Use This Handy All-in-One Reference Guide to Understand More About Foot Health

How Does Arthritis Affect the Foot? 

Arthritis is characterized by inflammation and swelling of the cartilage and lining of the joints, typically accompanied by an increase in fluid or a buildup of uric acid crystals within the joints. Each foot has 33 joints that can be afflicted with various types of painful arthritis, including rheumatoid, gout, psoriatic, and traumatic. 

What’s the Connection Between Diabetes, Poor Circulation, and Foot Problems?

Diabetes and cardiovascular disease often affect circulation and nerve health first—showing up as numbness, tingling, cold feet, color changes, or sores that heal slowly. Here's what to watch for: 

1. Charcot foot. This term describes a pattern of bone and joint damage that results in weakness.
2. Diabetes. At Neville Foot & Ankle Centers, our podiatrists play a key role in helping patients manage diabetes successfully and avoid foot-related complications.
3. Diabetic wound care. A diabetic foot ulcer is an open sore or wound that occurs in approximately 15% of patients with diabetes and is commonly located on the bottom of the foot.
4. High blood pressure. Also known as hypertension, our foot doctors are vitally concerned about vascular disease and other circulatory issues that affect your foot and overall health.
5. Peripheral Arterial Disease (PAD). This is caused by a blockage or narrowing of the arteries in the legs when fatty deposits (plaque) build up. The buildup of plaque causes the arteries to harden and narrow.
6. Peripheral neuropathy. This condition causes damage to the peripheral nerves—the nerves in your toes and fingertips. In the U.S., the most common cause of peripheral neuropathy is diabetes.

What Are Some Common Foot and Ankle Injuries?

From awkward steps to overuse during workouts, injuries happen in an instant—or build up slowly over time. Knowing some typical problems and their early warning signs helps you receive the right care sooner, alleviate pain faster, and prevent long-term issues.

1. Bursitis. This is inflammation and swelling of fluid-filled sacs called bursae.
2. Puncture wounds. Caused by traumatic injury, they pose a high risk of infection if not treated properly.
3. Sprains and strains. The feet and ankles work together to provide support and mobility to the body. A foot or ankle sprain is a soft tissue injury. 
4. Fractures. These are bone breaks that require immediate medical intervention.

What Other Foot Issues Lead to Heel, Arch, or Ankle Discomfort?

Injuries, structural imbalances, nerve irritation, or everyday wear-and-tear often contribute to pain. Here are potential clues that can help you pinpoint what’s going on:

1. Haglund's Deformity. This condition results in a bony enlargement of the back of the heel bone. Sometimes it's called “pump bump” because it commonly affects people who wear high heels.
2. Heel pain. The heel bone is the largest of the 26 bones in the human foot. Like all bones, it's subject to outside influences that can affect its integrity and cause extreme discomfort, compromising mobility.
3. Tendonitis. Tendinitis is the inflammation of a tendon. For example, Achilles tendonitis is one of the most common causes of foot or ankle pain.

When Should You See a Podiatrist for Dry, Cracked, or Discolored Foot Skin?

Because your feet spend so much time in shoes and socks, skin issues can develop quickly—and they’re often easy to ignore until they become painful. The following are just a few conditions we frequently treat at Neville Foot & Ankle Centers. 

1. Athlete's foot. Also known as tinea pedia, this skin disease is caused by a fungus. It most commonly attacks the feet because shoes create a warm, dark, and humid environment that encourages fungal growth.
2. Corns and calluses. These are areas of thickened skin that develop to protect that location from irritation. They're usually caused by rubbing or excess pressure against a part of the foot.
3. Psoriasis. This condition is caused by faster-than-normal turnover of skin cells. The new cells move to the surface so rapidly that the dead cells build up on the surface in dry, whitish-silver patches.
4. Sweaty feet. Also known as hyperhidrosis, excessive foot sweat often affects people who have trouble with moist palms as well. 
5. Warts. These are another soft tissue foot condition that can be quite painful. They're caused by a virus and can appear anywhere on the skin.
6. Skin cancer. Although most skin cancers of the feet are painless, and there's often a history of recurrent cracking, bleeding, or ulceration that serves as a warning sign.

When Does Toe Pain Signal a Joint Disorder or a Nerve Disorder?

Toe pain can come from different sources, and the symptoms often overlap—making it hard to tell what’s really going on. Here are a few examples:

1. Bunions. A bunion is an enlargement of the joint at the base of the big toe that forms when the bone or tissue at the big toe joint moves out of place. You can also develop what's called a bunionette or tailor's bunion, which develops at the base of your little toe. 
2. Hammer toes. This condition is a contracture, or bending, of a toe at the first joint of the digit, called the proximal interphalangeal joint. This bending causes the toe to appear like an upside-down V when looked at from the side.
3. Neuromas. Also referred to as a pinched nerve or a nerve tumor, it's a benign growth of nerve tissue frequently found between the third and fourth toes.

How Can You Spot Toenail Infections and Ingrown Nails?

What appears to be minor redness or slight discoloration can quickly become a painful or infected condition. Here’s what to look for:

1. Ingrown toenails. This common nail impairment is when nail corners or sides embed into the soft tissue of the nail grooves, often leading to irritation, redness, and swelling. 
2. Toenail fungus. This other frequent nail problem is an infection beneath the surface of the nail caused by a viral infection. The disease is characterized by a progressive change in a toenail's quality and color.