Too often melanoma is assumed to be something else....like a plantar wart, callus, or just a birthmark. This leads to a delay in identifying and treating the cancer. When it comes to melanoma, early detection is the key!

If a lesion is suspicious, identification is a simple process. A small injection to numb the area, followed by a shave or punch of the lesion will give us all the information we need to ensure you do not have cancer. Thre is no down time, no stitches, and the whole procedure takes about five minutes.

In a matter of days, we will have the results and be able to treat it if necessary. The first step is for you to get it checked! If you have noticed a spot on your foot or ankle that has been changing in size or color, contact Houston podiatrist Dr. Andrew Schneider. We'll be able to see if it is something to be concerned about and give you the piece of mind that you need.

In the mean time...don't forget to use sunscreen!! And don't forget your feet!

A bursa is a fluid-filled sack that your body creates in response to pressure. The pressure may be external, such as a tight shoe, or may be because of pressure caused by a bone spur beneath it. It contains a thin, watery fluid but you can't pop it like you may do with a blister. With continued pressure, the tissue will inflame and is known as a bursitis.

A cyst, such as a ganglion cyst, is also a soft tissue sack that fills with fluid. These occur deeper in the foot, often involving a tendon, and is filled with a much thicker, viscous fluid. This thick fluid makes it more difficult to drain.

In my Houston podiatry office focusing on painful bumps, lumps, and knots on your foot, I will identify what the bump is and, if appropriate, drain the cyst or bursa. At that point your body may or may not cause it to return. There are measures we can take to try to prevent it from returning. For instance, using cortisone in the bump after it is drained and using a compressive dressing will help to prevent it.

There are times where draining isn't enough. Sometimes a cyst or underlying bone spur needs to be removed with foot surgery. Other times it just takes repeatedly draining and modifying the pressure from the shoes. Either way, Houston podiatrist Dr. Andrew Schneider will evaluate the bump, lump, or knot on top of your foot and advise you about the best treatment. Contact Tanglewood Foot Specialists for an immediate appointment. 

While there are many people who advocate that barefoot is best. Although this can be debated, there are some places where barefoot is NEVER good. The airport is one of those places. Have you ever looked at someone else's feet? Very thick fungal toenails, athlete's foot, open sores, warts and more are commonly seen on feet. The airports are generously sharing this with everyone...no foot covers are provided. How often do you think they clean the floor near security each day? Not very often!

When you go to the airport, you likely wear shoes that are very easy to take on and off. Many of you wear shoes like flip-flops or sandals without socks. So now you walk through security, where thousands of other travelers walk daily, without protecting your feet from the fungus, bacteria, and other creepy crawlies.

The next time you visit the airport, be sure to protect your feet. Bring or wear a pair of socks, even if it just to get through security. I know people who bring an old pair of socks to wear through security and then throw them in the trash on the other side. Other options are surgical shoe slippers or the paper slippers you get at the spa. Just wear something!

Preventing an athlete's foot infection is much easier than treating one. Just something simple as wearing socks can save a big headache, or itchy foot, later on. If you are suffering with dry, cracked, itching feet, there is a solution. Visit Houston podiatrist Dr. Andrew Schneider for a comprehensive evaluation and quick relief from your itch.

I hope in the days to come, we learn more about this attack and take reasonable measures to prevent them from ever occurring again.

When these runners come into my Houston podiatry practice and give me an opportunity to evaluate them, the injury is often due to a mechanical imbalance. For instance, one runner was feeling pain in one limb. As it turned out, he had a leg length discrepancy causing his feet and legs to work differently.

I discussed the best means of controlling his mechanics to prevent a future injury is the use of a custom orthotic. He asked a very direct and very good question:

How will an orthotic work with running in a minimalist shoe with a midfoot strike?

The answer: It won't! A minimalist shoe usually doesn't have the room to accommodate a custom orthotic and the two just don't work well together.

That said, he has been running in minimalist shoes for years prior to the injury. In that case, the injury is not related to the shoes. This is in contrast to an injury that occurs soon after the switch to a minimalist shoe, where the shoe may be more directly related to the injury.

My recommendation for those running successfully in a minimalist shoe is to continue to do so. That said, only 10% of your day is running. A custom orthotic in your casual and work shoes is just as important. This will influence your mechanics during the day and you should even find a positive carry-over effect on your orthotics-free run.

So many runners are worried to see a Houston podiatrist because they are concerned they'll be told to stop running in minimalist shoes, or to stop running altogether. My job is to keep you running. If the shoes are hurting you, whether they be minimalist or conventional, I'll be honest. In most cases there is plenty of room for compromise to keep you running in the shoes you want, but without pain. Call Dr. Andrew Schneider to schedule an appointment to learn how you can run without pain.

Most who read this post also wanted to learn more about Running Injuries

Noah first had a bout with plantar fasciitis, which causes pain and swelling in the heel and arch, in the 2010-2011 season. He played through the injury for a month before having to leave the game because of it. This time he is taking a more proactive approach and sitting out earlier to make sure he is able to control the injury and return to the game sooner.

Let's put this in perspective...Joakim Noah makes $11.3 million per season. That equates to over $137,000 per game. And yet he and his team see it is as a worthwhile investment for him to NOT PLAY until he is well. You need to keep that in mind when you are fighting to get through your run with the stabbing pain in your heel.

Plantar fasciitis is very common and is very treatable, usually without foot surgery. We start off with anti-inflammatory medication, stretching exercises, and insoles. Based on the results, there are many other treatments at our disposal. After the pain is controlled, we will consider a custom orthotic to prevent the heel pain from returning. One thing is clear...just what Joakim Noah has learned the hard way...that treating the condition early will make sure you are abl to return to your running and sports sooner.

If you have been feeling pain in your heel or arch, or have been diagnosed with plantar fasciitis in the past that never fully resolved, schedule an appointment to visit our Houston podiatry practice. Dr. Andrew Schneider will evaluate the source of your pain and discuss the best way to get you pain-free.

When you look at how much the great toe has to extend while wearing a high heel, or even with regular walking or running, it is pretty significant. When you have a bone spur on top of the great toe joint, it acts like a "door stop" and prevents the great toe from extending as much as needed and causes pain. In many cases, you'll feel comfortable with a certain heel height, but pain beyond that. In a high heel, the pain occurs because the shoe is forcing you past the point where the toe can no longer move and continuously jams the joint.

In situations where the spur restricts the joint motion even more, you may feel pain with simply walking or running. This is because of the persistant jamming with each step. This motion can be controlled with a custom orthotic or a turf toe insole and, in turn, address the pain.

Of course, the bump, lump, or knot that forms on top of the foot in the area of the bone spur can also cause pain and pressure in the shoe. While cushioning with a bunion pad may offer temporary relief, we most commonly address this with a surgical procedure called a chielectomy. A chilectomy removes the bone spur and remodels the bone to allow for more motion and less jamming. It also removes the bump on top of the foot and makes wearing shoes comfortable again.

The benefit of a chielectomy is that there is very little downtime after surgery and you can walk immediately after the procedure. In most cases you're back in shoes in about 3 weeks! If you have been sufffering with a painful bump on top of your foot, it is time to get it checked out. Contact Houston podiatrist Dr. Andrew Schneider for an immediate evaluation to see what the right treatment is for you.

In a later tweet, Demi says that she broke her fibula, the bone on the outside of the leg that forms the ankle, followed by another picture of her right leg in a fracture boot and crutches. It's great that she got it checked and treated immediately!

Slipping and falling in the home is a common occurrence and one which many write off as a non-issue. Yes, even when the foot and ankle turns black and blue like Demi's looks in the picture, I often see a long time go along with pain and swelling before they come into the office. Continuing to walk on a broken foot and ankle can make the injury much worse. It can displace and require surgery to repair, which it doesn't seem like Demi needs.

The best chance at healing a foot fracture without complication is to call our Houston podiatry office to schedule an immediate appointment. We'll take x-rays on site and be able to tell you just how bad...or better yet, not so bad...your injury is. Don't write it off as minor, get your injury checked and get started on recovering right away!

The best way for me to reach my goal is to make it something I can't back away from, even if I wanted to. That's why I decided to make it uber-public! I created the website www.DocRunsDisney.com to chronicle the course of my journey from essentially a non-runner to completing a race at one of the Disney parks this year.

I already have had an overwhelming response from my patients, since I already publicized my intention in my FREE monthly newsletter. They are anxiousl to support and follow my progress. Feel free to follow and comment...I need all the help I can get!

And if you are at any of the races or events and you see me...please come over and say hi!

