Blog Archive

Millions of Americans know what it’s like to have fungal nails spoil their pedicure. But did you know that toenail fungus (onychomycosis) can eventually cause pain and other complications, mainly if it spreads from your nails to your skin? Diagnosing and treating toenail fungus is one of our specialties at...

When you first break your foot, it’s pretty clear you won’t be running marathons soon or even taking a stroll around the block. You probably need crutches, a cast, and a brace to give your foot the time off it needs. Even though you can’t join the foot traffic, you...

Shoes do a lot for us. They can protect our feet, lessening our worry of cuts and infection. But shoes also have an enormous impact on how our feet hit the ground and how our weight is distributed. High-quality footwear, which offers a lot of cushioning and support for the...

You stepped off a curb and the ground was further away than you thought; you stumbled while chasing after your toddler or pet; or maybe you were playing your favorite sport and pivoted a little too fast. Now your ankle is sprained — so what do you do about it?...

Hammertoes are a foot deformity in which your toes curve under, like the head of a hammer, rather than laying straight. Approximately 29.5 million women and men in the United States, or 9% of the population, suffer from hammertoes. An involuntary contracture of the toe joint causes hammertoe. At Cortez...

When thinking about food and health, weight and heart health may come to mind way before feet. But what you eat affects every part of your body, including your feet. This is especially true for people with gout, a very painful form of arthritis that usually affects the joint at...

November is Diabetes Awareness Month. It’s also the start of the holiday travel season. To help you prepare for both, the board-certified podiatrists at Cortez Foot & Ankle Specialists offer the following pro tips to help ensure safe travels for you — and your feet.  Before taking off Whether you’re...

Plantar warts, sometimes called verrucas, are a fleshy growth that develops on your feet, primarily on the soles and bottoms of the toes. Warts aren’t inherently dangerous, but they may cause discomfort when you put your weight on them. At Cortez Foot & Ankle Specialists, with offices in Bradenton, Sarasota,...

Corns and calluses, though often considered minor foot issues, can cause significant pain and discomfort. The board-certified podiatrists at Cortez Foot & Ankle Specialists understand the importance of healthy feet. Here, they break down everything you need to know about treating corns and calluses and prevent them from returning. Understanding Corns and Calluses Corns...

Shin splints can cause acute, disabling pain, which is bad enough if you don’t play sports competitively, but can completely derail your progress toward your goals if you’re a serious athlete.  At Cortez Foot & Ankle Specialists, with locations in Bradenton, Sarasota, University Park, and Ellenton, Florida, our team of experienced...

A red throbbing ingrown toenail can put a damper on activity, making even a simple walk around the block intolerable.  The specialists At Cortez Foot and Ankle Specialists in Bradenton, Sarasota, University Park, and Ellenton, Florida, treat countless ingrown toenails. Here they explain the common causes, preventive tips, and treatment...

You probably have never noticed the long band of tissue that runs from your heel to your toes on the sole of your foot — the plantar fascia — unless you’ve developed plantar fasciitis. When it’s healthy, the plantar fascia absorbs shocks to your foot. Ideally, you shouldn’t notice the...

The importance of taking preventive measures against athlete's foot and staph infections cannot be overstated. Infections can cause discomfort, pain, and complications that may impact your daily life and overall well-being.  For athletes and other active individuals, taking care of your feet helps prevent infections and contributes to your overall...

Ankle sprains are common. So common that you might be tempted to brush yours off and just grin and bear it as it heals. However, once you sprain your ankle, you’re at risk for chronic ankle instability. If you have a sprained ankle, the ligaments in your ankle are stretched,...

Sandal season is coming, and if you want to enjoy easy breezy summer styles, you don’t need ugly toenail fungus. A common condition that creates thickening, crumbling, and discoloration in your toenails, this condition is also known as onychomycosis in the medical community.  If your toenails show signs of fungus,...

Foot surgery is an effective way to treat podiatry conditions like fractures, bunions, or tendon damage. But, after foot surgery, you need to plan on a period of limited mobility while you recover. No two-foot surgery procedures are the same, but all require some recovery time. The team of podiatry...

Hammertoe, a very common deformity of your forefoot, typically affects your second, third, and fourth toes. This condition progresses if left untreated. If you have hammertoe, the middle joint in affected toes starts to bend downward abnormally, resulting in the tip of your toe turning downward, instead of pointing straight...

Along with plantar fasciitis and runner’s knee, Achilles tendinitis is one of the most common injuries experienced by runners. Your Achilles tendon connects the heel bone to your calf. You use it to walk, run, push up on your toes, and jump.  The Achilles tendon has a limited blood supply,...

Heel pain can be debilitating. When your feet hurt, just getting through the day can be a struggle. Fortunately, enough is known about heel pain to reveal various factors that can increase heel pain risk.  At Cortez Foot & Ankle Specialists, with locations in Bradenton, Sarasota, University Park, and Ellenton, Florida,...

Many types of arthritis can develop in your toes and ankles, but osteoarthritis is the most common. This “wear-and-tear” arthritis occurs when the connective tissue that cushions the space between your bones wears away. Bone-on-bone friction causes pain, swelling, stiffness, and limited range of motion.  It’s also possible for your toes and...

Bunions form for many reasons. It could be genetics, or it could be the kind of shoes you wear.  Our team at Cortez Foot & Ankle Specialists knows that each bunion is different and requires a customized treatment strategy. If you have a bunion, we want you to know your options and how to...

If you want to live well with diabetes, you need to take care of your feet. Elevated blood sugar levels can damage blood vessels and nerves, which can affect the sensations and blood flow of your feet. Because of this, patients with diabetes are at risk for foot problems and...

Roughly 16% of people suffer from smelly feet, or bromodosis, if you prefer the medical term. In other words, millions of people of all ages are routinely embarrassed by the bad odors that come from their feet, especially when they take off their shoes and socks.  Foot odor typically happens when bacteria on...

Like eye color, facial features, and height, bunions — that painful deformity at the base of your big toe — run in families. Suppose you were unfortunate enough to inherit bunions, and your pointy, high-heeled-shoe habit certainly didn’t help the cause. In that case, you may be wondering if you...

Osteoarthritis, rheumatoid arthritis, and gout, as well as several other types of arthritis, can cause pain in your toes. All types of arthritis cause swelling, stiffness, and inflammation in your joints. As small as your toe is, walking and even standing are difficult when your toe joint is swollen, stiff,...

Your shoes might be the pièce de résistance of your outfit, but if your feet hurt 一 no matter how glamorous or well-fitting your shoes are 一 it’s time to consider podiatric care. An estimated 77% of Americans report foot pain, but only 33% of them seek medical care for...