Our Podiatrist will help you with your Foot & Ankle Problems

Plantar fasciitis is the medical term for inflammation of the plantar fascia located on the soles of your feet. The plantar fascia is made of tight, dense connective tissue and provides support to the arch of your foot. 

In many cases, plantar fasciitis only affects one foot though it’s possible to have symptoms on both feet. Symptoms of plantar fasciitis include:

• Heel pain
• Sharp pain when taking your first steps after getting out of bed in the morning
• Sensation of tears or cuts in the soles of your feet
• Aching in the arches of your feet
• Increased pain after long periods of standing or once you stand up after sitting

If left untreated, plantar fasciitis can become a chronic issue, and the longer you have it, the longer it can take to heal.

Plantar fasciitis develops when the soles of your feet stretch to the point that small tears develop in your plantar fascia. These small tears cause inflammation and pain. Different things can lead to overstretching of the plantar fascia, like:

• Certain types of exercise, like running, dancing, and jumping activities
• Standing on your feet for extended periods of time
• Being overweight or gaining weight suddenly
• Foot conditions, like flatfoot and high arches

Plantar fasciitis develops most often in adults from ages 40-60, though it can occur sooner or later.

Dr. Faragalla provides specific instructions for you to prevent plantar fasciitis or recover from it once you receive a diagnosis. In most cases, wearing supportive, comfortable footwear and stretching can help prevent plantar fasciitis from developing.

Stretches that focus on your feet and calves are the most important to reduce stress on your plantar fascia. Maintaining a healthy weight and sticking to a regular exercise routine can also help keep your muscles and joints healthy without putting excess pressure on your feet.

Treatment for plantar fasciitis focuses on reducing inflammation and allowing the small tears in your plantar fascia to heal. Your provider can recommend:

• Non-steroidal anti-inflammatory medications
• Physical therapy
• Orthotics
• Athletic t

An ingrown toenail occurs when the corner of your toenail grows downward into the adjacent skin, digging painfully into the soft flesh. This common condition can affect any toe, but the big toe is most often affected. 

Generally, ingrown toenails aren’t a serious medical problem and usually resolve with simple home remedies like soaking the foot in room-temperature water. 

However, ingrown toenails can become infected. If you have diabetes, peripheral vascular disease, or another condition that causes poor circulation, you should seek professional treatment for an ingrown toenail as soon as possible. Don’t try to treat it yourself. You should also call Faragalla Foot Care if you suspect the ingrown toenail is infected.

Anyone can get an ingrown toenail. But your risk of developing complications from an ingrown toenail is higher if you have certain medical conditions, such as:

• Diabetes
• Poor blood circulation
• Nerve damage in the leg or foot (neuropathy)

Without proper treatment, an ingrown toenail may lead to a serious infection, and possibly amputation.

Trimming your nails too short is the most common cause of ingrown toenails. When the nail is too short or rounded at the edges, the skin next to your nail may fold over it. It’s important to trim your toenails straight across.

Other causes of ingrown toenails include wearing shoes that crowd your toes and injuries, such as stubbing your toe.

If an ingrown toenail breaks the skin and allows bacteria to enter, an infection may develop. Infected ingrown toenails may appear red, swollen, and warm to the touch. They may also be painful and ooze foul-smelling fluid (pus).

First, Faragalla Foot Care carefully evaluates your foot and reviews your medical history. Then, you receive an individualized treatment plan that may include a prescription for topical or oral medication. Your provider may place a splint under the nail to help it grow away from the skin to relieve discomfort.

If ingrown toenails are a chronic problem, Dr. Faragalla may perform a procedure to partially or completely remove the nail. Depending on your needs, they may use a chemical, laser, or other methods.

For expert management of ingrown toenails, 

Orthotics are medical devices Dr. Faragalla prescribes to patients. Orthotics are custom made insoles you place inside your shoes to support the bones, joints, and muscles of your feet.

To make a pair of custom orthotics, Dr. Faragalla uses 3D scanning technology. In less than 5 minutes, the scanner takes an image of your feet and relays the image to a computer for analysis. 

3D scans can show how you distribute your body weight over your feet, which can help your podiatrist understand any muscle imbalances that may be contributing to your condition.

Depending on your needs, your podiatrist recommends the best customization method for you.