An infected toe after a pedicure is not uncommon. While many believe that the infection is caused by instruments that are not sterile, it usually is not the case. The most common reason why a pedicure will lead to an infection is when the pedicurist is overly aggressive. This is particularly true if the cutuicle is pushed back or the corners of the nail are angled.

Treatment for an infected great toe is reasonably straight forward. In most cases, the toe is numbed with an injection. The small portion of the nail is removed and the infection is drained. Most people feel immediate relief after this procedure and there is no need to wear a special shoe or refrain from activity. Aftercare includes foot soaks and bandaging with topical antibiotics. In severe cases, I may prescribe an oral antibiotic.

Victoria will undoubtedly recover quickly and uneventfully and will be ready for the upcoming Australian Open next week. If you find that your toe has become red and painful after a pedicure, don't wait to get it treated! Contact Dr. Andrew Schneider for an immediate evaluation. The treatment is quick and the results are immediate!

One of the teenagers, Noah "Biingo" Gray is 13 years old and has a winning personality. In the second episode, however, he showed up wearing a surgical shoe and using crutches. He said that he broke his foot while playing basketball.

Basketball is a common cause of foot fractures. When you come down from a jump, your ankle is at risk for twisting. Many write this off as a sprained ankle, which should be addressed early anyway. In many cases, however, a twisted ankle results in a bone breaking in the side of the foot.

There is a strong tendon that attaches to the base of the fifth metatarsal bone. When the ankle twists, the tendon pulls on the bone and can cause it to break. The most common of this type of fracture is called a Jones fracture. This is an unstable fracture that often requires foot surgery to allow it to heal completely. Surgery can be avoided, however, if it is caught and treated early.

Sometimes just the end of the bone is pulled away by the tendon. This is called an avulsion fracture. While surgery is sometimes needed for this injury, it does respond well to immobillization. Early treatment is vital!

If you twisted your ankle while playing basketball, tennis, or any other sport, don't make any assumptions! Contact Houston podiatrist Dr. Andrew Schneider for an immediate appointment and comprehensive evaluation. Getting treatment quickly, like Biingo did for his basketball injury, will make sure you heal well and get back to playing ball as soon as possible.

After you find the right treadmill to use in your home, you should get a few items, such as athletic tape and ice packs that can be used in treating your injuries. Do not wait to get the right supplies until you are already hurt. You need to have them on hand before anything has gone wrong.

A Rolled Ankle

Rolling your ankle is not quite the same as spraining your ankle. When you roll it, it just starts to turn over and you feel a sharp pain, but you do not push it the whole way. The best tactic for treating a rolled ankle is just to use an ice pack. It should be fine on its own in a few days, if not the next day.

A Sprained Ankle

Spraining your ankle is slightly more severe, especially if you get a high ankle sprain, and it happens when you twist your foot around significantly. Icing can be helpful. You will also want to tape your ankle for at least a week, and you need to stay off of it for two to three weeks so that it can heal. Visit your podiatrist to make sure it heals properly.

A Pulled Muscle

You could also pull a muscle in your calf or your thigh if you do not stretch before working out. The best way to treat a pulled calf muscle is to stretch it out and massage it. You also need to take some time off from running because it is very easy to pull it again if it is not fully healed.

Scrapes and Cuts

If you actually fall off of the treadmill, you could cut or scrape your arm. If it is not serious, just wash it out and apply antibiotic cream. You can then bandage the cut and get back to your run.

About the Author:

Jack Holland began running when he was in school, and he has experienced and treated many injuries. By treating each injury quickly, he has been able to avoid any major setbacks.

(Incidentally, rock star's broken foot + x-ray image + barefoot running = podiatry blogger nirvana!!)

Shortly after the tweet with his x-ray, another pic was tweeted with Bellamy on crutches. It's unclear if he was running barefoot (ie. running for exercise) or just messing around barefoot. Either way, he stumbled and his foot broke his fall on a concrete step, which fractured his foot.

This is a significant danger of being barefoot outside. There is so much uncertaintly in the environment, you put yourself at risk. Sure, you can break your foot while wearing shoes, but being barefoot significantly increases your chances of such an injury.

