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Topaz Treatment for Plantar Fasciitis

One of the latest treatment modalities, Topaz treatment, is showing promise in the treatment of plantar fasciitis. What is good, in my opinion, is that the procedure is practically non-invasive.  It can be done with a tiny stab incision, and patients need not worry about longer healing times. The principal behind which Topaz treatment works is to increase blood flow to the area, and to break up nocioceptors...

Platelet Gel and the Pittsburgh Steelers

Why is platelet gel or PRP (platelet rich plasma) becoming the latest rage in sports medicine/rehabilitation surgery? It is gaining attention simply because it works.  What better healing factor than the very healing factors present in your own blood could there be? It has gained some attention in the media because football players such as Hines Ward, and Troy Polamalu, both from the Pittsburgh Steelers...

Pinpointe Foot Laser-Fungal Nail Treatment

Laser treatment for your fungal nails?  I’ve blogged about the futility of fungal nails in a previous post.  No more.  The Pinpointe Foot Laser has arrived. Fungus be gone! One visit to a podiatrist’s office and thirty minutes later-you’re done!  Painless, and without all the side effects that come with oral pills.  The results are not immediate; and as the nail grows out in...

Bunions-You Can Pay me Now or Pay Me Later

Bunions are progressive deformities. The longer they are left untreated, the larger they will grow. What can start out as simply a mild bump, can quickly progress to a both unsightly and very painful deformity. I remember the old Fram oil filter commercials where the technician slams the cash register door and others those famous lines,” you can pay me now, or you can pay me later.” ...

Hammertoe Cure?

Often times, I am asked about the efficacy of one pad or another. Usually the patient has either a hammertoe or painful callus on the bottom of their foot. They are wanting to know if these pads that they see advertised either on TV, over the Internet, or hear about from friends would help their condition. Understand that hammer toes, in particular are bony deformities. While these pads may remove...

Bunion Aid gets award

Bunion Aid recently received an award for medical excellence.  The splint won the 2009 Medical Design Excellence award.  This award is only given to the most outstanding of medical products. It is judged by a totally non-partisan panel of judges. The MDEA Award follows closely on the heels of Bunion Aid being honored with a prestigious international “Red Dot” design award. As I’d...

Ingrown Toenail Advice

First thing to keep in mind. Do not let infections in your toenail get out of hand. If it gets to this stage, you’ve let it go on too long. As you can see from the photo, there is a large degree of infection present. However, if you’re already guilty of a little procrastination (and who among us isn’t); it might be wise to read on. The problem with such a toe is that making the...

Bunion Splints

One of the unfortunate bits of news I must give my patients when they come in with a bunion is that there is not a lot we can do. Bunions usually mean surgery, and sometimes debilitating surgery at that.  People would ask me, would wearing a splint help?  In the past, I’d always said no.  Get yourself some wider shoes, wear a pad, or learn to live with it. Unless you like the blade! I must...

Renewed Nail Review

Fungal nails are the bane of our existence. We as podiatrists see a lot of these thick and crumbly nails. It is a very difficult problem to treat with low cure rates. Along comes yet another new product on the market. This product is called “Renewed Nail”. It has caught the attention of this podiatrist for the following reasons: it is much less expensive than Penlac, or other topical...

Plantar Fasciitis Timeframe-Healing Expectations

One of the first things I tell my patients who come to see me regarding plantar fasciitis is that it’s going to take some time. Plantar fasciitis, especially when it gets to the point of forming a heel spur, is a long developing process.  The spur you are seeing is literally the bone being pulled away by the tight fascia.  As you can imagine, this is not an overnight process. Plantar Fasciitis...