Frequent Questions

Running and Triathlon Injuries

General

Are there any good exercises for heel pain?

Tanglewood Foot Specialists: Your First Step to a Pain-Free Life

For our feet, life is truly a voyage and not a destination. The average person will take more than one million steps in his lifetime. But, it is hard to enjoy the journey with hurting feet. Tanglewood Foot Specialists has been in Houston for over 60 years; our team provides Houston residents with care for all foot and ankle problems. Come in for a 30 minute appointment. In 30 minutes, we will diagnose your foot pain and get you back on the path back to your active, pain-free life.

At Tanglewood Foot Specialists, we believe that unnecessary foot and ankle pain should not keep you from living your active life.

The doctors at Tanglewood Foot Specialists can help you with any foot or ankle problem, including:

Sports and Running Injuries - Whether you are running for fun, training for a triathlon or hoping for a basketball career, sports can be especially hard on the feet and ankles. Overuse or improper form can cause pain that may lead to more serious complications. Houston sports podiatrist Andrew Schneider will work with you to eliminate the pain and prevent future injury. Whether you are a gymnast, a runner, or a dancer, we understand how important your sport is; we won't ask you to stop training unless it is necessary for your recovery.

Diabetic Foot Care - People with diabetes are especially prone to foot injuries. The disease can damage the nerves and cause poor circulation. Without proper care, patients can develop diabetic foot problems such as infections, foot ulcers, foot deformities, and insensitive feet. At Tanglewood Foot Specialists, we treat these painful problems, but we also work with our patients to prevent them. Regular foot care from a Houston podiatrist can prevent foot problems associated with diabetes. Because preventing these problems is so important, we offer immediate appointments to our diabetic patients.

If your feet hurt, contact Tanglewood Foot Specialists. Schedule an appointment today and take the first step to eliminating foot pain.

Running and Triathlon Injuries

Athletes are passionate about their sport, especially when it comes to runners. Too many runners, marathoners, and triathletes wait too long to get an injury evaluated by a podiatrist in Houston. Foot and ankle specialist Dr. Andrew Schneider at Tanglewood Foot Specialists feels that the sooner you get an injury checked, the sooner you will get it resolved and be back training full-force for your next race.

Sports Injuries

Injuries are frustrating, but whether you are a serious athlete or a weekend warrior, whether you play on your high school team or enjoy a pickup game at the YMCA, you will likely experience injury at some time. At Foot & Ankle Institute of Texas we treat sports and fitness related injuries to the feet and lower extremities on a daily basis. Most commonly, we work with runners, cyclists, gymnasts, dancers, and soccer, football, baseball, basketball, and tennis players.

Heel Pain

Did you wake up this morning, step out of bed, and feel a sharp, stabbing pain in the bottom or back of your heel? Did the same thing happen when you were sitting at work for a while? Here's the good news...it's not because you're getting old! You are experiencing one of the most common syndromes that we see in our Houston, TX podiatry office.

Bunions

You always noted how your mother and grandmother had a big bump on the side of their big toe and now you're noticing one on your foot. It's small and doesn't hurt, but you do NOT want it to get like your family's bunions...they can barely fit in shoes. The best time to address a small bunion is now...don't wait for it to become larger. The podiatrists at Foot & Ankle Institute of Texas in Houston will be able to discuss how to treat your bunion, often without surgery, and prevent it from getting worse.

Hammertoes

Do you compare your feet to an old lady's foot? Are your toes becoming crooked and twisted? Do you notice where your toes hit the top of the shoes? Are you having trouble fitting your feet into your shoes? Are you growing painful areas of hard skin on the top of or in between your toes? You likely are suffering from a very common foot deformity known as hammertoes.

Morton's Neuroma

One thing that is for sure, everyone loves their shoes. Although perhaps women more than men, you'd be surprised how not being able to wear stylish shoes effects both sexes. In our Houston, TX podiatry practice, Morton's Neuroma is a common occurance that causes pain, numbness, and burning in the ball of the foot. This pain can be so intense in shoes that it would cause you to take them off and carry them while going barefoot.

Ingrown Toenails

There is little more feared than an ingrown toenail. It starts innocently enough with a bit of redness in the toe and an occasional pain. Then it begins to hurts to wear shoes and you notice blood and pus on your sock. Do I have to go to the doctor? Will my whole toenail need to be removed? An ingrown toenail does not have to be a scary proposition.

Women's Foot Health

Do you kick off your shoes under your desk at work or the table when out for dinner? Do you carry your shoes to the car after a night out? Have you considered that there can be a solution for your foot or ankle pain without abandoning your cute shoes? You've come to the right place!

Achilles Tendon Pain

One of the most painful and frustrating injuries of the foot and ankle involves pain in the back of the foot and ankle. The pain is often caused by an inflammation of the Achilles tendon, known as Achilles tendinitis. The Achilles tendon is a very strong tendon in the leg that connects the calf muscles to the heel bone. It is responsible for the movement of the foot and ankle in running, walking, and all other sports.

