Plantar warts are caused by a virus, specifically a strain of HPV. They can be picked up from sharing showers, walking barefoot at the pool or in the locker rooms. They can even be spread within the family in the bath tub, scary huh! Since warts are caused by a virus they thrive on surfaces. Don’t only take precautions at public places, but also socks, shoes and sport equipment too!

They appear as little yellow- brown lesions on the bottom of your feet. Your podiatrist will be able to analyze and determine if it is a wart. Sometimes they can cause sharp shooting pain, depending on the location of the lesion. If you suspect that you have a wart, be careful because you can self contaminate, which may cause more warts to pop up on your opposite foot or even your hands!

There are many ways to medically treat plantar warts, but once you have them; warts are especially difficult to treat, because they reside below the skin. So instead of waiting, why not try to prevent plantar warts! You can try cleaning out your shoes with Mycomist, and even start wearing special socks that reduce the viral growth activity!  

If you or someone you has kids and are planning on splashing around the pool or attending day camps, don’t hesitate to come on into our office Frederick Foot & Ankle Specialistsfor a foot evaluation. We would be more than happy to schedule an appointment to prevent these pesky warts, at either of our locations in Frederick, MDand Urbana, MD.

By: Coralia Terol, DPM, AACFAS

How is everyone feeling after that the races this past weekend? Whether you did the Twilight 5k Run or the Half Marathon (or the Nut Job!) we all deserved a little break! As podiatrists we wondering how are you choosing to recover, stretching, thera-band exercises, possibly some lite work outs?

If you said yes to all of the above then you are on the road to recovery, the right way! It is always a task to build up you endurance and strength for your competitions, but many forget that having a stretching routine will make you into an advanced athlete!

Post races you should do a variety of stretching exercises to loosen up your key muscles and to release the lactic acid build up.  You can stretch your calf by standing facing the wall, placing your toes against a wall and pressing forward. You can stretch you hamstrings by sitting on the floor, with your legs forming a “V” shape and one at a time reaching your finger tips to your toes. You can stretch your quadriceps by standing up straight and grabbing our right ankle with your left hand, be sure not to pull your leg out to the side, as you will add stress to your knee. Also a good post race exercise are thera-band exercise and also yoga!

If you or someone you know is suffering from post race aches and injury, don’t hesitate to come on into our office Frederick Foot & Ankle Specialists.  We would be more than happy to schedule an appointment for your foot evaluation so you can be back on your feet, at either of our locations in Frederick, MDand Urbana, MD. It was great seeing you out there at the Frederick Running Festival.

By: Dr. Nikki Ho, AACFAS

With recent events at the Boston Marathon we as runners and podiatrists need to unite and “Run for Boston”! We should continue training and preparing for the big festival next Saturday and Sunday! 

We are proud to announce that we have a rather large team from FFA participating in the 5k and the ½ marathon, and a few Nut Jobs too! This race we’ve have been training and plan on running in my CEP compression socks from our office! They are made special, for running sports. Structurally they have an Achilles tendon protector, seamless air channels and anatomic foot padding for perfect fit for each stride!

CEP compression socks help before, during and after your race! Functionally, they can prolong your stamina, improve your blood circulation, joint stabilization and improve overall coordination. We highly recommend CEP for your training and racing experiences, if you need a pair CEP compressions prior to the race stop in our office to pick up a pair or two!

If you or someone you know have any foot or ankle pain caused by training for an endurance event, don’t hesitate to stopby our office Frederick Foot & Ankle Specialists.  We would be more than happy to schedule an appointment for your foot evaluation, and give you the A ok to start your training regiment, at either of our locations in Frederick, MDand Urbana, MD. Our thoughts and prays are with those who were touched by this tragic event and hope to see you out there at the Frederick Running Festival. 

By: Brenna Steinberg, DPM, FACFAS

Bunion symptoms can range from a foot deformity, noticing a bump on the inside of your first toe to painful shooting pain that radiates through your foot. You might notice that you need to buy wider shoes, than previously purchased. You might experience some soreness or calluses developing on the side of your first toe. Also you might notice more shoe wear on the sides of your shoes.

But have no fear there are many treatment options for bunions. There is a multitude of conservative treatments to consider such as topical creams to relieve the pain, pads to cushion the painful areas, and also bunion splits etc.

