FAQs

When Should I See a Podiatrist?

A podiatrist is your go-to expert when you are experiencing any kind of foot or ankle problem.

While a general practitioner will likely have a general medical knowledge of the foot and ankle, our training and experience have focused entirely on this area. Our specialization and extensive means of treatment is why many doctors refer their patients to us.

There are no real “minimum requirements” to contact us about any foot or ankle concerns you may have. If it involves your feet or ankles, we are happy to help you with it!

Just some of the conditions we are happy to provide treatment and guidance on include:

• Consistent heel pain
• Nerve pain in the foot or ankle
• Skin and nail conditions such as ingrown toenails, fungal nails, and plantar warts
• Foot deformities such as bunions and hammertoes
• Structural abnormalities such as flat feet or high arches
• All matters related to foot care for people who have diabetes
• Sports injuries like ankle sprains, stress fractures, tendinitis, and more

Remember that the sooner a problem is properly identified and treated, the less chance it has to become more severe or longer-lasting. Do not wait for a problem to reach some threshold of being “bad enough” to see us about. We’re happy to help you now!

How Does Laser Therapy Work for Pain Relief and Recovery?

Our MPC laser therapy treatment works by stimulating the body’s own natural healing responses, which can accelerate recovery or “jumpstart” recovery that has previously ebbed and led to chronic problems.

Laser therapy applies a dosage of finely attuned light energy to the sight of damage or injury. It does not burn or hurt, but it does create a minor disruption among the cells in that area. This causes the body to respond in beneficial ways:

• Cellular activity (metabolism) is increased, including repair processes
• Blood flow to the area increases, bring with it more of the growth factors cells need for repairs
• Pain transmission is reduced
• Swelling can be reduced as blood flow carries more fluid away from the area

Best results with laser therapy are typically provided after several sessions scheduled over several weeks. Many patients report feeling improvement after their very first session, however, and these results tend to stack with each successive session.

Common problems that we may consider laser treatment for include sports injuries, chronic heel pain, nerve pain, and diabetic wounds healing, among others.

Why Do My Heels Hurt in the Morning?

If you experience sharp heel pain when your feet first hit the floor each morning, plantar fasciitis is a very likely culprit. This is an injury to the thick band of tissue that runs beneath your foot, often caused by overuse or abnormalities in foot structure that overstrain it.

In typical cases of plantar fasciitis, your initial morning heel pain will subside after a few moments of walking around and letting your plantar fascia “warm up.” Additional symptoms can include:

• Heel pain when you start moving around again after a long period of sitting or standing.
• Heel pain after exercise, especially if it involves repetitive impacts such as running. Discomfort does not tend to be as bad during the activity, however.

Whether these symptoms match your case or not, any type of recurring heel pain should be examined and treated. Please do not hesitate to contact us for an appointment to get to the root of the problem and take care of it for good.

What Can I Do to Prevent Heel Pain?

The best way to take care of heel pain is to determine the causes behind it and address them directly. A multitude of heel pain causes exist, so it pays to know what you’re dealing with.

We can help you get to the source of your heel pain and determine the best course of treatment. If you still want to try taking some steps on your own to help yourself, though, try some general changes including:

• Wearing footwear that properly supports your arch and heel, and is made for the activities you are participating in.
• Avoiding high heels.
• Pacing yourself properly during exercise and avoiding overuse.
• Not standing for long periods of time if you can avoid it, or placing softer mats beneath yourself in areas where you must often stand.

If these simple measures don’t help, if your pain lasts longer than 2 weeks, or if your pain is severe, then please schedule a consultation with one of our podiatrists.