Patients suffering from gout often complain of severe pain that is 10/10 on a visual analogue scale for pain (VAS). Gout commonly affects the big toe. Patients are in so much pain they can’t even let their bed sheets touch their foot without jumping. The usual presentation is that the patient wakes up with a swollen red hot painful foot and cannot recall any injury or trauma. An acute gout attack can be excruciating that some people go to the emergency room for relief of their pain.

Gout is a systemic condition caused by increased levels of uric acid in the blood. The big toe is the most common joint to collect excess uric acid. Excess uric acid will start to crystallize in the joint and your body reacts to the uric acid by becoming inflamed, swollen, red, warm and painful.

Diet and avoiding foods rich in uric acid such as red meat, seafood and alcohol can help prevent a gout attack. It can also be managed through medications.

If you are unsure if your foot pain is from a gout attack, come visit us at Foot & Ankle Doctors, Inc.

Dr. Dardashti

At Foot & Ankle Doctors, Inc. we understand that flip-flops are a summer staple, and have become so popular that some companies have created flip-flops with a built in bottle opener. Although flip-flops and sandals are comfortable and fashionable, they aren’t the best footwear for you.

Flip-flops have little to no arch support, they have minimal cushioning and shock absorption and can lead to foot pain if worn all day long. Common foot injuries associated with flip-flops include: blisters, stress fracture of the metatarsals, plantar fasciitis, ankle sprains and tendonitis. It’s okay to wear flip-flops when running a few errands, at the beach, or at a public pool, but they should not be worn when walking long distances, doing yard work and playing sports.

Patients with diabetes should avoid flip-flops because they expose your feet and increase your chances of lacerations and puncture wounds leading to serious infections.

What to look for in a summer sandal:

• High quality material such as soft leather that will not irritate the skin
• A sturdy pair that will not fold in half when bent
• Built in arch support

It’s important to remember that the sun can easily damage the skin on the feet and sunscreen should be applied to protect them from sun damage

Dr. Nejad

Athlete’s foot can be an embarrassing problem, despite its name anyone can contract athlete’s foot. It is caused by fungal infections and is easily contracted when wearing damp socks in tight shoes or walking barefoot in public locker rooms and shower areas.

Symptoms include cracked, scaling, itchy red skin between the toes and on the bottom on feet. In some cases blisters or ulcers may form. Athlete’s foot is contagious and it is best to avoid scratching or picking the affected areas on the feet.

Over the counter medication can be used to treat Athlete’s foot, however if your symptoms do not get better in a few weeks come see us at Foot & Ankle Doctors, Inc. If we cannot diagnose your symptoms classically as Athlete’s Foot a small shave biopsy will be taken and sent to the lab to be examined under a microscope before topical or oral anti-fungual medications will be dispensed.

• To avoid Athlete’s Foot:
• Keep your feet dry
• Change your socks regularly
• Don’t walk around barefoot in public places
• Wear well ventilated shoes

Young adolescents complaining of ankle pain, joint popping or locking with decreased range of motion of the ankle and swelling and tenderness are signs of osteochondritis dissecans (OCD). OCD most often occurs in athletic males between the ages of 10 and 20. A small piece of cartilage becomes loose and can detach in some cases. If the fragment of cartilage migrates and gets stuck in the ankle joint, surgical intervention is required. OCD can increase your chances of developing osteoarthritis of the ankle joint.

Imaging

Physicians at Foot & Ankle Doctors, Inc. will take x-rays of your ankle and stage the severity of the injury from 1 to 4.

Treatment

Treat of early stages of OCD involve immobilization of the ankle joint in a non-weight bearing cast to avoid stress on the ankle. Physical therapy is important to increase range of motion and strengthen muscles that support the ankle joint. If conservative treatments fail after 3 months or a fragment of bone is caught in the ankle joint, surgery is required.Surgical intervention includes arthroscopic treatment to clean the ankle joint of debris. Osteoarticular Transfer System (OATS) surgery is another treatment that replaces damaged cartilage relieving pain and resorting movement. Small plugs of healthy cartilage are taken from another area of the ankle joint and transferred to damaged area. Patients will be on crutches for 6 to 12 weeks after surgery and long term physical therapy is necessary to restore range of motion and relieve pain.

For more information visit us at Foot & Ankle Doctors, Inc.

Dr. Nejad