Understanding Foot Pain: It’s Not Just About Your Shoes When foot pain strikes, many runners instinctively blame their shoes. While appropriate footwear is critical, it's not always the sole cause of discomfort. Foot pain can be a complex issue, often...
Feeling a bit sluggish after the time change? You're definitely not alone. But fear not! Combat that groggy feeling by incorporating some invigorating exercise into your daily routine. Here are some fresh tips to help you ease into your workouts...
When a podiatrist speaks about the 1st ray, the 1st ray refers to the first metatarsal bone and the great toe. The 1st ray has a unique range of motion that requires plantarflexion of the first metatarsal to enable dorsiflexion...
For well over a year, we've worked tirelessly to create a product that will target specific regions of the foot to correct Hallux problems and alleviate big toe pain. It needed to be thin enough material to fit into most...
My foot care blog is a deep resource for so many different topics in foot care. But sometimes I hear from users of the blog that they have a hard time accessing the information they need. In this blog post...
As Patrick Mahomes trains for The Super Bowl, a carbon fiber technology is there to assist in healing Twenty five year old Patrick Mahomes has lead The Kansas City Chiefs through an exciting year and is scheduled to the meet...
What is toe spring and how does it help forefoot and midfoot pain Walking is often described as a controlled forward fall. As your body passes over the foot, resistance is supplied by the calf that limits forward progression of...
How do Carbon Fiber Spring Plates improve the patient experience post Lapidus bunionectomy? Medical and surgical care is often trending related to new technology and new concepts related to care. Surgical procedures are a great example of trends in medicine....
Managing foot wounds in the decompensated patient. One of the greatest challenges in foot care is wound prevention and wound management. Wounds come in all shapes and sizes, but there’s always one common denominator in wound care; a decompensated patient....
Does a smaller incision make for a better bunionectomy? Minimal incision surgery (MIS) has improved the surgical outcomes of many types of surgery. For example, in laproscopic surgery a minimal incision approach has a number of short term benefits including...
Foot and ankle surgeons – sleep better at night. Complete your Lapidus construct with a Carbon Fiber Spring Plate to insure rigid support with early ambulation Lapidus bunionectomy (also called Lapiplasty) has become very popular over the past two to...
Skiving provides a finished edge to the metatarsal pad – but does that matter? What is skiving? Metatarsal pads come in different shapes, sizes and densities. One question often asked by customers is in regards to the beveled edge of...
First round draft choice Zion Williamson, who plays for the New Orleans Pelicans, was recently sidelined with an injury described as a toe sprain. Although the 19 year old starter described the injury as “no big deal”, it did side...
What is a sprained toe and how is it treated? Head coach of the Houston Rockets, Mike D’Antoni announced last night that former MVP James Harden, starting guard for the team, would be forced to sit out in today’s game...
What is a sesamoid fracture and how is it treated? A sesamoid bone is a small bone found on the bottom (plantar surface) of the great toe joint. Each sesamoid bone is about the size of a pinto bean. The...
Tailor’s bunions - the 3-in-one problem The term tailor's bunion (also called a bunionette) comes from a by-gone day when tailors would sit cross-legged on the floor putting up a hem on a skirt or coat. Chronic pressure on the...
Is it possible to have gout following a joint replacement? Gouty arthritis is a significant contributing factor to degenerative change in joints, leading to joint pain and often the need for joint replacement. Gout is a common crystal-induced form of...
Metatarsal pad firmness – do I need soft or firm? Metatarsal pads come in a variety of shapes, sizes, and colors. But the characteristic that may be most important for your needs is the relative firmness of the metatarsal pad....
Fifth metatarsal metatarsalgia – “Why does the outside of my foot hurt?” Pain specific to the outside, or lateral, aspect of the foot is a common condition called metatarsalgia. The term metatarsalgia is used to describe vague, aching pain specific...
In Brodsky's classical description of zones affected by diabetic neuropathic arthropathy, he described the primary areas of the foot affected to be the midfoot and rearfoot (types 1,2,3). How common is neuropathic arthropathy of the forefoot (Brodsky type 5)? This article explores the fact that Brodsky type 5 (forefoot) may be an overlooked condition in diabetes care.
To fuse or not to fuse – that is the bunionectomy Adjacent segment pathology following bunionectomy procedures Foot and ankle surgeons use a number of fusion techniques to treat forefoot pathology. Fusion of the great toe joint is commonly used...
Lisfranc fractures - when is the most appropriate time to remove the fixation? Most foot and ankle surgeons will agree that there’s a need to remove fixation, particularly screw fixation, prior to failure of the fixation by weight-bearing. Once broken,...
The shape of the toe box – add that to length and width next time you go shoe shopping. I saw a young man who came into the clinic this week with a sore ingrown toenail. His family doctor had...
