Items filtered by date: December 2019

Traveling could mean a big challenge especially when you are not feeling well. You could just imagine a long period of sitting and walking on museum floors leaving you even more in pain. Flying with a sprained ankle first requires treatment that helps avoid worsened symptoms and damage throughout the trip.

To clear things out, you can still even fly with a sprained ankle but you need to be ready as your leg can be left dependent or hanging down over a period of time. This only further increases stiffness and swelling you felt from the very beginning.

Ankle sprain is actually an injury wherein the foot turns over on the legs while the ligaments are stretched out. By consulting a doctor, he or she will be ready in determining if it is a sprain.
How Do I Know If I’m OK To Fly With a Sprained Ankle

Even though, as mentioned, you can still fly with a sprained ankle, it does not necessarily mean that it is no longer dangerous. When you stay for hours on an airplane, it could lead to more pain and swelling that just staying off, elevating it and icing it.

It could also be possible that if there is an increased swelling, you could potentially develop DVT or a “deep vein thrombosis” or clotting in the leg. It is suggested by health experts to wear “TED hose” or “compression stockings” that can help control the swelling.

If you will ask about how long a sprained ankle can heal, it will still depend on the severity of the sprain. It usually takes one week or more when it is not properly treated. That is the main reason why it is advised of you to consult with your doctor.

The good news is that there are some essential things you can do in healing a sprained ankle. Among those things include the application of ice, cross training, ice and physical therapy. It is a lot better if you will consult an ankle and foot surgeon as he or she can guide you through all these things.

For instance, RICE is a protocol known for alleviating the pain and the sprain in your ankle. RICE actually means rest, icing, compression and elevation and is known to work well during the acute stage. When the pain has completely healed, you can already begin walking by means of utilizing your ankle support. This can help further prevent injury for the second time around.

Especially when you make use of a stiff sole, it can bring you more stability for exercises and walking activities and can help your motion. In the event that the symptoms still persisted, it is suggested to seek treatment because you may already have the so-called torn or fracture ligament. Pain medications or anti-inflammatory medicines may not help ease the symptoms away and improve the results after.

If you think you can fly with a sprained ankle and you can handle the long hours of sitting, you can book for your flight any moment from now. Be extra careful as well for your safety and security!

Differences Between a Sprained and A Broken AnkleWhen you experience an ankle injury, you can notice that it is really a depressing one. This is especially when you will have to practice for your upcoming game or will have to jog anywhere. And, an ankle issue leads you further to being disabled on a temporary basis. You may also not able to walk properly due to this medical issue.

Actually, it is one of the most common injuries that are obtained from playing games like basketball, volleyball, tennis and a whole lot more. Ankle sprain usually lasts for a short period of time; however, a broken ankle might take some days for it to heal completely. And, it mainly requires one of going through regular checkups and exercises.
What exactly is the Difference of Sprained Ankle and Broken Ankle?

A sprained and a broken ankle are exactly two different things. To best understand their difference, any issue such as a chip, a crack or a break in the bone of an ankle or anklebone is considered to be a fracture/ broken ankle. The sprained ankle is actually an ankle injury with the disruption or tear in the ligaments. The ligaments are the fibrous tissues with the purpose of holding the bone in the joints.

That severe injury in the ankle actually consists of both issues; sprain and fracture. This now depends on how extreme the severity and the sprain and fracture type. Actually, the ankle sprain can vary from mild to severe. This is also commonly experienced by the athletes and is described as the common sports injury.
Key Differences Between a Sprained and A Broken Ankle

With broken ankles, these usually demand a lot of attention especially when it comes to medications and treatments. It is also more likely to become a severe ankle injury. If the pain and the swelling do not stop within 24 hours or even after 2 days, it is now suggested to consult a doctor and go through a proper treatment. There are times that the ankles become completely deformed, get weak and get dumb. Thus, consulting a sports medicine expert or even a physician is strongly suggested.

