While it has not become a craze in Columbus yet, a new cosmetic surgery craze in Great Britain has begun making headlines in the US over the past few weeks.  Dermal filler is being injected into women’s feet to provide additional cushioning in areas that are placed under excess pressure by wearing extreme high heels.  The surgery has been nicknamed a “Loub job” in reference to the French shoe designer Christian Louboutin who has been quoted that he does not care if his shoe creations are uncomfortable.  With unpleasant thoughts of wearing painful heels to upcoming graduations and graduation parties for their kids at Westerville South High School, Beechcroft High School or any of the other schools in the Columbus area, women should be pleased to know that less extreme measures can offer great pain relief!

While it would be ideal for optimal foot health to completely eliminate high heels and stilettos from a woman’s shoe choices, it is understandable that there are occasions where dressing up is necessary.  When choosing a dress shoe there are a few things women can do to decrease the pain and potential for injury or deformity caused by the shoe.  Selecting a shoe with a wider toebox versus a pointy toe can limit the development of painful corns and calluses as well as bunions and hammertoes.  If possible, choosing a lower height heel can also decrease the extreme amount of pressure placed on the ball of the foot. 

Certain areas of the foot are affected worse than other when wearing heels.  These areas include the ball of the foot, the bottom and back of the heel and the toe pads, which are some of the areas where dermal filler is being injected in the cosmetic surgery “Loub job”.  High heels are notorious for causing a painful bony bump on the back of the heel in women that is called a “Haglund’s deformity” or “Pump Bump”.  This bump develops from the excess irritation caused by the rigid structure of a pump or high heeled style shoe.  Changing the shoes and adding a heel grip device to the shoe to provide a cushion in the painful aspect are options to decrease the symptoms.  Surgery offers the ability to completely remove the painful bump.  Metatarsalgia, or pain in the ball of the foot, is another issue being targeted by these injections.  There are many custom padding options that your podiatrist can create that will offer the extra cushioning, without having to go through an injection.  It is also important to realize that pain in the ball of the foot may be occurring for reasons that will not be cured by increasing the foot’s cushioning.  For example, neuromas are seen with increased frequency in women who wear heels but often require surgery or injections to remove the irritated nerve in order to alleviate the pain.  For this reason, it is always crucial to have a thorough appointment with your podiatrist to correctly diagnose a problem before self-treating or selecting a treatment from another health professional if they have not identified the underlying cause of the pain. 

Talk to your podiatrist to discuss all the options to enjoy and show off your toes at graduations and spring events without suffering through foot pain!

Please visit www.ColumbusFoot.com for more information or call 614-885 FEET(3338) to schedule an appointment with a podiatrist in Columbus, Ohio. Columbus Podiatry & Surgery is located on the North side of Columbus, Ohio near Westerville. If you would like to see a podiatrist in Dublin, Ohio near Tuttle Crossing, call 614-859-FEET(3338) for an appointment.

By Dr. Animesh (Andy) Bhatia

This past Friday, the Columbus Dispatch published a story in support of “Falls Prevention Awareness Day” in Ohio.  The article discussed ways for the senior citizen population of Columbus to prevent falls and the serious injuries and hospitalizations that can accompany them.  One crucial aspect of fall prevention not directly stated in the article is the importance of foot health in the elderly in maintaining good balance and stability. 

Feet provide the base of support for the body and in an older individual changes have often occurred that weaken that base.  Arthritis of the foot joints, foot deformities, muscle weakness and improper footwear can all play a role in changing the way that the foot keeps the body balanced.   Bunions, calluses, hammertoes, and ingrown toenails can all cause pain in the foot.  The body’s natural response is to avoid causing pain by changing the weight distribution on the foot so less pressure is placed on the deformity.  This change can alter the gait to be more unsteady and increase the chance that a fall may occur.  With a visit to your podiatrist there are many options to relieve these types of pain, and thus increase stability.  Calluses and ingrown toenails can often be removed at an office visit, while hammertoes and bunions can be treated with surgery or their pain can be lessened using nonsurgical methods.  Arthritis or other problems that may not allow the normal range of joint motion also can be treated with surgical methods, or with nonsurgical methods such as custom orthotics that can allow for better functioning of the entire foot while decreasing the pain of the afflicted joint.  Simple foot exercises can be used to maintain muscle strength against the loss of muscle mass that accompanies normal aging.  In the article in the Columbus Dispatch, this concept was being put to practice by the woman “tracing alphabet letters” with her toes.  One last tip is to ensure that shoes fit properly and that the shoe bottom is not slippery.  Shoes that do not fit properly can cause pain if they are too small or can cause tripping from the abnormally increased foot motion in the shoe if they are too large. 

