There is always a lot of discussion about what patients can do at home to help with plantar fasciitis. There are a couple simple instructions that can be helpful for heel pain or plantar fasciitis. One of the most important concepts is icing. Plantar fasciitis is an inflammatory disorder that is directly related to increased pressures on the heel and/or tight calf muscles. Icing can be extremely beneficial for the inflammatory component of this pain. I recommend icing at least 10 minutes a day and most patients will find this extremely beneficial. Icing actually decreases the blood supply to the fascia which helps decrease the inflammatory cascade.

However, decreasing the blood supply to the fascia can delay the healing process so it is essential to have any pain in the foot or ankle evaluated by a podiatrist. The majority of heel pain is caused from plantar fasciitis and before starting any treatment it is important to know the cause. Another treatment option I can be performed at home that patients find it extremely beneficial is calf stretching. It is important to stretch both the gastroc and the soleus muscles so one must perform stretching with both the knee extended the knee flexed. The majority of plantar fasciitis is extremely amenable with conservative measures. If you suffer from chronic heel pain or pain in general of the foot or ankle, please give us a call and we’ll get you back on the road to recovery.

Standing or walking on hard surfaces all day can cause calluses to form on your feet. Being overweight and sedentary can also be a factor to having thickened skin on your feet, including heel calluses and heel fissures. Cracked heels can become worse without treatment and lead to bleeding and infection.

Here are three ways to help treat and prevent cracking heels we recommend at Issaquah Foot and Ankle Specialists:

1. Protect your feet with properly fitted shoes and orthotics. Wear properly fitted, supportive and comfortable shoes. The use of heel pads and other custom orthotic inserts can help isolate problem areas while they heal.

2. File away cracked and dead skin and moisturize. Dead skin can be removed using a pumice stone or file after soaking the feet to soften the skin.

3. Apply skin cream or lotion several times a day and allow it to soak in. In addition, wearing a sock over the foot while sleeping will provide for maximum absorption.

If you are experiencing foot or ankle pain, give us a call at 425-391-8666 or make an appointment online. 

Bunion surgery in the past was only performed in a hospital setting and patients often stayed the night at the hospital. Things have really changed and now patients do not stay the night in a hospital and most bunions are performed in a surgery center. The average bunion surgery takes less than 2 hours and patients will only require IV sedation as opposed to general sedation. This type of sedation makes for a much quicker recovery from anesthesia and often less side effects. I like to provide all my patients with a nerve block so they will get a good night's sleep the evening of surgery.  The majority of patients will be pain free the first night. 

The next day most patients will have pain that is well controlled with pain medication. Often patients will just take prescription pain medication for the first 24-48 hours and then switch to over the counter pain control.  We utilize advanced techniques that allow all our bunion patients to walk after surgery thereby minimizing down time and speeding recovery.  We have protocols to help get your ankle and toes moving right after surgery to decrease stiffness and swelling. Additionally, we will provide patients with exercise guidelines to help them stay fit and active during the recovery phase. One of the best aspects of our practice is we perform bunion surgery every single Monday and have fixed 1000’s of bunions.  Another enormous advantage of our clinic is an onsite surgery suite that will save patients thousands of dollars on the surgery as we have special discounted pricing compared to other doctors that must take you to a hospital or surgery center. Do not let your bunion keep your from wearing a normal shoe or enjoying the activities you love give us a call at 425-391-8666 or make an appointment online so we can help.

Neuromas or Morton’s neuromas can cause a lot of pain especially in people who partake in physical activities. Often times patients present with burning or tingling in the foot. The pain can subside with massage or taking off the shoe. Patients often relate numbness or tingling to the third and fourth digits and have done online research about Morton’s neuromas. The third interspace is by far the most common spot to get a Morton’s neuroma because the medial and lateral plantar nerves come together in this location.

Patients often have tried cortisone injections or other conservative modalities and then often times consider surgical removal. I always recommend an additional consultation for having a Morton’s neuroma removed because alcohol therapy can be so successful. At our clinic we use an ultrasound-guided alcohol injection therapy and often times see about a 90% resolution of symptoms. If you’re considering having your neuroma removed surgically please see us prior to doing this to see if you are a candidate for this therapy.

Give us a call today at 425-391-866 or make an appointment online today. 

Bunions and tailor’s bunion can be quite painful. Often times we see hammertoes associated with tailor’s bunions on the outside of the foot or on the inside of the foot. Bunion pain especially bunion pain of the big toe can be extremely difficult for patients that are active. We get a lot of questions for what is the best bunion correction that can be performed utilizing surgical techniques. We also get a lot of questions regarding minimally invasive type bunion procedures. The most important part of bunion surgery is having your bunion evaluated.

I highly recommend meeting your surgeon in person and have them evaluate your foot both clinically and radiographically. X-rays are paramount as well as the clinical exam to see what is causing the bunion deformity and what is the best correction method to be applied. There are many different types of bunion surgeries from what we call head procedures or procedures performed at the distal aspect of the first metatarsal or base procedures which are procedures performed at the proximal aspect. The recovery and the long-term reduction of the deformity can be correlated to type of bunion procedure that is done as well as a factors contributing to the bunion. Every bunion procedure we perform the patient can walk on the foot after the procedure and all of them are done in the office to save both time and money. 

If you have tried bunion pads and other bunion relief options give us a call and we’ll help you fix your bunion. Give us a call at 425-391-8666 or make an apointment online today. Myself (Dr. Brandon Nelson) or my partner Dr. Timothy Young would love to see you. 

At Issaquah Foot and Ankle Specialists, we commonly treat kids with heel pain. Often times these are kids in the 8-14 age range who have increasing pain with activities. The majority of these kids are highly active and involved in more than one sport. Kids often don’t have heel pain in the morning or experience much swelling or stiffness. Additionally, often times they have siblings or parents who've had heel pain.

We highly recommend having them evaluated by a physician to diagnose and treat the cause of the condition. X-ray usually gives an accurate cause of heel pain in pediatric patients. The majority of kids we treat can get back to full activities very quickly with a huge reduction in pain in just a few days. If you have a child suffering from heel pain, we highly encourage seeking the help of a foot and ankle physician. Give us a call at 425-391-8666 or make an appointment online.

Dr. Timothy Young explains bunion surgery.

Heel pain, especially that causes pain in the morning or after we get up from a seated position can be very challenging. The most common cause is from plantar fasciitis and we are here to help. We are the number one heel pain center and have the most experience in treating heel pain. We have developed techniques to get fast relief, even on the first visit.

There are no other clinics like us in Washington State, we have seen others try and impersonate us even naming themselves as a heel pain center. However, Issaquah Foot & Ankle Specialists home to the original heel pain center. Do not let heel pain stop you from enjoying your time outside or get in the way of your summer. Schedule an appointment online today or give us a call at 425-391-8666 and cure your heel pain once and for all.

Fellow, American College of Foot and Ankle