Plantar Warts

If you notice a thick and discolored lesion on your foot, it could be a plantar wart. A wart, or verruca, is a manifestation of a virus that enters your body, often through a crack in the skin. It is contagious and can multiply and spread. Very often, the wart is uncomfortable or painful when you stand or walk.

Toenail Fungus

Thick, discolored, unsightly toenails are a common occurence. Especially in Houston, TX, where the weather is hot and humid, fungus infections in the toenails are common. They may stop you from wearing sandals, because you think your toenails are ugly. You also are concerned that the infection can spread. Not to worry, there is successful treatment for toenail fungus.

Diabetic Foot Care

Diabetes is becoming more and more common, mostly due to the increased overweight population. Many times a podiatrist is the first to diagnose diabetes, due to an issue that arises in the feet. Numbness, a non-healing wound, or chronic infection are all foot issues that are related to diabetes. It is vital that all Diabetics in Houston, TX establish a relationship with a podiatrist. The diabetic foot specialists at Foot & Ankle Institute of Texas is just the right choice.

The Child's Foot

All feet can have problems, even a child. In Houston, as in everywhere, we have our children involved in many different activities and sports. Whether it be soccer, gymanastics, football, or dance, our kids' feet are at risk for injury. Who is the best doctor to see your child about the foot issues? Your Houston Podiatrist is an expert on the structure and function of your child's foot and should be your first stop.

Orthotics

Many types of foot pain are causes by unstable of faulty mechanics of the foot and ankle. The ideal way to make the foot and ankle work more efficiently, and to keep pain away long term, is the use of a custom foot orthotic.

Foot Surgery

At Tanglewood Foot Specialists, we truly believe that surgery is meant to be a last resort. We will always consider non-surgical solutions first. We will explore every treatment option to find the right solution for you. There is, however, a time when surgery is the only remaining option.

Peripheral Neuropathy

How frustrating is it to go to the doctor for something that is constantly bothersome...unrelenting numbness or tingling in your feet...only to be told that there is nothing that can be done? This is common for those suffering from peripheral neuropathy. While it may be true that not everyone may experience relief, there are regular advances in the treatment of peripheral neuropathy that are not widely known by the average doctor. Don't give up, there is a good chance one may be right for you.

Foot Fractures

No one plans to break their foot. It just happens. You can twist the wrong way playing a sport, step into a hole in the parking lot, or trip and fall. Foot fractures are unique in that you have to bear weight on your foot after it heals. For that reason, it is crucial to have your foot evaluated and treated. In Houston, TX, a podiatrist is uniquely suited to handle this all in the office...no waiting in the ER!

Ankle Sprains

We talk ourselves out of things being serious all the time. Sprained Ankles top that list. In my Houston, TX podiatry practice, I hear people say every day that they "JUST rolled their ankle." But weeks and months later the pain and swelling is still there. Ankle sprains are serious injuries that need to be treated quickly to assure that you recover quickly to full strength and stability.

Foot Ulcers

A foot wound can be one of the most frightening conditions one can encounter. An ulcer, whether caused by diabetes, peripheral neuropathy, trauma, or another reason, can multiply the chances of an infection to form. The infection can spread to bone and lead to amputation. Early detection is key and Dr. Andrew Schneider in Houston, TX has made it his mission to aggressively treat and heal wounds to ensure his patients will be walking for years to come.

Corns & Calluses

A corn or callus are areas of thickened skin that occur in areas of pressure. They are actually a normal and natural way for the body to protect itself. The skin will thicken to protect itself when there are areas of high pressure. The problem occurs when the pressure continues and the skin gets thicker and eventually becomes inflamed and painful.

Athlete's Foot

When your feet crack, itch, and burn it is a telltale sign of Athlete's Foot. It is a very common condition in Houston, TX because of the warmth and humidity. Add to that the darkness inside a shoe, you have a situation that is perfect for fungus to thrive and infect your skin and nails.

Bone Spurs

Did you just notice a lump or bump on your foot that you know wasn't there yesterday? Are you finding that shoes are causing too much pain to wear? It is possible that you are suffering from a bone spur. While some spurs can cause a noticeable lump on your foot, others are not obvious, other than the pain they cause. As a Foot Surgeon and Doctor in Houston, TX, it is a situation that I commonly see in my practice.

Fall Prevention

As the population ages, falls become more common. 30% of women over age 65 and 50% of those over 85 will suffer a fall. 30% of men over 80 will also fall. Bumps and bruises are far from the only results of a fall. Accidents are one of the leading causes of mortality in the elderly, even more than pneumonia. Falls account for about one-half of deaths due to injury.

Tanglewood Foot Specialists

1011 Augusta Dr. Suite 202

Houston, TX 77057

713-785-7881

Houston foot & ankle specialist Dr. Andrew Schneider offers sports podiatry, diabetic foot care, and treatment and surgery of all foot and ankle problems to residents of Houston Texas and surrounding areas. Contact us today for an immediate appointment.