If you or someone you know is experiencing bunion pain, we welcome you to visitour office Frederick Foot & Ankle Specialists.We would be more than happy to schedule an appointment for your foot evaluation, at either of our locations in Frederick, MDand Urbana, MD.

By: Yenisey Yanes, DPM, AACFAS, ABPM

In light of this tragedy, we just want to thank those brave enough to run towards the confusion and the smoke to help those injured and in need. One of the treating teams there was Temple University School of Podiatric Medicine, which one of our doctors attended, Dr. Ho. They were in a medical tent a little more than a block away from the finish line. What once started out as a blister and ankle sprain control soon turned into a first respond triage tent. We are proud to say that podiatrist were some of the first to respond!

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The runners of the Boston Marathon would have wanted for you to keep up with your passion and keep running. They would want you to keep training!

If you or someone you know is seeking to start or continue training for a Marathon, our friendly staff would love to accommodate to your needs here at Frederick Foot & Ankle Specialists.  We would be more than happy to schedule an appointment for your foot evaluation, and give you the A ok to start your training regiment, at either of our locations in Frederick, MDand Urbana, MD. Our thoughts and prayers are with those who were touched by this tragic event.

By: Dr. Coralia Terol, AACFAS

While you are soaking in the first rays of sun this spring and enjoying the festival make sure you check of the International Spy Museum. They are hosting an intriguing worldwide espionage Scavenger Hunt, fun for all ages! And for all those who participated in the Cherry Blossom Races, we all know they importance of proper footwear. As podiatrists, we’ll inform you that flip-flops can cause foot and ankle pain, but there are always alternatives.

But before you have the correct footwear! If you want to wear sandals around our nation’s capital while exploring the festivities and to participate in the awesome Scavenger Hunt, we recommend wearing Sandalistas. They are the perfect spring sandal for the function that is need for healthy feet and has the fashion that is needed for this season.

If you or someone you know is seeking comfortable and fashionable walking sandal shoes for this spring season, don’t hesitate to come on into our office Frederick Foot & Ankle Specialists.  We would be more than happy to schedule an appointment for your foot evaluation, and measure and fit you for your sandals, at either of our locations in Frederick, MDand Urbana, MD. There is nothing better than having fun in the sun this spring with healthy feet!

By: Nikki ‘Nga’ Ho, DPM, AACFAS

Easter is always a great time has by all. All the activities for the young and old are priceless. Getting ready for holiday weekends, hosting family and friends always reap havoc on our feet. Whether we are frantically running around the grocery store to pick up last minute items or running around the yard trying to find those sneaky Easter eggs, there is no avoiding having achy feet at the end of a long weekend.

As we’re Easter egg hunting, try to catch the rabbit! As ‘cool’ podiatrists we were wondering the biomechanics of Bugs Bunny and how they never have any ailments in their feet. They are always so quick and agile. Hmm… wonder if they’re any foot doctors that specialize in domestic pet podiatry?

While hunting, we suggest you to be conscience of your feet and wear good shoes all weekend long! Make sure that the shoes that you choose have good stability and comfort along with being fashionable. We also ask you to beware for going Easter egg hunting barefoot. Anything can be lurking in your lawn; nails, broken glass, thumb tacks, a number of things could cause harm to your feet!

If you or someone you know is experiencing unforgiving foot or ankle pain or are experiencing foot pain due to all the travel and running around to different events this past weekend, come on into our office Frederick Foot & Ankle Specialists. We would be more than happy to schedule an appointment, at either of our locations in Frederick, MDand Urbana, MD. Enjoy your Easter weekend everyone and remember to be foot friendly.

By: Dr. Brenna Steinberg, FACFAS

p.s. Silly rabbit… Trix are for Kids!

It not only gets college students riled up but also fellow alum! We have a few diehard fans in the office, including staff and patients.  With each hard fought game comes’ another heart break and another survival. Each team battles it out with the best in college basket ball. Ever wonder how all the players can keep health with a high number of games within a short amount of time?

A great podiatrist! The players must keep up with their foot and ankle health, especially putting in all those hours on the court. Every step you take multiplies the weight bared on each foot. The strength of your foot and ankle could be the difference between whether you’re playing in the championship game or sitting on the bench. This could be taping of the ankles pregame, prescribing orthotics in in game shoes or game changing decisions about playing or sitting a starter, team podiatrist play a huge role in March Madness.

