Author: Feet Street

At Feet Street Podiatry we are dedicated to helping you maintain healthy and happy feet! Today, we want to discuss a common foot condition known as a plantar plate tear. What is the Plantar Plate?The plantar plate is a small ligament located underneath the base of the toes. It is responsible for stabilizing the toe joints and preventing them from over-extending. When the plantar plate becomes damaged or torn, it can cause significant pain and discomfort in the affected area. How do Plantar Plate Tears occur?Although the thin plantar plate is very strong, overuse can cause the structure to weaken and eventually tear and rupture. Plantar plate tears are most commonly caused by overuse or injury. Athletes, dancers, and those who engage in activities that involve repetitive impact on the feet are…

 With the temperature having dropped over the past few weeks (and still some time to go before it rises!), several patients have visited Feet Street Podiatry Clinic with concerns about unusual red/ purple blotches on their toes. These have (mostly) been diagnosed as chilblains! If you haven't heard of this condition (or have recently been diagnosed with it), this article will give you information and advice. What is a chilblain? Chilblains are small, itchy swellings on the skin that usually occur as a reaction to cold temperatures.  They most frequently affect the body's extremities, such as the toes, fingers, heels, ears and nose.  Chilblains can be uncomfortable, but they seldom cause any permanent damage. They normally heal within a few weeks if further exposure to the cold is avoided. Signs and symptomsChilblains usually develop several hours after…

There are many possible causes of heel pain in children. Sever's disease, also known as calcaneal apophysitis, is a common cause. This condition commonly occurs in children aged between 10 and 14, and is characterised by pain in one or both heels. This is caused by repetitive damage and inflammation of growth plates of the heel bone (calcaneus). 60% of patients have both heels involved. The condition is believed to be the result of a mismatch in growth of the calf bone (tibia) to the calf muscle and achilles tendon (the tendon which joins the calf muscle to the heel bone). It is thought that the calf bone grows more quickly than the muscle and achilles tendon and so this soft tissue becomes uncomfortably tight. This places more stress on…

Blisters develop to protect damaged skin and help it heal. They're mostly caused by friction, burns and skin reactions.  The most common types of blisters include: Blood blisters: caused when something pinches your skin. Instead of clear liquid, blood floods the area from broken blood vessels and damage to the lower layers of the skin. The blood pools and forms a blister.Friction blisters: due to rubbing on the skin, friction blisters form when clear fluid builds up in the upper layers of skin. Many people develop friction blisters from walking too much in poor-fitting shoes or by not wearing socks. Heat blisters: caused by burns or sunburn. They may also form after you warm up from frostbite. Blistering skin is part of a second-degree burn. How do I treat blisters? Blisters…