The pain and the swelling in the ankles indicate sprain and broken ankles. Actually, the sprain often occurs in the wrists and in the ankles and the broken ankle occurs in the ankles. With sprain ankle injuries, these may also bring more bruises to the affected area and cause more pain and swelling. On the other hand, broken ankles sometimes require surgeries for them to be repaired. And, this way, the dislocated bones can be fixed right away for good and fast recovery. Thus, medical attention is likewise needed.

It is also important to know the difference between the sprained ankles and broken ankles. As compared to the sprained one, the broken ankle is even made more severe that causes an individual to suffer from being unable to walk temporarily. This also gets severe when not properly treated and medicated. This injury often occurs in players and athletes.

EPAT Treatment Long BeachThere are many people suffering from foot pain issues and they try every possible solution for relief. A more recent method in podiatry is Extracorporeal Pulse Activation Technology (EPAT) which is becoming a major therapy for patients. Approved by the FDA, EPAT is a highly effective treatment for chronic or acute muscle pains, tendon inflammation, and more. The facility at Long Beach, California is a great place to be treated with EPAT and offers exemplary service.
EPAT Treatment in Long Beach

The procedure is simply a noninvasive process that allows for the affected tissue to heal and recover. Moreover, EPAT treatment at our Long Beach office involves a doctor applying gel to the damaged area and the device is moved in a circle across the area, releasing waves of pressure to gradually relieve the tissues through regeneration. Typically, this process takes 15 minutes and is repeated 3 times at weekly interval sessions before effects are seen. Numerous patients praise the treatment and say that they are pain-free immediately or soon after undergoing the procedure.
What is EPAT Treatment Used For?

EPAT is used to treat a multitude of podiatric related problems, including heel pain, bursitis (inflammation of a bursa), achilles tendonitis, a number of sports injuries, and trigger points of pain. This is a partial list of ailments, but ask your podiatrist for more information in detail about whether EPAT is right for you.

There are countless benefits from the EPAT procedure because patients do not have to be concerned about the use of anesthesia and any risks since there are almost no side effects or issues related to performing EPAT (by a qualified medical professional). As mentioned earlier, the EPAT process does not involve any incisions and therefore, no possibility of serious infections. Another huge factor is the cost effectiveness of EPAT since it is covered by a majority of insurance plans and provides a quick solution for 80% of patients who have positive feedback from the new technology.
Long Beach EPAT Doctors

Patients who undergo the EPAT procedure can return to everyday activities within 24-48 hours afterward. Without any long term recovery time, patients can continue their daily life and resume strenuous activity in 4 weeks afterward. This lets people heal and move on with their lives while starting to live free of pain. Going to an office such as the one at Long Beach will have a calm setting and patients ought to be relieved within a month.

The EPAT procedure is a newer and quality solution for countless patients out there with podiatric issues. Being cost effective, patients also have the option to return to their normal lives immediately and to strenuous activity weeks later. All in all, EPAT is an effective podiatric treatment for all sufferers to think about.

If you are considering EPAT based on a recommendation, we encourage you to contact our Long Beach office to schedule a consultation.

Treatment for chronic ankle injuriesAnkle injuries are usually termed as sports-related injuries as many people think such injuries are more common to athletes. However, one does not have to be an athlete to suffer from chronic ankle injuries. Something simple like walking on the uneven surface can already trigger a painful and debilitating pain. Ankle injuries could take place to anybody regardless of the age. On the other hand, men between the ages 15 and 24 years old may have increased rates of ankle sprain than women who are more than the age of 30 are more at risk than men.

Most of the time, ankle sprains can take place in case of an accident while playing. The most typical ankle injuries are fractures and sprains that involve bones and ligaments in your ankle, yet you could also strain or tear a tendon. Ankle injuries can be defined by the type of tissue, which are tendon, ligament or bone that is damaged.

Treatment Options in Treating Chronic Ankle Injuries

Fractures could be treated either non-surgically or surgically. The doctor might cure the break even with no surgery through immobilizing the ankle provided that just one bone has been broken and when the bones aren’t out of their correct positions and that your ankle is in stable condition.