Dr. Faragalla recommends orthotics for biomechanical foot issues like:

• Tendonitis
• Plantar fasciitis
• Neuromas
• Shin splints
• High arches
• Flatfeet

Podiatrists also recommend orthotics for people who need more support for their feet, either due to their job or having a medical condition like diabetes that can cause foot wounds. 

Athletes and sports enthusiasts can also benefit from orthotics as well since custom insoles can help improve athletic performance and prevent injuries.

There are two main types of orthotics available, depending on your needs and the condition of your feet. Orthotic options are:

• Functional Orthotics: Functional orthotics are used for biomechanical issues of the feet and are designed to control the movement of your feet. These orthotics are generally made from semi-rigid materials like plastic or graphite.
• Accommodative Orthotics: Accommodative orthotics are softer and used to add cushion and support for painful foot conditions like calluses, corns, and diabetic foot wounds.

Your podiatrist can make custom orthotics for a wide variety of shoes, including work boots, athletic shoes, ballet-style flat shoes, and tennis shoes. 

At Faragalla Foot Care, orthotics can be made within 5-7 business days, though rush orders can be completed in three days for an additional fee. In most cases, custom orthotics last 2-4 years, depending on how often they’re worn and the amount of wear-and-tear they sustain.
To set up a fitting for orthotics, call Faragalla Foot Care to schedule your visit 

Heel pain usually results from abnormalities in your gait while walking. If these abnormalities place too much stress on the bone and soft tissues of your heel, you may develop pain. 

Other factors that lead to heel pain include wearing improper footwear, sports injuries from running and jumping, and being overweight. 

One of the most common causes of pain beneath your heel is plantar fasciitis, a condition that occurs when the band of tissue that runs along the bottom of your foot becomes inflamed. Athletes who run and jump a lot are especially prone to plantar fasciitis.

The plantar fascia connects your heel to the ball of your foot. This tissue can stretch or tear as a result of repetitive stress, leading to inflammation. 

Heel spurs, which are calcium deposits, may develop on the heel bone of people with plantar fasciitis. Heel spurs appear on an X-ray as bony protrusions that may extend as far as half an inch.  

Pain behind your heel may be due to Achilles tendonitis. The Achilles tendon attaches your calf muscle to your heel bone and often becomes inflamed by running too much or wearing shoes that dig into the back of your heel. Without treatment, Achilles tendonitis can become a chronic condition. 

To determine the underlying cause of your heel pain, Dr. Faragalla begins with a careful review of your symptoms and medical history. You have an examination of your foot and may require diagnostic imaging tests.

Then, Dr. Faragalla recommends the best treatment for your specific condition. Many types of heel pain improve with non-surgical treatments, such as:

• Stretching exercises or physical therapy
• Modifying activities
• Changing footwear
• Icing the heel
• Taking medication for pain
• Padding, taping, or strapping the foot
• Wearing an orthotic device
• Wearing a night splint
• Corticosteroid injections

For expert diagnosis and treatment of heel pain, call Faragalla Foot Care to book your appointment today.

Diabetes is a chronic disease that causes your blood sugar levels to stay at consistently unhealthy levels. Left untreated, this can lead to a variety of health problems, particularly those that affect your lower extremities.

If you have diabetes, you’re more likely to develop slow-healing wounds, diabetic ulcers, peripheral neuropathy, and calluses. These conditions also increase your risk of infection and in turn, the need for amputation. 

Fortunately, you can significantly lower your risk of more serious problems by monitoring your feet regularly, taking your prescription medications, exercising, and eating a healthy, well-balanced diet. 

Faragalla Foot Care offers a comprehensive suite of diabetic foot care treatments, including:

• Wound Care: Diabetes often damages the nerves in your feet, preventing you from feeling pain if you cut your foot or step on a foreign object. If a wound goes unnoticed and it’s combined with poor circulation, you’re more likely to develop an infection. When you have diabetes, your wounds don’t heal as quickly as they would for another, so it’s important you seek professional medical help. Dr. Faragalla offers safe and effective treatments for diabetic wounds, including antibiotics, enzyme treatments, diabetic shoes, casts, and foot braces.
• Treatment for Peripheral Neuropathy: 

Diabetic neuropathy affects 60-70% of people with diabetes. Neuropathy is the medical term for nerve damage, which is associated with symptoms such as tingling, numbness, and balance problems. Unfortunately, many people assume these symptoms are just a result of old age. If your feet or toes regularly bother you, it’s important to make an appointment with Faragalla Foot Care. Combined with amputation prevention services, Faragalla Foot Care helps your limbs stay healthy and infection-free.

