Why Women's Feet Hurt More in Autumn

published by American College of Foot and Ankle Surgeons

Fall is not a fun time of year for women like Elaine Powers.  In the summer months, "like everybody else, I like to wear flip-flop sandals, open-toed shoes, a nice pedicure with good nail polish," she says.

But as autumn arrives, the 49-year-old South Carolina hospice nurse is making the annual changeover to closed-in shoe styles more appropriate to the cooler weather. It's a transition many women are making in their wardrobes. But it's more painful for women like Powers, and not because she's a slave to foot fashion. Powers has bunions.

"Even after you take your shoes off, or put your feet up, it's just a throbbing… It's almost like every time your heart beats, that bunion throbs," she says.  Women with bunions are a common sight in the waiting rooms of many foot and ankle surgeons during this time of year.

St. Louis foot and ankle surgeon Karl Collins, DPM, FACFAS, gives two additional reasons for this annual trend. One is financial. Women are closer to meeting insurance deductibles near the end of the year.  "The other thing is, people are very active in the summer," Collins says. "They're always outdoors, they're always at the pool or whatever, so they will decide to get their bunion fixed in the winter, because in their mind, they're not missing anything fun."

Powers has suffered with bunion pain for nearly 25 years. However, many women never experience pain from their bunions, even when the deformity looks severe. Shoes do not cause bunions, but they may cause bunion pain. That's why foot and ankle surgeons recommend shoe modifications to new patients. Avoiding high heeled shoes and styles that crowd the toes together can help. Collins says proper shoe selection and adjustment can go a long way.

"If they have a shoe that fits well everywhere else, but there's just a little bit of irritation at just that one spot, we may recommend that they have the shoe modified (by a shoe repair shop)," he says.  South Carolina foot and ankle surgeon Michelle L. Butterworth, DPM, FACFAS, treats a lot of teachers with back to school bunion pain. She says many women don’t understand what doctors mean about shoe width: It's the front of the shoe that needs to be wide.

"Anything that's real pointy is going to put more pressure on that (bunion) bump," she explains.  In addition to recommending shoe changes, foot and ankle surgeons may also prescribe foam- or gel-filled padding, orthotics, anti-inflammatory medications, and injections for bursitis, nerve irritation and joint irritation. While these techniques address pain, they do not stop the bunion from getting worse. Only surgery can correct the deformity.

Bunion surgery boasts a high success rate. But surgeons agree that patients need to understand what their procedure and recovery will involve.  "Probably the biggest thing is, they think surgery's not going to work and (the bunion is) going to come back," says Butterworth. "It's probably the biggest myth I dispel."

Powers is one of her patients.  "That's one of the reasons why I haven't had this surgery before now," Powers says. "A lot of people tell me once you have (bunions), you are always prone to have them, they'll come back."

Following the surgeon's instructions for recovery can significantly reduce the chances of a bunion returning.  "If wearing four-inch heels and working on your feet all day wasn't good for you before the surgery, it's certainly not going to be good for you after the surgery," notes Michael Loshigian, DPM, FACFAS, a New York City foot and ankle surgeon.

Powers hasn't made up her mind about bunion surgery. She's already tried prescription pain medication, and struggles to find comfortable shoes. This fall, Butterworth will perform bunion surgery on Powers' 19-year-old daughter, who inherited her mother's feet. Powers wants to see how that turns out. She also has to worry about finding someone to cover her 12-hour work shifts for several weeks.  But if she does choose surgery, she already knows how she'll celebrate after her recovery.

"I'm buying a pair of stiletto heels and I'm wearing them everywhere I go," she jokes.

Please call Foot, Ankle & Lower Leg Center office located in Las Vegas and the Henderson area, which we have 3 locations to serve you.  Call to schedule you appointment @702-878-2455 between 9am to 5pm, Monday thru Friday and closed for lunch between 1pm to 2pm.  Please visit our website @ www.FallCenter.com where all of your questions may be answered and to also schedule your appointment.

When pain or injury occurs, you deserve highly personalized treatment using the most advanced techniques.  At the Foot, Ankle & Lower Leg Center (FallCenter), you’ll enjoy an unsurpassed level of quality care.  Dr. Ricciardi, Dr. Shalev and Dr. McLeod are proud to provide comprehensive solutions for all types of foot and ankle problems. 