Remember when you are a player you have to think of the long term not just here and now. Team podiatrist have your career to look after, they have to make the tough decisions. Maybe a minor sacrifice now will help preserve the longevity of the players ballin’ career.

If you or someone you know plays basketball or has dreams to play in March Madness one day and wants to get a foot and ankle check, come on into our office Frederick Foot & Ankle Specialists. We would be more than happy to schedule an appointment, at either of our locations in Frederick, MDand Urbana, MD. Good luck with your brackets and may the odds be ever in your favor!

By. Dr. Yenisey Yanes, AACFAS

Let me tell you not even the most grueling workout or strictest diet could ever fully prepare me for the 26.2 miles. You gradually start to feel the burning in your thighs, the tingling in your feet and your arms start to get strangely heavy. By mile 20 it’s all a mental game; you just have to keep telling yourself to push on and you are approaching the finish line soon, even if you aren’t!

At the end of the day we all crossed the finished line entirely exhausted and drenched in sweat, but I was extremely proud of FFA that day! We managed to avoid any major injuries and escaped with minor soreness and a few blisters. Dr. Steinberg lucked out with ZERO blisters with the aid of her All Gel Toe Cap by Dr. Jill’s. Ice packs and BioFreeze have been our closest friend for this week. 

If you or someone you know had the pleasure of joining us this past weekend in DC and needs to have they feet checked for some of their injuries, come on into our office Frederick Foot & Ankle Specialists. We would be more than happy to schedule an appointment, at either of our locations in Frederick, MDand Urbana, MD. All I can say is that I am thankful that I have a good podiatrist on speed dial!

If you're not sweating... you're not training hard enough!

By: Coralia Terol, DPM, AACFAS

Many of you can relate, life takes you on a roller coaster and you spend less time on yourself and your heath begins to fade to the background. Less exercise is done, because of more work that’s due; and fast food over healthier options starts to become the rule instead of the exception. Nevertheless, now is the time for you to take back your health. With positive thinking and guidance from Shannon Wallace of 368 Athletics, we achieved what we thought could never happen.

After we completed our first half marathon our lady podiatrists became racing machines; addicted to the feeling of accomplishment that is only felt at the finish line! Since we decided to take back our health last March, FFA running team has completed 5 half marathons, a Tough Mudder and many 5K mud runs. With that being said, we are going for our first Full Marathon race this weekend, at the same race that started it all for us, the DC Rockin’ Roll Marathon.

It is amazing to think of all the change that can happen in one year’s time. So if you think your health is too far gone to resurrect think again! All you need is a little dedication, determination and discipline.

If you or someone you know is interested in exploring in new physical challenges for improving their podiatric and overall fitness, come on into our office Frederick Foot & Ankle Specialists. We would be more than happy to schedule an appointment, at either of our locations in Frederick, MDand Urbana, MD. Come on into the office to get the “OK” to start your new fitness goals. Who knows maybe we will see you at the next Frederick Marathon Weekend, this May!

By: Dr. Nikki Ho, AACFAS

p.s. One MAYBE Two Guinnesses the day after doesn’t sound too bad!

The right stretching and flexibility routine can make or break your dancing skills. Stretching not only prepares your muscles for the exercise that you are performing. It allows your muscles to warm up and tone your body, to the specific moves that you want to do.

We are proud to announce that our podiatrists are teaming up with Foot Lights, a local dance equipment store in Frederick, MD and Silver Springs, MD. Here are some stretching exercises that we recommended to these pros! Random fact, for the Baltimore Ravens fans out there, Jacoby Jones will be in this next upcoming season of Dancing with the Stars.

Some specific stretching exercises tailored for dancers are heel raises, leg swings and lunge stretches. Heel raises are essentially warming up your calves and hamstrings. For the heel raise you stand with your feet together and with a straight spine, slowly stand up on your tippy toes, and then lower yourself back to the ground. Leg swings are warming up your entire leg and your hip muscles. For leg swings stand on one leg, remain with a straight back and swing your leg front to back, remember to keep your balance by tightening up your core. Lunge stretch is used to loosen up your hip flexors and also your hamstrings and quads. Start in a single leg lunge, front knee bent at a 90 degree angle and the back leg holds straight, to increase this stretch, palm the floor with your hands.

