Cracked Heels
This is a problem that we see often and should not have to see as it can easily be managed by the individual if they are prepared to put in the effort to manage it. The cracks develop in the callus and dry skin around the heel. These fissure never heel and will tear on the good skin underneath which can become very painful. As long as the dry skin is kept moist and the thick skin is kept down, this is not going to be a problem.
Self care is the key to this condition. There is a good resource here on cracked heels. It really comes down to either putting the effort in to maintain it or coming and seeing a Podiatrists every few months. I give people the option. There is no miracle cure. Get the products you need and get going. Cracked heels is manageable.
Foot Pain
If you have foot pain, then the internet is a treasure trove of information as well as misinformation! A recent study on the quality of foot care information on the web did raise some concerns with it:
The overall quality of Internet information for common foot and ankle diagnoses is variable, raising concerns about what information is currently available to patients.
There is no substitution for good quality advice from a licensed health professional versus an anonymous blogger!
Some source of infromation are better than other. I have found two sites that professionals answer questions on foot problems to be particularly helpful: Foot Health Forum and Podiatry Experts. Like any online advice, take the information with caution.
Cuboid Syndrome
This is a relatively common problem due to what appears to be a subluxation of the cuboid bone. Mostly due to some dysfunction with the stability of the bone being easily moved by the peroneus longus tendon that passes under it. Usually the subluxation is best (ref):
Over the longer term foot orthotics (ref) may be needed to help with the stability of the lateral column of the foot. low dye strapping may be helpful in the short term (ref).
Corns on the Foot
This is probably the most common problem that is seen by podiatrists either for regular routine care or for surgical correction of the underlying problem that is causing the corn.
There is plenty that can be done to help this problem and plenty of online advice available (link). The best advice is anything that you can do to get pressure of the area that the corn is on will help with the symptoms. This means better fitting shoes with more room for the toes. It means the wearing of padding to straighten toes and relieve the pressure. Most important do not use the so-called corn cures as they do not work over the longer term. If this is not helping, then see a podiatrist. There is no point putting up with these.
Bunions
Bunions are so common in females, especially older female. The main factor implicated in them is probably footwear, though those who do not wear shoes can still get them implicating hereditary issues (ref). Despite the hereditary factors shoes do make them more severe and more painful.
There are many treatment options or bunions, but the only way to get rid of the, is with surgery. Conservative options involve footwear advice, exercises and the use of padding to relieve pressure. If you have a problem with a bunion, you can ask at the Foot health Forum or at Podiatry Experts. ePodiatry has a good resource on bunions.
Achilles Tendon Rupture
A rupture of the achilles tendon can affect anyone. They tend to occur when there is simultanous knee extension and ankle dorsiflexion. There is certaily a lot of discussion about the treatment. There have been plenty oif studies comparing surgical management versus conservative management and so teh far the conclusions are probably that it does not matter which treatment is used, the medium to long term outcomes are the same. Here is a useful summary of all the studies.
Its not uncommon to come across online comments like this from people seeking advice:
I am looking for some advice for a friend who ruptured his Achilles tendon last week….More at Achilles Tendon Rupture
There are plenty of videos online of the achilles being ruptured: