Mercer-Ocean Podiatry, PC

It’s a big problem when any of your joints become less flexible, but that’s especially true of the MTP, or big toe joint. MTP is short for metatarsophalangeal, which means the MTP joint connects the big toe to the rest of the foot, and “hallux rigidus” is the term used to describe a stiff big toe. When we walk, we push off the ground with the balls of our feet and rise onto our toes, making it crucial for the big toe joint to be flexible. If yours has been swelling, you should schedule an appointment with Mercer-Ocean Podiatry in northern New Jersey immediately. The MTP joint depends on its cartilage to move smoothly. That cartilage may be worn away through overuse, or it may deteriorate in response to rheumatoid arthritis or gout. Not everybody develops hallux rigidus, but people are at greater risk if their feet roll inward when they walk or their shoes don’t provide sufficient room for their toes to bend. If hallux rigidus is allowed to progress, the toe may develop a bone spur tha...

Clipping your toenails correctly is the key to avoiding an ingrown nail. But many people are misinformed about this basic aspect of footcare, and during the summer, people are paying more attention to their bare feet and wondering how to trim their nails correctly. If you’re diabetic, this may be something that you’ll always need to be cautious about, but for most people at Mercer-Ocean Podiatry in northern New Jersey, the following advice will keep their toes safe and presentable. It’s a good idea to have separate clippers for the toenails and fingernails. Toenail clippers are a little larger, and using separate clippers will reduce the spread of bacteria. The toenails should be clean when they’re cut, but unless they’re extremely thick, they shouldn’t be wet. A wet nail is at greater risk of tearing. As you cut, go straight across, using a few small trims. You don’t want your nails to be rounded off, or they’ll be at greater risk of growing into the skin and causing a hangnail. Inst...

Do you recall suffering frequent heel pain as a child? If you do, that’s not unusual; children’s bones haven’t fully fused together, and they are more vulnerable to overuse injuries than adults. However, nobody likes seeing their child in pain, and if a child frequently suffers from sore heels, there may be a biomechanical issue at play. At Mercer-Ocean Podiatry, we assist patients of all ages, so we thought it would be a good idea to explain Sever’s Disease, a common source of childhood foot problems, in more detail. Sever’s disease, or calcaneal apophysitis, is inflammation of the growth plate connecting the back of the heel bone to the bone’s main body. The back of the heel bone is where the Achilles tendon, one of the strongest tendons in the body, attaches. When the calf muscles or the tendon itself are tight, the tendon will pull the heel up and backwards, causing soreness in the soft growth plate. The calf muscles are likely to tighten up after a person has been running and jum...

If you love to exercise, you may or may not have already experienced ankle pain. Rolling your ankle while engaged in physical activity is the most common way to cause an ankle sprain or strain. Though they may sound similar, they are actually different in which tissues they effect. We at Mercer-Ocean Podiatry in New Jersey are committed to educating our patients about common injuries and what they can do to prevent them. If you have suffered an ankle injury, our experienced podiatrists will get you started on a treatment plan.    An ankle sprain occurs when a ligament, which stabilizes and supports your joints, is overstretched or torn. Direct or indirect trauma that knocks the joint out of position is what usually causes an ankle sprain.    Symptoms of an ankle sprain include: - Pain - Bruising - Swelling - Inflammation   An ankle strain occurs when there is trauma to a muscle or tendon, which are fibrous cords of tissue that attach muscle to bone. Repeated stress and impact on your ...

If you are an active athlete, chances are you’ve experienced Achilles tendonitis before. This common and painful condition, unfortunately, takes you out of the game you love playing. We at Mercer-Ocean Podiatry, PC in New Jersey will assess the severity of your Achilles tendonitis and get you started on a treatment plan. Your experienced podiatrists, Drs. Killian and Chandrani, are committed to treating your condition as safely and efficiently as possible so that you can get back to doing what you love.    Achilles tendonitis is a sprain in the Achilles tendon which is located on the heel bone and runs up your lower leg. This tendon is necessary for walking, movement, and standing on your toes. Pain is often worse in the morning and intensifies after physical activity. It’s vitally important that as soon as you start to experience symptoms that you come in for a visit. Treatment is much more effective the earlier it is started.   Causes of Achilles tendonitis: - Aging weakens this ten...

