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By Crofton Podiatry
October 16, 2018
Category: Foot fractures
Tags: swelling   fractures   RICE method   ankles  

Did you know? Not all broken bones need surgery and a cast! In the feet and ankles, you can experience all types of fractures. Chronic pressure on the foot can cause small stress fractures, while traumatic injury from a bad fall or car accident can cause a severely broken bone that even pierces the skin. Ouch!

Because even the smallest broken bone can cause you immense pain, it’s best to get prompt treatment. If you suspect that you have a fracture in your foot or ankle, it’s important to come and have our podiatrist assess the injury. Medical imaging like X-rays or a bone scan can be used to properly diagnose even the smallest fractures.

After a diagnosis, our podiatrist might suggest one of the following solutions:

Four Treatments

  1. RICE method. Rest, Ice, Compression, Elevation. For small hairline stress fractures, you may just need to stay off the foot and rest. Small fractures can cause immense pain, redness, and swelling. Try ice packs, compression wraps, and elevating the feet when you’re sitting to keep symptoms at a minimum.
  2. Resetting displaced bones. When an injury causes the broken bones to be misaligned, our podiatrist needs to put them in the proper place so that they can heal.
  3. Immobilizing the feet and ankles. If bones are broken to a bigger extent, you might need to keep the feet or ankles from moving so that the bones do not move out of place. A brace, boot, splint, or hard cast can help support the foot and keep it from moving out of place so that the bones can fuse back together.
  4. Surgically setting bones. Your feet or ankle might need metal pins, screws, and/or plates to keep the bones in place while they heal. This is especially the case if the bones shatter in multiple places. An immobilizing brace or cast is usually used in conjunction.

However severe the fracture, our board-certified podiatrist, Dr. Brad Toll, can properly assess and diagnose your painful foot and ankle symptoms. Then, he can prescribe you the proper treatment for your foot fracture. Make an appointment today at Crofton Podiatry by calling (410) 721-4505. Our podiatry team awaits at our Crofton, MD office, which also serves the surrounding areas of Gambrills, Odenton, and Bowie.

 

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By Crofton Podiatry
July 25, 2018
Category: Foot Care Tips
Tags: dry skin   fracture   stretch   sports   RICE method   cancer   flip-flops   jog  

Got your beach bag ready? Hope you packed a swimsuit, sunblock, sunglasses, flip flops, beach towel, and frozen water bottle for your day at the beach. Whether it be a water park, lakefront, or oceanfront day of relaxation, you should make sure to take precautions for keeping your feet safe too. Here are a few ways to do that:

Skin:

●       Hydrate – Be sure to drink a lot of water throughout the day to prevent dehydration (which can also cause dry skin for your feet!)

●       Sunblock – Be sure to wear sunblock lotion from the head to the toes to protect from UV (A and B) rays and reapply every couple of hours to reduce the risk of burning and developing skin cancer.

●       Hygiene – Wash your feet with warm water and soap at the end of the day to remove sand and any other small particles or microorganisms that may have hitched a ride.

●       Cuts and scrapes - When leaving sandy areas, rinse off the feet so that it doesn’t irritate the skin as you walk on smoother surfaces. It’s probably best to put on flip-flops or sandals to prevent problems from walking on rough or very hot surfaces. If you do incur cuts or scrapes, be sure to treat them promptly to prevent infection.

Shoes:

●       Water shoes: A great way to keep your feet safe from injury at the beach is to wear water shoes. It will reduce the risk of cuts from sharp objects in the water as well as help with the transition to the sand and then to any boardwalks or other walkways.

Sports:

●     Stretch and Warm-up – As soon as you get to the beach, start with some stretching and warm up. Walking on the beach can be unstable for your feet and ankles, and a wrong step can cause an injury. This is especially important if you are going to play sports like volleyball, throwing a Frisbee, or taking a jog.

●     Sports injury – If you sustain a mild sports injury, use the RICE method to prevent worsening symptoms. If it’s a more severe injury, like a possible fracture, get the attention of medical staff or go to a local hospital.

Do you have a foot problem from a day at the beach? We can help you feel better. At Crofton Podiatry, we will use the latest treatment options to assess and take care of your foot and ankle care needs. Make an appointment at our Crofton, MD office to see our board-certified podiatrist, Dr. Brad Toll. We also serve the surrounding areas of Gambrills, Odenton, and Bowie, MD.

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By Crofton Podiatry
July 18, 2018
Category: Foot Injuries

Most folks have endured some type of traumatic injury to the feet, whether by stubbing a toe, dropping a heavy object, or colliding with someone or something while playing sports. The pain can feel excruciating, especially to the top of the feet, where there isn’t much padding around the bones. Go on, feel the top of the feet – you’ll probably feel the long metatarsal bones across the top of your feet.

