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5 Foot Signs That Usually Don’t Mean Heart Trouble

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During American Heart Month, it’s typical to read a lot of fear-mongering misinformation online and get scared. However, we at  Carrollton Foot Center are here to set the heart’s record straight. If you notice any of these signs in your feet, your cardiovascular system is most likely fine, contrary to what you might have thought.

1. Burning or Tingling in One Foot

While poor circulation can cause a dull ache, a sharp burning sensation in your feet, especially if it’s only in one foot, is rarely a heart issue. Instead, this usually points to a nerve problem. You might have a pinched nerve in your back (sciatica) or a localized issue like Morton’s neuroma, which is a thickening of the tissue around the nerves leading to your toes. If it feels like an electric shock, it’s likely a nerve, not a heart problem.

2. Cold Feet Only After It Rains or Snows

If your feet are icy cold 24/7, even in a warm room, you might check your circulation. But if your feet only feel cold after you’ve been out in the slush, it’s likely an environmental or footwear issue. Many waterproof boots lose their seal over time. If moisture is getting in, your feet will freeze regardless of how strong your heart is. If they warm up quickly once you’re inside, your heart is doing its job just fine.

3. A Painful Knot in Your Arch

If you feel a sharp pain in your arch the second you step out of bed, your mind might jump to a blood clot or arterial blockage. However, this is the classic signature of plantar fasciitis.

This is a mechanical issue where the thick band of tissue supporting your arch becomes inflamed. It’s about how you walk and the shoes you wear, not how your heart is pumping.

4. Swelling in Only One Ankle

We often hear that swollen ankles mean heart failure. However, heart-related swelling is almost always bilateral, meaning it happens in both feet at the same time.

If only your left ankle is puffy while your right one looks normal, you are likely looking at a local issue like a minor sprain, a bug bite, or a localized vein problem rather than a failing heart.

5. Sudden Yellowing of the Toenails

If your toenails are turning yellow and getting thick, you might worry about oxygen levels. In reality, 90% of the time, this is simply a fungal infection.

Fungus loves the damp environment of winter boots. While it’s a nuisance, it’s a localized skin and nail issue, not a sign that your heart is struggling to deliver nutrients.

Always check with a trusted podiatrist to be 100% sure!

Consult with Board-certified podiatrist Dr. Naghmeh Lilly Khavari, a knowledgeable professional who is dedicated to her patients in Denton, Dallas, and Collin Counties. Dr. Khavari treats a wide range of conditions, from ingrown toenails to foot and ankle injuries. Call Carrollton Foot Center’s office (located in Carrollton, Texas) at (469)-998-3668 to schedule your first appointment today!

What Your Feet Reveal About Your Thyroid Health

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While many people associate thyroid issues with fatigue or weight changes, Carrollton Foot Center is here to tell you that your feet provide early warnings of an under or overactive thyroid. It’s National Thyroid Awareness Month, so let’s jump into the signs that can help you identify a potential hormonal imbalance.

Chronic Dryness and Cracked Heels

One of the most common signs of hypothyroidism, or an underactive thyroid, is severely dry and cracked skin. When the thyroid does not produce enough hormones, the metabolism slows down and reduces sweat and oil production.

This lack of natural moisture often leads to deep, painful fissures on the heels and a leathery texture on the soles of the feet. Unlike standard dry skin, thyroid-related dryness typically persists even after the frequent application of high-quality moisturizers.

Temperature Regulation and Circulation

If you find that your feet remain icy cold even in a warm room or under heavy blankets, it may be a sign of low thyroid function. An underactive thyroid can lead to decreased circulation. In some cases, this poor circulation can cause a yellowish tint on the soles of the feet, a condition known as carotenemia, which occurs because the body is struggling to convert carotene into vitamin A.

Swelling and Fluid Retention

Swelling and fluid retention are also closely linked to thyroid health. Patients with hypothyroidism often experience puffy feet and ankles due to a buildup of fluid in the tissues.

