Heel Pain - Heel Pain is one of the most common complaints to podiatrists and orthopedic surgeons. The onset of heel pain can sometimes be a sudden discomfort, but many times is can be a progressive aching that gets worse over time. Heel pain is a more general term given to specific ailments that affect the foot, most commonly plantar fasciitis and heel spurs. If pain is ignored and treatment is avoided, conditions that affect the heel usually worsen and can significantly impact a person’s daily routines and lifestyle. Luckily, you can relieve and even heal most cases of heel pain through conservative treatment.

Pain in Heel can arise due to a number of factors. Most often, it does not result from a single injury, such as a fall or injured ankle. Instead, heel pain usually occurs as a result of excessive or continuous stress or repetitive pounding on the heel. In addition to the feeling of pain around the heel and arch, swelling and bruising may also be present.

Diabetic Foot Pain - Get your diabetes straightened out as best you can! Aim to keep your blood sugar tests normal as often as possible, and to get your glycosylated hemoglobin value into the normal range. The blood sugar should ideally be about 100 before meals, and 140 or 150 as the highest blood sugar that is ever seen. This seems to be the best way to help to treat the painful feet.

Fractures - With 28 bones in a single foot, almost any of them can be broken. Many fractures do not require surgery, or even a cast, as they will heal on their own with some support. When a foot is fractured, the site of the fracture usually is painful and swollen.

Wound Care - Chronic foot wounds are particularly common, especially among patients with diabetes.

What is Gout? - A form of arthritis that is a painful inflammation and swelling of the joints caused by the buildup of uric acid in the body. Certain foods cause gout so diet plays a role. Treatment of gout can be acheived through medication and proper diet.

Gout Symptoms -The most common gout symptom is sudden, severe attacks of pain, tenderness, redness, warmth and swelling in some joints. It usually affects one joint at a time, especially the joint of the big toe, but can also affect the knee, ankle, foot, hand, wrist and elbow. Deposits of uric acid, called tophi, can appear as lumps under the skin around the joints and at the rim of the ear. In addition, uric acid crystals can also collect in the kidneys and cause kidney stones.

Causes of Gout - This is one of the few types of arthritis where the cause is known. It results from deposits of needle-like crystals of uric acid in the connective tissue, joint spaces, or both. Normally this is a byproduct of the breakdown of purines or waste products in the body. Normally uric acid breaks down in the blood and is eliminated in urine. When the body increases its production of uric acid or if the kidneys do not eliminate enough of it from the body, levels build up. This is called hyperuricemia. Hyperuricemia is not a disease and is not dangerous. However, if excess uric acid crystals form as a result of hyperuricemia, gout can develop.

Foods that Cause Gout - Some people may benefit from a reduction of purine rich foods. These include beer and other alcoholic beverages, anchovies, sardines (in oil), fish roes, herring, yeast, organ meats (e.g., liver, kidneys), legumes (e.g., dried beans, peas, and soybeans), meat extracts, consommé, gravies, mushrooms, spinach, asparagus, cauliflower, and poultry. Weight loss can help reduce uric acid levels in those people that are overweight.

Gout Treatment - Although there is no cure, most people with gout can keep it under control and lead normal lives. Treatment may consist of one treatment or a combination of treatments.

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