Mike Conley - Achilles tendonitis - The Texas Foot Specialists

Memphis Grizzlies point guard Mike Conley is just one of the NBA players who recently suffered from a foot injury. His condition was later diagnosed as Achilles tendonitis. Mike Conley missed three games due to the pain in his left foot. After re-evaluation by team doctors, the decision was made not to allow Conley to return to the game. But what is Achilles tendonitis?

Achilles tendonitis is the inflammation of your Achilles' tendon. It causes pain along the along the back of your leg near the heel. It occurs when the tendon of your heel become swollen and painful. Consult a podiatrist any signs of chronic foot pain. Dr. Bruce Miller and Dr. Gregory Mangum are Podiatrist who specializes in helping people with Achilles tendonitis.

Any repeated activity that strains the Achilles tendon can contribute to this problem. Achilles tendonitis is likely to occur if:

• Exercising without a proper warm up
• Your calf muscles are very tight
• Running on hard surface such as concrete
• Running too often
• Jumping a lot
• Not wearing shoes that give your feet proper support
• Your foot suddenly turns in or out and
• Wearing high heels daily

Symptoms of Achilles tendonitis are:

• Pain above your heel and the back of your foot especially when stretching
• Swelling
• Tenderness
• Snapping or popping noise during the injury
• Stiffness
• Difficulty in flexing your foot or pointing your noise

Your doctor might suggest a variety of treatments available for Achilles Tendonitis:

• Reducing your physical activity
• Switching to a different, less strenuous sport
• Elevating your foot to lessen the swelling
• Wearing a brace or elastic bandage to prevent movement
• Getting steroid injections
• Stretching and strengthening the calf muscles
• Applying ice in the area after an exercise or in pain
• Going to physical therapy
• Using anti-inflammatory medications for a limited time

There are times that the conservative treatments are not effective. In these cases, surgery is necessary to repair the Achilles' tendon.

Here are some tips on how to lower the risk of Achilles Tendonitis:

• Stretch your calf muscles every morning to improve your agility.
• Ease into a new exercise routine that will gradually intensify your physical activity.
• Combine a low and high impact exercises to reduce constant stress on your tendons.
• Choose a shoe that has arch support and proper cushioning.
• Gradually reduce the heel size of your shoes to allow the tendons to slowly stretch and increase its range of motion.

The Texas Foot Specialists located in Sugar Land, Pasadena and Houston, we specialize in helping people with Achilles tendonitis. To schedule an appointment call Sugar Land (281) 242-4448, Pasadena (281) 991-0600 and Houston (713) 664-6677.

Foot Drop, Causes, Symptoms and Diagnosis - The Texas Foot Specialists

Foot drop or commonly called drop foot is the weakening of the muscles that permits flex in your ankle and toes. This in turn makes you drag your front foot while walking. Usually a test is made to check for foot drop. If you suspect foot drop try walking on your heels. If waling on the heels is difficult, then foot drop might be present. Consult a podiatrist for accurate foot drop diagnosis. Dr. Gregory Mangum and Dr. Bruce Miller are Podiatrists who specialize in foot care and treating foot disorders.

Remember that foot drop is not a disease but a symptom of another medical condition which affects the muscles and nerves. It is important to identify possible causes of the foot drop so proper treatments can be administered.

Common Causes of foot drop:

• Lower back problems
• Diabetes
• Parkinson's disease
• Stroke/tumor
• Multiple sclerosis
• Foot or lower leg injury
• Diseases of the motor neurons
• Peroneal nerve damage brought by childbirth, excessive weight loss, hip or knee replacement surgery

Signs and symptoms of foot drop:

• Hip swinging outside
• Foot flop
• Decreasing muscle mass in the legs
• Muscle weakness
• Slight pain in the affected foot
• Tingling and numbness of the foot
• Difficulty using the front foot
• Steppage gait - this is the main sign of a foot drop. A person with a steppage gait walks while dragging his foot and toes.

Tests and diagnosis for foot drop:

• Physical test. Your doctor will ask you to walk and check for your gait. He may also check you for muscle weakness of the affected leg.
• Imaging tests. Imaging tests are usually done if there are suspected growth of cyst or tumor that presses on the nerve of the knee or spine. An overgrowth of bone may also be detected through imaging tests. These tests include x-rays, ultrasounds, computerized tomography scan and magnetic resonance imaging.
• Nerve tests. Nerve tests are good in detecting the area of the affected nerve that causes the foot drop. Electro-diagnostic studies such as electromyography is uses to identify possible nerve damage.

The Texas Foot Specialists located in Sugar Land, Pasadena and Houston we specialize in helping people suffering from foot drop and other foot injuries.  To schedule an appointment call Sugar Land (281) 242-4448, Pasadena (281) 991-0600 and Houston (713) 664-6677.