By way of genetics or lifestyle choices over time, people with diabetes are unable to process glucose normally. Consistently high glucose levels in the body damage the nervous system and reduces sensation in your feet. Whether you regulate your glucose levels well or not, it’s still important to come in for checkups. We at Mercer-Ocean Podiatry in New Jersey encourage our diabetic patients to regularly visit one of our experienced podiatrists in order to prevent any long term issues with their feet. About 10% of Americans are diabetic. One side effect that people with diabetes often experience is reduced blood flow in their feet. Reduced blood flow increases the chances of foot injuries and bacterial infections, such as gangrene. We advise our diabetic patients to manage their glucose levels as best they can, since glucose levels in the normal range reduce the side effects of the disease. Remember to also inspect, wash, and moisturize your feel daily in addition to managing your glucos...

You’re probably familiar with bunions on the inward-facing side of the big toe. But did you know bunions can occur in other places, as well? At the offices of Mercer-Ocean Podiatry, we provide treatments for all kinds of foot deformities, including Tailor’s bunions. These less-common protuberances affect the outside of the smallest toe, and can cause a lot of trouble. Tailor’s bunions develop where one of the metatarsals, the long bones in the mid-section of the foot, meets the base of the pinky toe. As the metatarsal drifts outward, the toe bends inward, creating an inconvenient bump. Although the bunion may be caused by a bone spur, the displacement of the metatarsal is more often caused by genetics and shoes that cramp the toes. It is also likelier to develop when a person has tight calf muscles. We can reduce the discomfort from a chaffed tailor’s bunion by providing anti-inflammatory medications. These may be delivered orally or through an injection. If a case is severe, surgical...

If you suffer from osteoarthritis or rheumatoid arthritis, the pain has the potential to develop anywhere in the body, including your feet. We all know how troublesome this is since we’re on our feet all day every day. The basic act of walking should not bring you discomfort. We at Mercer-Ocean Podiatry, PC in New Jersey will help you regulate pain associated with arthritis in your feet. Your experienced podiatrists, Drs. Killian and Chandrani, are committed to getting you on a maintenance regimen that will allow you to live a more normal life.  Osteoarthritis is a degenerative joint disease that affects your weight-bearing joints. In the feet, it commonly occurs in the big toe. Symptoms such as pain after overuse, swelling, soreness, and bony enlargements in the toes have the potential to worsen over time. Rheumatoid arthritis is a chronic disease that creates inflammation in the joint linings. It results in long-term issues surrounding functionality and pain management. Since there i...

Plantar warts are noncancerous growths that typically appear on the weight-bearing parts of your feet, such as the heel, ball, or sole. They are generally rough but spongy in texture, and are either gray, brown, or yellow. Most of the time, they go away without any real medical attention. But more stubborn plantar warts will need to be seen by your local podiatrist. The doctors at Mercer-Ocean Podiatry, PC in New Jersey are dedicated to helping you keep your feet as healthy as possible. We use our feet everyday, so it’s vital to take care of them! Caused by the human papilloma virus (HPV), plantar warts invade the body through broken skin on the bottoms of your feet. That’s why it is always recommended to wear flip flops around the pool, communal showers, or locker rooms. We can diagnose and treat your warts to remove them fast, as well as advise you on how to protect yourself from future plantar warts. You should see Dr. Killian or Dr. Chandrani immediately if: - You’re unsure if what...

The bottom of the foot is an inconvenient place for unusual growths. Even something that is nonmalignant may cause chafing and make it painful to walk. At Mercer-Ocean Podiatry, we’ve helped a lot of people with foot abnormalities, but since problems tend to be easier to treat when they’re caught early, we wanted to alert patients to the possibility of plantar fibroma. The plantar fascia is the band of tissue that stretches along the bottom of the foot, beneath the arch. You may have heard of it becoming inflamed, which is called plantar fasciitis. A plantar fibroma is a nodule that develops in the fascia. It feels firm and may grow or lead to the development of more nodules. The cause of plantar fibromas is unknown, but their development may be triggered by injuries and genetic predisposition, or have a relationship with chronic liver disease or diabetes. They usually appear in middle-aged people and more often in men. When a patient has a lump in their foot, we may test it to determ...