A broken bone in your foot takes 6-8 weeks to fully heal. Your activity, whether you need crutches, or need to wear a surgical shoe or fracture boot is dependant on the location and severity of the fracture. I commend Matt Bellamy for taking care of himself to ensure he heals quickly and properly. So many people dismiss a foot fracture as minor, which leads to the injury becoming worse.

If you had an injury causing your foot to be painful, bruised, and swollen, contanct Dr. Andrew Schneider at Tanglewood Foot Specialists. We will immediately x-ray your foot to see the extent of the injury and put you on the right path to complete healing.

She continued to tell me that her doctors just don't have a sense of humor. They also don't talk to her. They never ask her questions and don't seem to care about the answers. This is a patient that came in with VERY infected ingrown toenails and neglected to get them treated for months because she was afraid. Teenagers who are afraid can have a tendency to be a bit gruff and difficult to deal with. My job is to diffuse this.

We successfully treated her ingrown toenails and it was at her followup appointment a week later when she complimented me in her colorful way. She then confided in me about plantar warts that were concerning her. We started treatment for that as well.

I feel that it is important to be accessible to my patients. I am accessible by email, Facebook and Twitter...surgical patients even get my home phone number! To me, it is all part of the comprehensive care I strive to provide to my patients.

If you have been delaying treatment for your foot or ankle problem, let's work on it together. Give my Houston podiatry practice a call. You'll find from the start that we are committed to you having an exceptional experience. 

November is American Diabetes Month and I want to highlight some of the successes I've had helping to keep people with diabetes walking on their feet with ALL 10 toes attached. Needless to say, they are not all successes. Just last month a severe circulation problem claimed the great toe of one of my diabetic patients. Despite the best efforts, things like this are sometimes unavoidable.

Then you have cases like a current patient I'm treating. He has had a wound for over one year on foot that is severely deformed by Charcot changes. This is when the nerves cause the arch to collapse, putting pressure on the midfoot which ultimately can develop a diabetic wound. He has been treated by another podiatrist who put him in a specialized custom boot called a CROW walker, which is fantastic, but kept using the same wound dressing over and over despite the wound not getting much smaller.

For wounds that have stalled with conventional treatment, I use a specialized advanced bioengineered skin substitute called Dermagraft. This wound dressing has been proven effective to promote healing in diabetic foot ulcers. In the past, these dressings were used as a last resort. Now it is prudent to switch to an advanced biological dressing if the wound has not closed significantly in 4 weeks.

If you have a diabetic foot ulcer, it is crucial that you get it checked as quickly as possible. Contact Dr. Andrew Schneider at Tanglewood Foot Specialists in Houston, TX for an immediate evaluation.

I happened upon President Barack Obama and Governor Mitt Romney (or their likenesses...hard to tell) at a meeting in Cleveland, Ohio. After a heated conversation with both....with other attendees looking at me in astonishment as I engaged these two very 2-dimensional politicians, I finally have them come to a consensus:

The involvement of podiatry in health care REDUCES health care costs!

Well, they didn't say that to me specifically, but they pointed to a landmark study conducted using Thomson Reuter MarketScan Databases shows that the involvement of a podiatrist on a team treating the diabetic foot shows a significant reduction of amputations.

In fact, the study showed that if a person had visited with a podiatrist in the year prior to the onset of a diabetic foot ulcer, the rates of amputation and hospitilization was drastically reduced. Amputations related to diabetes is the leading cause of non-traumatic amputation of the lower extremity, which correlates to a $3 billion expense per year.

November is American Diabetes Month, a time to educate the public on diabetes. If you or your loved one is diabetic, make sure he has a good relationship with a podiatrist. Not a week goes by that we don't get a concerned call from one of our diabetic patients with a foot issue. The quicker an issue is identified, the better we can get it quickly resolved.

Houston podiatrist Dr. Andrew Schneider is always available for our diabetic patients. It's time to take control of diabetes...no matter who is elected President.

PS. I have not spoken with either President Obama or Governor Romney...but I did have fun with their cardboard cutouts!

A recent report by the American Academy of Orthopedic Surgeons highlighted the results of two studies involving Traumeel, a homeopathic anti-inflammatory medication that is available in ointment, gel, tablet, and injectable form. The studies compare the two topical forms with a generic form of Voltaren gel, a prescription NSAID, in the treatment of sprained ankles. 

Traumeel is a remedy that combines a number of homeopathic components to provide an anti-inflammatory effect. This option is preferred by those who prefer to limit their prescription medication in favor of more natural solutions. The studies show that Traumeel is a safe and effective alternative for a prescription topical NSAID. 