The physician will perform this by placing a brace which can be used as a splint or through placing a cast. When the ankle is unstable condition then that is the time the fracture should be surgically treated. Usually, the ankle can be made stable through the use of the metal plate with screws to keep the bones in place. After the surgery, your ankle will be protected using a splint till the swelling went down and with a cast.

The bones may take as much as 6 consecutive weeks to heal and your doctor would advise that you keep weight off the affected ankle at this phase so that the bones will be able to heal correctly. Tendons and ligaments may take more time to heal after the fracture has been completely mended. The time needed may go as lengthy as 2 years to experience no pain when moving and walking. Though, in many cases, patients are able to go back to their usual daily routine in 3 to 4 months.

When the doctor is sure that it will not cause any harm when you begin moving your ankle, you might require physical therapy in order to render gait training, strengthening, balance, as well as mobility exercises. The therapist would develop the home program you could use in order to regain the old normal functioning of it. This might take for you to go back to your normal walking pattern with no limping.

Meanwhile, the treatment for sprain will depend on the seriousness of the injury. The treatment can be graded as severe, moderate and mild. Surgery isn’t typically a treatment option for sprains except when the damage to your ankle was extensive wherein more ligaments were affected and if all the other treatment options did not work.

Why Do My Feet & Ankles Swell When It RainsIt is quite usual for people to complain that they got swollen feet during hot, sunny seasons. But, did you know that same thing can happen even when the weather is cold? When it rains, there are people who experience pain and discomfort caused by swelling of their feet and ankles while it rains. Many people do not understand the logic at the back of this and if you are one of those people who would like to know the reason behind this then please read on to learn more about swollen ankles from rain.

So why do my feet & ankles swell when it rains? Water retention or edema gets worse during the rainy and winter seasons and that is because of seasonality of an essential nutrient, known as the vitamin D. Exposure to sun in the middle of the day leads to generation of vitamin D in your skin and that is carried out through UV-B or ultraviolet radiation. This vitamin raises your metabolic rate in a lot of ways and poor metabolic rate is almost a general cause of edema. So when your body is not getting enough amounts of this vitamin, you can expect swelling of your feet and ankles to happen someday.
Feet & Ankles Swell When It Rains

Vitamin D deficiency is also compromising calcium utilization and it is promoting tissue calcification. The calcification on the case of blood vessels can make them stiff which leads to hardening of arteries. Coupled with magnesium deficiency, the impact on the circulation and metabolic rate has been amplified. One of the possible complications is hypertension or high blood pressure.

This particular seasonal effect doesn’t take place in the tropics and the problem can be more complex in case of extreme latitudes. The temperature can also affect this because when the weather is cold, you’re more likely choose to stay inside and if you go out, you wore more clothing than the usual, which means your body will not get vitamin D. Therefore, you suffer from edema.

The issues associated with temperature come with non-D mechanism. The metabolic rate is low in those cold tissues. Thus, when peripheral circulation has been constricted then there will be advanced edema. You can easily determine it through putting your hand to your chest. When your hand feels extremely cold to your chest, you’ll find that your hands are cold while your peripheral circulation has been restricted.

Winter is likewise the season for changed eating habits. Alcohol and sugar are both proven effective when it comes to suppressing the fat-burning pathways of energy and stimulate the fat-storing systems. It may also aggravate the carb cravings that prolong the cycle. The weather may likewise be related with changed exercise habits.

Edema or swelling is likewise related with tissue puffiness underneath your eyes, snoring when sleeping and in case of serious cases, the patient may experience apnea. Though it is very typical, edema isn’t a trivial health concern. This is an indication of something that is deeply erroneous with your health’s balance. These are the most important facts that you must learn about edema and why it happens during the rainy season.

