Talk with your podiatrist to find out if surgery is the best way to treat your foot or ankle problem.

From athletes to seniors, our Wesley Chapel, FL, podiatrists, Drs. George and Kathy Tjamaloukas, work with patients of all different ages, lifestyles, and backgrounds to ensure that they are able to move comfortably and easily through life without pain. Unfortunately, there are injuries and diseases that can affect the long-term health of your feet and ankles.

While most of the patients who walk through our doors complaining of foot and ankle pain will not need surgery in order to treat the underlying problem, our podiatrists will still want to perform an evaluation in their Wesley Chapel, FL, office to determine the cause of your pain. Once we have made a diagnosis, then we know how to properly proceed.

What conditions may benefit from foot and ankle surgery?

Unfortunately, feet and ankles are unfortunately vulnerable to injury. Add all the jumping, running and moving we do all day, and we are putting a lot of added stress on these parts of our body. One misstep, and suddenly you’re dealing with a sprained ankle or broken foot. While some injuries will heal with ample rest and proper nonsurgical treatments, you may require surgery if you are dealing with:

• Osteoarthritis: Common in older individuals, this type of arthritis causes the cartilage of the joints to wear down, leading to pain, stiffness, and bone spurs.
• Rheumatoid Arthritis: This autoimmune disorder attacks the joints, causing significant joint pain and swelling. Rheumatoid arthritis can lead to severe joint deformities and significantly impact a person’s ability to move.
• Posttraumatic Arthritis: This form of arthritis develops after a serious foot or ankle injury such as a fracture or dislocation.
• Bunions: A condition that pushes the joint at the base of the big toe out of alignment
• Severe Ankle Fracture: A broken bone in the ankle
• Hammertoe: Another deformity that affects the middle joint of the smaller toes, causing them to curl. Most hammertoes are flexible, but if a hammertoe becomes rigid, the toe will become immovable.

Again, many of these progressive conditions and deformities can be managed with simple home care; however, you may benefit from foot and ankle surgery if you are dealing with:

• Severe and chronic foot pain
• Pain that doesn’t respond to nonsurgical treatment
• Pain that flares up with movement or exercise
• An extremely large and painful bunion
• A rigid hammertoe
• Joint swelling and significant joint damage
• Severe joint tenderness
• Difficulty walking due to any of the issues above

Concerned? Give us a call

If you have been dealing with persistent and long-term foot and ankle pain, then it’s high time that you got some answers. The team at Comprehensive Foot and Ankle Center in Wesley Chapel, FL, is dedicated to helping you lead a pain-free life. Call us today at (813) 909-0865 to schedule an evaluation.

It isn’t always easy to figure out what’s causing your ankle pain. A podiatrist can help.

If you are noticing ankle pain at any point in time or after an accident it’s important that you don’t ignore it. While ankle pain is often the result of sprain it can also be caused by instability, tendonitis, a fracture or arthritis, to name a few. Of course, if ankle pain is severe, persistent or affecting your ability to move around then it’s time to turn to our Wesley Chapel, FL, podiatrists Drs. George and Kathy Tjamaloukas.

Signs of a Sprain

Ankle sprains are one the most common sports injury; therefore, if you experience ankle pain, swelling, bruising or other problems after a fall or tackle on the field then you could be dealing with a sprained ankle. While mild cases can often be treated with the traditional RICE (rest, ice, compression, elevation) method, it’s important that you see your Wesley Chapel, FL, podiatrist if symptoms don’t respond to at-home care or are severe.

While sprains affect the ligament and strains affect the muscles, it isn’t always easy to tell the difference between a sprain and a strain. The RICE method is almost all that’s needed to treat a strain while a sprain will often require additional care.

Signs of a Fracture

If you are dealing with a fractured ankle it’s important that you seek immediate medical attention. After an accident or injury, here are some telltale signs of a fractured ankle,

• Immediate and intense throbbing pain
• Pain that gets worse when moving the ankle
• Bruising
• Tenderness to the touch
• A visible deformity
• Swelling

If you suspect that you or your child has fractured their ankle bring them in right away for care. Along with at-home care, your doctor may recommend splinting or bracing the ankle, or even using crutches to take the weight off the affected foot while it heals. Severe fractures may require surgery.

Signs of Arthritis

It’s easy to determine the cause of your ankle pain if you experienced an accident, but it’s a little harder to pinpoint if you aren’t sure why you are dealing with pain. Arthritis is a chronic condition that leads to joint pain, and it often affects the joints in the ankle and foot. Along with joint pain, it’s also common to experience inflammation and stiffness. There are many different types of arthritis so it’s important to see your podiatrist for a diagnosis.

If pain persists it’s important not to ignore your condition. Call Comprehensive Foot and Ankle Center in Wesley Chapel, FL, today at (813) 909-0865 to schedule an appointment.

It's very important to look after your feet if you have diabetes. Diabetics are more prone to foot problems. You can reduce the chances of having foot problems by taking good care of your feet every day. Led by Dr. George Tjamaloukas and Dr. Kathy Tjamaloukas, Comprehensive Foot and Ankle Center (located in Land O' Lakes, FL) provides diabetic foot care to the patients they serve. Read on to discover the importance of proper diabetic foot care.