While I do agree with the findings, I don't agree that either treatment is the best therapy for a sprained ankle. If they had added ice application as another possible therapy, I suspect you'd find similar results.

I do, however, effectively use the injectable form of Traumeel with great success in my Houston podiatry practice. 

When there is inflammation of a soft tissue structure, such as a tendonitis, a common treatment is to use a cortisone injection to address and eliminate the inflammation and pain. There are some tendons that have unique properties putting them at risk of rupture if cortisone is injected. 

The Achilles tendon, one of the strongest tendons in the body, is one such example of a tendon where cortisone cannot be used. Achilles tendonitis causes intense pain in the back of the heel and ankle. Because of the limitations in treating it, the pain typically lasts longer than you would expect and impacts every step you take. 

This is where Traumeel comes in...

The injectable form of Traumeel, a non-cortisone homeopathic anitinflammatory, is safe to use around the Achilles tendon with no risk of rupture. This is effective in dramatically reducing the pain and inflammation associated with this stubborn and frustrating injury. 

If you have been dealing with persistent pain in your Achilles tendon, contact Tanglewood Foot Specialists in Houston to see if a Traumeel injection is the right solution for you. 

While he did not have any blisters, he did have the flip flops rub away the skin in places. He was more aware of his stride, making sure to keep his stride efficient and balanced. After the race the balls of his feet were sore, with some pain in his ankle and quadriceps.

Will he do it again? Levasseur quickly answers no...not even to defend his record!

While you hear some about barefoot running, whether truly barefoot or in minimalist shoes, running in flip flops...or even walking in flip flops for a long time is a different story. Where a minimalist shoe is still snugly fit on the foot, a flip flop isn't. This means that the foot has to work HARDER to keep the flip flop on.

This is why when you do lots of walking in a flip flop, the top of your feet and front of your ankle can start to ache. Just trying to keep the flip flops on fatigues the muscles and causes pain. This pain is similar to shin splints, only effecting the foot and ankle instead of the leg.

There is a time and place to wear flip flops. Unfortunately, most wear them more often than they should. Wearing them to the pool and beach...okay. Wearing flip flops while you tour Europe...not a great idea. Make sure you consider what you're doing when you choose what shoes to wear.

If you find that you are feeling pain after walking for a while, contact Houston podiatrist Dr. Andrew Schneider for an immediate appointment. If you are consistently feeling discomfort in a particular pair of shoes, bring them along so we can check them out.

While I only have an opportunity to meet a small fraction of this large number in person, it is gratifying to know that I have had a small impact on so many people.

I wanted to introduce you to an organization that has influenced and educated me over the past year. TED is an international nonprofit organization that sponsors talks around the world on a wide variety of topics. The basis for their talks are "Ideas Worth Spreading." Visit their site and check out talks...you'll find riveting topics that you may not even know had interested you at all!

I urge you to check out some of the TED talks online. There is also a fantastic free iPhone app that gives you access to the top TED talks. They also recently launched a series of TED ebooks by subscription which is following the mission of TED. I just subscribed myself and am already enjoying this new facet of TED.

Enjoy the TED video below. It is a talk by Dr. Breanne Everett who is the President of Orpyx, Inc. This company has done some groundbreaking research and development of a product that serves as sensation replacement for people suffering with diabetic peripheral neuropathy. This product will provide a significantly increased quality of life and I'm excited to see their efforts being brought to market.

Initial reports suspect that Jeter's career should not be threatened by the injury. Indeed, a broken ankle can be a serious injury. Depending on where the fracture is, the position it is in after the injury, and the recovery needed will dictate his future play. For instant, if there is significant injury to the ankle and disruption of the joint, there can end up being limitation of the joint and continued pain with motion

This is often made worse if ankle surgery is needed to repair the broken ankle.

If the fracture is stable and the bones are in good position, surgery may not be needed and the injury can be treated with immobilization and physical therapy. This will give Jeter the offseason to recover and be back in training camp in the spring.

We never like to see a player go down, especially a baseball icon like Jeter. No doubt he will receive the best treatment to get him back in stellar shape for the 2013 baseball season. If you have suffered any sports injury, contact Houston podiatrist Dr. Andrew Schneider for an immediate evaluation.