An ingrown toenail causes a lot of pain in the toe. It can be caused by various reasons such as not wearing the right shoes and incorrect trimming of nails. An ingrown toenail can also be inherited. It often occurs due to an anomaly in the anatomy of the nailbed and the toe. The big toe is usually affected, but any toe can have an ingrown toenail. For many people, surgery for an ingrown toenail is the only solution. Home treatments can be used to ease the pain, but their affects are not long-term. For those who are looking for a long-term solution to an ingrown toenail, surgery may be the best option.

What Happens During Surgery?

During surgery, the offending part of the nail is removed to prevent it from growing into the skin. By removing a sliver of the nail, from the tip to the base, the pressure on the skin is alleviated. The swelling and pain caused by an ingrown toenail is also eliminated. Part of the nailbed is also destroyed to prevent the condition from returning. This is usually done through using chemicals. One of the chemicals that are usually used is phenol. By partially destroying the nailbed, the possibility of the ingrown toenail returning is very low to zero.

For some people, however, this treatment may not be enough. Repeat procedures may be needed every so often to treat the condition. In such cases, they may consider a more drastic surgical process like the Vandenbos procedure. In this procedure, the one that is targeted is the toe itself. The Vandenbos procedure is not commonly performed as it is a very destructive and invasive process. While the nail is completely untouched, part of the toe is eliminated on both sides of the nail. The toenail will look undamaged and intact, but a significant amount of tissue is removed. This is not only very uncomfortable, but can also take weeks to heal.

Surgery For An Ingrown Toenail

The Vandenbos procedure has been shown to be very effective, but its invasive nature has received criticism due to leaving the toes open to infection. Many patients also have reported no recurrence after undergoing the procedure. The Vandenbos technique, however, involves a longer recovery period compared to simply removing a sliver of the affected nail.

The pain and discomfort caused by an ingrown toenail cause many patients to consider all measures to stop their suffering. Surgery for an ingrown toenail is often the best way to treat an ingrown toenail at its root cause and prevent it from growing back again. There may be a lot of home remedies that you can use to get rid of the pain caused by this problem, but the relief you will get is only temporary. These remedies only alleviate the symptoms and don’t provide a long-lasting solution. However, before you consider more drastic measures to get rid of an ingrown toenail, it’s still a good idea to talk to your doctor about the best form of treatment for you.

Generally, this condition is a self-limited condition. Nevertheless, the symptoms commonly resolve more quickly when the interval between the symptoms onset and treatment onset is shorter. There are many treatment options that exist and some are as follows:

Shoes

Changing your shoes to proper fitting will be a great help in some sufferers. Some people are wearing shoes that are too small, and this may result to exacerbating many kinds of foot plan. Patients most commonly find that wearing shoes with well-cushioned and thicker midsoles commonly made of a material such s ethylene vinyl acetate with high density can decrease the pain that is associated with long hours of standing or walking.

Night splints

This treatment option is commonly designed to keep your ankle in a neutral position overnight. Most people naturally sleep flexing the feet plantar, which is a position that causes the plant fascia to be in a foreshortened position. This treatment will enable passive stretching of the calf and plantar fascia while sleeping.

Iontophoresis

It is a treatment option that used galvanic current stimulation unit with low voltage only to provide electric impulses for driving the corticosteroids to the structures of soft tissue. Using this treatment will provide significant improvement in 2 weeks. However, it is costly and time consuming, and it should be administered by a physical therapists or athletic training for at least 203x a week.

Stretching and strengthening

These play a significant role in treatment plant fasciitis, correcting the functional risk factors like weakness of the intrinsic foot muscles and tightness of the gastrocsoleus complex. It is of great importance to increase the flexibility of your calf muscles. Stretching techniques include stair stretches and wall stretches.

Anti-inflammatory agents

These include iontophoresis, ice, cortisone injections, and NSAIDs. Ice can be applied in your treatment through ice massage, ice pack, or ice bath.

Corticosteroid injections

It has the greatest benefit when administered early on the disease course. However, due to the associated risks, they are most commonly reserved for recalcitrant cases. Steroids can be injected via medical approaches with or without ultrasound guidance or through the plantar with 70% of success rate.

Arch supports and orthotics

Patients who have low arches have decreased the ability of absorbing the forced that are generated by the foot strike’s impact. The most commonly used mechanical corrections include over-the-counter arch support, arch taping, and custom orthotics.

Surgery

In cases that are not responding to any conservative treatment, you may opt for a surgical release of the plantar fascia. The surgery of plantar fasciotomy may be performed using endoscopic, pen, or radiofrequency lesioning techniques. All in all, the success rate of this kind of treatment include heel hypoesthesia, longitudinal arch flattening, and potential complications with the plantar fascia rupture.

Understanding the different treatment options that you can take for plantar fasciitis will be helpful in getting the right treatment for you, and determining the severity of your condition.

Athlete’s foot is a fungal infection and is contagious as it affects the skin and spreads to the hands and toenails. It is actually called as athlete’s foot as it is commonly observed in most athletes. Although it may not be serious, it can sometimes be really difficult to cure. If ever you have a poor immune system or diabetes and you have noticed you have an athlete’s foot, you need to talk to your doctor immediately.

Especially if the infection still not goes away, the attending physician may still prescribe for stronger and better anti-fungal medications in tablet forms. With an effective treatment procedure, athlete’s foot will last only for weeks or days. Through an anti-fungal medication, the fungi will be killed that bring the infection. The anti-fungal medication will kill the fungi causing the infection and will usually be available in different forms like:

tablets
powders
liquids
sprays
creams

In addition to that, you need to see a doctor to treat athlete’s foot if you have the following:

Blisters on the Feet
Feet with Severe Scaling, Cracking and Peeling
Signs of Bacterial Infection like Pus Discharge, Red streaks that extend from the affected area, increased pain, heat, tenderness, swelling and redness
Fever that reaches 100.4 degree Fahrenheit or higher than that
Infections starts to appear and to spread
Diseases linked with poor circulation or diabetes and you have an athlete’s foot. Those who have diabetes will be at a higher risk of severe bacterial infection of the leg and foot.
Symptoms still do not improve after treatment of two weeks.

In this regard, watchful waiting will be a time wherein you and your doctor will observe the condition or the symptoms. There will be no medical treatment to be used. The athlete’s foot may as well be treated at home.

But remember that a severe, recurrent and persistent infection will need to be evaluated by a physician or a doctor. If ever the symptoms still appear, you need to make use of a non-prescription product. If ever the symptoms have still not improved after two weeks of the treatment, the more that you need to contact your doctor.

Health professionals or health experts that will be there ready to treat or diagnose your condition include the following:

podiatrists
dermatologists
family medicine doctors
nurse practitioners
physician assistants

Never leave this condition not treated as the infection may spread to other areas of the body like the toenails. This may as well cause infection on the palms of the hands. Actually, the fungus which causes athlete’s foot grows on the surface of the skin. If there will also be cracks on the skin, these will usually enter the body and will spread to those exposed tissues.

Prevent the infection from spreading to other parts of your body and call the athlete’s foot doctor immediately!

Your feet are extremely essential. You are on them every day. On the other hand, even if you use them so often, a lot of people take foot care for granted. Thus, with regards to proper care a lot of people take a reactive rather than proactive method to caring for them. And, the truth is that failure to properly care for your feet could also result in a whole host of other problems with your body like spine, back and neck issues. Foot specialist Long Beach is committed and dedicated to promoting foot health by means of their utmost quality of patient care, treatment as well as education. Foot specialist Long Beach offers many types of services which take account of the following such as:
Bunion Correction

This is a common foot issue in which irregular bony bumps develop at the joint of your big toe, which causes the join to inflame outward and become aching. Many surgeries might be done to cure bunions. Soft tissue release and osteotomy are among the most used treatments. Other surgical procedures performed by foot specialist Long Beach include capsular arthroplasty or tarsometatarsal or lapidus.

