Foot Medic Gateshead

23/12/2024

20/12/2024

Christmas Closure dates and times

Our clinic will be closed from Christmas Eve and remain closed until the 2nd January.

We want to thank all of our loyal patients and those who have entrusted their health to us this year. We exist because of you.

We wish you all a peaceful Christmas and a happy new year. From Stephen, Jennifer and Michaela.

08/09/2023

Gout attacks are caused by deposits of crystallized uric acid in the joint. Uric acid is present in the blood and eliminated in the urine, but in people who have gout, uric acid accumulates and crystallizes in the joints. Uric acid is the result of the breakdown of purines, chemicals found naturally in our bodies and in food. Some people develop gout because their kidneys have difficulty eliminating normal amounts of uric acid, while others produce too much uric acid.

Gout occurs most commonly in the big toe because uric acid is sensitive to temperature changes. At cooler temperatures, uric acid turns into crystals. Since the toe is the part of the body that is farthest from the heart, it is also the coolest part of the body and, thus, the most likely target of gout. However, gout can affect any joint in the body.

The tendency to accumulate uric acid is often inherited. Other factors that put a person at risk for developing gout include: high blood pressure, diabetes, obesity, surgery, chemotherapy, stress and certain medications and vitamins. For example, the body’s ability to remove uric acid can be negatively affected by taking aspirin, some diuretic medications (“water pills”) and the vitamin niacin (also called nicotinic acid). While gout is more common in men aged 40 to 60 years, it can occur in younger men as well as in women.

Consuming foods and beverages that contain high levels of purines can trigger an attack of gout. Some foods contain more purines than others and have been associated with an increase of uric acid, which leads to gout. Examples of foods high in purine are tomatoes, red meats, wine and beer, fish and shellfish.

Symptoms
An attack of gout can be miserable, marked by the following symptoms:
Intense pain that comes on suddenly, often in the middle of the night or upon arising
Signs of inflammation, such as redness, swelling and warmth over the joint

Diagnosis
To diagnose gout we will ask questions about your personal and family medical history, followed by an examination of the affected joint. Laboratory tests to assess your uric acid blood levels and x-rays are sometimes ordered to determine if the inflammation is caused by something other than gout.

Treatment
Initial treatment of an attack of gout typically includes the following:

Medications. Prescription medications or injections are used to treat the pain, swelling and inflammation.
Dietary restrictions. Foods and beverages that are high in purines should be avoided since purines are converted in the body to uric acid.

Fluids. Drink plenty of water and other fluids each day, while also avoiding alcoholic beverages, which cause dehydration.
Immobilise and elevate the foot. Avoid standing and walking to give your foot a rest. Also, elevate your foot (level with or slightly above the heart) to help reduce swelling.

The symptoms of gout and the inflammatory process usually resolve in three to ten days with treatment. If gout symptoms continue despite the initial treatment, or if repeated attacks occur, see your primary care physician for maintenance treatment that may involve daily medication. In cases of repeated episodes, the underlying problem must be addressed, as the buildup of uric acid over time causes arthritic damage to the joint.

06/08/2023

Knee pain in kids?

Could it be Osgood-Schlatter Disease (OSD)?

OSD is a common cause of anterior knee pain in the skeletally immature athletic population, typically active kids keen on their sports. Clinically, it presents as atraumatic, insidious anterior knee pain, with tenderness at the patellar tendon insertion site at the tibial tuberosity. The condition occurs secondary to repetitive extensor mechanism stress activities such as jumping and sprinting, as well as during sporting activities like Basketball, Volleyball, Sprinters, Gymnastic, Football.

Overall treatment and management includes symptomatic treatment with ice and non steroidal anti-inflammatory meds (NSAIDs), activity modification and relative rest from aggravating activities, and lower extremities stretching regimen to alter underlying predisposing biomechanics factors.

OSD usually develops during the stage of bone maturation (10-12 yrs in girls and 12-14 yrs in boys), although there are always outliers to this. The underlying etiology can be attributed to the repeated traction over the tubercle leading to microvascular tears, fracture, and inflammation which then presents as swelling, pain and tenderness.

OSD is essentially an overuse injury that mostly appears in active, adolescent patients. The repetitive strain and microtrauma results in irritation and in severe cases partial avulsion of the tibial tubercle apophysis. Rarely trauma may lead to a full avulsion fracture. Predisposing factors include poor flexibility of quadriceps and hamstrings or other evidence of extensor mechanism misalignment.

The prognosis is excellent. The condition is generally self limiting and most patents will recover in a couple of months. Sometimes pain can persists for a couple of years of symptoms are left untreated.

The pain usually subsides with the cessation of growth at the tibial tubercle.

