Mercer-Ocean Podiatry, PC

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...