What is a Plantar Wart? A wart is an infection caused by a virus, which can enter through a small cut or break in the skin. A wart is commonly seen on the bottom of the foot (plantar wart), but it can also appear on the top. Children, teens, and people with weakened immune systems are more vulnerable to the wart virus.

Turf toe is a term used in athletic circles referring to any injury of the great toe joint. A load that is applied to the subchondral bone that is greater than what the bone can tolerate. As the injury progresses, a series of micro fractures will develop in the subchondral bone.

Tendonitis - When you use a set of muscles too much, you are likely to strain the tendons (soft tissues) that connect those muscles to your bones. At first, pain or swelling may come and go quickly. But if you do too much too soon, your muscles may overtire again. The strain may cause a tendon’s outer covering to swell, or small fibers in a tendon to pull apart.

Tarsal tunnel syndrome (TTS) refers to an entrapment of the posterior tibial nerve as it descends from the leg to the foot. Varying degrees of entrapment of this nerve may affect either motor function, sensory function or both. Contributing factors include trauma, varicose veins, bone spurs and soft tissue tumors such as ganglion cysts. Other contributing factors include biomechanical instability of the foot and ankle.

A stress fracture is a break in a bone cause by repetitive stress. It may occur in any bone, but is quite common in the metatarsal bones of the foot. There is often no recollection of injury. There may be sharp pain in the forefoot, aggravated by walking. There is often also tenderness to pressure on the top surface of a metatarsal bone.

Shin splints are a common lower extremity complaint, especially among runners and other athletes. They are characterized by pain in the front or inside aspect of the lower leg due to overexertion of the muscles. The pain usually develops gradually without a history of trauma, and might begin as a dull ache along the front or inside of the shin (Tibia) after running or even walking. It involves small tears in the leg muscles where they are attached to the shin bone.

Plantar fasciitis is a common clinical condition caused by overuse or injury of the plantar fascia and is defined as traction degeneration of the plantar fascial band at its origin on the heel. Inflammation, fibrosis, and decreased vascularization of the fascia occur, causing symptoms of sharp heel pain. Other symptoms that may occur include burning in the sole of the foot, recurring foot pain that is especially aching in the morning or after sitting, or heel pain after beginning a new exercise routine.

Orthotics (orthoses) are specially-prepared foot supports. These anatomically molded devices, worn under the heel and arch of your foot to correct skeletal anomalies, do more than support your feet. They actually realign them to a natural, neutral position to relieve foot, ankle and back stress, increase endurance, restore critical balance, improve sports performance, alleviate foot fatigue and prevent a wide range of foot problems.

Morton’s Neuroma - This problem begins when the outer coating of a nerve in your foot thickens. This thickening is caused by irritation that results when two bones repeatedly rub together (often due to ill-fitting shoes or abnormal bone movement). The area between the third and fourth toes is most commonly affected. Symptoms include burning, tingling, cramping, or numbness. This often occurs after you have been walking or standing for a period of time. It may feel like you’re stepping on a lamp cord.

Ingrown toenails are due to the penetration of the edges of the nail plate into the soft tissue of the toe. It begins with a painful irritation that often becomes infected. With bacterial invasion, the nail margin becomes red and swollen often demonstrating drainage or pus. There are several causes of ingrown toenails: a hereditary tendency to form ingrown toenails, improperly cutting the toenails either too short or cutting into the side of the nail and ill-fitting shoes can cause them. Simple procedures can be performed in the office to eliminate the painful border of toenail permanently.

High arches or pes cavus is a condition that can be normal or can be problematic. No two people have the exact same arch height and shape, and some high arches may need no treatment. High arches that are problematic are often the result of problems with the way the bones of the foot developed as a child, or sometimes are the result of serious neurological conditions that require treatment.

A heel spur is a bony overgrowth on the bottom of the heel bone. The heel spur is often the result of an inflamed ligament (the plantar fascia) on the underside of the foot that attaches to the heel bone. Constant pulling of this ligament irritates the heel bone and the body creates a bone spur as a protective mechanism.

Hammertoe describes a buckling of any of the toe joints. Joints at the end or middle of the toe as well as the joint near the ball of the foot may be affected. Toe joints usually curl because of a muscle imbalance, or tight tendons. Hammertoes vary in severity and in the number of joints involved.

Gout is a systemic disease (i.e., condition that occurs throughout the body) caused by the buildup of uric acid in the joints. This causes swelling, inflammation, stiffness, and pain. Gout usually affects the big toe joint or the ankle joints. Treatments are varied, but generally involve dietary changes and oral medications.

'What Are Ganglions? A ganglion is a fluid-filled swelling of the lining of a joint or tendon. Although ganglions can form on any part of the foot, they most often appear on the ankle or top of the foot. Ganglions tend to change in size, and are usually slow-growing. Repeated irritation can weaken the lining of a joint or tendon and lead to ganglions. If the ganglion puts pressure on the nerves in the overlying skin, it can cause tingling, numbness, or pain.