Ice application after activity will help to reduce the anterior knee pain.

Limiting the sports activity, for 6-8 weeks is advisable. If the hockey season is die to break this could be an ideal time to recover.

Gentle stretching of the quads and hamstrings along with strengthening will help reduce pain. The taping techniques Ive shown you today will help to decrease patellar loading.

Laser therapy can be used in children. It's safe and effective in the management of pain and to enhance healing properties.

26/07/2023

Have you ever heard of a Morton's neuroma? Ever had unexplained forefoot pain? Stabbing, tingling, burning feeling in your foot? If so, you could have a Mortons neuroma.
A neuroma is a thickening of nerve tissue that may develop in various parts of the body. The most common neuroma in the foot is a Morton’s neuroma, which occurs most commonly between the third and fourth metatarsals. It is sometimes referred to as an inter metatarsal neuroma.
The thickening of the nerve that defines a neuroma is the result of compression and irritation of the nerve. This compression creates enlargement of the nerve, causing the symptoms of Morton’s neuroma and eventually leading to permanent nerve damage.
Causes of Morton’s Neuroma
Anything that causes compression or irritation of the nerve can lead to the development of a neuroma. One of the most common offenders is wearing shoes that have a tapered toe box or high-heeled shoes that cause the toes to be forced into the toe box. People with certain foot deformities—bunions, hammertoes, flatfeet or more flexible feet—are at higher risk for developing a neuroma. Other potential causes are activities that involve repetitive irritation to the ball of the foot, such as running or court sports. An injury or other type of trauma to the area may also lead to a neuroma.
Symptoms of Morton’s Neuroma
If you have a Morton’s neuroma, you may have one or more of these symptoms where the nerve damage is occurring:
Tingling, burning or numbness
Pain
A feeling that something is inside the ball of the foot
A feeling that there is something in the shoe or a sock is bunched up
The progression of a Morton’s neuroma often follows this pattern:
The symptoms begin gradually. At first, they occur only occasionally when wearing narrow-toed shoes or performing certain aggravating activities.
The symptoms may go away temporarily by removing the shoe, massaging the foot or avoiding aggravating shoes or activities.
Over time, the symptoms progressively worsen and may persist for several days or weeks.
The symptoms become more intense as the neuroma enlarges and the temporary changes in the nerve become permanent.
Nonsurgical Treatment Options
Treatment approaches vary according to the severity of the problem.
Padding. Padding techniques provide support for the metatarsal arch, thereby lessening the pressure on the nerve and decreasing the compression when walking.
Icing. Placing an ice pack on the affected area helps reduce swelling.
Orthotic devices. Custom orthotic devices provided by your foot and ankle surgeon provide the support needed to reduce pressure and compression on the nerve.
Activity modifications. Activities that put repetitive pressure on the neuroma should be avoided until the condition improves.
Shoe modifications. Wear shoes with a wide toe box and avoid narrow-toed shoes or shoes with high heels.
Injection therapy. Treatment may include injections of cortisone, local anesthetics or other agents.

16/02/2023

Have you ever suffered the pain of an ingrown nail? If you have you know that theres no pain quite like it.

You'll be pleased to know that we offer surgical solutions to problematic or ingrown nails.

Crucially, you often wont loose your entire nail and were always sensitive to the aesthetic aspect of all nail surgery. So dont suffer in silence, book an assessment with one of our experts

http://bit.ly/3YB1aUP

14/02/2023

Our podiatrist’s treat feet,
and lower limbs too.
If you have a foot problem,
there’s only one thing to do.
Simply visit our website,
foot-medic.co.uk
And book an appointment,
at one of our branches today!

11/02/2023

Is pain or injury holding you back in your sport or just from doing the things you love?

Our foot and ankle expert Tadel explains how we help keep people moving, doing what they love and improving the quality of life for our patients.

http://bit.ly/3YyTzFU

10/02/2023

Do you have naff nails? Are you worried about how your feet appear or embarrassed about your feet? Our gateshead Podiatrist Stephen explains briefly why nails become discoloured and what we can do about it.

If you'd like to see one of podiatrist you can book online 24/7 using this link ;

https://heavenly-feet-chiropody-and-podiatry.cliniko.com/bookings

21/12/2022

We have very limited space at all our clinics this week although if you are lucky there are still some appointments available before we shut for the Christmas period.

Thank you for all your support at all our clinics this year, to those who we've first met over the past 12 months, thank you for your trust and loyalty. We wish you a happy and peaceful Christmas and a great 2023!

11/12/2022

02/12/2022

A fresh new look for our gateshead clinic. Help yourself to a fresh coffee at reception.