As well, those with Graves disease may develop a rare skin condition that causes the skin on the lower legs and feet to become thick, red, swollen, and to have an orange-peel texture.

Nerve Pain and Brittle Nails

Thyroid disorders can also impact the nerves and muscles in the legs and feet, which manifests as tingling or numbness in the toes and soles, a burning sensation that worsens at night, and frequent muscle cramps.

Your nails can also provide clues, because thyroid issues often cause toenails to become brittle, slow-growing, or prone to fungal infections.

Why Podiatry for Thyroid Health

If you notice these changes, a visit to a podiatrist is a great first step. While we treat the immediate discomfort in your feet, we also look for these systemic red flags and can coordinate with your primary care physician for necessary blood work.

Consult with Board-certified podiatrist Dr. Naghmeh Lilly Khavari, a knowledgeable professional who is dedicated to her patients in Denton, Dallas, and Collin Counties. Dr. Khavari treats a wide range of conditions, from ingrown toenails to foot and ankle injuries. Call Carrollton Foot Center’s office (located in Carrollton, Texas) at (469)-998-3668 to schedule your first appointment today!

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What Leneva Fat Pad Replacement Can Do for Your Feet

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Nature designed the human foot with a brilliant built-in shock absorber: the plantar fat pad. However, due to aging, genetics, or years of high-impact activity, that fat pad can wear away. And when it thins out, it feels like walking directly on bone.

Enter Leneva Fat Pad Replacement. This isn’t just a temporary filler or a cortisone shot, but a regenerative solution designed to literally replace the cushioning tissue that time has taken away. Dr. Naghmeh Lilly Khavari relies on Leneva Fat Pad Replacement to treat a variety of foot problems. Here is how this restoration process works and the specific conditions it treats.

Understanding Fat Pad Replacement

Unlike synthetic fillers used in cosmetic procedures, Leneva is an allograft adipose matrix. Think of it as a natural honeycomb scaffold derived from sterile fat tissue. When placed into the foot, it acts as a framework that produces its own fat cells.

The result is not a foreign object, but a restoration of the patient’s own natural fat pad. It essentially gives the foot a do-over on its natural cushioning.

Treating Fat Pad Atrophy

The primary use for this technology is treating fat pad atrophy. Patients with this condition often describe the sensation of walking on marbles or feeling deep, bruising pain in their heels or the balls of their feet.

By performing a fat pad replacement, the volume is restored. This puts a functional pillow back between the skin and the bone, relieves that bone-on-ground pain, and allows for comfortable walking again.

Eliminating Pressure Points

Fat pad replacement is also a powerful tool for dealing with chronic corns and calluses. These hard spots form because a bone inside the foot is pressing relentlessly against the skin from the inside.

Trimming the skin only helps temporarily because the pressure remains. But Leneva allows for internal offloading. By replacing the fat layer between the bony prominence and the skin, the pressure is dissipated. With the friction gone, the painful corn or callus often stops forming entirely.

Protecting the Diabetic Foot

For people managing diabetes, pressure points are dangerous precursors to ulcers. A specific area of high pressure can cause the skin to break down.

Fat pad replacement creates a protective buffer in these high-risk zones by restoring the cushion. Then, the risk of tissue breakdown is significantly reduced.

Relief for High-Impact Pain

Leneva Fat Pad Replacement is also excellent for pain in the ball of the foot. Whether caused by the anatomy of the foot or years of running, thinning fat in the forefoot causes burning pain. Replacing these pads provides the shock absorption necessary to return to activity without the burn.

Consult with Board-certified podiatrist Dr. Naghmeh Lilly Khavari, a knowledgeable professional who is dedicated to her patients in Denton, Dallas, and Collin Counties. Dr. Khavari treats a wide range of conditions, from ingrown toenails to foot and ankle injuries. Call Carrollton Foot Center’s office (located in Carrollton, Texas) at (469)-998-3668 to schedule your first appointment today!

Is My Foot Lying to Me? Phantom Feelings from Nerve Damage

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Ever feel a weird burning, crawling, or pinching in your foot and swear your sock is bunched up, only to find nothing there? Dr. Naghmeh Lilly Khavari hears reports of these phantom sensations all the time, and they are often the clearest sign of neuropathy, which is a condition that affects how the nerves communicate. Let’s discuss some of the most common sensations in detail.

Common Symptoms of Nerve Damage in the Feet

Your nerves are like the body’s wiring system. When they get damaged, compressed, or irritated by conditions like diabetes, tarsal tunnel syndrome, or a neuroma, they start to short-circuit.

Here are some of the weirdest and most common phantom sensations your feet might experience:

The Stuck Pebble Sensation

  • What it feels like: You constantly feel like you are standing on a marble, a small rock, or a wrinkled sock, usually right under the ball of your foot between your toes.
  • The reality: There’s nothing actually there. This feeling is caused by a Morton’s neuroma, which is a thickening of nerve tissue, and makes the nerve itself take up space and feel like a foreign object when compressed.

Pins and Needles

  • What it feels like: A crawling, prickling, or stinging sensation, like a thousand tiny needles that comes on for no reason.
  • The reality: This is paresthesia, and it means the nerve signals are going haywire, often caused by minor nerve compression or early-stage neuropathy.

The Burning/Icy Effect

  • What it feels like: Your feet feel intensely hot, as if they are perpetually on fire or submerged in scalding water, or sometimes they feel intensely icy and cold.
  • The reality: This is a classic sign of neuropathic pain. The damaged nerves are wrongly interpreting temperature signals.

The Itch You Can’t Scratch

  • What it feels like: An intense, sometimes debilitating itching sensation, often deep inside the skin or muscles, that you can’t scratch away with any relief.
  • The reality: There is no rash or external cause. This happens when damaged nerves misfire, and your brain translates the abnormal signal into an unrelenting itch.

Extreme Sensitivity

  • What it feels like: Normally, non-painful stimuli become excruciating. The slight brush of a pant leg can feel agonizing.
  • The reality: This is called allodynia. Pain receptors become severely oversensitive.

The Muscle Jump

  • What it feels like: You might notice subtle, spontaneous, quick twitching in the muscles of your foot or calf, even when you’re resting.
  • The reality: This is fasciculation, which is minor, involuntary muscle contractions often associated with nerve irritation or damage.

Disclaimer: We’ve all had these sensations from time to time. But if you are experiencing many of these in tandem frequently, it could be a sign of neuropathy. Visit us for a consultation!

Consult with Board-certified podiatrist Dr. Naghmeh Lilly Khavari, a knowledgeable professional who is dedicated to her patients in Denton, Dallas, and Collin Counties. Dr. Khavari treats a wide range of conditions, from ingrown toenails to foot and ankle injuries. Call Carrollton Foot Center’s office (located in Carrollton, Texas) at (469)-998-3668 to schedule your first appointment today!

5 Subtle Warning Signs of Foot Conditions You Shouldn’t Ignore

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If we at Carrollton Foot Center know one thing about feet, it’s that they are great barometers of our health. But while a dramatic ankle sprain or a painful ingrown toenail sends a clear message, many foot and ankle conditions begin with subtle, easily missed warning signs. In this blog post, we’ll help you tune your ear to your feet and listen to specific symptoms you shouldn’t dismiss.

That Lingering Ache

If your feet and ankles consistently ache after a normal day of activity, don’t just chalk it up to a long day or being on your feet. A lingering, dull pain that doesn’t disappear with a night’s rest could be an early signal of plantar fasciitis, a stress fracture, or even developing arthritis. While muscle soreness is normal, a sharp or specific ache in a joint or bone is a sign that a particular structure is under too much stress and needs attention.

Numbness and Tingling

A sudden tingling or numbness in your feet is often just a temporary nerve compression from sitting in an awkward position. But if you experience persistent or recurring sensations like pins and needles, or if your feet feel numb without an obvious cause, it’s a definite red flag.

These sensations can be an early sign of peripheral neuropathy, which is a common complication of diabetes. It can also be a symptom of a pinched nerve in your back, or a condition like tarsal tunnel syndrome in your ankle, where a nerve is being compressed. While these aren’t guarantees, it’s important to get them checked sooner rather than later.

Skin, Nail, and Hair Changes

If you notice your feet are consistently cool to the touch, or if the skin on your legs and feet appears unusually shiny, pale, or bluish, it could be a sign of Peripheral Artery Disease and poor circulation.

Similarly, thinning or hair loss on your toes, or toenails that are growing very slowly and have become brittle or discolored, can also be signs that your feet aren’t getting the healthy blood flow they need.

Uneven Shoe Wear

Take a look at the soles of your shoes. If one shoe is wearing down much faster than the other, or if a specific part of the sole is wearing down excessively, it’s a strong indicator of a gait abnormality. This means you might be walking in a way that puts abnormal stress on your feet. And no, not all walking issues are apparent! Biomechanical problems can be subtle, and they’re not just a shoe issue; they need correction, or else they can lead to secondary injuries.

Recurrent Ankle Instability

Believe it or not, that’s exactly what it’s called: chronic ankle instability. If you’ve had a bad ankle sprain in the past and always feel like you’re on the verge of another one, that’s a clear sign of chronic ankle instability. This isn’t just a weakness; it means the ligaments literally haven’t healed properly.

Consult with Board-certified podiatrist Dr. Naghmeh Lilly Khavari, a knowledgeable professional who is dedicated to her patients in Denton, Dallas, and Collin Counties. Dr. Khavari treats a wide range of conditions, from ingrown toenails to foot and ankle injuries. Call Carrollton Foot Center’s office (located in Carrollton, Texas) at (469)-998-3668 to schedule your first appointment today!

Someone performing shockwave therapy on a foot as a person is laying down

Debunking Common Myths About Shockwave Therapy

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If you’ve been battling persistent foot or ankle pain that just won’t quit, you might have heard about Radial Pulse Shockwave Therapy. We at Carrollton Foot Center swear by it for the treatment of many foot and ankle conditions. But as with any innovative medical technology, there tend to be a lot of misconceptions. So in this article, we’re giving you our honest insight into how shockwave therapy actually works. What’s true and not true? Keep reading to find out.

Myth 1: RSWT is a Painful and Invasive Procedure

This is a common concern, but RSWT is actually a minimally invasive, in-office procedure. The treatment uses a small device to send harmless, low-energy waves to your skin. While patients typically feel a brief, quick pulsing or tapping sensation, the discomfort is generally well-tolerated and short-lived. There is no need for anesthesia, no incisions, and no downtime. You can walk out of the office and go on about your day.

Myth 2: RSWT is Just a “Freeze” Treatment or Basic Ultrasound

RSWT is completely different from cryotherapy and ultrasound. Cryotherapy relies on extreme cold to numb and reduce inflammation, whereas ultrasound uses sound waves to create heat deep within the tissues.

Shockwave therapy, however, uses radial pressure waves to stimulate a natural healing response in the body. How? By increasing blood circulation, breaking up scar tissue, and essentially resetting the healing process in chronic conditions that have stalled.

Myth 3: You Only Need One Session to Be Cured

Radial Pulse Shockwave Therapy is not a one-and-done solution. A series of treatments (typically 3-5 sessions, spaced a week apart) is standard protocol for most chronic conditions.

While you might feel some relief after the first session, the cumulative effect of the treatments is what truly drives long-term healing.

Myth 4: RSWT is Only for Heel Pain

While RSWT is known for fighting against plantar fasciitis, its use is much broader. In fact, it’s effective for various chronic soft tissue injuries like Achilles tendonitis, shin splints, and even pain from Morton’s neuroma. Any condition rooted in chronic inflammation, scar tissue, or poor blood flow can potentially benefit from RSWT.

Myth 5: RSWT is a Miracle Cure for Everyone

But despite this versatile range of conditions, shockwave therapy isn’t for everyone. Plus, no medical treatment can offer a 100% guarantee for every single patient. Its success depends on many factors, including your overall health, the severity and duration of your injury, and how well you follow post-treatment care.

Consult with Board-certified podiatrist Dr. Naghmeh Lilly Khavari, a knowledgeable professional who is dedicated to her patients in Denton, Dallas, and Collin Counties. Dr. Khavari treats a wide range of conditions, from ingrown toenails to foot and ankle injuries. Call Carrollton Foot Center’s office (located in Carrollton, Texas) at (469)-998-3668 to schedule your first appointment today!

The Pros and Cons of Having Wide Feet

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Have you ever had to squeeze into a tight shoe that you thought would fit? You might have wide feet, and while this isn’t inherently a problem, it comes with its own set of challenges, particularly when it comes to finding appropriate footwear. At Carrollton Foot Center, we want our patients to better understand their natural foot shape, which is why, in this blog post, we’re uncovering all things about foot width, from good to bad (yes, there are some pros).

How to Tell If You Have Wide Feet

If you’re reading this article, you may already have a clue. If your toes always feel cramped or if your vamp is never quite comfortable, this indicates that your feet don’t fit the standard width of most shoe manufacturers.

Foot width is typically measured at the widest part of your foot, that is, across the ball of your foot, right under the toes. Go to any shoe store, and they’ll have the Brannock device to help you find an accurate fit. However, getting professionally measured by a podiatrist is the best way to measure, especially if you’re already having issues.

Note that another great tell is genetics. They play a significant role in determining foot width; if your parents have wide feet, chances are you might, too.

The Pros of Wide Feet

Before we dive into what foot problems you may already have, let’s discuss some benefits of wide feet.

A broader foot often provides a more stable base for balance, so it could reduce the risk of falls, which could be lifesaving as we age. This increased surface area can also lead to better weight distribution across the foot’s structure when properly supported, which reduces pressure points throughout the feet that a narrower shape may be susceptible to.

When correctly fitted, wide feet can even contribute to the durability of shoes by preventing the material from being stretched and strained excessively.

Foot Conditions Caused by Wide Feet

While wide feet themselves don’t directly cause specific conditions, they can be a risk factor for them when squeezed into ill-fitting footwear, such as:

  • Bunions: Although often hereditary, narrow shoes on a wide foot can severely exacerbate the condition by pushing the big toe inward.
  • Hammertoes: The cramped space forces your toes to curl.
  • Corns and Calluses: Constant rubbing against shoe sides or between squished toes results in thickened, painful skin.
  • Ingrown Toenails: Pressure from a narrow toe box can force the nail into the surrounding skin.
  • Metatarsalgia: If the shoe’s forefoot area is too narrow, it compresses the metatarsals and the nerves between them.

(And let’s not forget: blisters).

Consult with Board-certified podiatrist Dr. Naghmeh Lilly Khavari, a knowledgeable professional who is dedicated to her patients in Denton, Dallas, and Collin Counties. Dr. Khavari treats a wide range of conditions, from ingrown toenails to foot and ankle injuries. Call Carrollton Foot Center’s office (located in Carrollton, Texas) at (469)-998-3668 to schedule your first appointment today!

Cycling and Your Foot and Ankle Health

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Did you know that May is National Cycling Month? Before you get out there on your bike, we at Carrollton Foot Center want to inform you of the upsides and downsides of cycling. In this article, we’ll stroll through the surprising relationship between your feet and this low-impact exercise, including the potential injuries you can sustain that most beginner cyclists don’t know about.

How Cycling Can Benefit Your Feet

One of the primary benefits of cycling for the lower extremities is improved circulation. The rhythmic pedaling action helps to pump blood through the muscles of your legs and feet. This can be advantageous for diabetics, people with ankle swelling, or those who spend long hours standing.