Great toe injuries post 1st mpj fusion I saw an interesting case of turf toe this week. The patient was a 63 y/o female who underwent 1st mpj fusion for stage 4 hallux limitus in 2007. The fusion was a...
How do carbon graphite insoles affect gait? Part 1 – Legs and levers A common question that we hear from customers is whether a carbon graphite shoe insole can be used as a single shoe solution or should they purchase...
What is a Morton's Extension? Thomas George Morton (1835-1903) was a clinical professor and surgeon at The Pennsylvania Hospital. He was an active surgeon during The Civil War and founding director of several hospitals in the Philadelphia area. As a...
Metatarsalgia | Can you or can’t you cant? Metatarsalgia describes pain in the metatarsal bone. Metatarsalgia can be caused by a number of contributing factors and can affect any of the 5 metatarsal bones of the foot. Metatarsalgia is most...
What is Toe Spring? Toe spring is the term used to describe a shoe or foot insert that enables rolling off the forefoot. Let me create the visual – think clog, men’s wingtip shoes or MBT Shoes. Each of these...
Understanding the anatomy of the foot and ankle Many of our customers who follow this blog and subscribe to our newsletter are in the medical profession. We hear from home health nurses, wound care professionals, students, and physicians. One of...
Can hallux limitus be treated without surgery? In many cases it can, particularly if you know what stage of hallux limitus that you are currently in. It's best to check with your doctor and obtain a set of x-rays. Once you know waht stage you are, then you can pick the most appropriate orthotic for your needs.
How do you select the most appropriate dancer’s pads for your needs? This article explores the use of foam, felt and reusable gel dancer’s pads and guides you into how to use dancer’s pads.
Painful hallux limitus can be managed with the use of insoles, but an understanding of the staging of hallux limitus is important to understand which insole to use. This article discusses staging of hallux limitus and orthotic selection.
The forefoot is designed to work as a unit. With each step, the multiple bones of the forefoot are intended to distribute load bearing in an equal distribution. In theory, each metatarsal head should carry an equal amount of load. A metatarsal transfer lesion occurs when one metatarsal head carries more than its fair share of load.
Metatarsal pads - which one is right for me? This article explores the different types of metatarsal pads and their indications and uses for forefoot pain, metatarsalgia, forefoot capsulitis and forefoot bursitis.
What causes a tailor's bunion? This article looks at the causes of tailor's bunions and treatment options including the Tailor's Bunion Toe Spreader Combo.
Reusable gel metatarsal pads and reusable gel dancer's pads come in two thicknesses. Which thickness is right for you? This article discussed the varied thicknesses of these reusable foot pads and their indications.
What's the best way to treat sesamoiditis? This article discusses 5 ways to treat tibial and fibular sesamoiditis. Which one is right for you? Many times there may be more than one solution.
What's a Morton's extension? Learn how a Morton's extension is the key to what makes the Hallux Trainer, Molded turf Toe Plate and Flat Turf Toe Plates so effective in treating hallux limitus and hallux rigidus.
What's so cool about reusable gel foot pads? The reason they're so popular is that they just keep on a' working. Simply wash with soap and water and they become adherent again.
What makes a good bunion pad? That all depends. You can choose from gel, foam, flet and a number of different loops and cushions. sounds like bunion comfort is on the way.
Will a bunion regulator correct your bunion? Bunion regulators are intended to be used as a night splint (non-ambulatory splint). Used in conjunction with day-time bunion pads, bunion regulators can significantly decrease bunion pain.
What's the best way to treat a metatarsal stress fracture? This article explores the use of a forefoot compression sleeve and walking cast.
Metatarsal pads treat a host of forefoot problems including capsulitis and Morton's neuroma. but placement of these versatile pads can be tricky. This video helps to orient users of metatarsal pads to proper placement of the pad.
Podiatrists discuss a transfer lesion as a complication of bunion surgery. What is a transfer lesion and how is it treated? This article explores the concept of transfer lesions and treatment options.
How do you speed the healing of metatarsal stress fractures? The Forefoot Compression Sleeve stabilizes fractures and controls forefoot edema. Works well in post-op shoes or in street shoes.
Morton's neuroma is a common condition of the forefoot, but not all forefoot pain is Morton's neuroma. This article explores the differential diagnosis of Morton's neuroma.
What is a metatarsal stress fracture? This article explores the onset, symptoms and treatment options for metatarsal stress fractures.
What's a mitten pad? Just another way to describe a dancer's pad. Proper use of a dancer's pad puts the callus or sore spot in the nook just above the thumb, between the thumb and fore finger.
Carbon fiber spring plates are a lightweight, rigid addition to shoes that are used to treat midfoot and forefoot problems. This article explores the use of carbon fiber spring plates to treat forefoot pain.
How does a carbon fiber spring plate help heal metatarsal stress fractures? This article discusses use of spring plates in the treatment of these fractures.