By taking small measures to “fall-proof” your feet with the help of your podiatrist you can avoid the big health problems and expenses that come with a serious fall!

Please visit www.columbusfoot.com for more information or call 614-885 FEET (3338) to schedule an appointment with a podiatrist in Columbus, Ohio. Columbus Podiatry & Surgery is located on the North side of Columbus, Ohio near Powell. To visit our podiatrist in Dublin, Ohio call 614-885-FEET (3338)

By Dr. Animesh (Andy) Bhatia

Earlier this week, Victoria Beckham, otherwise known as “Posh Spice”, gave birth to her fourth child.  After having three boys and one girl with husband David Beckham, Posh has been reported to be saying that her family is now complete and that she will not be having any more children.  Victoria also developed some painful bunions and back pain in this last pregnancy, making the thought of going through another 9 months of being with-child even less enticing.

Many women may not be aware of the possibility of developing a bunion or other foot problems during pregnancy.  Bunions are typically related to hallux abducto valgus, which is a condition where the top of the 1^stmetatarsal, which forms the base of the big toe, angles towards the other toes.  This causes the first metatarsal to protrude out towards the middle of the foot at the joint at the base of the big toe, often resulting in an inflamed bony or soft tissue outgrowth that is called a bunion.  Pain and irritation then occur when the bunion is under pressure and friction from a shoe.  Being flat footed, or overpronating often increases the likelihood that an individual will develop a bunion. 

In pregnant women, ligaments and soft tissues need to become more relaxed so that the baby will be able to fit out during birth.  The body naturally takes care of this by beginning to secrete a hormone called Relaxin that has proteases and collegenases to loosen up proteins and collagen fibers that would normally be taught.  It is believed that this hormone also contributes to the relaxation of foot ligaments and structures.  So while the foot ligaments are looser, more support may be required to maintain the normal anatomical position of foot bones and ligaments.  Wearing a stable, supportive type of shoe is best to maintain balance and foot health to avoid deformities when additional pressures are being placed on the feet during pregnancy.  Victoria Beckham may have caused her bunions to become more painful by continuing to wear the sky-high stilettos that she is known for during her pregnancy.  Along with wearing sensible shoes or athletic sneakers, taking time to elevate the feet and legs can help decrease swelling in pregnant feet.   

While conservative methods are available to lessen the pain associated with a bunion, surgery is the only way to truly cure the problem.  Now that Victoria Beckham is done having children, perhaps she will talk to her podiatrist about her foot pain, and choose what the best treatment route will be for her!

Please visit www.columbusfoot.com for more information or call 614-885 FEET (3338) to schedule an appointment with a podiatrist in Columbus, Ohio. Columbus Podiatry & Surgery is now providing podiatry in Dublin near Tuttle Crossing Mall.

By Dr. Animesh (Andy) Bhatia

This past weekend around Columbus was the 30^thannual Pride Festival.  While there was a wide variety of unusual attire at this parade, shoes are one fashion accessory to choose carefully before heading out to any summer parade or festival.  While the look of the shoes may be of utmost importance to many fashionistas, choosing shoes that provide comfort can make your day much more enjoyable. 