Foot cramps are a common vexation. Also called charley horses, they occur when a muscle tightens and is unable to relax. Although foot cramps are usually fleeting, when they recur, they could indicate a major problem in the foot or a person’s lifestyle. To help our patients manage them, we at Mercer-Ocean Podiatry wanted to share a few tips. In the moment you experience a foot cramp, you may be able to relieve it by stretching your foot and putting your weight on it. After it passes, try massaging the muscle. One of the most common reasons people get frequent foot cramps is that they don’t stretch enough before exercising, causing them to have a limited blood supply to their foot muscles. However, a person might also be wearing shoes that are too tight or that don’t cushion them on hard floors, or they may be dehydrated or lacking in minerals such as magnesium and potassium. Our office can provide customized orthotics to people who are having trouble finding shoes that fit them, and w...

Have you ever noticed small children sometimes walk on their toes and the balls of their feet, instead of pushing off the ground with their heels? That’s called toe walking, and it’s common among toddlers when they’re learning to walk. But when children over the age of two do it, there may be a biomechanical issue we at the Mercer-Ocean Podiatry offices can assist with. Although toe walking often has no discernable cause and most children outgrow it, some cases are caused by tightness in the Achilles tendon. The Achilles tendon is formed by the merger of the calf muscles and it connects to the heel bone. When it or the calf muscles are too small, a person may find it more comfortable to keep their heel up as they move. Toe walking may be compounded by a neurological or muscular condition that makes walking difficult, resulting in the calf muscles and Achilles tendon being underused. Treatments to extend and strengthen the Achilles tendon in young children are conservative. Many childr...

At Mercer-Ocean Podiatry, PC in New Jersey, Drs. Killian and Chandrani diagnose and treat a wide range of foot problems. Flatfoot is a condition that is seen in both adults and children, though it is referred to as “pediatric flatfoot” in children. When the arch of the foot begins to shrink and ultimately disappears, your child is experiencing pediatric flatfoot. This condition is especially apparent when the child is standing. Don’t wait to have your child’s feet evaluated, as this could cause a whole other host of problems as they grow. The podiatrists at Mercer-Ocean Podiatry, PC have the expertise to help. Other symptoms of pediatric flatfoot include heels that jut outward, pain or discomfort while walking, a change in gait, and cramping in the feet or legs. There are also two variations of pediatric flatfoot: flexible and rigid. Flexible pediatric flatfoot is where the foot arch reappears when the child sits or tiptoes. Rigid pediatric flatfoot is quite the opposite, where the arc...

Patellar tendonitis, also known as “Jumper’s Knee,” is often seen in volleyball or tennis players. As the nickname suggests, sports that involve a lot of jumping can cause microscopic tears and degeneration of a player’s knees. We at Mercer-Ocean Podiatry, PC take pride in educating our athletic patients about the many ways they can prevent injury. Your New Jersey podiatrist will help those afflicted by Jumper’s Knee by first assessing the severity and then starting the patient on an effective treatment plan. It’s best, however, to practice prevention now so that you can keep playing the sport you love! An athlete can prevent Jumper’s Knee by wearing a knee brace during practices and games. A knee brace assists in stabilizing the joint, supporting the kneecap, and offers the knee added strength. This all decreases the amount of strain the knee goes through to withstand a player’s weight as they land on their feet from a serving position. You can also prevent Jumper’s Knee by: - Taking ...

Hammertoes aren’t pleasant and the name for this foot condition doesn’t help its cause. Without initially knowing what hammertoes are, one might picture a literal hammer smooshing the toes back into the foot. This isn’t too far off. We at Mercer-Ocean Podiatry, PC in New Jersey want our patients to know that they do not have to live with this pain. There are ways to find pain relief and prevent this common foot condition! Hammertoe is a deformity that occurs in the middle joint of one or more of your little toes. It develops when there is an imbalance in the muscles, tendons, or ligaments that normally hold the toes straight. The structure of your feet, trauma, certain diseases, and the type of shoes you wear can all bring on hammertoes. Surgery may be required to correct hammertoes if they are severe enough. Left untreated, the toes affected can become permanently bent and cause painful corns or calluses.  Preventing hammertoes is quite easy since a lot of it has to do with the shoes ...

