1) Young children usually have flat feet, because their feet haven't formed arches yet. However, this may be a problem if the arches don't form!

2) Over 2 Million people in the United States seek treatment for plantar fasciitis. 

3) Did you know that toenails grow slower than fingernails do?

4) Walking is the best exercise for you, and it helps blood circulation!

5) The skin at the bottom of your feet is the thickest skin on your entire body.

Did you know that the average person will walk approximately 115,000 miles in their life time? That's more than four times the circumference of the earth. No wonder many people experience heel pain. In fact, plantar fasciitis is the most common cause of heel pain. Plantar fasciitis is when there's pain and inflammation of the plantar fascia. Usually this pain occurs in the morning time, when you take your first step out of bed. If you experience a stabbing pain at the bottom of your foot, near your heel, then it's likely that you might have plantar fasciitis. There are many surgical and non-surgical ways to treat plantar fasciitis, however. Our clinic provides many options for patients such as anti-inflammatory medications, corticosteroids, custom orthotics, surgery and shockwave therapy. Contact us today for an appointment and we'll help you get back on your feet!

With summertime just around the corner, we are starting to see a lot more Achilles problems, injuries and overuse injuries. We see a number of Achilles tendon ruptures, and fortunately this is not that common. The most common condition we see is calcific changes of the Achilles tendon. There can be problems for within the tendon itself in the middle of the tendon up above the heel bone (watershed region) but very often it occurs at the insertion of the Achilles tendon, at the posterior aspect of the calcaneus. When there is inflammation at the insertion of the Achilles tendon over time this inflammation can lead to degenerative changes and calcific changes within the tendon itself (Calcific Achilles tendinosis, sometimes referred to as Achilles tendinitis). Over time this can progress to bone formation and when you look on x-ray see a large spur. X-rays can be helpful if it's a fairly large spur or area of calcific changes. But my favorite diagnostic evaluation technique is ultrasound imaging. With ultrasound imaging even very small areas of calcific changes show very clearly at the insertion of the Achilles tendon. There are a number of treatment options for this if it's caught before the spurs too large.

• The #1 treatment for this is prescription orthotics to control the side to side motion of the foot that would otherwise cause mechanical shearing at the insertion of the Achilles tendon.
• A special brace for Achilles problems called an Achillotrain brace.
• Eccentric Achilles strengthening exercises are also very helpful.
• EPAT–extracorporal pulse activation technology also known as shockwave therapy. This is the newest treatment that we offer at our clinic. The shockwave therapy is typically done once a week for 3 treatments. For more severe cases it is 5 treatments over a 5 week course. The maximum improvement often occurs between 12 and 16 weeks post initiation of treatment. This is a great treatment because there is no down time and no injection required. If you would like to know more about shockwave treatment for Achilles tendinitis or have other questions regarding this type of heel pain or Achilles problems please let us know. Both Dr. Brandon Nelson and myself, Dr. Timothy Young treat a lot of these sports type Achilles problems.

Bunions are an inherited foot condition that can be accelerated by shoe gear and activities. Some patients will have bunions for years that cause no pain and discomfort and within weeks of shoe gear or activities become painful. Not everyone requires bunion surgery and it is important to be evaluated by a professional who treats a large number of bunions. There are many techniques to slow the progression of bunions nonsurgically. In addition for surgical repair of bunions there are many procedures can be chosen from. The most important thing is to have the bunion evaluated by bunion professional. Whether you are interested in having bunion surgery or needing help to slow down the progression of your bunion we will be happy to help.

Hammertoes can cause a lot of pain and discomfort. Often times we see hammertoes associated with bunions and it is important to treat both conditions. These can be challenging conditions for patients, and it is important to find proper fitting shoes and comfortable shoe gear. There are quite a few options to help alleviate hammertoe pain and discomfort and slow down the progression of the deformity. Patients that are interested in hammertoe surgery will require an x-ray to evaluate the deformity and determine the appropriate procedure selection. In addition we always recommend general overall foot evaluation to make sure additional deformities are not associated with the hammertoes. The majority of hammertoe procedures can be performed at our on-site surgery center, which saves patients both time and money.