Summer means more shoe options including flip flops and a variety of other sandals.  Knowing which type of shoe is healthies twas a topic of a recent article on Oprah’s website and can help to make better choices when shopping for new shoes.  Surprisingly, ballet flat shoes were ranked as the most dangerous type of shoe.  Part of the reason for this ranking is that many people would consider a flat to be more comfortable and healthy for feet than a higher shoe and they then over-wear them.  A flat has as little arch support as the similarly dangerous flip-flop, but ballet flats also put pressure on the sides of the foot, the back of the heel and the tips of the toes.  Extreme lack of any arch support in flip flops or flats can lead to foot pain in individuals with flat feet or overpronation.  Because they do not enclose the entire foot, flip flops can give some relief to those suffering from the pain of bunions or calluses rubbing against shoes.  Both ballet flats and similarly structured flat styles of sneakers such as “Chuck Taylors” that do enclose the foot will not only aggravate these conditions on the sides of the feet and toes, but their rigid heel areas can cause a Haglund’s deformity.  In this condition, a bursa over the heel bone or calcaneus becomes irritated from being rubbed against and causes pain. 

Of the elevated shoes discussed in the article, stilettos were not surprisingly chosen as the most dangerous.  A better choice for an occasion requiring a more formal shoe would be a wedge.  If the wedge has a cork or raffia sole, it will offer more shock absorption and thus can help prevent joint damage.  Wedges also offer slightly more stability than a stiletto, which can help to avoid ankle sprains.  While a properly fitted athletic shoe with adequate support will often be the optimal choice for foot health, wearing them at every occasion may not always be possible.  It is good to be aware and evaluate other shoe options to make healthy choices about your feet.  Orthotics can also be helpful in making an uncomfortable shoe more bearable!

Please visit www.columbusfoot.com for more information or call 614-885 FEET (3338) to schedule an appointment with a podiatrist in Columbus, Ohio. Columbus Podiatry & Surgery is located on the North side of Columbus, Ohio near Westerville, Ohio.

By Dr. Animesh (Andy) Bhatia

A woman in Myanmar has recently been trying to help her infant daughter gain a world record for an unusual deformity called polydactyly. In the foot, polydactyly is a digital deformity where you have more than 5 toes, or digits. Polydactyly can also occur in the hand with extra fingers. While this may seem like a rare deformity that would only occur in far away parts of the world, polydactyly is actually a fairly common birth defect that can occur even here in Columbus!

The young girl in Myanmar was born with 12 fingers and 13 toes, tying the current world record. While the mother of the girl was excited that her daughter was displaying exceptional grip strength in her hands, the extra digits in her foot will likely cause foot pain and other foot problems if the toes are not surgically removed. It would be difficult to find shoes that would properly fit a widened foot with extra toes.

Any time a foot with extra toes, or even the usual number of toes, is crammed into an improperly fitting shoe pressure can push the digits together in an abnormal way. Pressure pushing the tips of the toes together and pressing on the side of the foot next to the big toe could lead to another common deformity called a bunion. A bunion is an enlargement in the joint, or sometimes the bone, at the base of the big toe. Because bunions can slowly develop when the first toe is overly angled toward the other toes, they can actually be prevented by avoiding shoes that would pinch your toes together. Even with preventative measures against bunions, people with flat feet or pronation syndrome are more likely to develop a bunion. Bunions can be painful when the enlargement on the middle side of the foot rubs against the shoe. The constant irritation of the area can even lead to arthritis in the joint at the bunion.

Babies are born with flat feet and the arch develops over time. Thus, in the child from Myanmar, the combination of flat foot and extra toes being pushed together lead to greatly increased chances of developing a bunion. To prevent other foot problems from developing, surgery would generally be the best way to deal with extra toes if they are causing pain. The only way to completely get rid of a bunion and all of its symptoms is also through surgery called a bunionectomy. Non-surgical methods are often tried first to relieve bunion symptoms and pain, but not the bunion itself. Some non-surgical treatments of bunions include: orthotics, specialized padding to relieve the pressure and thus constant irritation of the bunion, and night-time splints, which are most often used in young people whose bones are still developing. A skilled podiatrist can evaluate the bunion or polydactyl patient and recommend the best treatment to stop foot pain and prevent future foot problems! Hopefully the young girl in Myanmar will not only be included in the Guiness Book of World Records, but will also be added to the list of happy patients of podiatry and grow up with happy and healthy feet!!

Please visit www.columbusfoot.com for more information or call 614-885 FEET (3338) to schedule an appointment with a podiatrist in Columbus, Ohio. Columbus Podiatry & Surgery is located on the North side of Columbus, Ohio in between Westerville, Worthington and Powell.

By Dr. Animesh (Andy) Bhatia