An ankle sprain is a common injury that often happens while participating in sports and exercise, but it can also occur during everyday activities like crossing the street and awkwardly rolling your foot over a curb or accidentally stepping in a pothole (while staring at your phone!). Even a minor ankle sprain can be painful, and it can be difficult to determine the extent of the injury until you have rested the foot.  If pain and swelling do not substantially subside after a few hours, you may need to see your foot doctor for a physical examination and any necessary imaging studies to ..read more

People tend to have some misconceptions when it comes to the topic of treating a broken toe. As with any painful foot or ankle injury, your best bet is to see our experienced foot doctor for the proper treatment, so the condition doesn’t continue to worsen. Some broken toe myths and facts include the following: Myth— “It must not be broken because I can walk on it.” Fact—The fact of the matter is that a number of toe injuries, such as a hairline fracture, may only exhibit minor, intermittent pain in the beginning, but if left untreated, the condition will continue to worsen. So, if you drop ..read more

    Are you noticing your toes bending? Hammertoe develops slowly and doesn’t often cause trouble until severe bending has occurred and treatment is more complicated. Hammertoe is a toe deformity that affects one or more of the 3 middle toes with a downward bend at the end or middle toe joint. There are conservative treatments that may help straighten them and avoid future non-conservative treatments like toe surgery. Below are treatments that may help for early-stage of hammertoe (hammertoe that are not too badly bent and still somewhat flexible): Custom made orthotic and inserts ..read more

 Why does the arch of my foot hurt when I walk? Your arches are composed of a transverse section and two longitudinal sections that combine to cover the bottom of your foot. The interaction of these segments of the arch with the many tendons, muscles, and other foot components leads to many opportunities for arch pain to develop. You may get pain relief with a biomechanical evaluation (gait analysis) and prevent many arch related problems. Contact Valley Stream Podiatry to get evaluated adequately for footwear and custom made orthotic inserts. Three Conditions that may cause arch pain due ..read more

A great way to relieve stress while suffering a crisis is to try out some new artistic endeavors. Letting your creative impulses flourish will help take your mind off of your anxieties. Here are 3 suggestions to help you get into the creative spirit: Start a craft project—Making daily progress on a craft project is an excellent way to pass the time and boost your creativity. You can choose from a variety of arts and crafts like needlepoint, drawing, and painting, for example. Photography is an excellent way to get involved with your surroundings. Try taking a picture of the same scene at di ..read more

While fungal toenail infections don’t usually cause much pain and discomfort in the early stages, as the problem progresses, the nails will become discolored and brittle, and a foul odor is often emitted as the fungi feed on your skin, oils, and sweat. Early treatment of toenail fungus infections will help prevent the need for complete toenail removal surgery, so be sure to book an appointment with our podiatrists. Five ways to treat & prevent toenail fungus are the following: Protect your feet to avoid toenail fungus infections— Avoiding the microbes causing the infections in the first ..read more

What causing my feet to feel tingling or numbness? Your nervous system provides the sensory and motor information that your muscles and other bodily systems need to operate. When your nerves' function is compromised, it can cause a tingling, burning, and numbing sensation in your extremities, with the feet frequently being affected. The cause of nerve damage (neuropathy) can be due to systemic diseases like diabetes or exposure to toxic chemicals, so be sure to contact the Foot and Ankle Doctors of Valley Stream Podiatry for comprehensive evaluation and personalized treatment plan. There are ..read more

Ingrown toenails can develop slowly at first and may not cause any problems until your skin is damaged and bleeding, and the pressure from your shoes pushes the sharp nail further into your skin, causing considerable pain and discomfort. Often you can avoid ingrown toenails by taking some proactive steps to prevent toenails from cutting your tender skin in the first place. Here are 3 tips for helping to prevent ingrown toenails from developing: Cut your toenails properly—Always strive to trim your toenails as straight across as you can with just a slight curve. Keep them a little long to he ..read more

The unique characteristic of sesamoid bones is they do not have a direct connection to other bones. The largest sesamoid bone is the kneecap. There are also two small free-floating sesamoid bones located in the ball of the foot. They are about the size of a pea and help with toe movement, ambulation, and support. Pain and inflammation around these bones cause a condition called sesamoiditis that can make standing and walking painful. Orthotic inserts are an excellent treatment for this condition. The sesamoid bones are connected to other parts of the foot with tendons and other soft tissues ..read more

    Having a sensation that your feet are burning is a fairly common occurrence that can be caused by a wide variety of factors. With diseases like diabetes and peripheral artery disease, a burning sensation is often accompanied by numbness and tingling. A skin condition may be the cause, or it could be your feet are tired and achy from working all day. Since there are so many possible causes of abnormal foot sensations, and since the symptoms can radiate from the source of the problem, it’s important to see your foot doctor for the proper diagnosis and treatment protocols. Some of ..read more