Whether you are running in the St. Patrick’s Day 5K at Flannagan’s this Saturday in Columbus or simply running to the pub, taking care of your feet can make or break your celebration of this lucky holiday.  Properly fitting shoes are imperative for good foot health, and also can help in avoiding knee, hip and back problems that develop from the problems originating in your feet! 

When you travel to a shoe store, most have what is called a “Brannock device” that is used to measure feet and estimate shoe size.  This device measures not only the length of your foot from heel to toe, but also measures width, and the distance from heel to the ball of your foot.  The heel to ball distance is most critical in determining whether a shoe fits correctly.  Located at the “ball” of your foot on the middle or inner aspect is the joint called the 1^stmetatarsophalangeal joint or 1^stMTP.  This is where a bunion develops, but the normal movement permitted by the joint is also critical to the overall function of the foot.  The base of the joint is the first metatarsal which slides downward in order for the big toe to flex upwards and help propel the foot when walking or running.   When this motion sequence occurs in a normal foot, the foot pushes off the ground and swings into the next step.   

Correctly fitting shoes allow the 1^stMTP to function as it should, while shoes that are too small can cause major problems.  Shoes are designed to allow the normal bend at the 1^stMTP joint and to inhibit abnormal bending of most other joints in the foot.  However if the shoe is too small, the 1^stMTP joint will not be allowed to bend normally and big toe will be forced to flex upwards when it should not be.  This leads to the condition called hallux limitus, where, as the name implies, the movement of the hallux, or big toe, is limited.  Overtime, hallux limitus can progress to hallux rigidus where the joint big toe joint is practically immovable.  This is a painful form of arthritis that has resulted from the abnormal wear and tear of the joint.  Not only is this painful, but the combination of hallux limitus or rigidus in an already too small shoe can lead to calluses, corns and even ulcers developing on the big toe. 

It is important to recognize that biomechanical problems, including excessive pronation, can also contribute to the development of hallux limitus so custom orthotics can often help with this condition.  Wearing one size larger shoe is only a difference of one third of an inch in the actual length of the shoe.  So this St. Patrick’s day even if you think that a smaller size shoe may look better, by getting the correct size for your foot you will definitely have the luck of the Irish and keep your feet looking great!!

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. If you would like to see apodiatrist in Dublin, Ohio near Tuttle Crossing, call 614-885-3338 for an appointment.

By Dr. Animesh (Andy) Bhatia

This is the time of year when all runners want to be in their best shape possible and stay injury free during this critical training season.  With high school and college runners beginning their season and the Columbus, OH marathon coming up in October, runners of all ages need to be functioning at their peak level. 

There are a few things runners starting up running for the first time, or those more experienced runners who are upping their intensity should do to stay injury free.  Wearing the proper running shoe is absolutely imperative to avoiding injuries.  Shoes not only need to fit properly, but they should have the appropriate amount of support, stability and cushioning for your foot.  By scheduling a checkup with your podiatrist before you have begun purchasing expensive running sneakers, they can evaluate your type of foot and how it functions so that you can use that information to make an appropriate shoe choice.  Black toe nails can develop when shoes are too small from the foot jamming against the front of the toebox and causing bruising under the nail.  Shoes that do not fit properly may allow too much slippage or rubbing of the shoe against the skin causing calluses, and blisters.  A few good tips to help ensure you get the right fit of running shoe include trying on shoes at the end of the day when feet are slightly swollen and wear the type of socks you will be wearing when you are running.  Shoe types vary based on whether you tend to overpronate, and typically have a flatter foot, or supinate, in which case shoes tend to be more worn on their outer edge.  If a person has a severe enough problem with pronation, supination, or problems in foot function, a custom orthotic may be needed to allow the foot to function to the peak of its ability and to prevent injury. 

Along with proper shoes and orthotics, stretching and warming up are other simple ways to avoid two of the most common running problems: plantar fasciitis and shin splits.  Shin splints and plantar fasciitis are both inflammations at the point where the muscle and connective tissue, respectively, attach to bone.  Stretching, warming up and slowly increasing activity all help avoid the pain of shin splints by decreasing the chances of placing extra strain on the muscle attachment to the tibia, or shin bone.    Stretching the calf muscles can help to prevent plantar fasciitis by allowing for normal range of motion at the ankle joint and thus reducing the strain placed on the deep connective tissue, plantar aponeurosis that becomes inflamed and causes heel pain. 

Happy fall training to all the Columbus and Dublin area runners and remember that if you experience foot or ankle pain while running, do not wait to contact your podiatrist until a serious injury has already progressed!

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. To schedule an appointment with a podiatrist in Dublin, Ohio, near Tuttle Crossing Mall, please call 614-885-FEET (3338).

By Dr. Animesh (Andy) Bhatia

While parents of kids in the Olentangy and Dublin City school districts around our offices at Columbus Podiatry & Surgery prepare for back to school, there is one item that is sure to make every child’s wish list for starting the fall looking their best: new shoes. While getting the best price and shoes that look “cool” for your kids are certainly factors when making a purchase, the health of your child’s feet need to be priority number one. 

One of the most important parts for a child’s shoe is to make sure that the shoe fits correctly.  Because feet grow so quickly, it is very important to have both feet measured every time new shoes are purchased as a child is still developing.  Most stores selling children’s shoes have what is called a Brannock device that not only measures the length of the foot from heel to toe, but also the width of the foot and the length of the foot from the heel to the ball, which is actually the most important determinant in foot size.  Once the foot size is measured, this provides a general guide to what shoe size to try. Foot size and shoe size may not always be the same because different shoe companies’ sizes may vary.  Check to make sure the toes are not hitting the front of the toe box and that the ball, or widest part of the foot, lines up with the widest part of the shoe.  These simple measures can prevent painful foot problems for your child such as black toenails and calluses.  A properly fitting shoe also allows bones that are still growing and ossifying to develop in the correct position and prevent foot and ankle deformities.  More problematic feet may require orthotics or braces and a shoe with laces versus a slip-on should then be selected to accommodate these devices. 

Hand me downs and online purchasing for back to school shoes may seem like an enticing idea to any bargain hunter; however these practices should also be generally avoided.  Hand me downs can be problematic not only because of the possibility of foot fungus spreading, but also because the cushioned insole portion of the shoe tends to mold to the shape of the foot of the initial wearer.  When a younger sibling or other hand me down shoe “receiver” then wears the shoes, they will not mold to their foot shape and may lack support and cushioning in areas where it is needed.  Online shoe shopping does not provide the opportunity to make sure that shoes fit appropriately on a foot that may have grown a size or two since the last shoe purchase; so make sure the retailer has a good return policy just in case!

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 near Powell. Looking for a podiatrist in Dublin, OH? Columbus Podiatry & Surgery's foot doctors are now in Dublin!

By Dr. Animesh (Andy) Bhatia

When planning your summer trip flying out of the Port Columbus International Airport or any other airports, you may want to keep your flip flops and sandals packed until you have arrived at your vacation destination.  As airport security has intensified over the past years, flight passengers have been forced to sacrifice their shoes at security in the name of safer flights.  While this practice may make for smoother travels, it can make things rough on your feet!

In the winter, taking off shoes at the airport is less problematic because most people, or at least those coming from colder areas like Ohio, often have socks on to offer some foot protection.  In the summer however, taking off your sandals to walk in bare feet through security where thousands of other barefoot people walk every day can leave you exposed to catching a foot fungus or warts.  Because a wart is caused by a form of an infectious virus, any place that a person with a wart has walked without shoes or socks and shed tiny skin cells, can potentially spread the virus to other bare feet. 

Warts can easily be mistaken for a corn or callus, because all three can appear as a thickened area of skin where the foot makes contact with the ground.  Warts often are painful when pressure is placed on them, which can make walking or standing comfortably nearly impossible.  The color of a wart can vary with gray and brown being more common, and a dark center is often visible.  The core area of a wart can also bleed, making their transmission to a person walking barefoot at the airport even more likely. Warts are a very aggressive virus that can often seem to disappear, only to reappear shortly after.  While there are many old wives tales of duct tape and other remedies that will supposedly get rid of a wart, the best treatment can most easily be found by meeting with your podiatrist.  Depending on the severity of the wart, treatment options can vary from a prescription ointment to utilizing laser cautery.  Taking steps to avoid warts in the first place by simply wearing sneakers and socks on your summer travels to the airport may be the best option there is to keep your feet healthy!

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.

By Dr. Animesh (Andy) Bhatia

Last Friday, on “The Doctors” they featured what they described as an extreme cosmetic procedure where a woman had a toe shortening surgery to wear designer high heeled shoes with less pain.  While this may initially sound like a crazy procedure you would only see in Hollywood, it is actually done across the country and here in Columbus to correct a deformity of the toes that can disrupt the normal function of the foot and cause pain when wearing ANY type of shoe. 

Based on the images of the woman’s feet, it appears that she suffered from Morton’s toe.  This is actually a problem where the first metatarsal is shortened, which is called brachymetatarsia, making the second toe appear longer than normal.  In some cases, where the second toe is only slightly longer than the second this is a normal variation in the foot and will not cause pain.  However, in more extreme Morton’s toe, such as the woman on “The Doctors” had, the second metatarsal begins to bear all of the body weight that the thicker first metatarsal would normally bear.  Calluses and pain can develop in the ball of the foot in the area of increased pressure.  This painful condition is often referred to as metatarsalgia. Morton’s toe can also cause excessive pronation, or rolling in and flattening of the arch of the foot.  This overpronation contributes to the pains of metatarsalgia, as well as possibly affecting the individual’s stride enough to cause hip, back and neck pain by disrupting proper posture.  In the woman on “The Doctors” it is also likely that she would have had black or darkened toenails, causing by bruising under the nail from the long second toe hitting her pointed shoes. 

While “The Doctors” made this toe shortening surgery sound like a radical and extreme way to wear more attractive shoes, the real problem was that the woman was suffering from pain associated with Morton’s toe.  For this woman, surgery was her best choice to eliminate the symptoms and the underlying toe deformity causing her pain.  For others suffering from Morton’s toe, depending on the severity of their foot problems, there are also options such as padding under the second metatarsal to relieve pain or custom orthotics to help correct the problem.   

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