A podiatrist explains common foot conditions and when to see a physician.
Every day, the average American takes 4,774 steps, according to a Stanford University study. Over time, all of that walking can take a toll on your feet. At Community Medical Center (CMC), more than 750 foot surgeries for a variety of conditions were performed in 2018. Vincent Migliori, DPM, Chair of the Department of Podiatry at CMC, discusses common foot problems and their treatments.
What types of foot problems do you treat most often?
CMC’s 33 podiatrists treat patients ranging from infants to the elderly for a wide range of conditions—everything from heel pain and improper gait to arthritis requiring reconstructive surgery and chronic wounds. We care for the lower leg, so we manage soft tissue injuries, broken bones, nerve and circulatory problems, joint pain, foot problems related to diabetes, and nail and skin issues.
What types of surgeries do you perform?
We perform elective and non-elective procedures for hammertoes, bunions, chronic ingrown toenails, benign nerve tumors, conditions that affect the ball of the foot and plantar fasciitis. We also perform joint replacement and ankle reconstruction; repair fractures, flatfeet and rearfoot; care for wounds; and save limbs. Some surgeries can be done in the office or on an outpatient basis, while others require hospitalization.
How can people take better care of their feet?
Choosing footwear with good support—and paying attention to any foot pain or discomfort—can protect your feet. If you have diabetes, be sure to have an annual foot exam. If a foot wound isn’t healing or is causing discomfort, see a podiatrist for an exam and treatment. He or she can help prevent the condition from worsening.
Help for hard-to-heal wounds
The Center for Wound Healing and Hyperbaric Medicine provides multidisciplinary care for patients with chronic foot and lower leg wounds that haven’t improved in four weeks or healed completely in eight weeks. Depending on your diagnosis, you may be treated by a podiatrist who specializes in wound care, diabetes educators, registered dietitians, wound-care nurses, infectious disease specialists, and general and plastic surgeons. Treatment can involve hyperbaric oxygen therapy, in which patients breathe pure oxygen while lying inside a pressurized chamber.
The Center’s staff members can help patients avoid amputation for crush injuries, bone infections, radiation injuries and ulcers resulting from diabetes or poor circulation, according to Vincent Migliori, DPM, Chair of the Department of Podiatry at Community Medical Center. For more information, call 732.557.2121.
For more information or a referral to a patient, call 888.724.7123