New York Yankee Pitcher Bryan Mitchell Falls to Turf Toe Injury - The Texas Foot Specialists

New York Yankees pitcher Bryan Mitchell is rumored to have a grade 3 Turf toe. Mitchell is a professional baseball pitcher who suffered an injury in a game against Atlanta Braves. It is said that he was running to cover the first base. His injury will require him a surgery that will take him three months to fully recover.

Turf toe is the term used to describe the sprain of the ligaments around the big toe joint. This injury is caused when the big toe is jammed forcefully while running or jumping. Consult a podiatrist for any type of foot injury. Dr. Gregory Mangum and Dr. Bruce Miller are Podiatrists who specialize in helping people with chronic foot pain and other types of foot conditions.

 What are the signs and symptoms of Turf toe? 

• There is limited toe movement
• At a time of injury, a snapping or popping sound can be heard
• Your mobility is reduced
• Your toe is swelling
• Your big toe is bruising
• There is pain at the base of your big toe
• Tenderness
•  Pain and other symptoms are mild at first but it will gradually get worse. Not everyone will experience all these symptoms but everyone complains about pain. 

Tips on how to prevent turf toe

• With the help of a proper footwear, turf toe and other toe injuries can be avoided and prevented. You can also try various stretching exercises that will strengthen your toes.
• Instead of tennis shoes, it is much better if you will wear cleats
• Wearing proper shoes that provide protection most especially on your toes
• Toe walking - you must do this exercise slowly at first. It is simple as standing on your tiptoes and walk
• Pencil pick-up - you have to use your toe to pick up the pencil on the floor while you are sitting

Tips on how to treat a turf toe

• Rest - putting weights and pressures on your toes should be avoided when you are in the healing process
• Ice - should be applied on the injured part every hour that will take 15 to 20 minutes to lessen the pain
• Compression - it is important to tape your toes with the help of elastic bandages to prevent your toes from moving
• Elevation - with the help of pillows and cushions, you have to raise your injured foot above your heart level
• Anti-inflammatory drugs - over the counter medication like Ibuprofen can help to lessen the pain

It is said that turf toe can cause long-term problems even with proper medication and treatment. This can also lead to hyper flexion injuries. The pain will subside from two to three weeks with the help of proper treatment and medication. 

The Texas Foot Specialists located in Sugar Land, Pasadena and Houston we specialize in helping people suffering from chronic foot problems. To schedule an appointment call Sugar Land (281) 242-4448, Pasadena (281) 991-0600 and Houston (713) 664-6677.

Natural Treatments for Swollen Ankles - The Texas Foot Specialists

Swollen ankles can be caused by a variety of factors. Whether it is due to prolonged standing or a result of a disease such as kidney problems, ankles become swollen because of fluid buildup in the area. Visit a podiatrist to properly identify the cause of your swollen ankle. Dr. Gregory Mangum and Dr. Bruce Miller are podiatrists who specializes in helping people with foot disorders and injuries.  

Since most would want a natural way to help reduce the swelling of their ankles, I have here a list of the 5 natural ways that can help lessen your swollen ankles.

Immerse foot in tonic water

Tonic water contains quinine and its bubbles can help lessen inflammation. Aside from reducing the inflammation and swelling, soaking your feet in tonic water will help it to relax and soothes the swollen ankles.

Apply some grapefruit essential oil

1. Fill a bucket with warm water and apply a few drops of grapefruit essential oil.
2. Soak your feet for 15-20 minutes to soothe and relax it.
3. Take your feet and pat dry using a soft towel.
4. Mix few drops of grapefruit essential oil with carrier oil (preferably sweet almond or olive) and massage it to your feet up to the legs.
5. Make sure that your massage stroke is pointing upward in a circular motion to help the fluid have a better circulation.

Immerse in a Salt Water

Using Epsom salts when taking a bath is a sure way to make it more relaxing. Just make sure that the amount of Epsom salt you are mixing with water is a healthy dose.

Use support hose

Support hose is a great weapon to help fight swollen ankles as they prevent swelling. These support hose is also called compression gear which can be a knee or thigh-high or full-on compression stockings. They are very hard to put on because they are really tight but rest assured that they make wonders to your swollen ankle.

Elevate your feet    

The reasons for a swollen ankle and feet are the facts that the fluid is being retained and collected in your lower extremities and that your body has trouble in its circulation. Defy gravity to reduce your edema. If you are about to go to sleep at night, use one or two pillows to elevate your foot and make sure that it is above your heart. If you are in your office, you may have something under your table so that you can elevate it.

The Texas Foot Specialists located in Sugar Land, Pasadena and Houston we specialize in helping people with foot problems. To schedule an appointment call Sugar Land (281) 242-4448, Pasadena (281) 991-0600 and Houston (713) 664-6677.