According to reports, Seattle Mariners centre fielder Franklin Gutierrez is suffering with heel pain due to  plantar fasciitis. If not treated appropriately, plantar fasciitis can be devestating to a professional athlete since they need their feet to be free of pain in order to run quickly and efficiently. If not treated properly, palntar fasciitis can become a nagging problem.

The plantar fascia is a broad, dense ligament that begins at the plantar (bottom) surface of the calcaneus (heel bone), runs along the arch, giving it support, and ends at the toe bones.

Classically, someone with planatar fasciitis will experience sharp or dull pain in their heel or arch with the first few steps in the morning and following a period of rest. This is called post kinetic dyskinesia. The foot tends to feel betterwith stretching and a little bit of walking. It the person with plantar fasciitis spends a lot of time on his/her feet during the day and sits for a while (watching T.V. or eating dinner), it tends to be very painful when he or she gets up to walk again. It may not be terribly painful during exercise but usually will hurt later or the next morning.

In my Toronto podiatry office, I encourage patients with plantar fasciitis to replace their shoes if they are showing signs of wear, in order to support and protect the foot. I may recommend off the shelf arch supports to give cushioning or made to measure orthotics fabricated from plaster casts of their feet in order to improve the biomechanics and relieve excessive stretching of the plantar fascia.

In my Toronto foot clinic, I may recommend a non-steroidal anti-inlammatory medication (or N.S.A.I.D.) to releve the associated pain and inflammation, such as Aspirin (A.S.A.), Motrin (Ibuprofen), or Naprosyn (Naproxen). Another good medication is Celebrex (Celecoxib). I will also consider a cortisone injection.

However, many people do not wish to take anti-inlanmmatory pills because they are not good for their blood pressure, heart, stomach and bowels. Many also do not want cortisone injections because they can cause discomfort and also weaken the connective tissue. For those people, I offer sound wave and laser treatments.

If you or a loved one is suffering from heel pain or arch pain due to plantar fasciitis, or other foot problems, please call my Toronto podiatry office today at 416-486-9917 for a private consultation. My staff and I will do everything we can to get you back on your feet.

I believe it is essential for the modern podiatrist to attend medical conferences on a regular basis in order to stay current so that I can provide the most up to date care for my patients in my Toronto podiatry clinic. The Chicago conference was the third meeting I have been to in 2012. I previously attnede a seminar in Pittsbugh in February and a surgical conference in Barcelona Spain in January 2012.

I had the pleasure of attending several lectures on wound care, bunion surgery and laser treatments for toe nail fungus. Most of the laser companies were represented, including CoolBreeze laser (made by CoolTouch or Cool Touch), Cutera Genesis laser (Cutera),  Pinpointe or Pinpoint laser (Cynosure),  ClearSense laser or Clear Sense (Sciton),  Q-clear Q-switched laser (Light Age)  and the Fox diode laser. I discussed protocols with the company reps and other podiatrists and compared them to how I treat fungal nails using my long pulsed laser in my Toronto podiatry office.

I learned about the latest in digital X-ray technology including Reina 20/20 P-DR (20/20 Imaging), Simon Marathon (SimonDR), iCR3600 (iCRco) and ScanX (AllPro Imaging).

While I was there, I ordered some inexpensive soft insoles to provide  cushioning for patients who do not need custom orthotics, as well as some surgical instruments for use when I perform minimally invasive surgery to treat bunions (hallux valgus) hammer toes (crooked or contracted toes), bone spurs, corns and calluses (osteotomies) with local anesthetic in my office.

I also ordered some textbooks on antibiotics, diseases of toe nails and a textbook called Minimally Invasive Surgery of the Foot and Ankle for which I had the honour of writing a  chapter called "The modified Wilson osteotomy for the correction of hallux valgus" which is a technique  I use for treating bunions in my office with local anaesthetic. This type of foot surgery involves specialized instruments and reduces soft tissue trauma which can mean less pain and swelling and quicker return to normal activities following foot surgery.

For more information on minimally invasive foot surgery and laser treatment for thick yellow fungal toenails , or onychomycosis, please call my office today at 416-486-9917. My friendly staff will be happy to answer your questions and arrange a private consultation with me.

All work and no play makes Sheldon a dull boy, so I managed to go out for dinner and I caught the Chicago production of Jersey Boys, one of my all time favourite musicals about the life and times of Frankie Valli and the Four Seasons. After the show, I said hello to Joseph Leo Bwarie who plays Frankie Valli. I told him that I liked the show so much even after seeing it twice in Toronto that I couldn't turn down a chance to see it again  in Chicago. He was very personable and asked me lf I remembered which cast I saw in Toronto. I told him that I remembered him and several others of the Chicago cast from Toronto. I picked up an Jersey Boys poster autographed by the cast. I will get it framed and put it up in my Toronto podiatry office beside my Beatles and Elvis posters. If the show comes to your area, see it. You will enjoy it.

 http://www.cnn.com/2012/03/01/showbiz/davy-jones-teen-idol/?iref=obinsite 

I am very sad to report that Davy Jones of the Monkees is dead at the age of 66.