Your quality care begins the minute you arrive, as our staff greets you by name and answers your questions.  Our team of foot and ankle specialists will inspire your confidence and their genuine warmth and compassion will earn your trust.

You’ll receive a prompt and thorough assessment, including on-site diagnostic ultrasound and digital x-rays.  Your treatment plan is designed to resolve your condition without surgery whenever possible.  When surgery is needed, your feet are in the hands of leading physicians with expertise in the latest minimally invasive techniques.  As a result, you’ll be back on your feet and back to your active life as quickly as possible.

Without proper treatment, an injury or chronic condition can keep you from performing even the simplest everyday tasks.  To meet patients’ most critical health needs, Dr. Ricciardi, Dr. Shalev and Dr. McLeod have developed the following “Center of Excellence” treatment programs: Bunion Solutions, Heel Pain, Diabetic Foot Care and Sports Performance Center.

Are Foot Tattoos Sexy?

 Published in The Huffington Post

In my reconstructive foot surgery practice, I have seen my share of foot tattoos. Some foot tats are small and discreet, others are large and obvious. Women are usually the ones with the foot ink, not men. Popular seems to be names, vegetation (flowers and vines), stars and oriental wording. Sometimes an elaborate ankle tattoo will extend onto the foot. People have even tattooed the bottom of the foot. Celebrities have been known to get foot tattoos as well.

Some women consider the foot tattoo the ultimate shoe accessory as they continue their hunt for the perfect shoe. Many say they are just plain sexy. Others regret them and want them removed. Wacky and bad taste tats also find their way onto the foot.

There are medical reasons to get tattoos on the foot as some use the ink to detract attention from structural foot problems -- such as bunions and hammer toes (...that's one way to put off surgery). People with flat feet can give the appearance of having an arch by inking concave designs on the inside of the foot. A common tattoo for people with webbed toes is to get a line drawn between the toes.

Sexy??? Perhaps the foot is better off without a tattoo? Nonetheless, that's for you to decide. We would like to hear your thoughts and experience with foot tattoos...

Here are 5 things to strongly consider when planning on getting foot tattoos:

1. They can get tremendous wear and tear.

Shoes cause a lot of friction on the skin of the foot, and this can lead to excessive wearing of the tattoo. Over time, this could result in premature fading and disfiguration of the artwork. For this reason alone, some tattoo artists refuse to place tattoos on the feet.

2. Pain. Pain. Pain

The foot has a lot of nerve endings! The bottom of the foot is particular sensate. The borders of the feet can also be quite sensitive as the skin transitions to the skin on the bottom. Foot tattoos can be more painful to place because there is not a lot of subcutaneous fat or muscle, and people could feel things more. Of course, everyone's pain threshold is different as well as the amount of fat tissue on their feet, but still something to consider.

3. Difficult short-term aftercare

It is well known that tattoo aftercare is surrounded by keeping the skin moisturized and clean, to avoid both scarring and infection. As such, this could be a challenge as one needs to wear shoe gear during the few weeks it takes for a foot tattoo to heal. Also, before getting a foot tattoo, make sure that you don't have a fungal infection hiding between the toes as bacteria can fester in these areas.

4. Removal can be difficult.

There are several methods to remove tattoos -- common methods involve laser, excision or dermabrasion. Laser removal is popular but can be a challenge on the foot because there is not a lot of fat, and can make the removal process more involved. As such, try to avoid placing a tattoo directly over bone -- like on the bunion region. Excision is popular for small tats on the top of the foot.

5. Consider future foot surgery.

If you wear high heels and pointy-toed shoes often, then you may develop bunions and hammer toes, so you should consider that you may undergo surgery for this at some point in your life. As such, your tattoo can get intersected by surgical incisions and could become malaligned. Fortunately, bunionplasty and plastic surgery techniques can minimize this occurrence. Areas where incisions are typically placed are located directly on the tops of the toes, on the inside of the big toe, and behind the 3rd and 4th toe.

What do you think about a foot tattoo?

Please call the Foot, Ankle & Lower Leg Center office in Las Vegas and the Henderson area anytime @702-878-2455 between Monday – Friday (9am to 5pm) and we would be happy to set up an appointment for you.  Please visit our website @ www.FallCenter.com.  

