Issues with the feet and ankles can cause excruciating pain and debilitation for weeks. After becoming aware of a problem in your feet or ankles, you should visit a podiatrist ASAP. Dr. George Tjamaloukas and Dr. Kathy Tjamaloukas from Comprehensive Foot and Ankle Center are podiatrists in Land O'Lakes, FL who only treat issues with the feet and ankles. 

What Does a Podiatrist Do?

Podiatrists are specialist physicians who are highly trained and educated in the treatment of foot and ankle-specific injuries and conditions. If you need a podiatrist in Land O'Lakes, FL you've landed on the right website. 

A podiatrist will supply you with a more precise diagnosis of the root cause of your foot and/or ankle pain beyond what your GP can provide.

What Are the Reasons I Should See a Podiatrist?

Some reasons to visit a podiatrist are:

• Heel pain: Most often, the cause of non-traumatic heel pain is plantar fasciitis. But there may be other reasons for your heel pain. 
• Trauma to the ankle/foot complex: This can include many circumstances, such as foot or ankle pain after a car accident, sustaining a fall and hurting your foot or ankle, or dropping a heavy object on your foot. 
• Sports injuries: Generally, these injuries will be in the form of overuse injuries of the ligaments and tendons in and around the foot and ankle. Examples are Achilles tendonitis and ligament tears.
• Ingrown toenails: This condition is usually easily treatable. But, address them promptly to prevent significant pain and loss of function.
• Hammertoes: This is an unnatural bend of the toe or toes that can rapidly get worse, so timely treatment is vital. What starts as a mild nuisance can quickly become an exceptionally painful condition that requires surgery.
• Bunions: Dislocation of the big toe joint at its base may cause the development of a bunion, which appears as a bump on the base of the big toe on the inside of your foot. 
• Plantar warts: A virus causes these warts on the bottom of your foot. This virus rents some living space on the sole of your foot and infects the surrounding skin. Plantar warts may go away without medical intervention, but always consult with a podiatrist  to make sure that the warts are eliminated.
• Neuropathy:  Neuropathy is an interruption of nerve signals from the brain to the foot to the brain, and vice versa. Severe pain and tingling of the foot can result from this condition when not promptly addressed. Numbness may also be an issue where pain is not felt, making you more vulnerable to injuries. Diabetes is a common cause of neuropathy.

Contact Us

Any issue you are having with your feet or ankles warrants a consultation with Dr. Tjamaloukas or Dr. Tjamaloukas from Comprehensive Foot and Ankle Center, podiatrists in Land O'Lakes, FL. You can reach us by calling (813) 909-0865.

How your foot doctors in Land O’Lakes, FL, can keep your feet and ankles healthy

It’s always a good time to see a podiatrist because a podiatrist can treat foot, ankle, and toe conditions to keep you mobile and active. Taking care of your feet can improve your overall health.

Drs. George and Kathy Tjamaloukas at Comprehensive Foot and Ankle Center in Land O’Lakes, FL, provides a wide range of foot and ankle services, to keep your feet and ankles healthy.

Seeing your podiatrist is especially important if you suffer from medical conditions like diabetes because diabetes directly affects your feet. Diabetes causes problems with your immune, circulatory, and nervous systems and can result in:

• Delayed healing or infection of open wounds
• Poor blood flow, resulting in amputations
• Loss of nerve sensation or peripheral neuropathy

Your podiatrist can help keep your feet from suffering due to diabetes. Foot doctors also treat:

• Bunions
• Hammertoe
• Ingrown toenails
• Toenail fungus
• Plantar fasciitis
• Flat feet
• Lateral ankle instability
• Strains, sprains, and fractures

If you have acute foot, ankle, or toe problems, you should see your podiatrist if:

• You can’t walk or stand due to foot pain
• You don’t feel stable when you walk or stand
• You have foot pain that doesn’t go away
• You have a fever accompanied by foot pain
• You can’t put on shoes due to foot pain
• Your mobility is affected due to foot pain

Your podiatrist also offers a wide variety of orthotics, which can help with:

• Flat feet
• Bunions
• Hammertoe
• Plantar fasciitis

Foot surgery may also be recommended by your podiatrist for:

• Bunion removal
• Hammertoe realignment
• Foot realignment
• Correction of lateral ankle instability

Don’t suffer from foot, toe, or ankle pain when relief is just a phone call away.

To learn more about when to see your podiatrist and how your foot doctor can keep your feet and ankles healthy, call Drs. George and Kathy Tjamaloukas at Comprehensive Foot and Ankle Center in Land O’Lakes, FL. You can reach them in the office by calling (813) 909-0865, so call now.

Find out if your ankle weakness could be due to instability and how to treat it.

Ankles that feel as if they might give out, particularly on the outer side of the ankle, are always a cause for concern, as this could be due to chronic ankle instability. Repeated ankle sprains that did not heal as they should or were not cared for properly are usually the main causes of chronic ankle instability and ankle pain. Fortunately, our Land O’ Lakes, FL, podiatrist Dr. George Tjamaloukas and Dr. Kathy Tjamaloukas at Comprehensive Foot and Ankle Center can help.

When you sprain an ankle the ligaments are either torn or stretched. The purpose of treatment is to help strengthen the muscles around the ankle to help improve balance and facilitate healing of the ligaments. But if you don’t seek treatment from our Land O’ Lakes and Wesley Chapel, FL, foot doctors then you could end up dealing with multiple ankle sprains, chronic ankle pain, and ankle instability in the future.

Do I have ankle instability?

Those with this condition may experience any of these symptoms:

• Chronic pain, swelling, and tenderness
• An unstable ankle
• An ankle that turns in while walking or during physical activity

If you are experiencing chronic or persistent ankle pain it might be due to ankle instability or you could be dealing with another issue. This is why you should visit our Land O’ Lakes, FL, foot and ankle team right away for diagnosis and treatment. X-rays or other imaging tests are often needed to diagnose ankle instability.

How is ankle instability treated?

The million-dollar question! The results of your tests, the severity of your symptoms, and how physically active you are will determine whether you will require nonsurgical or surgical treatment. The most common non-surgical options include,

• Pain relievers: Taking nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory medications (NSAIDs) like ibuprofen can target both pain and inflammation.
• Ankle brace: Wearing an ankle brace can provide stability and support for the ankle and prevent it from turning outward. Wearing a brace can also protect the ankle from future sprains.
• Physical therapy: By incorporating stretching and strengthening exercises into your daily routine you can retrain and strengthen muscles to reduce pain and improve movement and balance. We can show you the best exercises to improve your ankle instability.

Do I need surgery?

If your problem is severe or if nonsurgical treatments aren’t giving you the results you need the next step may be surgery. The purpose of surgery is to repair the damaged ligament or ligaments. If surgery is necessary we would be happy to sit down with you and discuss your options.

Don’t let ankle problems keep you from your life. Turn to our podiatrists Dr. George Tjamaloukas and Dr. Kathy Tjamaloukas and the team at Comprehensive Foot and Ankle Center in Land O’ Lakes, FL, and serving Wesley Chapel, FL. Call us at (813) 909-0865.

Maybe you stepped strangely onto a toy or curb and your ankle feels slightly sore. This is a common occurrence, but when is it something that requires help and treatment? Dr. George Tjamaloukas and Dr. Kathy Tjamaloukas at Comprehensive Foot and Ankle Center in Land O’ Lakes, FL, and serving Wesley Chapel, FL, can explain when you may be experiencing an ankle sprain and when you should visit your podiatrist for care.

When to Visit for a Sprained Ankle

If you accidentally stepped incorrectly and twisted your ankle, you will experience pain fairly immediately. Some ankle sprains are more severe than others, so when should you visit your podiatrist in Land O’ Lakes, FL, and serving Wesley Chapel, FL?

As soon as you experience what could be a sprained ankle, you should visit your podiatrist for care as soon as possible. When a sprain is left untreated, it can cause long-term issues and further damage in the future. It’s possible that you may have just walked funny and not experienced an ankle sprain, so it’s important to recognize when you may have sprained your ankle.

The most common symptoms of an ankle sprain include swelling and bruising. It can be difficult to walk and cause reoccurring pain. You should be resting and elevating your ankle and applying ice throughout the day to deal with swelling. Your podiatrist may also recommend compressive bandages to help stop your ankle from continuing to twist or sit in strange positions.

When an ankle sprain is severe and doesn’t seem to heal, surgery may be required to repair the damaged ligaments. It’s important to closely follow your treatment plan so that your ankle can heal and you can continue to walk and participate in activities that you enjoy.

Contact Your Podiatrist Today!

Don’t let your sprained ankle go untreated. Contact Dr. George Tjamaloukas and Dr. Kathy Tjamaloukas at Comprehensive Foot and Ankle Center in Land O’ Lakes, FL, and serving Wesley Chapel, FL, to treat your ankle sprain and improve your quality of life. Call for more information and to schedule your appointment today at (813) 909-0865.

Are you experiencing problems with your feet? A foot specialist has received specialized training to help you take care of your feet. There are a number of problems with your feet that an experienced doctor might be able to treat. What are a few examples of conditions that a podiatrist might be able to help you with? Dr. George Tjamaloukas and Dr. Kathy Tjamaloukas of Comprehensive Foot and Ankle Center, a foot doctor serving Wesley Chapel, FL, located in Land O' Lakes, FL, can help you.

Acute Injuries to Your Feet

If you have suffered an acute injury to your feet, a podiatrist may be able to help you. For example, you may have a significant cut, scrape, or laceration that has to be treated. Or, you might have stepped on something, suffering a puncture wound.

You may even have a stress fracture, a ligament sprain, or a tendon strain that has to be addressed. If you have sustained an acute injury to your foot, you should work with a podiatrist who can help you figure out the best way to treat this issue.

Managing Chronic Conditions

If you have been diagnosed with a chronic condition involving your feet, then you should work with a foot doctor in Wesley Chapel, FL who can help you. For example, you may have been diagnosed with a condition called hammertoes, which can lead to deformities of your feet. A podiatrist can help you figure out the best way to treat this issue.

You might have been diagnosed with diabetes and developed diabetic neuropathy impacting your feet. This is another common condition that a doctor can help you address.

Completing the Recovery After Surgery

There are some situations where you may need surgery to fix issues with your feet. Perhaps you have a genetic condition that has to be corrected, or maybe you have suffered an acute fracture that needed to be repaired by an orthopedic surgeon. If that is the case, you need a local doctor who can help you manage the recovery process. This is another area where a podiatrist might be able to help you.

You need to improve your strength, flexibility, and mobility after surgery. You should work with a professional who can develop a comprehensive plan of care for you.

Work with a Reliable Podiatrist

These are just a few of the many examples of conditions that a foot doctor serving Wesley Chapel, FL can help you treat. Dr. George Tjamaloukas and Dr. Kathy Tjamaloukas of Comprehensive Foot and Ankle Center in Land O' Lakes, FL can help you manage conditions with your feet. Call 813-909-0865 to make an appointment.