Since the circular motion of pedaling encourages a fluid movement in the ankle, cycling can also contribute to an increased range of motion in the ankle joint. While not as extensive as the range of motion during walking or running, this movement can be beneficial for overall joint health.

Many people think cycling is just for the thighs and glutes, however, cycling can indirectly strengthen the muscles surrounding the ankles and feet as they work to stabilize your position on the pedals.

Negative Impacts of Cycling on Your Feet

Despite its low-impact nature, cycling can negatively affect the feet and ankles if proper precautions aren’t taken. The repetitive motion of pedaling (while generally smooth) can lead to overuse injuries if training intensity or duration is increased too quickly.

Do you have neurological issues? While cycling can improve circulation, beware of certain pressure points from the pedals and tight-fitting cycling shoes. Both can compress nerves and blood vessels in the feet, which may not be a good match for these sensitive areas.

For everyone involved, improperly fitted cleats or an incorrect bike setup can also force the feet and ankles into unnatural positions and cause strain.

Common Foot and Ankle Injuries in Cycling

If you’re a cyclist, you should also look out for these common conditions:

  • Metatarsalgia: Pain and inflammation in the ball of the foot due to pressure on the metatarsals.
  • Achilles tendonitis: Inflammation of the Achilles tendon, often linked to improper saddle height or cleat position.
  • Plantar fasciitis: Heel pain that can be aggravated by excessive pedaling or improper foot support within the shoe.
  • Sesamoiditis: Inflammation of the small bones under the big toe joint, potentially caused by increased pressure during the pedal stroke.

Cycling and Your Feet

So, what’s the verdict? It depends on your lifestyle and preexisting foot and ankle health status. However, for non-sensitive people who take the proper steps to cycle safely, this is still a relatively low-impact exercise compared to running.

Consult with Board-certified podiatrist Dr. Naghmeh Lilly Khavari, a knowledgeable professional who is dedicated to her patients in Denton, Dallas, and Collins Counties. Dr. Khavari treats a wide range of conditions, from ingrown toenails to foot and ankle injuries. Call Carrollton Foot Center’s office (located in Carrollton, Texas) at (469)-998-3668 to schedule your first appointment today!

5 Foot Conditions Alcohol Contributes To

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While enjoying a drink or two might be a part of social gatherings, excessive alcohol consumption can have far-reaching consequences for the health of your feet and ankles. It’s National Alcohol Awareness Month, which means it’s time to realize that alcohol can interfere with various bodily functions and lead to a range of foot and ankle problems. Today, we at Carrollton Foot Center will unpack 5 of the most common, from causes to symptoms and further complications.

Alcohol’s Impact on Your Feet and Ankles

  1. Peripheral Neuropathy

Peripheral neuropathy can be significantly affected by excessive alcohol intake. Alcohol is a neurotoxin, meaning it can damage these nerves and impair their ability to send important signals.

This damage often manifests in the feet and ankles and gives you numbness, tingling, burning pain, and weakness. Reduced sensation in the feet can make it difficult to detect injuries, which increases the risk of unnoticed cuts, sores, and developing infections.

  1. Diabetes

That brings us to alcohol’s effects on diabetes. Not only does it disrupt blood sugar regulation and cause hyperglycemia and hypoglycemia, but alcohol is also a diuretic that causes dehydration. If you are a diabetic already prone to infection, excessive use can further increase your risk of dry, cracked skin.

Alcohol also weakens the immune system, making such infections harder to fight off, and contributes to weight gain that puts extra stress on your diabetes (which continues the vicious cycle).

  1. Gout

Gout (a form of inflammatory arthritis) is another condition heavily influenced by alcohol consumption. Essentially, alcohol interferes with the kidneys’ ability to effectively eliminate uric acid from the body. This buildup of crystals drives intense pain in the big toe joint (along with swelling, redness, and warmth).

Gout isn’t exclusive to the big toe, though. It can also affect other joints in the foot and ankle, causing unique discomfort and mobility issues.

