is susceptible to bunions, neuromuscular disorders, conditions affecting the joints (e.g., arthritis), severe injury to the foot, deformities at birth and problems that affect the way a person walks (e.g., rolling in at the ankles, pronation, etc.)

The achilles tendon becomes inflamed and degenerates as a result of achilles tendonitis. The thick tendon that enters the heel at the back of the leg is called the achilles tendon. Without a prior event, pain can appear gradually. Achilles tendinitis should always be addressed because there’s a chance the tendon could deteriorate and rupture. Sports-related tendon stress, running, as well as extended durations of standing, can all contribute to Achilles tendonitis.

After jogging or engaging in other sports, achilles tendonitis symptoms frequently start as a minor soreness at the back of the leg or above the heel. After extended running, stair climbing, or sprinting, episodes of more acute discomfort may happen. People with achilles tendonitis frequently lament the excruciating discomfort they experience when getting out of bed in the morning. Pain after stepping out of a chair after a lengthy period of sitting is another frequent complaint. Activity frequently helps to minimize this soreness.

Over-pronation is the most typical cause of achilles tendinitis. When the arch collapses with weight bearing, overpronation develops, placing additional strain on the achilles tendon. A short achilles tendon, direct trauma to the tendon, malformation of the heel bone, incorrect shoe choice, inadequate stretching before sports, and achilles inflammation are other risk factors.

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A common painful condition of the heel and soles of the feet is called plantar fasciitis. It is characterized by swelling or degeneration of the foot’s plantar fascia. The plantar fascia is a thick, fibrous band of connective tissue that runs along the bottom of your foot from the heel bone to the base of your toes. The foot’s arch is supported by the plantar fascia.

Overuse of the plantar fascia, an increase in physical activity, or weight gain are the three main causes of plantar. Long periods of weight bearing are frequently linked to it, and people with flat feet or collapsed arches are far more likely to experience it.

Pain from plantar fasciitis is typically felt on the bottom of the heel and is frequently at its worst after rising early. The gastrocnemius muscle or Achilles tendon is typically tight in people with plantar fasciitis, which makes it difficult for them to raise their toes up toward the shin.

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Plantar fasciitis is a common painful foot condition of the heel and soles of the foot. It is characterized by inflammation or deterioration of the plantar fascia of the foot. The plantar fascia is a thick fibrous band of connective tissue that originates from your heel bone, extends along the sole of the foot, and inserts at the base of the toes The plantar fascia supports the arch of the foot.

The most common cause of plantar are overuse of the plantar fascia, increase in physical activity, or weight gain. It is commonly associated with long periods of weight bearing and is much more prevalent in individuals with flat feet or fallen arches.

Plantar fasciitis pain is usually felt on the underside of the heel and is often most intense with the first steps of the day. Those with plantar fasciitis often have difficulty bringing their toes toward the shin and this is usually due to tightness of the gastrocnemius muscle or Achilles tendon.

Contact your Kitchener Chiropodist & Foot Care Clinic today!