How Diabetes Can Harm Your Feet

Diabetes can cause decreased blood flow to your feet and loss of feeling known as neuropathy. Loss of feeling often means you may not feel an injury. Gangrene can occur in diabetics who unknowingly injure a foot or toe. Neglecting ulcers can result in an infection.

Reasons to Check Your Feet

Checking your feet every day will help you spot problems early before they get worse. Try to do it at a regular time each day like when you take your shoes off in the evening. Look for problems such as a change in color, sores, cuts, blisters, splinters, ingrown toenails, calluses, corns, and plantar warts. Immediately report any skin changes to your podiatrist.

Why You Should See a Podiatrist

All diabetic patients should have a podiatrist. Podiatrists are medical doctors who specialize in foot and ankle care, including the treatment of diabetes-related foot problems. See your doctor regularly, even if you don't have any problems with your feet. Get your feet checked by your healthcare provider at every visit. Your healthcare provider will play a key role in helping you manage your condition successfully and prevent foot complications.

When you have diabetes, your feet need extra TLC. Call Comprehensive Foot and Ankle Center at 813-909-0865 today to schedule an appointment with one of our podiatrists in Land O' Lakes, FL. Practicing good foot care and seeing a podiatrist on a regular basis will go a long way toward keeping your feet healthy.

Heel pain is an exceedingly common issue, particularly among runners and athletes. While systemic illnesses such as arthritis can sometimes be to blame for heel pain, more often than not our Wesley Chapel, FL, podiatrists Drs. George and Kathy Tjamaloukas can pinpoint a localized injury or condition that is causing the cause. Some of the most common causes of heel pain include:

Plantar fasciitis

This is the most common cause of heel pain, and it results from microtears in the fibers of the plantar fascia, a thick ligament that stretches from the toes to the heel bone. Plantar fasciitis can occur in anyone but it’s more common in,

• Runners
• Athletes who play high-impact sports
• People with diabetes
• People who have to stand for long periods of time throughout the day
• Pregnant women

The classic sign of plantar fasciitis is pain that occurs at the bottom of the heel. This pain may also radiate to the arches, as the plantar fascia is responsible for arch support. Along with pain, you may notice stiffness, as well. These symptoms are often worse in the morning or after extended periods of rest.

Achilles tendonitis

A term referring to inflammation of the Achilles tendon, this condition is caused by overstressing the feet. Although Achilles tendonitis will also cause heel pain and stiffness, the pain won’t originate at the bottom of the heel, but above the heel bone instead. You may notice that that pain gets worse with activity, and swelling around the heel bone may also be present.

Heel spur

A heel spur is a calcium deposit that results in the development of a hard protrusion around heel bone. Some people who have plantar fasciitis may also deal with a heel spur. Like plantar fasciitis, the pain may be sharp and painful in the morning or after rest. You may notice a dull, persistent ache throughout the day, as well as inflammation and swelling. Sometimes you may even see a bony bump sticking out from the bottom of the heel.

Need relief? Give our Wesley Chapel office a call!

If heel pain is making it difficult to get around, it’s important that you get the care you need. Call Comprehensive Foot and Ankle Center in Wesley Chapel, FL, today at(586) 771-1460 to schedule an evaluation for your heel pain!

When more conservative treatment methods aren't helpful, surgery may be the answer to your foot or ankle pain! Surgery from our Wesley Chapel podiatrists, Drs. George and Kathy Tjamaloukas, may be recommended for a variety of conditions, ranging from ingrown toenails to bunions to arthritis.

Is foot and ankle surgery a good option for me?

Your Wesley Chapel foot doctors will consider several factors before suggesting surgery, including:

• Pain: Surgery may be recommended if you have severe or chronic pain. Your podiatrist will ask you questions about the severity of your pain, its duration, and how often it occurs. We will also want to hear about the effect of the pain on the quality of your life. For instance, have you stopped doing the things you enjoy because of your hammertoe? Does plantar fasciitis or bunions keep you from exercising?
• Your Gait: Walking normally can be difficult if you have a foot or ankle condition, injury, or abnormality. Unfortunately, changes to your gait don't just affect your feet and ankles—they may also have a larger impact on your entire body. Altering the way you walk can lead to hip, knee, or back pain. Luckily, surgery can improve your foot and ankle condition and restore your normal gait.
• Infection: Surgery may be needed to remove all or part of an infected ingrown toenail, for clearing out infected or dead skin tissue can help facilitate healing if you have a diabetic ulcer or other infected sore/wound. Signs and symptoms of an infection can include inflamed tissue, pus, warmth, pain, foul odor, and fever. Call your foot doctor immediately if you notice any of these signs and symptoms.
• Walking and Standing: Walking, running, or even standing can be painful or difficult if you have bunions, hammertoes, a torn Achilles tendon, an ankle instability, arthritis in your feet/ankles, or a fracture. During surgery, your podiatrist can fix all of these issues!

Could foot and ankle surgery help you? Call your podiatrists in Wesley Chapel, FL, today at (813) 909-0865 to schedule an appointment and find out!