I have had many patients ask this exact question.  While I think the phrase “toe jam” is rather funny, it could be a serious matter.  The stuff between your toes usually consists of sock fibers, dead skin cells, fungi, dirt, and bacteria.  No, it’s not pretty to look at, but does it require a trip to your foot doctor?

First, wash your feet and in-between your toes with a mild soap and dry your feet well, especially in between the toes.  Next, wear your normal socks for 2-4 hours, then remove the socks and look between your toes.  If no sock fibers or dirt is there but you notice some other substance, it does warrant a visit to your podiatrist.  It could be eczema, psoriasis, fungi, excess sweat, or even a corn or bone spur.

The chance that toe jam is a corn needs to be ruled out.  If you have a thick lump between your toes or a hard knot, it may be a corn, which is made up of dead skin due to extra bone developing under the skin, usually caused by friction or improper shoes.  This can be dangerous and painful.  If you are a diabetic, you need to get it checked promptly before it opens up and causes an infection or ulceration.

The bacteria between your toes may be harmless, but in more serious cases it can cause infections and require prompt attention. If you have severe itching, rash, redness, swelling, odor cracks, drainage, or dead looking skin, it will need medical attention by your foot doctor.  The possibilities of something more serious are always there. Why take a chance?

Though toe jam itself is harmless, excellent hygiene should prevent something more serious.  If you suspect anything else as a possibility, don’t wait. Call Dr. Bowman at Houston Foot Specialists at 713-467-8886 or visit us online to make an appointment at www.houstonfootspecialists.com
   

Do you have thick, yellowish, brittle, and easily cracked or broken toenails without having injured them? They are likely discolored due to a fungal infection called onychomycosis, which is the most common disease of the nails.

The nail weakens as fungi continue to grow through the nail tissue. Since fungus grows faster than the nail, damage increases and the nail becomes more and more unsightly, with the infection spreading to the root or base of the nail.

Yeast and molds are also suspected to cause toenail fungus. These types of fungi exist in warm and moist environments, like shower areas, locker rooms, and swimming pools, and even your shoes (as toes are usually encased in shoes). Other factors include age, history of family infection or heredity, smoking, and heavy perspiration. People with circulatory problems, weak immune systems, or diabetes are at greater risk of developing fungal infections.

Nail fungus has been difficult to treat with success. The only options in the past have been topical or oral medications, which provide limited benefit. In addition, oral medication may cause liver damage. Now there is a safe, effective laser treatment for nail fungus. The laser destroys the fungus that causes onychomycosis with very little effect on the surrounding tissues. Treatment normally takes fewer than 20 minutes and there is no pain, although sometimes you may experience a warm or tingling sensation. There are no age or health restrictions for laser treatments.

Laser toenail treatment is considered aesthetic (cosmetic). Therefore, most health insurance plans do not cover treatment, and it can be costly. Consult with your podiatric physician to determine if this course of treatment is right for you.

There are some other preventive steps you can take to avoid reoccurrence of toenail fungus infection. They include keeping the toenails short and clean to stop the growth or worsening of the infection; following a scrupulous hygiene program; using anti-fungal spray on feet and shoes; avoiding going barefoot; keeping feet clean and dry; and changing socks daily.  If you suffer from nail fungus, contact Houston Foot Specialists and Dr. Bowman can help you be free from thick, brittle and yellowish nails!

I watched the Oscars and the annual fashion show on the red carpet.  While all the women were glamorous from head to toe, by the end of the night most of them were either barefoot or carrying their shoes looking for a place to sit.

Although high heels and stilettos may make women’s legs more shapely and elegant, they are not an everyday shoe.  Most of these shoes offer little to no support for your feet and can cause pain because all your weight is forced to the balls of your feet, pinching the toes together. In some cases, the imbalance can lead to sprained ankles or even worse - ankle fractures from falling.

A lot of these shoes may make foot problems worse and speed up the formation of such problems as bunion’s, hammertoes, corns, callous, pinched nerves, and many more deformities.

So, the question I get is, “How can I wear heels and be comfortable?”  First thing is find out what is causing the discomfort.  If all the weight of your body is forced onto your forefeet, you need to wear a lower heeled shoe of about 1 ½ inches in height.  A completely closed-in shoe will give more support than a sling back, peep-toe shoe, or sandal.  Padding and wider shoes will often help, but wider shoes may slip off the back of your heels.  A custom device called an Orthotic can be made to fit into heels that will keep the muscles, tendons, ligaments and bones in a proper position and prevent the imbalance and discomfort.

Stretching your toes both toward the leg and down helps to strengthen your feet. Stretching the calves and the arch will also help.  Your Podiatrist can show you Exercises specific for you to ensure correct form and position.  Your foot doctor will go over the pros and cons of different styles of shoes to determine what is best for you.  Be sure to bring a pair of high heeled shoes that you frequently wear to your appointment to be evaluated for wear patterns and unequal weight distribution.

I will not tell you to give up high heels.  I will simply help you achieve the comfort you desire so you may wear high heels on occasion.

For more information on high heels and your feet, feel free to contact Dr. Bowman at Houston Foot Specialists by either calling 713-467-8886 or at our website www.houstonfootspecialists.com

Seeking medical attention from your podiatric physician is the first line of defense in treating heel pain. However, there are several steps you can take to avoid heel pain in the first place:

*Wear shoes that fit well and have shock-absorbent soles, rigid shanks (the part of the shoe that supports the foot and helps give a shoe its structure), and a supportive heel counter (the rear-most part of the shoe, at the back of the heel above the sole).

* Wear the proper shoes for each activity.

* Do not wear shoes with excessive wear on heels or soles.

* Begin exercises slowly. Consult with your podiatric physician before beginning a new exercise program.

* Wear athletic shoes with good shock support in the heels.

* Purchase shoes that fit.

* Avoid activities that may put constant strain on the foot.

* Avoid going barefoot on all surfaces.

* If obese, lose weight.

A variety of treatment solutions are available to provide short and long-term pain relief. Begin treating heel pain by avoiding all sorts of pressure or tension on the inflamed area, giving your feet ample rest. Applying ice and heat packs in alternating fashion will greatly accelerate the process of healing. Another option is the use of custom insoles that may be created by your podiatric physician. These may assist with treating active conditions of heel pain and likewise reduce the risk for reoccurrence. The custom insole will restore body balance and prevent the plantar fascia from experiencing strain when you walk. If all non-invasive treatment solutions do not work, surgery is probably the best next option, and often Endoscopic procedures or minimally invasive procedures are an option.

Regular exercise for calf muscles and the plantar fascia is necessary to alleviate pain and improve flexibility of the affected muscle. These exercises are advised for both legs even if the pain is in one heel only. Some of the most beneficial exercises are:

*Towel stretches – This exercise should be done every morning before you leave your bed. Make a loop with a towel and use it to pull your toes toward your body, while keeping the knee straight. Stretch each foot three times, and hold each stretch for 30 seconds, if possible.

*Stair stretches – Stand tall on a staircase with the balls of both feet on the edge of the step. Place hands on the railing or the wall for balance and support. Slowly lower heels toward the floor until you feel a stretch in your lower leg and heels. Maintain the stretch for 10 to 15 seconds. Repeat this exercise six times, and perform the stretches twice every day.

*Wall-Leaning Stretch – Stand an arm’s length away from a wall, place both hands on the wall at shoulder height, with the feet slightly apart and one foot in front of the other. Your front knee should be bent, but the back knee should be straight while you lean toward the wall. Hold the position for 10 seconds at a time for up to 15 or 20 repetitions per leg.

If you are unsure of the cause of your symptoms, if pain is severe, or if you have the following symptoms, call a podiatric physician immediately:

*Inability to bend your foot downward.

*Inability to rise on your toes.

*Inability to walk comfortably on the affected side.

*Swelling or discoloration of the back of the foot.

*Heel pain that occurs at night or while resting.

*Heel pain that persists beyond a few days.

Heel pain does not always subside quickly after medical attention is received. Unfortunately, it may take several months before the pain is actually gone. In most cases, heel pain can be treated at home under a podiatric physician’s supervision. If you are in need of a podiatrist, check out Houston Foot Specialists, we'd love to help you get rid of that heel pain!

Do you feel a stabbing pain in your heel with your first steps out of bed in the morning? You’re not alone! Every day, thousands of Americans suffer from this condition. Plantar fasciitis, more commonly known as heel pain, is by far the most common complaint patients bring to podiatric physicians.

Aching heels can truly affect your lifestyle and disrupt essential activities and prevent you, to a large extent, from playing sports or simply going for a walk. An accurate expedient diagnosis of the cause of your symptoms will help you receive the appropriate treatment.

There are several causes of heel pain. The most common include:
*Plantar Fasciitis – Inflammation of the band of fibrous connective tissue (fascia) running along the bottom (plantar) surface of the foot, from the heel to the ball of the foot. Both heel pain and heel spurs are frequently associated with plantar fasciitis.
*Heel Spurs – A bony growth on the underside of the heel bone. The spur, visible by X-ray, appears as a protrusion that can extend forward as much as half an inch. Heel spurs can result from strain on the ball of the foot and repeated tearing away of the lining or membrane that covers the heel bone.
*Excessive Pronation – Excessive inward motion can create an abnormal amount of stretching and pulling on the ligaments and tendons that attach to the bottom back part of the heel bone. Excessive pronation may also contribute to injury to the hip, knee, and lower back.
*Achilles Tendinitis – Pain at the back of the heel is associated with Achilles tendinitis, which is inflammation of the Achilles tendon as it runs behind the ankle and inserts on the back surface of the heel bone.
*Tarsal Tunnel Syndrome – This syndrome causes a large nerve in the back of the foot to become entrapped, or pinched. Similar to carpal tunnel syndrome in the hand, tarsal tunnel syndrome can cause heel pain.

Other possible causes of heel pain include rheumatoid arthritis and other forms of arthritis (e.g., gout); Haglund’s deformity (a bone enlargement at the back of the heel bone in the area where the Achilles tendon attaches to the bone); inflamed bursa (“bursitis”), a small, irritated sac of fluid; neuromas (nerve growths) or other soft-tissue growths; and bruises or contusions, which involve inflammation of the tissues that cover the heel bone. A bone bruise is a sharply painful injury caused by the direct impact of a hard object or surface on the foot.

Some contributing factors associated with heel pain are age (with increasing age, often there is decreasing flexibility); any sudden change in activity (particularly activities that increase weight bearing or pressure on the foot); flat, pronated feet or high-arched feet; a sudden increase in weight; pregnancy; stress from an injury; a bruise incurred while walking, running, or jumping on hard surfaces; or medical conditions such as tarsal tunnel syndrome.

If you have any questions on heel pain, contact Dr. Bowman at Houston Foot Specialists.