Even if you haven’t developed neuropathy or a diabetic ulcer, you can still benefit from diabetic foot care. Following an exam and review of your medical history, Dr. Faragalla can provide you with tips and suggestions to help you detect problems early on and prevent further complications.

For example, inspecting your feet on a daily basis, washing your feet regularly, and wearing comfortable, well-fitting footwear can significantly lower your risk of infection or other complications. 

If you’re living with diabetes, it’s crucial to take good care of your feet and toes. Dr. Faragalla has years of experience assisting patients with diabetic foot care. Make your appointment today by calling our office.

A neuroma — also called Morton’s neuroma — is a small bundle of benign nerve tissue located between bones in the ball of your foot. The most common location is between your third and fourth toes. Symptoms of a neuroma include:

• Pain
• Burning, numbness, or tingling
• Discomfort in the ball of your foot or between your toes
• Feeling like a pebble or rock is stuck inside your shoe

It’s common to feel the pain most when you’re walking, and massaging the area can provide some relief.

While the exact cause of neuromas is unknown, there are a number of factors that contribute to their development, such as:

• Biomechanical foot deformities, such as high arches or flatfeet
• Trauma to the affected nerve
• Improper footwear that squeezes the toes together
• Repeated stress to the foot, especially for those who walk or stand for work

Neuromas are more common in women since women tend to wear tighter fitting shoes or shoes with pointed toes or high heels, which can put pressure on the toe area. Those with foot problems like plantar fasciitis and hammertoes can also be at risk.

If you suspect that you have a neuroma, it’s best to visit Faragalla Foot Care immediately since neuromas can get worse without treatment and cause severe pain or disability. 

In order to diagnose a neuroma, your provider performs a thorough exam of your foot, including checking your range of motion and various orthopedic tests. They also examine your shoes to determine if your footwear is contributing to your pain.

In most cases, an exam can diagnose a neuroma. If there is any concern about other conditions, you may need additional testing.

For neuromas causing mild to moderate pain, your provider may recommend changing footwear, massaging or icing your feet, or wearing supportive pads or tape. 

Medications like non-steroidal anti-inflammatories and cortisone shots can reduce inflammation of the nerve, and orthotics can relieve pressure on your neuroma. 

To find out if a neuroma is causing your foot pain, schedule an appointment by phone at Faragalla Foot Care now.

If your skin experiences pressure or friction on a regular basis, you might develop a corn or callus. Corns and calluses can develop anywhere on your body, but they’re especially common on your feet and toes, usually as a result of wearing tight or ill-fitting shoes or socks. 

They might also develop due to irregularities affecting your feet, such as bunions, hammertoes, or bumps caused by rheumatoid arthritis. Other factors can also contribute to corns and calluses, including flatfeet and bone spurs, or pressure caused by an abnormal gait.

Many times, eliminating the source of friction is enough to ease your symptoms. However, if you have diabetes or another condition that affects your circulation, corns and calluses may lead to an infection or more serious health problems. 

Corns and calluses are easy to spot. Telltale signs include: 

• A thick, raised area of skin
• A hardened or rough bump
• Tenderness or pain that affects your skin
• Waxy or dry skin

Over time, a corn or callus might also start flaking or shed layers of skin. 

Many people use the terms corns and calluses interchangeably. However, they’re two different things. 

• Corns: Corns are smaller in size than calluses and feature a hardened bump in the center that looks like a kernel of corn, hence their name. Corns are also painful and usually develop on non-weight-bearing areas of your feet like the sides or tops of your toes.
• Calluses: Calluses develop on the heels, balls, or soles of your feet, are typically larger than corns, and usually, aren’t painful.

In most cases, conservative measures of care are enough to treat corns and calluses. For example, wearing roomier shoes may prevent pain and allow your skin to heal. 

However, if a corn or callus becomes inflamed or painful to the touch, you should make an appointment at Faragalla Foot Care. You should also visit a podiatrist if you have diabetes and develop a callus or corn. 

