Foot Pain
Your feet are intricate networks of tendons, nerves, bones, and muscles. To an NYC podiatrist, the foot is a marvel of human machinery that requires its very own specialty to treat. Your feet have to be strong enough to propel your body through the air and dynamic enough to balance your entire skeleton through many terrains.
Foot pain can have many causes thus, it is imperative to be evaluated by a specialist. All symptoms should always be discussed with your podiatrist after a thorough consultation and examination for an accurate diagnosis and treatment plan to exclude any underlying serious condition.
Where Does It Hurt?
Foot pain can refer to anything painful from your Achilles tendon to your toes and from the ball of your foot to your heel. The thing about foot pain is that it’s so common that many people assume they have to deal with it and skip the visit to a podiatrist. Foot pain is very treatable in almost all cases, and we encourage you to make an appointment with a foot doctor in Manhattan to explore your options. Schedule a visit with a leading podiatrist in NYC for an examination, especially in cases where your discomfort is persistent and recurring. Treating your foot pain early on is the best way to prevent worsening symptoms. Prolonging professional evaluation can complicate treatment, thus a visit with a Manhattan foot doctor is recommended.
When Should You Visit a NYC Podiatrist
If you sustain a foot injury (first visit the emergency room) or you experience foot pain for more than 48 hours without injury, you should make an appointment with a foot specialist. Standing for long periods of time, improperly fitting shoes, and suddenly increase in physical activities can lead to foot pain. Make an appointment with a foot doctor in Manhattan if you experienced symptoms such as:
- Pain that feels like burning
- Numbness or tingling on the bottom of your foot
- Constant pain that doesn’t get better after home remedy treatments
- Swelling that doesn’t go down after a couple of hours of self-care
Foot pain can impair your ability to function.
Seek immediate medical care if:
- Can’t stand on your foot
- Have severe swelling accompanied by excruciating pain
- See redness with the swelling
- Are feverish, and your foot is warm to the touch
- Have tenderness that could signal an infection
- See any oozing pus from an open wound
- Have diabetes and foot pain; two can signal major complications
It is important to remember that all symptoms should always be discussed with your podiatrist after a thorough consultation and examination for an accurate diagnosis and treatment plan to exclude any underlying serious condition.
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Leading Causes of Foot Pain
There are many reasons to see your New York podiatrist on a regular basis. One of the main causes of foot pain in the elderly is arthritis. Foot injuries from stubbing your toe, popping your Achilles tendon, or breaking a bone are all seen regularly at our office. Nerve injuries can lead to peripheral neuropathy. Overuse injuries strain the ligaments and tendons in your feet that can lead to persistent pain if not properly treated.
You use your feet for so many different activities and may put them through harrowing workouts, even on a normal day. Other causes of foot pain include:
- Calluses
- Bunions and corns and bone spurs
- Flat feet
- Fractures
- Ingrown toenails
- Plantar warts
- Tarsal tunnel syndrome
- Tumors
Diagnosis before Treatment
Your foot doctor in NYC first conducts a visual exam, looking at your foot for obvious signs of trauma or infection. You can provide your podiatrist in NYC with details to help with the diagnosis by sharing:
- When the pain started
- How severe it is
- When it usually occurs
- What makes it worse
- If your family has a history of foot illnesses
- If you have another condition like diabetes or arthritis
Imaging tests such as X-rays and MRIs can show your foot doctor in midtown Manhattan whether you have a fracture in your foot or a tendon injury that could be causing your pain. A non-invasive procedure, such as a bone scan, can show if you’re suffering from repetitive stress fractures.
Your podiatric care provider may need to test fluid in the joints of your feet to confirm a diagnosis of gout or rheumatoid arthritis. Tests can be performed right in the office of your foot doctor in NYC. You may begin following a treatment plan to get you back on your feet once a diagnosis is confirmed.
Treatment Options
Light or medium foot pain can often be treated successfully at home by following your NYC podiatrist’s instructions. Self-care for your feet may consist of:
- Elevation and rest
- Cold packs
- Heating pads
- Over-the-counter pain relievers
Treatment offered by your foot doctor in Manhattan may include:
- Prescription medications such as corticosteroids, biologic response modifiers, or osteoporosis medicine
- Foot surgery could include repairing fractures or removing bone spurs or other inflamed tissues. Other foot surgeries that your podiatrist may recommend include:
- Osteotomy, which realigns your foot joints, is a common procedure for ridding you of painful bunions.
- Fusion, which removes the ends of some bones at the joints and realigns them with screws or plates, is a common practice for dealing with foot deformities.
- Debridement, a procedure for removing swollen tissue through a very tiny incision in your foot.
- Hammertoe Surgery, this deformity can cause skin lesions where infection introduction can occur mainly seen in diabetes or those with poor circulation.
- Bunion Surgery, a bump on the base of the big toe joint. This bump is typically associated with the misalignment of the joint and is caused by different pathologies of the foot. Your NYC bunions removal doctor, Our Podiatrists, can explain what the cause of your deformity is and how to correct or remove it.
- Achilles Tendon Surgery may be recommended for younger, more active individuals to have achilles tendon rupture surgery to repair a ruptured Achilles tendon.
- Plantar Fasciitis Surgery, fascia is a connective tissue that runs along the bottom of your foot. It is a thin band that connects your heel to your forefoot but can vary in thickness if it is inflamed. The fascia may be injured by direct trauma or by constant strain over time. Fasciitis is the medical term for swelling or inflammation of your fascia tissue.
Your podiatrist in New York City has a wide array of surgical options to treat your foot pain, but surgery is always the last resort. Take your foot pain seriously. There are so many options for treatment that it is not worth it to wait.
Do you have any questions about Foot Pain treatment or surgery in NYC? Would like to schedule an appointment with an internationally recognized, top NYC Podiatrists and foot doctors at Manhattan Foot Specialists, please contact our office for a consultation.
Dr. Mohammad Rimawi has either authored or reviewed and approved this content. New York City Locations Manhattan Foot Specialists (Upper East Side) 983 Park Ave Ste 1D, New York 10028Manhattan Foot Specialists (Midtown) 56 W 45th St, Ste 802, New York 10036
Manhattan Foot Specialists (Union Square) 55 W 17th St Ste 102, New York 10011
Manhattan Foot Specialists (Financial District) 80 Maiden Lane, Ste 1204, New York 10038