Even if foot problems are not life-threatening, they can still cause extreme pain and discomfort. Patients who have struggled to get their conditions under control are often frustrated, exhausted, and unfulfilled due to the inability to do the things they love.
In most cases, patients have tried over and over again to mask the symptoms of their ailments, achieving only short-term relief. We are here to put an end to this cycle, ending the pain for good and getting you back to the life you used to live.
Put Your Feet in the Hands of Caring South Carolina Podiatrists
We truly believe that compassionate care is the key to long-lasting relief. That is why we take the time to listen to each one of our patients, explaining all diagnostic findings, recommendations, and treatment options. We start by exploring how to relieve your immediate pain, focusing on why you hurt and how to stop it. Next, we determine the best way to deliver gentle and effective foot care, making sure to address the concerns and constraints of each patient. Finally, we offer follow-up care tips and other ways to prevent the condition from coming back.
We offer personalized treatment programs for all foot care needs, including:
- Diabetic Foot Care. Patients with diabetes know how important it is to protect the health of their feet. High blood sugar levels and nerve damage to the lower extremities dramatically increase the risks of an infection in the feet and toes—and if wounds are not treated quickly, a patient could lose his limb or his life. If you suffer from diabetes, it is crucial that you work with your doctor regularly to ensure proper foot health. We offer comprehensive diabetic care, including wound care services for infections and ulcerations, as well as preventive measures (including our Diabetic Shoe Program) to protect your feet from further injury.
- Heel Pain. Heel pain is unfortunately common, and there are many different reasons why it can strike patients in one or both feet. Stress fractures, arthritis, nerve damage, tendonitis, heel spurs, and plantar fasciitis are just a few conditions that can cause persistent heel pain. We will examine your feet for signs of mechanical problems, such as flat feet or excessively high arches, and determine if corrective footwear or custom-molded orthotics can relieve the pain.
- Nail & Skin Care. The feet are extremely susceptible to skin and nail damage, and many of these conditions are difficult to treat. Fungus can grow on both the skin (athlete’s foot) and nails (onychomycosis), and will often come back again and again, causing itching and crumbling in the feet and toenails. Viruses are the root cause of plantar warts, bumpy or patchy growths on the bottom of the foot. Improper footwear can cause calluses, corns, blisters, and ingrown toenails, resulting in pain and swelling that can make it difficult for patients to walk. Any one of these conditions can cause breakage of the skin, placing the patient at risk of an infection. We take an aggressive approach to stubborn foot ailments, helping patients overcome these common conditions for good.
- Neuropathy. Loss of feeling in the feet can happen in diabetes patients, but also in those who are undergoing chemotherapy or have suffered damage to their nervous systems. Nerve damage can impair circulation, sweat secretion, oil production, and sensation in the feet, causing skin problems that often result in sores. Not only are patients unlikely to feel these wounds, they are unlikely to fight the infection effectively, leading to gangrene and even amputation. For patients with severe peripheral neuropathy, we offer surgical options for long-lasting relief.
- Surgery. Although we treat surgery as a last resort in our practice, all of our doctors are certified to perform a variety of surgical procedures by the American Board of Foot and Ankle Surgery. If conservative treatments have failed to relieve the pain of a bunion, hammertoe, neuroma, ingrown nail, or other foot ailment, we offer many surgical options to correct the condition. Our foot surgeries range from minor in-office procedures to reconstructive foot surgery for trauma and athletic injuries, as well as our advanced, state-of-the-art surgery for patients with peripheral neuropathy.
The Solution to Foot and Ankle Pain Is Only a Step Away
The doctors at Coastal Podiatry Associates know that relieving foot problems means more than ending discomfort—it means restoring an active lifestyle. Dr. Scott Hamilton, Dr. Bradley Keefer, Dr. Joseph Menn, Dr. Richard Moore, Dr. William Parker and Dr. Scott Werter are trained in advanced surgical and nonsurgical foot care solutions, and have decades of combined podiatry experience diagnosing and treating foot and ankle conditions.
If you are tired of treating your symptoms and are ready to find the cure, we are ready to help! Call the number on this page or fill out our online contact form to make an appointment at one of our South Carolina podiatry offices today!