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By Crofton Podiatry
January 02, 2019

Did you know that a burning desire to serve your country is not enough to join the military? There are many obstacles that can stop you from joining the military. Good physical and mental health, as well as a high school level of education, are necessary starting points to being able to enlist.

Among the many qualifications needed to join the military are those related to your physical health. You wouldn’t be surprised, then, that your feet need to be in tip-top shape to be able to perform your military duties.

There are many foot conditions that can keep you from serving, including:

  • Unhealed fractures at the time of applying. Even if they will heal soon, you need to be able to perform all functions before you can officially enlist.
  • Implanted orthopedic devices (such as titanium plates) that align bones. If you’ve broken a bone or had orthopedic problems that require a permanent fixture, you are likely unable to enlist.
  • Any joint replacement. This includes the big toe joint, due to arthritis.
  • Any deformity or condition that interferes with walking, marching, running or jumping, OR that interferes with wearing military footwear. These can include toe deformities (like hammertoes), uncorrected clubfoot, and neuromas.
  • Flat feet that need prescription shoes or orthotics. This would mean that you cannot use standard military footwear.
  • Chronic plantar fasciitis. Chronic pain while bearing weight on the feet will disqualify you from military service.
  • Severely ingrown toenails. If they are infected or causing you pain at the time of enlisting, they will disqualify you.
  • Any other injuries or conditions that will prevent them from passing the medical tests.

Some of these issues are treatable, so it’s best to see our podiatrist right away if you are thinking of enlisting. Make an appointment with our board-certified podiatrist, Dr. Brad Toll to help you find treatment for your foot conditions. Call Crofton Podiatry at (410) 721-4505 today! We provide services to Crofton, Gambrills, Odenton, and Bowie, MD areas.

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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 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
June 27, 2018
Category: Runners Foot Care

If you’ve been a runner for a while, you know how much your feet endure when you hit the pavement. A long run or even a quick sprint can leave your feet throbbing, aching, or in pain. Long-term, you might suffer from foot problems such as chronic plantar fasciitis or Achilles tendonitis.

Still, you can’t beat that runner’s high, right? If you can’t seem to resist that daily run, here are Top 5 Tips you can use to take care of your Runners’ Feet:

  1. Start slowly and increase slowly. Beginners should start with a slow pace and a short distance and increase as experience grows. If you increase speed or incline too much, too quickly, you can end up straining the tendons and ligaments in your feet and ankles.
  2. Use the right shoes. Running shoes should be supportive and have adequate cushioning to reduce the impact on the bones and joints. Repetitive pounding on the hard surfaces can lead to weakened bones that are prone to fractures. Arches and heel cups will keep the feet stable in the shoes. If you have existing foot problems, you can use orthotic inserts to prevent worsening symptoms. 
  3. Don’t skimp on socks. Wearing shoes without socks can lead to irritation and blisters on the skin of the feet. Sweaty feet can make the shoes smelly, and increase the chances of bacterial or fungal infection like Athlete’s foot. Always wear a clean, fresh pair of socks for running to reduce the likelihood of foot issues.
  4. Stretch the toes, feet, ankles, and calves. Always warm up and cool down, including stretching of the lower extremities. Strengthening the toes can help to reduce chances of toe deformities and help you stabilize your feet in the shoes.
  5. Practice good foot hygiene. After a good sweaty running session, you’ll want to make sure to wash your feet (probably while you shower) with soap and warm water and then change into a new pair of socks. If you run every day, you may want to invest in more than one pair of shoes so that you can allow them to dry out completely between running sessions. Keep toenails short and take care of any ingrown toenails or fungal toenails. Additionally, any cuts and scrapes can become more inflamed while running, so be sure to treat them promptly.

If you’ve sustained an injury while running, or if you have concerns with whether or not your feet are in shape for running, come to see our board-certified podiatrist, Dr. Brad Toll, at Crofton Podiatry. Call us today at (410) 721-4505 to make an appointment at our Crofton, MD office, which also serves the surrounding areas of Gambrills, Odenton, and Bowie, MD.

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By Crofton Podiatry
June 13, 2018
Category: sports injuries

The World Cup is upon us! For all the soccer fans out there, it’s an exciting time to get together and watch the talented international superstars face off each other. After opening ceremonies, it might even stir up some inspiration to go out and score some of your own goals as well.

As a fan, you might have concerns about some of the previous injuries that some of the soccer players (footballers) have incurred. They might affect whether or not they get to participate. For example, we know that Brazil’s Dani Alves is already out of the world cup due to a knee injury, while Neymar’s future is also uncertain after his broken foot in March. He’s been seen to join in on practice, but we’ll see what happens!

So what are some common soccer foot injuries we should be on the lookout for during the world cup?

  • Ankle sprains - Ranging from mild to severe (Grade I to III), ligaments can become injured (or even torn) while running, jumping, twisting, or when there is a collision between soccer players.
  • Fractures and broken bones - When there is traumatic impact or repetitive stress on the foot or ankle bones, the bone is subject to pressure that can make the bones crack or break.
  • Sever’s Disease - Commonly affecting active children, a sports injury due to impact can cause problems with the growth plate of the heel bone.
  • Overuse injuries - There are certain injuries that can develop due to repetitive motions and strains on the feet and ankles, such as pushing off the forefoot for sprinting. These are called overuse injuries and include plantar fasciitis, Achilles tendonitis, and sesamoiditis.

Let’s hope that none of these injuries appear during the World Cup, but it’s not unlikely, given that our soccer players will be playing their hearts out!

If you have sustained a foot or ankle sports injury in all the excitement of the World Cup, 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 take care of your foot and ankle care needs. Visit our Crofton, MD office, which also serves the surrounding Gambrills, Odenton, and Bowie, MD 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