It is reported that Davy was a vegetarian, not overweight and seemed to his friends to be in good health. He may have died of a heart attack in his sleep on Wednesday.

Personally, I have many fond memories of watching Davy, Peter Tork, Mickey Dolenz, and Mike Nesmith on the NBC show "The Monkees" when I was a teenager in the 60's. They were very funny and engaging and the music was good. Each episode included a story from their fictionalizedlives and a well produced music video (remember, this was before "Friday Night Videos" and MTV). I never saw them live and I always hoped they would do a reunion tour so I could finally enjoy their music live here  where I live and work as a podiatrist in Toronto

In spite of the fact that many of their hits were written by other people such as Tommy Boyce and Bobby Hart as well as Neil Diamond, I believe that they were talented musicians. Some of their songs, such as "Last train to Clarksville", "I'm a Believer", "Valerie", and "A little Bit Me, A Little Bit You" were among the best produced records (there were no MP3's in those days) of the 60's. For those of you who are too young to remember them, I suggest you take a look at some of their songs on youtube.

We will miss you, Davy.

The image below is from a modern postcard reproducing a painting titled "The Foot Surgery." The painting is by Antonie Victorijns (c.1612-c.1655) and it is on display at the Catharina Gasthuis Museum in Gouda, the Netherlands.

This postcard was published in the Netherlands in the 2000s.  

The equiptment in my Toronto podiatry office is somewhat newer and cleaner.  I use local anesthetic when I do Minimally Invasive Foot Surgery to treat problems such as Bunions, hammertoes, corns, bone spurs, and ingrown nails. Also, the surgeon in the picture probably didn't have access to other modern equiptment that I have in my Toronto foot clinic such as a long pulsed YAG laser for the treatment of onychomycosis or toenail fungus, as well as sound wave units such as radial wave (also called pressure wave or radial shockwave) and Superpulsed Laser Pain Treatment for acute plantar fasciitis, heel pain and arch pain and Extracorporeal Shock Wave Therapy for chronic Heel Spur Pain, Arch Pain, Plantar Fasciitis, Achilles Tendonitis.

 I do, however, have a few vintage foot surgery posters and beatles posters on the walls in my Toronto podiatry clinic which you can admire when you come for a private consultation to discuss your foot problem with me . Call us today at 416-486-9917

According to articles on the internet, Stephen Curry of the Golden State Warriors injured his foot in the first quarter in a game on Wednesday Feruaray 22 2012.

Apparently, X-Rays were negative so he returned in the second quarter but continued to limp. Doctors were not sure if he had injured the posterior tibial tendon ( a tendon that aids in supination and supports the arch) or if he had injured the plantar fascia (a broad ligament that runs from the heel to the toes at the bottom - plantar - surface of the foot and also supports the arch.

Symptoms of plantar fasciitis includes pain at the heel or arch with the first few steps when getting out of bed in the morning and after sitting. It often feels better with stretching and a short amount of walking. The pain tends to increase with increased standing and walking and can feel worse toward the end of the day. It may not feel bad during exercise but usually feel worse the morning after exercising.

I have been treating heel and arch pain due to plantar fasciitis in my Toronto podiatry office for more than thirty years. If you think you have plantar fasciitis, you may be able to get relief by taking anti-inflammatory medicine such as Aspirin, A.S.A, Ibuprofen, or Naprosyn, provided you do not have hypertension (high blood pressure) or a history of gastric (stomach) ulcers - if you are not sure, you should talk to your family doctor. It may also be time to replace your sport shoes or buy off the shelf insoles at your drug store to give your foot added support.

If you continue to have pain, you should see your podiatrist (foot specialist). He may recommend made to measure custom foot orthotics to wear in your shoes to improve the biomechanics of your feet and relieve excessive strain.

It is also important to relieve the inflammation. Your podiatrist can do this with prescription strength anti-inflammatory medicine or cortisone injections. However these can have unwanted side effects so in my Toronto foot clinic I offer the latest in sound wave and laser therapy.

If your heel pain or plantar fasciitis is acute (of fairly recent onset) I use a combination of superpulsed laser and a soundwave modality called radial wave, pressure wave or radial shockwave. You can walk immediately, anesthetic is not required and there is very little discomfort with the procedure. Most people will come in weekly for a total of three to five treatments.

For someone who has chronic plantar fasciitis, (someone who has been suffering for several months) and has not responded to other treatments, I use Extracorporeal Shock Wave Therapy or ESWT with local anesthetic. Most people require only one treatment. I find that in the vast majority of cases, extracorporeal shockwave can eliminate the need for surgery.

If you think you have plantar fasciitis or any other type of foot problem, including bunions, hammertoes, corns, calluses, ingrown nails or fungal nails, please call my Toronto podiatry office at 416-486-9917 for a personal consultation to find out how my staff and I can help end your foot pain.