If you’ve ever dealt with the discomfort of an ingrown toenail, you know how painful and annoying it can be. Having an ingrown toenail can interfere with your day-to-day life, even causing some activities to seem impossible! The bad news is that if you’ve dealt with it once, you’ll likely deal with it again. Certain health conditions, like diabetes, can increase your chances of developing ingrown toenails, which occurs when the edge of your nail grows into the surrounding tissue. What results is pain, inflammation, and the potential for infections. Why is it important to treat an ingrown toen ..read more

November is coming up and it’s American Diabetes Month, which is a great time to discuss how to combat this disease. If you’re one of our patients with diabetes, then you likely know how important foot care is. Since diabetes can cause issues like peripheral nerve damage, you can lose feeling in your feet and not even notice a cut or abrasion. That, paired with a reduced blood flow impairing your immune system, will make injuries take longer to heal. A wound even the size of a small blister could lead to serious infection and eventually an ulcer. That alone could lead to a foot amputation! Th ..read more

Pumpkins are a truly remarkable fruit. During the fall, they're used to flavor everything from coffee and pies to tortilla chips. But did you know that they actually have benefits for your feet too? It's amazing how much this fruit can do, and it never fails to surprise us year after year!   They strengthen your feet. Pumpkins contain loads of Vitamin A. This essential nutrient is crucial for maintaining healthy vision and strong bones. Given that a quarter of your bones are found in your feet, consuming pumpkins can help keep them in top condition. They keep your toenails strong. Pu ..read more

The Fall season is a great time to get active outdoors. While in California it’s beautiful year-round, you’ll see an uptick in walkers and runners hitting the trails and sidewalks this time of year. If you’re considering joining them, then it’s important to make sure you do it right! The best first step is to choose the right footwear for your preferred activity.   Importance of footwear Wearing the right shoes for any athletic activity is essential to keeping your joints, tendons and muscles healthy. Whether you’re walking, hiking, or running, footwear is very important. It might seem l ..read more

We use our feet daily to get where we need to go. Given how often they are pounding the pavement, it’s a wonder that they don’t get injured more often than they do! Some people, however, are more likely than others to experience recurring foot injuries.   What causes repeat injuries? If you’re one of those people who always seems to be bouncing from recovery to injury again and in and out of doctor’s offices, you might be wondering, “why me!?”   Here are some common reasons that feet are reinjured: You play sports Athletes use their feet in amazing ways. Whether they’re on a soccer ..read more

Our feet are gateways into the health of other areas of our body. For many diseases or issues, the feet often give telltale clues to doctors to figure out what is going on with their patients. Two common issues that feet often help diagnose are hyper and hypothyroidism. Thyroid issues don’t always exhibit obvious symptoms in the early stages, but they can result in several health complications if left untreated.   Here are a few of the foot issues that often come with thyroid issues: Dry cracked feet with calluses: Many people with hypothyroidism report having rough, dry, coarse skin a ..read more

Everyone has different feet with different needs. Some people can go their whole life without feeling much foot or ankle pain at all, while others need constant trips to the podiatrist to check up on issues. For a lot of these issues, we often prescribe custom orthotics to ease the pain. Many of our customers ask if they can use foam insoles or gels instead. While these products might help with some minor foot issues, custom orthotics are necessary to help people suffering from serious foot diseases or disorders. Read on to find out more.   First of all, what exactly is an orthotic? Orth ..read more

Do you wake up in the middle of the night gripping your painful foot? Or do you dread the first step out of bed each morning knowing that it’s going to be painful? You might be suffering from one of many foot conditions that cause night time foot pain. Here at Precision Foot and Ankle Centers, it’s our job to get to the bottom of what’s causing issues in your feet or ankles. That’s why we put together a list of common foot issues that cause pain at night.   What is causing this night time foot pain? As with any issue, if you’re dealing with pain or discomfort, or even if something just f ..read more

Our bodies send us messages all day long - your stomach growls when you’re hungry, your armpits sweat when you’re hot, your mouth puckers when you’re thirsty. Did you know that your toenails have their own signals too? Colors! When your toenails change colors, it’s typically their way of telling your that something serious could be going on internally.   What color change in your toenails can mean Of course there are some innocuous colors, not all of them are life-threatening issues. For instance, if you leave your nail polish on your toes for more than a week, it can penetrate and stain ..read more

As the new school year approaches, parents are busy shopping for school supplies, clothes, and shoes. However, foot care is often overlooked during this busy time. Proper foot care is important for kids' overall health and well-being, and can prevent foot problems and injuries.   Here are some tips for back to school foot care for kids: Choose the right shoes: Shoes that are too small, too tight, or too loose can cause foot problems such as blisters, calluses, and ingrown toenails. Make sure your child's shoes fit properly and provide good support. Look for shoes with a sturdy sole, a ..read more