If you or someone you know is a dancer and wants to know more about their flexibility plan to help their foot health, don’t hesitate to come on into our office Frederick Foot & Ankle Specialists.  We would be more than happy to schedule an appointment for your foot evaluation, at either of our locations in Frederick, MDand Urbana, MD. We would love get you back into peak dancing shape!

By: Brenna Steinberg, DPM, FACFAS

If this idea of wearing sandals or open toe shoes gives you anxiety, because you want to hide your ugly, thicken discolored nails; fear no more! We are proud to offer ourKery Flex procedure to anyone of our patients.

KeryFlex is a nail restoration system, that is an in office application that restores the appearance of your toenails and gives you the beautiful nails that you desire. This procedure allows the podiatrist to remodel the fungal or trauma injured nail to the natural contours and coloration of a natural nail.

KeryFlex once applied flexible, non- porous nail that allows the remaining natural nails to grow underneath; so no worrying about damaging or breaking your natural nails underneath. KeryFlex is durable and unaffected by acetone, or nail polish.

Say goodbye to those unsightly nails and hello to those sandals with KeryFlex!

If you or someone you know has ugly nails, it doesn’t mean you have suffocate your feet in closed toe shoes, come on into our office Frederick Foot & Ankle Specialists.  We would be more than happy to schedule an appointment for your Keryflex procedure, at either of our locations in Frederick, MDand Urbana, MD. We would love to give you those beautiful nails that you deserve for this sandal season.

By: Yenisey Yanes, DPM, A.A.C.F.A.S.

We saw the stunning Christian Louboutin, Giusceppe Zannoti and other high end fashion names donned on the feet of the most famous and successful singers. Extremely gorgeous, but most of the time it means not very comfortable.

Look at Kat Von D for instance, very avant-garde with the inverted red velvet wedged heel (SEE ABOVE). Although our lady podiatrists need to look fashionable too, there are limits! These shoes totally fit the reality TV star’s personality, intimidating and playful at the same time; not to mention painful to watch!

What all these star studded feet are in need of our slim fit custom orthotics. These special made orthotics help offload the added pressure on the forefoot, caused by wearing such high heels. Orthotics are useful in prevention of those ugly corns and calluses. They will also help provide relief from painful ball of foot pain, while fitting in your fashion friendly shoes!

If you or someone you know has experienced this shoe fashion dilemma, form over function, like the stars do, come on into our office Frederick Foot & Ankle Specialists  and get your custom slim fit orthotic for those fashion friendly shoes. We would be more than happy to schedule an appointment, at either of our locations in Frederick, MDand Urbana, MD. Whether you are walking the red carpet or not; we all deserve comfort that slim fit orthotics provide!

By: Dr. Coralia Terol, AACFAS

Especially, after seeing history write itself with amazing return from the Raven’s, linebacker Terrell Suggs; in a post game interview Suggs stated that not only him but the whole team decided to rise to the occasion, because Ray Lewis’s retirement announcement.  Through his motivational pre-game speech and his tenacity on the field it was clear he lit a fire under the Ravens, to push them to their limits, one final time!

And it is always nice to see someone with a 17 year dedication to one single team, especially in professional football, go out with a bang! After all the hype and hoopla about the Harbaugh brothers, Super Bowl XLVII was really the closing act for Ray Lewis!

Many of you might be wondering how Ray Lewis was capable of playing as such an elite level for so many years… and all that can be concluded was dedication to his sport and discipline in his body! Lewis’s career can be attributed to dieting well on and off football season and also training hard day in and day out. He listened to his body for any nagging aches and pains and quickly reported them to his team physician. Especially, his podiatric needs many foot problems arise from not addressing a minor issue immediately, can lead to a larger issue down the road. To be an elite athlete for as long as he was is amazing feat, and he deserved to close out his career on a field raining down silver and purple confetti streamers!

No matter, if you are the next reining linebacker for the Ravens or the beginner athlete everyone will benefit from eating clean, training hard and keeping an eye out for any podiatric problems. And of course having good podiatric check up every year will help you on your way to whatever goal you wish to attain!

If you or someone you know is an athlete looking for podiatric consultation , come on into our office Frederick Foot & Ankle Specialists. We would be more than happy to schedule an appointment, at either of our locations in Frederick, MDand Urbana, MD. We will be able access your current foot and overall health!