Fungal Nails (onychomycosis) - When a fungal infection progresses, it may infect one or more nails turning them yellow, green, black or other colors. Fungal nail infections can cause nail thickening, inflammation, or sensitivity . The appearance of onychomycosis can vary but most cases begin at the distal tip of the nail and slowly progress into the nail over a period of months to years. The filaments of fungus take up space in the nail causing it to swell. This can become painful.

Flat Feet - Some people are born with them, others acquire flat feet as a result of arthritis, trauma, or musculoskeletal disorders. The arch is the main supportive structure of your foot. If this arch loses strength, the bony framework begins to collapse, causing your foot to flatten. Like a sagging bridge, the weakness in the middle, strains the joints at both ends of your foot.

Diabetes can contribute to foot problems in two ways. It can cause decreased feeling in the feet, so that injuries such as cuts and scrapes may go unnoticed, or it can cause decreased circulation to the feet, resulting in a reduced blood supply that may be insufficient to fight infection and heal wounds.

Degenerative arthritis is a condition that slowly wears away joints (the link where bones meet and move). In the beginning, you may notice that the affected joint seems stiff, or may ache. As the joint lining (cartilage) breaks down, the bones rub against each other, causing pain and swelling.

Cracked heels- The skin is normally dry and may have a thick callus which appears as yellow or dark brown discolored area of skin, especially along the inside border of the heel. Cracks in the skin are usually obvious. If the cracks are bad enough there will be pain on weight bearing, which is not there when weight is off the heel. As the callus surrounding the rim of the heel thickens, the callus will crack or fissure. Fissures of the heel can become so deep and problematic that they bleed and become infected.

A corn or callus is a thickening of the outer layer of the skin on your foot. Corns usually grow on the top of the foot, often at a toe joint. Calluses spread on the bottom of the foot or on the outer edge of a toe or the heel. Corns and calluses are your body’s response to friction or pressure against the skin. If your foot rubs inside your shoe, the affected area thickens.

Clubfoot - The foot is turned in, stiff and cannot be brought to a normal position. This rear view of the clubfoot shows the heel retracted towards the leg. Note the crease in the arch and curved outer border of the foot. This foot cannot be brought flat on the floor.

Claw toes result from a muscle imbalance which causes the ligaments and tendons to become unnaturally tight. This results in the joints curling downwards. There is often discomfort at the top part of the toe that is rubbing against the shoe and at the end of the toe that is pressed against the bottom of the shoe.

Children’s Heel Pain - Sever’s Disease- pain in the heel area occurring with walking and/or on direct pressure to the growth plate. Side-to-side pressure on the heel will also produce discomfort. Most commonly between ages 8 and 15, as they become increasingly active in sports activity.

Chilblains is small, itchy, red swellings on the skin, which can become increasingly painful, can swell and then dry out, leaving cracks in the skin which expose the foot to the risk of infection. They are caused by the skin’s abnormal reaction to cold, and damp or drafty conditions are contributory factors. If the skin on the extremities is chilled, and is then followed by too rapid warming next to a fire or hot water bottle, chilblains may result. Dietary factors and hormonal imbalance also play a part.

Charcot foot is the term given to neurogenic arthropathy that affects the joints in the foot. Neurogenic arthropathy is a rapidly progressive degenerative arthritis that results from damaged nerves (neuropathy). Pain perception and the ability to sense the position of the joints in the foot are severely impaired or lost, and muscles lose their ability to support the joint(s) properly. This can lead to collapse of the foot.

Bunion (from the Latin bunio, meaning enlargement) is a protuberance of bone or tissue around the joint. The enlargement occurs at the base of the great toe. A bunion is most often a symptom of faulty mechanics of the foot. Pain from a bunion can be mild, moderate or severe, making it difficult to walk in normal shoes, especially high-heeled shoes.

Athlete’s foot is a fungal infection that causes red, dry, flaking skin, sometimes accompanied by pain or itching. The condition usually occurs between the toes or on the soles or sides of the feet. In its acute stage, the infected foot exhibits blisters that itch or weep. Athlete’s Foot can spread to the toenails, causing chronic fungal infections. Athlete’s foot is often spread in places where people go barefoot, such as public showers or swimming pools. The condition ranges from mild scaling and itching to painful inflammation and blisters. It usually starts between the toes or on the arch and may spread to the bottom and sides of the foot.

Ankle Sprain is a sudden sideways motion, a twist, or a misstep. When your foot lands off-balance, muscles may give way, allowing the ankle joint to move too far. If ligaments connecting the foot and ankle bones overstretch or tear, a sprain is the result.

Achilles tendonitis is a painful and often debilitating inflammation of the Achilles tendon, also called the heel cord. The Achilles tendon is the largest and strongest tendon in the body. It is located in the back of the lower leg, attaches to the heel bone (calcaneus), and connects the leg muscles to the foot. The Achilles tendon gives us the ability to rise up on our toes, facilitating the act of walking, and Achilles tendonitis can make walking almost impossible. Poorly conditioned athletes are at the highest risk for developing Achilles tendonitis.