Have you ever been kicked in the shin before? It is by no means fun, which is why athletes in high-impact sports are required to wear shin guards. Soccer and football players wear special padding on their shins to protect themselves from scrapes, breaks, and tears. We at Mercer-Ocean Podiatry, PC in New Jersey believe in safety over anything else when it comes to playing a sport. Of course, everyone wants to win their game, but it doesn’t do your team any good if you need to be taken out of the game due to an injury! Shin guards are especially important in youth sports. Since the kids are still learning the ropes of their favorite sport, accidents happen. It’s better to be prepared for a player to miss the soccer ball and kick an opposing player in the shin. With protected shins, it’s not really something a player has to worry about or feel guilty for if they accidentally kick someone. In truth, shin guards take away the fear of possibly hurting another player, or getting hurt themselv...

Do you feel a sharp pain in your foot when you stand on tiptoe? Chances are you have metatarsalgia, or in other words, the ball of your foot has become inflamed. Although this is not a serious condition, it can definitely make it difficult to complete day to day activities. We at Mercer-Ocean Podiatry, PC provide treatment for an array of ailments, including metatarsalgia. Your New Jersey podiatrist wants to make sure your problem is treated quickly and efficiently so that you can go back to doing the things you need to do, pain-free!   Symptoms of metatarsalgia include a sharp, aching, or burning pain in your foot, numbness or tingling in your toes, a feeling that there’s a pebble in your shoe, and pain that worsens over time. If pain lasts longer than a few days, it’s recommended that you see your podiatrist at Mercer-Ocean Podiatry, PC to make sure that there isn’t something more serious going on.    Some causes of metatarsalgia include: - Certain foot shapes - Stress fractures - I...

Also known as onychomycosis, foot fungus is specifically a fungal infection of the toenails. It causes toenails to become brittle and distorted, thicken, turn yellow, and emanate a foul smell. Foot fungus has the ability to cause a whole host of other problems, including uncomfortable mobility. We at Mercer-Ocean Podiatry, PC have the expertise to help you or someone you know with various foot problems. Your New Jersey podiatrist is dedicated to getting you on the road to treatment for a pain-free life.    Foot fungus comes in varying degrees of severity. Sometimes treatment isn’t required if it doesn’t bother you. However, for severe cases, relief can only be achieved by a podiatrist’s treatment. The frustrating thing about foot fungus is that even if treatment is successful, nail fungus often comes back. There are a few risk factors to be aware of, some in your control and some not:   -History of athlete’s foot -Sweating a lot -Diabetes causes circulation problems and a weakened imm...

Are you concerned about your children staying safe while playing sports? If so, we at Mercer-Ocean Podiatry, PC can provide crucial diagnostics and post-injury care. Recently, the American Academy of Pediatrics released a study on soccer injuries in children and adolescents. They found that, although soccer is a good way for children to get exercise, there are some particular risks for the lower limbs that parents and athletes should take precautions against. Soccer is the second-most common sport to result in severe injuries among girls and the fourth most common among boys. Ankle strains and sprains were among the most common reported injury types, and most of them were acute injuries resulting from contact with other players. However, overuse injuries are a possibility and are more common among girls. Young players are also at risk of developing apophysitis, which means inflammation of the growth plates between bones. Stress fractures are uncommon but account for over a fourth of ...

A podiatrist is one of the most important members of a diabetic patient’s care team. Our experienced doctors at Mercer-Ocean Podiatry, PC have helped hundreds of people to keep their lower limbs in good working condition, and we’re sensitive to the particular ways in which diabetes impacts someone’s lifestyle. People with diabetes are at elevated risk for damage to their peripheral nerves and arteries, meaning they have to take additional precautions against foot injuries. When a person has diabetes, their body struggles to process blood sugar. The sugar tends to accumulate in their lower limbs, where it causes damage to nerves and arteries. Although this causes pain or tingling in some people, it can also make them less sensitive to problems in their feet. This is especially concerning because damage to arteries prevents the feet from getting enough nutrition and immune system support, making it more difficult for them to recover from infections. People with diabetes need to visually...