Conditions

Signs and symptoms of shin splints. Straits Podiatry

Medial Tibial Stress Syndrome (Shin Splints)

Medial tibial stress syndrome (MTSS), commonly known as shin splints, is a condition that causes leg pain along the inner side of the tibia (shinbone), particularly nearer to the ankle. This condition commonly affects runners and patient often reports throbbing pain or ache during runs.

Signs and symptoms of bunions. Signs of hallux valgus. Straits Podiatry

Bunions

Bunions or hallux abductovalgus, are a joint deformity where the big toe curve towards the lesser toes. People with bunions often complain of difficulty fitting into shoes due to the wide forefoot caused by bunions. Bunions are a progressive condition and cause overlapping toes to develop at their severe stages. It can affect adults and children, with the latter known as juvenile bunions.

Bunions affect the function of our big toe joint in walking, causing stress to other foot or toe joints and disrupting the pressure distribution under the foot. Commonly associated conditions caused by bunions include corns or calluses, plantar plate injury or hallux rigidus.

Signs and symptoms of morton's neuroma. Straits Podiatry

Neuroma

A neuroma is a ball of thickened nerve tissue that occurs in the digital nerves of the foot, often referred to as a benign nerve tumour. The most common neuroma occurs between the third and fourth toe and is known as Morton’s Neuroma. A neuroma is a painful condition and patients often experience shooting pain or numbness down to the affected toes.

What is chronic ankle sprain?

Chronic Ankle Sprain

Chronic ankle sprain, also known as chronic ankle instability, occurs due to an inadequate treatment method during the acute ankle sprain phase. It is characterized by feeling “loose” in the ankle and recurrent ankle sprain. Patients often complain that they will twist their ankles every now and then. Patients with chronic ankle sprains may also have other underlying ankle injuries that contribute to the swelling and pain of the ankle, such as talar dome injuries.

What are the signs and symptoms of knee osteoarthritis? Straits Podiatry

Knee Osteoarthritis

Knee osteoarthritis is a degenerative joint disease that causes knee pain, swelling, and stiffness. It is one of the most common knee conditions for the elderly, often explained as a “wear and tear” problem, and can severely impact their quality of life. Knee osteoarthritis occurs when there is a loss of articular cartilage within the knee, causing the joint space within the knee to narrow and eventually lead to bone-on-bone grinding during movement. As the condition progresses, bony spurs will develop and patients are often able to feel these painful bony lumps around the knee joint. 

It’s important to note that not everyone who experiences osteoarthritis in their knees has experienced a traumatic injury or overuse of the joint. Some people simply have a genetic predisposition to developing knee osteoarthritis as they age.

Iliotibial Band Syndrome Symptoms

Iliotibial Band Syndrome (ITBS)

Iliotibial band syndrome (ITBS) is a condition that causes pain at the lateral (outside) knee joint and is exacerbated by activity. It is an overuse condition resulting from repeated extension and flexion of the knees and therefore commonly affects runners and cyclists. It also tends to occur in individuals with a sudden increase in activity level. 

The iliotibial band (ITB) is a thick fascia band that runs from the outside hip to the outside knee and helps to provide rotational stability to the hip and knee. The cause of ITBS is often multifactorial and if left untreated, it can affect your ability to walk, run or climb stairs.

What are the signs and symptoms of patellar tendonitis? Straits Podiatry

Jumper’s Knee

Patellar Tendonitis, also known as “Jumper’s Knee” or “Patellar Tendinopathy”, is a condition that causes anterior knee pain due to the inflammation of the patellar tendon. The patellar tendon connects the kneecap to the shin bone and it tightens when you extend (straighten) your knee. This condition can be classified into 2 stages – acute or chronic.

Acute patellar tendonitis usually presents with swelling, and redness (signs of inflammation) and indicates an early injury to the tendon. If left untreated and undiagnosed, it can lead to chronic patellar tendinopathy, where the patellar tendon is thickened and degenerated and will take longer to recover.

Signs and symptoms of meniscus tear. Straits Podiatry

Meniscus Tear

Meniscus tear or injury is a common cause of knee pain in the medial (inside) and lateral (outside) sides of a knee joint. The knee meniscus is fibrocartilage that helps to “cushion” the shock between the thigh and shin bone when weight-bearing and prevents damage to the joint cartilage. 

A meniscus tear can increase the risk of developing knee osteoarthritis if left untreated. It also changes the biomechanics and stability of the knee joint, resulting in an increased risk of developing other knee conditions.

Signs and symptoms of ankle sprain. Straits Podiatry

Acute Ankle Sprain

One of the most common injuries in the ankle is an acute ankle sprain. It occurs when the ankle is forcefully stretched beyond its normal range of motion. The patient’s ankle becomes swollen, and painful, and is difficult to put weight on that ankle. Ankle sprains often happen during sports such as basketball or badminton, and when running or hiking on uneven grounds.

Signs and symptoms of fungal nail infection. Yellow discoloured nails. Straits Podiatry

Fungal Nails

Fungal nails (Nail Fungus), also known as onychomycosis or tinea unguium, are a fungal infection of the nails. Fungal nails are usually discoloured, crumbly, thickened, and brittle in appearance. They can also cause foul odour at times. Fungal nails, if untreated, can spread to the surrounding nail or skin. Likewise, if you have a fungal skin infection, like the athlete’s foot, you can cause the infection to spread to the nails.

Signs and symptoms of plantar wart - Straits Podiatry Singapore

Plantar Wart Removal in Singapore

Plantar warts or verruca plantaris is a viral infection of the skin caused by the human papillomavirus (HPV). They are also known as foot warts because they usually appear on the underside of the foot. Plantar wart typically causes an area of hard, thickened skin that grows larger over time. It may or may not be painful, depending on its size and location. Plantar warts can look very similar to calluses or corns, so it is important to diagnose them correctly to get the correct plantar wart management in Singapore.

Ingrown Toenail Treatment in Singapore. How to treat ingrown toenails? Straits Podiatry

Ingrown Toenail Management in Singapore

An ingrown toenail is a common painful nail condition of the feet that occurs when the nail is cut into the sides of the skin of the toe. It is often caused by the way the toenail is cut or the natural curve of the nail. Some of the common ingrown toenail treatments in Singapore include ingrown toenail removal either through partial or total nail avulsion, which will be done under local anaesthesia.

An ingrown toenail can cause serious pain when wearing shoes or walking. The condition usually starts when a nail grows into the skin of the toe, causing a small wound. If not treated early, the skin break will not heal and an infection can happen. The result is a red, hot, and swollen toe, often seen with pus discharging from the sides.

It is vital to understand that taking antibiotics or applying antiseptic ointment will not cure an infected ingrown toenail because the nail spike is still sitting in the flesh. These medications can only contain the infection.