Mercer-Ocean Podiatry, PC

If you suffer from a peripheral nervous problem, you are at heightened risk for charcot foot atrophy. This term is used to describe the inversion of the arch of the foot and other deformities that occur when foot bones have reduced blood supply. Although we at Mercer-Ocean Podiatry can help patients to manage it, the ideal is to prevent it. Diabetes damages both blood vessels and nerves. When the foot bones are starved for blood, they become brittle, and when a person cannot feel their feet, they may not be aware of stress fractures or other injuries. Because they don’t feel injured, they may go without treatment, causing the bones to heal in a deformed manner or to continue collapsing. The inverse arch shape that characterizes advanced charcot atrophy develops over a long period. Early-stage Charcot foot may not be detectible on x-rays, but heat and redness in the foot are warning signs of a bone infection. Patients are advised to keep their weight off a broken foot and are commonly p...

Preventing seniors from falling makes a life-or-death difference. Each year, one fourth of the Americans over the age of sixty-five will suffer a fall, and many will have difficulty walking afterward even if they are able to get back up. Keeping people on their feet requires the help of a lot of different specialists, but podiatrists are the ones who address the feet directly. We at Mercer-Ocean Podiatry want our patients to know that with the right precautions, they can remain healthy and active. People are much less likely to fall when their feet and ankles are stable and flexible. We often advise seniors to do low-impact exercises, such as cycling and swimming, that won’t erode their joint cartilage or risk further flattening their feet under the weight of their bodies. It’s never too late to start exercising, although it may be better to begin under professional supervision. We also advise that seniors wear shoes with good grip on the soles as often as possible, including while at ...

Fractured ankles require professional examination and care, but they often heal well. When a person suffers an ankle injury, we at Mercer-Ocean Podiatry are ready to assist them with every stage of their recovery. We find that patients are less daunted when they have an idea of what to expect, so we wanted to explain a bit about what a fracture is and what we do. The ankle is where the tibia, fibula, and talus bones meet. Any of them may have a stress fracture or a major break. A minor fracture may only require brief immobilization. A brace boot or even a high-top sneaker may protect and reinforce the ankle while it heals over a few weeks. But if imaging tests indicate that the break is severe, the patient may have to undergo surgery. Either way, they will need to keep their weight off the ankle. Surgery would be necessary if the gap between the bones is too wide for us to be confident that they’ll knit back together, if a fragment of bone is floating freely, or if the bones have shift...