Dr. Faragalla uses conservative treatments to address corns and calluses. Following an exam and discussion of your symptoms, your doctor might recommend trimming away your excess skin or using shoe inserts. 

If corns and calluses are preventing you from participating in your favorite activities or wearing your favorite shoes, don’t hesitate to seek professional help. Call the office to make an appointment today. 

Arthritis is a chronic, degenerative condition that causes pain, stiffness, and inflammation of your joints. 

There are over 100 different types of arthritis, many of which affect the feet and ankles. Each of your feet contains 28 bones and more than 30 joints that allow you to run, jump, pivot, and change directions. 

Unfortunately, these capabilities also make them susceptible to wear-and-tear damage, swelling, and, in some cases, immobility. The symptoms you experience depend on the type of arthritis you have. 

Three main types of arthritis: 

• Osteoarthritis: 

Osteoarthritis, also known as wear-and-tear arthritis, occurs when your cartilage–a soft cushion-like substance that pads and protects your joints–begins to deteriorate and wear away. Ultimately, this causes your bones to rub up against one another, causing inflammation, stiffness, and general discomfort. Osteoarthritis typically develops slowly, causing your pain to become worse over time.

• Rheumatoid Arthritis: 

Rheumatoid arthritis is an autoimmune disease that causes your body’s immune system to attack the synovium, a sheath of tissue that covers and supports your joints. Over time, your synovium swells and infiltrates your surrounding bone, cartilage, and tendons causing deformities and, in some cases, disability.

• Posttraumatic Arthritis: 

Posttraumatic arthritis is the result of an accident or injury to your foot or ankle. If you dislocate or fracture your ankle, the cartilage between your joints begins to wear away. If you injure one or more joints, you’re also seven times more likely to develop posttraumatic arthritis.

Bay Area Foot Care also treats gout, a type of arthritis defined by excess uric acid that usually affects your feet and toes.

Treatment for arthritis depends on the type and severity of your symptoms. Faragalla Foot Care uses conservative, noninvasive measures of care whenever possible, including physical therapy, exercise, and prescription medications. 

For example, if you have gout, there are medications that can control your uric acid levels and minimize pain. Faragalla Foot Care also offers custom orthotics. Custom orthotics ensure your foot and ankle joints are properly aligned.

Foot and ankle arthritis is a common problem that requires treatment. To book your appointment at Faragalla Foot Care, call the office today. 

At Faragalla Foot Care, Dr. Faragalla has training in the diagnosis and management of chronic, non-healing wounds like:

• Diabetic Ulcerations: 

Diabetic ulcerations develop when high blood sugar levels damage the lining of your blood vessels, leading to wounds opening in your skin. Diabetes naturally slows down the healing process, which leads to non-healing wounds.

• Pressure Ulcerations: 

Pressure ulcerations develop when pressure is applied to the skin for long periods of time. This is often due to bed rest — which causes bed sores — but can also occur from improper footwear.

• Venous Ulcerations:

 Venous ulcerations develop in varicose veins that cause blood to pool in your veins and bulge outward. These damaged veins can break through your skin and open up, leaving a non-healing wound.

• Arterial/Ischemic Ulcerations:

 Arterial ulcerations develop due to poor blood flow, which allows the skin overlying your blood vessels to die, causing an open wound.

Ulcers can cause pain, itching, and general discomfort and can easily become infected, which may lead to gangrene and increases your risk of limb loss.

Dr. Faragalla diagnoses the cause of your ulcer after a thorough consultation and physical exam. They ask about your medical history, chronic health conditions, lifestyle, and symptoms. 

Dr. Faragalla also examines your wound or ulcer to assess for artery and vein involvement and determines the severity of your ulcer.

Dr. Faragalla works with you to explain the underlying cause of your wound and steps you can take to prevent more wounds from forming. Education is a key component of your wound care at Faragalla Foot Care.

Dr. Faragalla begins by carefully cleaning your wound and removing any damaged or dead tissue from the area. 

Dr. Faragalla works with vascular surgeons, and other specialists to repair damaged blood vessels so your body can heal naturally.

Faragalla Foot Care takes a comprehensive and long-term approach to treating ulcers and non-healing wounds to protect the health of your lower limbs and body as a whole.

To learn more about wound care at Faragalla Foot Care, call our office to request an appointment today.