This past week Logan Steiber of the Ohio State Wrestling team was awarded the Intermat Freshman of the year award.  The exciting wrestling season may have recently come to a close in Ohio high schools and at Ohio State, but for serious wrestlers, offseason training will be starting shortly.  While athletes are supposed to be the epitome of good health, wrestlers can face a variety of foot and other health problems both on and off the mat. 

Wrestlers frequently will often force themselves to extremes to reach their weight class for wrestling.  Those reaching for heavy weight status may, to the detriment of their own health, indulge in unhealthy eating habits.  While the extra weight may provide an advantage in the short term of trying to hold down an opponent, the resulting diabetes later in life may end up knocking the wrestler’s feet out from under them.  These facts were a sad reality this past week for the World Wrestling Entertainment’s retired wrestling legend Kamala when he underwent his third amputation in recent months from complications of diabetes and high blood pressure.  Podiatrists work with their diabetic patients to avoid amputations at all costs, performing them only when it is necessary to save the patient’s life from an infection of the foot travelling further up the leg to the body causing gangrene, or tissue death and septicemia.  By maintaining a low blood sugar, wrestlers with type 2 diabetes or pre-diabetes can avoid many of the complications seen in the foot that Kamala likely suffered from including neuropathy, and slow wound healing. 

At the other extreme, wrestlers trying to remain a lightweight frequently take up running in the offseason.  Wrestlers who enter into an intense running regimen too quickly after months spent just wrestling can experience common running ailments including shin splints, heel pain, and the development of painful corns and calluses.  By starting off slowly with low mileage, purchasing proper shoe gear and stretching these injuries may be avoidable.  Orthotics may also be helpful in avoiding painful conditions if the individual has underlying biomechanical and structural problems with their feet. 

When they are in season, a study in the American Journal of Sports Medicine found that collegiate wrestlers have an injury rate second only to spring football.  The ankle is one of the most commonly and most seriously injured parts of the body in wrestling.  During takedowns and sparring, ankle sprains and muscle strains can occur when the foot is planted on the ground and forced to twist in an unnatural way.  Wrestling is also notorious for the occurrence of athlete’s foot or “ring worm”.  This skin condition is not actually due to having worms in the skin, but is caused by infection with a fungus.  When it occurs in the foot this is also known as tinea pedis and can spread to cause fungal toenails if not treated. 

Wrestlers should make good use of the beginning of their offseason to visit their podiatrist and make a complete recovery from any lingering foot and ankle injuries or skin infections.  With good health, they will be quick on their feet when the time comes for their next big match!

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

By Dr. Animesh (Andy) Bhatia

Recently, a man named Mike Stevens travelled from Mississippi to California to undergo a surgery that would transfer his big toe to his hand where it will replace the thumb he lost in an accident.  This may be a surprising idea to many people because the thumb and toes are not thought of as being as functional as the fingers.   However, the musculature and bone structure of the hands and feet are remarkable similar. 

 While it is very exciting that Mike will hopefully regain a large portion of the function of his thumb and be able to use his hands better in his career as a mechanic, he will have to take extra care to prevent additional deformities from occurring in his foot.  While Mike’s case is extreme, smaller changes in the action and structure of the muscle and ligaments of the foot are what can lead to various deformities and a decrease in the functionality of the foot.  One common example of this happening is the development of hammer toes.  Commonly, a muscle known as the tibialis posterior becomes weakened and muscles that attach to the bottom of the toes and act to flex them or pull them towards the ground are forced to “fire” earlier, longer and with more force to compensate.  This constant force leads to hammer toes which can cause painful corns on the tops of the second, third or fourth toes.  An excessive pull from one of the flexor muscles that causes hammer toes can also cause mallet toes.  The difference between a hammer toe and a mallet toe is that in mallet toe only the very tip of the toe is bent down towards the floor, while hammer toes have the base of the toe bent up away from the floor and the other 2/3 of the toe bent towards the ground.  Mallet toes can also cause corns or even black toenails from the nail abnormally hitting against the shoe forming a bruise. 

A variety of surgical procedures exist to successfully eliminate these deformities, but there are also many less invasive options for pain relief.  Corns should never be removed at home, especially in an individual with diabetes, as it can lead to serious infection if done improperly.  Your podiatrist can safely remove any corns or calluses and fit padding over the affected toe to lessen the development of painful corns in the future.  Custom orthotics can also be used to help correct the underlying muscle imbalance and any other abnormal changes in foot structure.  So whether you just had your big toe removed or you are tired of corns and your feet feeling tired and aching, contact your podiatrist to address these problems and allow your feet to function to the best of their ability!

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 Worthington. 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

A new treatment option that may one day be of great help to all those suffering from heel pain in Columbus has been making news for its success in a clinical trial.  The study focuses on an injection that shows potential for being used to treat individuals with plantar fasciitis who have not had significant pain relief with other treatments.

Luckily for the time being, patients suffering from plantar fasciitis can visit their podiatrist for a variety of treatment options that, for the majority of individuals, will provide great pain relief.  The first step in treating your plantar fasciitis is to determine if you in fact have plantar fasciitis.  While plantar fasciitis is one of the more common causes of heel pain, there are many other problems that occur relatively frequently that can also cause heel pain.  Some of the cardinal signs of this condition include the most intense pain of the day occurring when you take your first step out of bed in the morning and pain localized primarily to the bottom of the heel, at the front edge of the heel fat pad, on the side closer to the opposite foot.  A nerve entrapment can also cause similar pain on the bottom surface of the heel.  A nerve entrapment in this area typically involves what is known as “Baxter’s nerve” which supplies sensation and power to a muscle that allows movement to the smallest toe.  When the nerve is compressed, it is similar to a bruise and is called neuropraxia.  This bruise of the nerve then causes pain and decreases its ability to transfer information.  If the entrapped nerve is caught and treated, recovery occurs in around three to four months.  In areas around the heel that could cause heel pain in a location very near to the pain of plantar fasciitis also include fractures, and tendonitis.  