Wearing tight shoes is the main cause of bunions. These aren’t hereditary; on the other hand they do tend to run in your loved ones, basically due to the defective and broken down foot structure. Flat feet, foot injuries, neuromuscular issues, as well as pronated feet could add to the formation of bunions. It’s estimated that this foot illness occurs in 33% of the population in various countries in the West.
Neuroma

This is a painful inflammation of a nerve in the ball of your foot. Burning, sporadic pain, tingling as well as a lack of sensation of toes happen when one or more nerve is strained between the overlying ligament and the metatarsal. Morton’s neuroma is the most common type of neuroma that happens between the 3rd and 4th toes. Once the nerve is enduringly harmed, it might need to be surgically eliminated.
Foot Surgery

A lot of foot injuries need surgery to ease persistent pain, restore function to damaged or weakened joints in your foot and correct deformity. Foot surgery is considered effective and safe. On the other hand, not each patient who undergone surgery will experience a good and positive result. Once the patient keeps on experiencing from issues related to foot injury like foot debilitating soreness, foot revision surgery might be needed. In general, this kind of surgery takes time to complete than the usual foot surgery. It is also challenging since there’s a high risk of complications.

Pain doesn’t need to be part of our life. A lot of people suffer pointlessly with foot ache or a damaged gait due to the unrepaired sports injuries, accidents or inherited defects. In case, you are living in this kind of pain, call foot specialist Long Beach to know what could be done to ease the pain and bring back the quality of your life.

Podiatry is the branch of medical studies which deals with the diagnosis, treatment, rehab as well as prevention of feet and lower limbs disorders. The medical specialist of this specific area is known as a podiatrist. Podiatrists have obtained extensive learning and training on this particular field of medicine. They frequently work closely with other medical care experts like massage therapists and physiotherapists to help patients who need assistance.

Call Podiatrist Long Beach To Help You with Food Issues

Through supervision and know-how of a podiatrist Long Beach, it’s possible to enhance foot function and develop lower leg mobility. A podiatric medical tool might be prescribed like orthotics. There are various kinds of orthotics it depends on the needs of the patients. Sportsmen, seniors, adults as well as kids can wear this device. It us used to support the foot’s arch, avoid muscle and joint pains, lessen the risk of injuries while doing strenuous activities and bring back proper alignment. This is also utilized to cure corns, ulceration, calluses through redistributing the pressure of your body weight on your feet.

Should You See a Podiatrist?

Sportsmen and those who are frequently engaged in stern physical activities are normally the ones prone to injuries. Needless to say, when you have injured a foot or sprained an ankle, podiatrist Long Beach is the best person to provide you with an accurate diagnosis and treatment. Diabetic people are also at risk of getting injuries and developing infections so they have to be very careful with their feet. Because of poor blood glucose control, there can be reduced the supply of blood to your feet that may result in cramps, wounds and numbness and wounds which are slow to heal.

As a result, so as to avoid serious complications, it’s advisable to consult a reliable podiatrist Long Beach for a complete and painless check up of your feet to know whether you are at risk. Don’t delay the trip to the clinic most essentially when you experience some of the signs such as numbness, burning pains in feet and legs and tingling sensation. For a lot of people, feet are the most ignored part of their bodies. A lot of people don’t pay much attention to their feet that could enhance the risk of injury or developing a disorder. Since feet are important to mobility and support the whole body, it’s extremely essential to good care of them as best as you can.

It’s interesting to know that podiatry isn’t just restricted to the cure or treatment of broken bones and sprains. A podiatric Long Beans is also specialized in treating other foot issues like ingrown, fungal nails, cracked heels, toenails, calluses and corns, deformities, bunions, etc. It is highly recommended that you see a reliable podiatrist Long Beach once you feel any discomfort in when you notice the least symptom of trouble in your feet. Consultation with a podiatric Long Beach will provide you the chance to get a complete assessment of your lower limbs so that the needed treatment can be implemented right away.