Struggling With Foot Pain? We Can Help

When you have sore feet, it's all you can think about! Soon the discomfort impacts your daily activities. This doesn't have to be the case. Your podiatrist in Westbury, NY, Dr. Dennis Fassman, can diagnose and treat the problem with care plans that include orthotics and other strategies. He helps scores of individuals that wish to feel better and stay active.

What causes foot pain?

Many factors cause painful, sore feet and ankles. Overuse, injury, and congenital or acquired defects are common ones. Disease, such as osteoarthritis (from wear and tear and age) and rheumatoid arthritis (autoimmune) and diabetic neuropathy, lead to substantial dysfunction and discomfort.

At his Westbury, NY, podiatric practice, Dr. Fassman does a complete examination. This includes a gait analysis to see how you walk, and X-rays or other kinds of imaging as he determines necessary. Surprisingly, many painful foot and ankle conditions do not require surgery or extensive interventions. Conservative treatments, supportive devices, such as customized orthotics, and physical therapy reduce or even eliminate symptoms from many Westbury, NY, area patients.

Possible causes of foot pain include:

• Bunions: large bony bumps at the base of the big toes resulting from tight shoes with high heels, overuse, weight issues, age, and hereditary factors
• Hammertoes: acquired deformities from bunion formation or tight shoes
• Ingrown toenails: nails that intrude into the skin around the big toe
• Heel spurs: small, calcified bumps which grow on the heel bone due to repetitive overuse
• Plantar fasciitis: occurs when the tissue between the toes and heel becomes irritated
• Flat feet: a congenital problem or acquired through non-supportive footwear and obesity
• Sprains and fractures: caused by traumatic injury, overuse, and sports
• Corns and calluses: hardened masses of skin which develop at points of pressure and friction between the foot and shoe
• Morton's neuroma: a benign growth typically located between the third and fourth metatarsal bones

Treating foot pain

Because of your foot pain and its underlying causes are unique, Dr. Fassman's care plan is too. Common interventions include:

1. Rest, ice and elevation of the affected foot
2. Physical therapy and stretching exercises (particularly for plantar fasciitis, sprains and flat feet)
3. Medications such as cortisone injections or over the counter analgesics
4. Supportive devices such as casts, elastic bandaging, and shoe orthotics

Shoe orthotics are customized by your Westbury, NY, podiatrist. Categorized as soft (accommodative), rigid and semi-rigid (functional), these simple devices fit into your shoes. They provide support, protection, cushioning and gait/balance correction.

Find out more

Don't suffer from painful feet. Dr. Dennis Fassman will help. Call his office in Westbury, NY, for a friendly and helpful consultation: (516) 333-5566.