Chiropody/Foot Care

Put Your Best Foot Forward

Chiropody at Erin Mills Optimum Health can offer you and your family complete care of your feet related problems.

Our Chiropodist, Kiran Davé, has been licensed with the Ontario College of Chiropody since 1991, and has a rich experience with all aspects of foot health. As a foot professional, he is most interested in listening to your symptoms, so that he can examine, assess, and formulate a treatment plan via medical, mechanical, surgical and other means that suits you the best. He is particularly interested in the education and prevention of your condition.

Your feet are the foundation of your entire body. They do surprising amounts of work with each and every step with great precision. Any small imbalance can cause a great deal of discomfort. Just consider a painful corn that enables you from walking properly. This misbalanced gait can affect your back, hips, knees, and ankles.

Kiran Davé is experienced in all aspects of foot care including; Dermatology, Sports Medicine, Pathomechanics, Prescription Orthotic/Orthopedic Footwear, Soft Tissue Surgery, Pediatrics, Geriatrics, Diabetics, Infection Control, and General Family Foot Care. He is a specialist in Prescription Orthotics.

Arthritis

Osteoarthritis develops as we age and is often called “wear-and-tear” arthritis. Signs and symptoms of arthritis include pain, tenderness, swelling, stiffness, and reduced motion with disability. The abuse encountered by the foot exposes it to great damage. As a result, balance and gait may be affected with other potential problems, like knee and back pains. Your foot specialist will begin early treatment to reduce and control structural problems within the foot and restore proper function to control the deterioration.

Diabetes

Diabetes-related foot problems are the third most common reason for hospitalization and the leading cause of amputation in the lower leg and foot. High blood sugar levels, can lead to; circulatory problems, nerve damage, kidney, heart, eyes, and skin damage.

Inspect feet carefully every day, using the hands to feel for areas of hard or dry skin, and a mirror to check the bottoms of the feet for any redness or cracking. These precautions can help prevent the feet from becoming ulcerated or infected which may lead to amputation. Seeing a chiropodist can ensure that proper care is delivered and feet are monitored.

Painful Corns and Calluses

Corns and calluses, most often caused by ill-fitting shoes and structural problems, often cause severe pain if they are neglected. Regular care from a chiropodist, involving debridement of the area, maintains comfort and other complications. Customized orthotics, if required, can help, by controlling stresses from deformities and reducing pressure.

See your chiropodist, ask questions, and discuss treatment options. Corns and calluses are sadly, often neglected until the pain is unbearable. Act now!

Bunions

A bunion is a bump on the side of the great toe joint. Patients with this condition will usually complain of pain when wearing certain shoes or with physical activity. Bunions develop from abnormal foot structure and biomechanics (e.g. excessive pronation). Bunions are most commonly treated by conservative means. This may involve shoe gear modification, padding and orthosis. Surgery is not always the best option.

Heel Pain

A common form of foot pain with many causes. Most commonly, extra stress put upon a misaligned foot structure, along with improper shoes, usually stretches the plantar fascia, the bond of connective tissue that supports the arch along the bottom of the foot, causing inflammation and pain. This stretching can lead to muscle tears and bone spurs. The classic symptom of heel pain is experienced early in the morning, after rest, and subsides on walking. It is advisable to see your chiropodist as early as possible to discuss treatment options and get the best prognosis.

Ingrown Toenail

Ingrown toenails are a common and troublesome problem associated with extreme pain and disability. It is most often seen in the adolescents, who cut toenails inappropriately. Also, tight footgear can be a contributing factor. Some people have nails that are more prone to become ingrown than others. If you notice pain in the side of the nail, with redness and sometimes a discharge, you most likely have an ingrown toenail. Regardless, you need professional attention from a chiropodist, as quick as possible, as infection is common.

The Aging Foot

No segment of our population is more sensitive to the importance of the feet than the elderly. Foot problems are much more common in the elderly than in the general population. Bad feet do not develop overnight. Conditions such as bunions, hammertoes, corns, arthritis, and nail deformities can take years to develop and they tend to get worse with time. The older you are, the greater your chances of developing a foot problem.

Referrals

If you or someone that you care about needs help in one of the following, please refer them to Erin Mills Optimum Health. A doctor's referral is not required.

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