  1. Swollen Ankles

Alcohol can impair the function of the liver and kidneys, both of which play crucial roles in regulating fluid balance in the body. When these organs are compromised, it can lead to fluid accumulation in the feet and ankles. This swelling can cause the feet and ankles to feel heavy, tight, and uncomfortable, potentially hindering movement.

  1. Injury

Beyond these specific conditions, studies show that excessive alcohol consumption significantly increases the risk of foot and ankle injuries. The impaired coordination, balance, and judgment can result in a variety of injuries, including sprains, fractures, and dislocations.

Consult with Board-certified podiatrist Dr. Naghmeh Lilly Khavari, a knowledgeable professional who is dedicated to her patients in Denton, Dallas, and Collins Counties. Dr. Khavari treats a wide range of conditions, from ingrown toenails to foot and ankle injuries. Call Carrollton Foot Center’s office (located in Carrollton, Texas) at (469)-998-3668 to schedule your first appointment today!

Why Kids and Adults Need Orthotics

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Custom orthotics are a common treatment for various foot and ankle conditions, but the needs and considerations for pediatric patients differ significantly from those of adults. Today, we at Carrollton Foot Center will explore the key distinctions between pediatric and adult orthotics and highlight how podiatrists tailor their approach to ensure optimal foot health for patients of all ages.

Why Orthotics?

We covered this in a previous blog, but today, we’ll go more in-depth as to how each age group depends on orthotics differently.

In Children:

  • Guiding Growth and Development: Orthotics can help guide proper foot and ankle development in children and address issues like flat feet, in-toeing, and out-toeing. Early intervention can prevent long-term complications and promote healthy biomechanics.
  • Addressing Congenital Conditions: Orthotics can be used to manage congenital foot deformities, such as clubfoot, which helps to correct alignment and improve function.
  • Supporting Neuromuscular Conditions: Children with neuromuscular conditions like cerebral palsy may benefit from orthotics to improve stability, reduce spasticity, and enhance mobility.
  • Managing Pediatric Foot Pain: Orthotics can address various sources of foot pain in children, such as Sever’s disease or juvenile bunions.

In Adults:

  • Correcting Biomechanical Issues: Orthotics can fix problems like flat feet, high arches, overpronation, or underpronation. These can all cause pain, affect your gait, and ruin your ability to exercise.
  • Managing Foot Conditions: Orthotics can help alleviate pain and improve function in conditions like plantar fasciitis, heel spurs, bunions, and metatarsalgia.
  • Offloading Pressure: Orthotics redistribute pressure and reduce stress on specific areas of the foot, which is crucial for people with diabetes or those prone to ulcers.
  • Improving Sports Performance: This applies to both groups, but orthotics can enhance athletic performance by optimizing biomechanics and reducing stress on the feet and lower limbs!

Pediatric and Adult Orthotics: Key Differences

In terms of function, pediatric orthotics often aim to guide proper foot development and prevent future problems, whereas adult orthotics may focus more on correcting existing issues and alleviating pain.

One of the key differences between pediatric and adult orthotics is the need to accommodate growth and development. Children’s feet are constantly growing and changing, so their orthotics must be designed to adapt to these changes. In contrast, adult feet generally require a more stable fit to provide greater support and correction.

Orthotic Progress Monitoring

Furthermore, children may adapt to orthotics more quickly due to their greater flexibility and adaptability, while adults may require a longer adjustment period.

Consequently, pediatric orthotics typically need to be re-evaluated more frequently than adult orthotics, usually every 6-12 months, or more often if the child experiences a growth spurt. Adult orthotics, on the other hand, may only need re-evaluation every 1-2 years unless there are changes in the patient’s condition or footwear.

Consult with Board-certified podiatrist Dr. Naghmeh Lilly Khavari, a knowledgeable professional who is dedicated to her patients in Denton, Dallas, and Collins Counties. Dr. Khavari treats a wide range of conditions, from ingrown toenails to foot and ankle injuries. Call Carrollton Foot Center’s office (located in Carrollton, Texas) at (469)-998-3668 to schedule your first appointment today!

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