  • Pain: The immediate sensation you’ll likely feel is pain at the impact spot. The length and severity of the pain will depend on the force of the impact and the surface area injury. Walking or moving the feet can be very painful.
  • Bruise/Contusion: After a bit of time, you might notice some redness and subsequent bruising. Since the visual indication of bruising is a result of bleeding beneath the skin, you may or may not see the typical black and blue of bruising. It will depend on whether or not there is internal bleeding, and where it happens.
  • Bone bruise or hairline fractures: After an injury to bones, blood and fluids can enter and surround the area of the bone. This can happen when the bone is injured, but not enough to become a fracture. On the other hand, severe injury can lead to bone fractures (cracks) in the feet.
  • Inflammation and/or swelling: Depending on the location and severity of the injury, the soft tissues and bone areas can become inflamed or swollen. You may notice a bump from fluids gathering, or pain because of inflammation near nerves. When inflammation affects nerves, it can cause pain in larger areas of the foot (even causing pain to the bottom areas of the foot, due to an injury at the top).
  • Joint swelling: If the injury is at or near a joint, it can cause stiffness, swelling, or tenderness to the joint. It can even be the cause of post-traumatic arthritis.

Pain management after traumatic injury:

  1. RICE method: Rest, Ice, Compression, and Elevation. Additionally, if the pain and inflammation are severe, you can take NSAIDs to reduce symptoms.
  2. If the injury does not get better or gets worse in a couple of days, it’s important to come see us and make sure that bones are not fractured and soft tissues are not torn. Our podiatrist can help you find the best treatment, which may include using a brace or other orthotic device.

We can help you feel better! Make an appointment at our Crofton, MD office to see our board-certified podiatrist, Dr. Brad Toll. At Crofton Podiatry, we will use the latest treatment options to assess and take care of your foot and ankle care needs. Our podiatry team is ready to help improve your foot health at our Crofton office, which also serves the surrounding areas of Gambrills, Odenton, and Bowie, MD.

 

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By Crofton Podiatry
April 18, 2018
Category: Children's Feet

Did you know that children’s bones do not fully develop until the ages of 18 to 25? That’s why it’s so important to make sure that when your child incurs an injury, a doctor looks it over. This is especially true when the injury involves the feet or ankles since there are 26 bones that can be affected on each side.

A condition that commonly affects growing children’s growing bones is Sever’s Disease. Also known as Calcaneal Apophysitis, the growth plate in the back of the heel bone has inflammation or swelling, causing pain to your child. Overuse, repeated impact, or blunt injury to the heel bone can cause pain in the back of the foot, making it painful to stand or walk.

Who is usually affected?

The causes of foot pain described above are typical for children and teens that play sports. Those who jump and run repeatedly during practice and games tend to be the ones who suffer from Sever’s Disease. Football, basketball, and long jump athletes tend to experience this type of heel pain. Additionally, children who are obese or have conditions like flat feet are also at higher risk of developing heel pain from the repeated strain on the Achilles tendon.

How can my child feel better?

As soon as your child complains of heel pain, check for symptoms like inflammation or swelling, redness, and tenderness. Pain when squeezing the sides of the heel bone will also indicate a likelihood of Sever’s Disease. For a proper diagnosis, it’s best to make an appointment to see our podiatrist. Additionally, the following treatments might help:

  • RICE method (at home): Rest, Ice, Compression, and Elevation will help relieve symptoms and reduce pain. Your child should stay off the affected foot (feet) to avoid further aggravation.
  • Orthotic inserts (over-the-counter): You can try to buy some heel inserts to see if supporting and cushioning the heel helps to relieve painful symptoms.
  • Physical Therapy (podiatrist-prescribed): When you see our podiatrist, he might recommend physical therapy to strengthen muscles to better support the heel. Stretching can help relieve symptoms and promote healing.
  • Immobilization (podiatrist-prescribed): If the condition is severe, our podiatrist might recommend a cast or custom orthotic device to prevent your child from experiencing worse symptoms.

If your child complains of foot pain, it’s never a good sign. Make an appointment promptly by calling Crofton Podiatry in Maryland at (410) 721-4505 to consult with our board-certified podiatrist Dr. Brad Toll. He can assess your children’s feet and prescribe the appropriate treatment. Our Crofton, MD office also serves the surrounding Gambrills, Odenton, and Bowie areas.

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2411 Crofton Lane, Suite 25
Crofton, MD 21114

Podiatrist - Crofton, Crofton Podiatry, 2411 Crofton Lane, Suite 25, Crofton MD, 21114 (410) 721-4505