Bunions occur when the joint of the big toe becomes misaligned, causing swelling and tenderness. There is usually a bump or enlargement on the outside of the joint that makes it difficult to find a comfortable shoe. The deformity causes the big toe to angle towards the smaller toes, causing crowding. A bunion deformity is [...]

http://arkfac.com/learn-more/269/facts-about-bunions

Gout, a type of arthritis, is a painful joint inflammation caused by an excess of uric acid in the body. When your body produces more uric acid than the kidneys can process, the excess builds up in the blood and accumulates in your joints. The disease bothers more than 1.8 million Americans, mostly men over [...]

http://arkfac.com/learn-more/279/gout-a-real-pain-in-the-foot

When plantar warts develop on the weight-bearing areas of the feet – the ball of the foot or the heel – they can be the source of very sharp, burning pain. They are caused by a virus that typically invades the skin through small cuts and abrasions. They are called plantar warts because the appear [...]

http://arkfac.com/learn-more/275/dont-ignore-warts

Hammertoe is a bending of one or both of the joints in the second, third, fourth and fifth toes of the foot. This abnormal bending can put pressure on the toe when wearing shoes causing problems to develop. Hammertoes usually start out as mild deformities and get progressively worse over time. In the early stages, [...]

http://arkfac.com/learn-more/271/options-for-hammertoe

By Dr Alexandra Buk A diabetic foot ulcer is an open sore or wound that most commonly occurs on the bottom of the foot in approximately 15% of patients with diabetes. Of those who develop a foot ulcer, 6% will be hospitalized due to infection or other ulcer-related complications. Diabetes is the leading cause of [...]

http://arkfac.com/learn-more/113/healing-the-diabetic-foot-ulcer-new-hope

By Dr Alexandra Buk Peripheral Arterial Disease-also known as P.A.D. – is a common, yet serious, disease that affects 8 to 12 million people in the United States, especially those over age 50. It develops when extra cholesterol and other fats circulating in the blood collect in the walls of the arteries that supply blood [...]

http://arkfac.com/learn-more/105/peripheral-arterial-disease

By Dr Alexandra Buk Like many recurring conditions, corns are often ignored as a “skin problem.” But left untreated, corns can progress to a painful and chronic condition. A corn is a circular area of thick skin caused by friction on a non-weight bearing area of the foot. The lesions most commonly form over an [...]

http://arkfac.com/learn-more/92/corns-are-more-than-skin-deep

By Alexandra Buk, D.P.M. “I have heel pain” is a comment that I, as a podiatric Physician, hear every day. Patients complain that their heels and arches ache when they get out of bed in the morning, or after they’ve been sitting for a while and get back on their feet again. Heel pain, most [...]

http://arkfac.com/learn-more/77/there-is-hope-for-heel-pain

By Dr Alexandra Buk Rheumatoid Arthritis (RA) is a major crippling disorder and probably the most serious form of arthritis. It is a disease in which certain cells of the immune system malfunction and attack healthy joints. RA causes inflammation in the lining (synovium) of joints, most often the joints of the hands and feet. [...]

http://arkfac.com/articles/73/what-is-rheumatoid-arthritis

By Dr Alexandra Buk The Achilles tendon is the strongest tendon in the body, and it is located in one of the most overused and under-appreciated body parts – the foot. Because the foot is subjected to great amounts of stress every day (while walking the pressure on each foot can be twice normal body [...]

http://arkfac.com/articles/66/all-about-achilles