Once your plantar fasciitis has been correctly diagnosed, there are a variety of treatment paths to begin with.  While treatment varies for each individual, most people begin treatment with a conservative approach using the least invasive options available to start.  Some of the conservative treatment options include:  stretching, taping, icing, and wearing orthotics.   All of these treatment options can have great success in many patients if performed correctly.  The next step in treatment for plantar fasciitis that has not responded to the previously mentioned treatments can be an injection of a steroid with numbing agents.  This is done in addition to continuing conservative treatments.  The steroid is injected for its anti-inflammatory properties which serve to “soothe” the aggravated plantar fascia and relieve pain.  While surgery would typically be the last treatment resort as a plantar fascia that is still painful, the aforementioned research study provides a potential new option.  It has suggested that injecting plasma rich protein actually provides greater pain relief and healing potential than injecting steroids.  Hopefully this new research will continue, and the information gained can allow patients to receive the highest quality treatment options from their podiatrist!

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 614-885-3338 for an appointment.

By Dr. Animesh (Andy) Bhatia

The Patriot’s tight end Rob Gronkowski’s performance at the Super Bowl should serve as a reminder to all athletes and non-athletes of the impact a few ligaments in your foot can have on your daily activities.  Earlier in the season, Rob had suffered one of the most common sports injuries, a severe ankle sprain and like many professional athletes, was willing to sacrifice the health of his feet and body to try to help his team at their biggest game of the year.  Luckily, Rob did not suffer any additional injuries while playing football on his already weakened ankle and underwent surgery this past Friday to treat his partially torn ligaments. 

Most ankle sprains occur when an individual has their foot in an inverted and plantar flexed position, meaning that the inner arch is lifted off the ground and their toes are flexed towards the ground.  Gronkowski’s injury occurred in the opposite of this motion with his foot everted, or with the side of the foot closer to the smaller toes lifted off the ground.  When injuries do occur with the foot in this position, damage tends to be more severe with a longer time needed for healing.  Although he did not break any bones, Gronkowski is said to have torn two ligaments.  While many would people think this should mean faster healing, it is important to remember that while a fracture can take around 6-8 weeks to heal, a damaged ligament also requires six to eight weeks to heal back to good strength. 

Ankle arthroscopy was used to surgically stabilize Gronkowski’s torn ligaments.  Arthroscopy is a minimally invasive surgery where a small incision is made that allows a tiny camera and surgical instruments to enter inside the affected joint.  This type of surgery was used because the damaged ligaments are intricately connected to not only to the opposing bones of the joint, but also to the capsule surrounding the joint.  This type of minimally invasive procedure means a smaller scar, and less wound for bacteria to try to enter.  Following this surgery, Gronkowski will be in a cast for about eight weeks to minimize excessive movement of the ligaments and promote healing.   This is very similar to bone healing, in which motion also needs to be minimized to prevent a nonunion, or the bone fragments not coming back together. 

In the meantime, Gronkowski’s doctor has hopefully gotten him into a physical therapy program to maintain his range of motion and reduce joint stiffness in the future.  To lessen the workload of the healed ligaments, orthotics, a brace, or specialized athletic shoes can also be used to increase the stability of the ankle joint after the eight weeks in the boot are completed. 

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

By Dr. Animesh (Andy) Bhatia

New York Giants co-owner has discovered an unusual good luck charm for his team with a little help from his two daughters.  In late December, his daughters painted his nails in red and blue, the Giants’ colors, and the team has not lost a game since then.  Steve has left the polish on in the hopes that the good luck charm can work its magic for one last game at the Super Bowl. 

While his nail polish certainly may not be looking “pedicure perfect” after 5 weeks, the health of Steve’s toes and nails are in no danger as long as he still has been taking regular care of his feet.  Pedicures for both men and women can be relaxing and safe for as long as you keep the health of your feet a priority.  If Steve decides to keep his trend going there are a few things he should know about the relationship between toenails and overall health.  First, nail polish is completely safe to use on healthy toenails.  However, if a toenail fungus, or onychomycosis is present, nail polish should not be applied.  The polish “locks in” the fungus and allows it to continue thriving on nail tissue.  Treatment should be sought when nails appear abnormally thickened or discolored, as this can be a sign of an invasion of “dermatophytes”, the organisms most commonly at the root of a nail fungus.  After the nail infection is treated with PinPointe Foot Laser or a variety of other medications and the fungus has resolved, regular nail polish may be applied. 

The length of the nail after it has been trimmed can be another area of podiatric problems for those trimming their own nails or having them trimmed at a nail salon.  In some individuals, toenails are extremely curved along the sides.  When these curved nails are cut too short, the individual’s likelihood of developing an ingrown toenail is greatly increased as the nail regrows.  Ingrown toenails can become infected and extremely painful.  Contact your podiatrist at the first signs of an ingrown nail.  Attempting to remove the ingrown portion of the nail on your own can lead to dangerous infection that is capable of spreading beyond the affected toe. 

Whether you are prepping your nails for the big game or a big date before Valentine’s Day be sure to keep your feet healthy and call your podiatrist if you notice any unusual changes!

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 614-885-3338 for an appointment.

By Dr. Animesh (Andy) Bhatia