Arches Making You Ache?

Many of those suffering from chronic pain on the balls or heels of their foot are victims of a high arch (aka Cavus Foot). A high arch can be a symptom of your genes, a neurologic disorder or from other medical conditions. The cause of your high arches will determine the course of treatment recommended by our expert staff.

Even the most subtle factors can be signs of a high arch issue: calluses on the ball, heel or side of the foot, pain when standing, chronic ankle sprains or hammer toes are just a few. When you make an appointment to visit us we will view your gait (foot form when walking), muscle strength and general coordination. It is also good to bring in your most commonly worn shoes so we can check for habitual wear and tear giving us a better idea of how you walk on a regular basis.

After determining the root cause of the high arch(es) treatment may entail custom orthotics, recommended shoes, bracing or surgery.

If you are tired of suffering from daily pain or nuisances and think high arches may be your problem- visit us at Carolina Foot Specialists for the best in your foot care.

You can also take our online assessment to pinpoint warning sings of foot and ankle problems.

Are you Suffering from Bunions, or are they Corns?

One of the most common questions we get asked is 'What is the difference between a corn and a bunion?'. We stumbled across this article from Florida Podiatrist, David Todoroff of Keystone Podiatric Medical Associates, and think he explains the answer well. 

Q: Can you briefly explain the difference between a corn and a bunion?

A: A “corn” is a growth of skin which forms typically on a bony prominence as a response to abnormal pressure or friction. They are often located on the tops of the toes at the knuckles or sometimes between the toes. They can also form on the bottom or the sides of the foot wherever there is an excess amount of pressure, such as a bone protruding outward against the ground or against an ill-fitting shoe. The term “corn” is often used interchangeably with callus. Essentially, they are both caused by the same thing, but visually a corn is often smaller, rounder and deeper, and a callus is usually broader, covering a larger area.

A “bunion” is the name for the enlarged bony bump located behind the big toe at the joint where it attaches to the foot. This often protrudes out the side, but occasionally it protrudes upward.

For more information on the two issues read the entire article Here or Visit our Page for your options. 

What your shoes say about you...

Examining old shoes before buying new ones can help you evaluate your wear patterns and buy new shoes with a better fit and style that compensates for the stresses you place on shoes.

What are your shoes trying to tell you? Here is a translation of basic wear patterns:

A bulge and wear to the side of the big toe means too-narrow fit or you have a bunion.

Outer sole wear means you turn your foot out. Orthotics may help.
Toe-shaped ridges on the upper means your shoes are too small or you have hammertoes.

Wear on the ball of the foot means your heel tendons may be too tight.

Wear on the inner sole means you pronate or turn your foot inward. Inner liners or orthotics may help.

Wear on the upper, above the toes means the front of your shoe is too low. We have two locations to help you! 

Charleston Office
843-225-5575
Mount Pleasant Office
843-654-8250

Summer sandals to prevent heel pain

As summer approaches one of the keys to preventing heel pain is having the proper shoe gear. It is not practical to wear sneakers all of the time especially during the hot summer months. We would like to recommend some various lines of sandals for women that not only provide support but are fashionable.

1) Dansko sandal
2) Fit flops
3) Tsubo Sandals
4) MBT women Kisumu sandals
5) MBT women Habari
6) Orthaheel talia Sandal

It is worth it to spend just a little more money on the right shoe which may help to prevent various forms of heel pain.