When pain or injury occurs, you deserve highly personalized treatment using the most advanced techniques.  At the Foot, Ankle & Lower Leg Center (FallCenter), you’ll enjoy an unsurpassed level of quality care.  Dr. Ricciardi, Dr. Shalev and Dr. McLeod are proud to provide comprehensive solutions for all types of foot and ankle problems. 

Your quality care begins the minute you arrive, as our staff greets you by name and answers your questions.  Our team of foot and ankle specialists will inspire your confidence and their genuine warmth and compassion will earn your trust.

You’ll receive a prompt and thorough assessment, including on-site diagnostic ultrasound and digital x-rays.  Your treatment plan is designed to resolve your condition without surgery whenever possible.  When surgery is needed, your feet are in the hands of leading physicians with expertise in the latest minimally invasive techniques.  As a result, you’ll be back on your feet and back to your active life as quickly as possible.

Without proper treatment, an injury or chronic condition can keep you from performing even the simplest everyday tasks.  To meet patients’ most critical health needs, Dr. Ricciardi, Dr. Shalev and Dr. McLeod have developed the following “Center of Excellence” treatment programs: Bunion Solutions, Heel Pain, Diabetic Foot Care and Sports Performance Center.

That Pain in Your Back Could be Linked to Your Feet

Published by: American College Foot and Ankle Surgeons

If your lower back has been hurting, and you don’t remember doing anything to injure it, the source of your pain could be your feet! Foot pain is something that many people try to ignore. After all, doesn’t everyone’s feet hurt now and then? But if foot pain is something that has been with you for quite awhile, it could be causing problems in your ankles, knees, hips and even your back.

That old song, “The leg bone’s connected to the thigh bone...The thigh bone’s connected to the hip bone…,” tells the whole story. Our bodies are like a chain, with one link–or bone–connecting at the joint to another link. Think about what would happen if the first link in the chain was out of position. The point at which it meets the next link would eventually overstress that link and adversely affect the entire chain.

That’s what happens when we have foot pain. If the normal way of walking is painful, we instinctively change our walking pattern. Say you have arthritis, and your big toe joint hurts, so you change our gait to avoid bending the joint when you walk. Changing your gait changes the mechanics of your ankle joint, eventually causing ankle pain. This change in your walking pattern can also affect the whole chain of your lower body... from the ankle, to the knee, to the hip, and then to the lower back.

When foot pain or a foot deformity causes you to change the way you walk, it changes the way the bones of all those other joints move with each other. Cartilage in the joints can wear down, ligaments and tendons can be stressed beyond their normal range, and arthritis can set in.

If your feet or ankles aren’t working right, don’t ignore them! Contact a foot and ankle surgeon for an evaluation. Your back (and knees and hips) will thank you!

Please call the Foot, Ankle & Lower Leg Center office in Las Vegas and the Henderson area anytime @702-878-2455 between Monday – Friday (9am to 5pm) and we would be happy to set up an appointment for you.  Please visit our website @ www.FallCenter.com.  

When pain or injury occurs, you deserve highly personalized treatment using the most advanced techniques.  At the Foot, Ankle & Lower Leg Center (FallCenter), you’ll enjoy an unsurpassed level of quality care.  Dr. Ricciardi, Dr. Shalev and Dr. McLeod are proud to provide comprehensive solutions for all types of foot and ankle problems. 

Your quality care begins the minute you arrive, as our staff greets you by name and answers your questions.  Our team of foot and ankle specialists will inspire your confidence and their genuine warmth and compassion will earn your trust.

You’ll receive a prompt and thorough assessment, including on-site diagnostic ultrasound and digital x-rays.  Your treatment plan is designed to resolve your condition without surgery whenever possible.  When surgery is needed, your feet are in the hands of leading physicians with expertise in the latest minimally invasive techniques.  As a result, you’ll be back on your feet and back to your active life as quickly as possible.

Without proper treatment, an injury or chronic condition can keep you from performing even the simplest everyday tasks.  To meet patients’ most critical health needs, Dr. Ricciardi, Dr. Shalev and Dr. McLeod have developed the following “Center of Excellence” treatment programs: Bunion Solutions, Heel Pain, Diabetic Foot Care and Sports Performance Center.