Melanoma is a very serious form of skin cancer whose main cause is exposure to the sun and to indoor tanning beds. Genetic factors may be at work as well, say researchers at Yale University. Whether you inherited a tendency toward melanoma or aggravated your skin through overexposure to ultraviolet light, know this: melanoma can […]
“Pronation” is a term that podiatrists like Dr. Megan L. Oltmann and Dr. Craig B. Frey of Foot & Ankle Associates of Cleveland toss around to talk about the way your foot strikes the ground when you walk. When a patient comes into our podiatry practice complaining of foot pain, depending on their specific complaint […]
What do you know about ethanol? Well, at the gas station, we’re told that the gas we’re pumping into our car contains it. Believe it or not, it’s also something we put into our bodies on a regular basis if we’re not teetotalers. Ethanol, also called ethyl alcohol, is one of the main ingredients in […]
The skin of your feet is pretty susceptible to those raised, fluid-filled bubbles we call blisters. That’s because the main cause of blisters is friction, or rubbing. Shoes that don’t fit well are one of the main causes of friction: too tight and they rub the skin over and over. Even shoes that are too […]
Our two feet are constantly supplying us with information about where we’re walking. They feel if the ceramic tile in the kitchen is cold, how hot the beach sand is, and whether the rock we’re climbing over is smooth enough to make us slip and fall. For this, we owe a debt to our plantar […]
Ankle injuries bring patients into our Cuyahoga County podiatry practice all the time. They’re extremely common, but at the same time it’s rare that a person who’s hurt their ankle understands immediately how bad the damage is. Knowing the difference between a sprain and a break can be a bit of a mystery. The difficulty […]
You’ve got arthritis. Your hip hurts when you walk, your ankle twinges with each step, or your big toe won’t bend without killing you. Why on earth would you want to add to the pain by exercising? Benefits of exercise It seems counterintuitive, but moving around is actually a very good idea for people with […]
Warts may not be the most comfortable thing to get on your skin, but they’ve got a bad rap they don’t deserve. Here’s some information that may ease your mind if you encounter one of these essentially harmless growths on your feet. Q: Did I get a wart because my feet are dirty? A: No, […]
Sometimes people can be funny about what compels them to treat their pain. If they’ve got a headache, they might feel perfectly fine about taking some medication or lying down for a nap. And if they see they’ve got a swollen finger, it’s pretty likely they’ll take action to see a doctor and get it […]
Hallux rigidus is the medical name for a stiff big toe. Arthritis sets into the joint at the base of the toe and causes pain, redness, swelling, stiffness, and, eventually, an inability to move the toe at all. Hallux (meaning “big toe”) rigidus (meaning “rigid”) begins as hallux limitus, where the movement of the joint […]