By: Nikki ‘Nga’ Ho, DPM, AACFAS

Down in Miami it was upper 70s- 80 degrees, with a slight breeze! I bet you are thinking man that is hot to be running long distance and most would agree. Thankfully, the ING planning team set an early start time to avoid the mid morning blazing sun. But, the downside was that the start time was 6:15am; that’s an early wakeup call!

Right before the race started, a podiatrist from Miami greeted us and shared the same passion of running with us! The race was amazing; we were all smiles when crossing the finish line and after the race we enjoyed the final hours in the Miami sun before heading back to work the next day; unfortunately one of our member suddenly felt ill.

She experienced light headedness, nausea and vomiting, cramping and chills, which wasn’t a pleasant sight! All symptoms pointed to dehydration, a serious condition if not treated. Luckily there were plenty of doctors around to help diagnose and treat her symptoms.

If you or someone you know is interested in exploring the racing world make sure you take precautions for dehydration! In addition, to taking this leap into endurance sports, come on into our office Frederick Foot & Ankle Specialists. We would be more than happy to schedule an appointment, at either of our locations in Frederick, MDand Urbana, MD. We will be able access your current foot and overall health and recommend the best fitness plan to help you meet your goal, perhaps you are the next Miami Marathoner!

By: Dr. Brenna Steinberg, FACFAS

In the next 2 weeks each team will have the opportunity to address the weakness, gear up; also in this time period each team will use to nurse any injuries for the big game. Hopefully, there aren’t any turf toe injuries; especially for the running back for the Ravens; it is the nightmare for a football coach, Lewis can tell you the amount of time spent with their podiatrist with his turf toe last season! Turf toe is spraining of the ligaments in the big toe joint, limiting the natural motion. It is very common amounts NFL players more than ever playing on the artificial surfaces. Turf toe will cause a jamming or tightness in the big toe joint when jumping or running. Symptoms can range from severe pain, tightness, swelling and decrease joint movements during or after exercise activities. Sometimes these symptoms are accompanied by a pop when moving the big toe up and down.

If you or know anyone you know is experiencing these symptoms, we would love to show you the variety of conservative treatments and stretches in our office Frederick Foot & Ankle Specialists.  We would be more than happy to schedule an appointment at your convenience at either of our locations in Frederick, MDand Urbana, MD. We will be able evaluate and treat your podiatric needs for your next big game!

By: Dr. Yenisey Yanes, AACFAS

Naturally, as podiatrist and a woman it’s all about the shoes! Host, Amy Poehler, was wearing Charlotte Olympia strappy sky high sandals; also Anne Hathaway who was named the best supporting actress was wearing a pair of Aldo strappy platform sandals. Other guest such as Heidi Klum and Sienna Miller both were caught wearing a pair of metallic sandals on the red carpet. I guess the inch adding metallic strappy sandals were the thing to wear on award night, in Los Angles!

However, wearing these gorgeous designer shoes might make you fit in with the winners of the red carpet, they might also cause metatarsalgia. This condition can be described as burning or sharp pain, in the ball of your foot. You might also experience this pain if you are an active person, who participates in a lot of activities that involve running or jumping.

If you or someone you know is experiencing this ball of foot pains, come on into our office Frederick Foot & Ankle Specialistsor feel free to visit our patient education page. We would be more than happy to schedule an appointment, at either of our locations in Frederick, MDand Urbana, MD. We will be able access your current foot and overall health and recommend the best way to evaluate and treat your foot pains!

By: Coralia Terol, DPM, AACFAS

Pregnancy can cause a whole bunch of hormonal changes in your body that can effect, smell, taste, mood and also your feet. The most experienced symptoms that occur in pregnancy are painful, swollen feet, arch pain, and foot cramps. A couple of our team members will be expecting little ones soon so they can relate to the different foot pains, luckily for them they work in a podiatry office.

This swelling of the feet stems from extra fluid in the body pooling at the feet, due to the weight or position of the baby. Arch pain can develop with ligament tension and natural arch fatigue that comes along with motherhood. And finally foot cramping is caused by the increased blood volume in the body. With these changes and pains in your feet they may cause you to adjust your activity level during your pregnancy; especially the type of shoes that you choose to wear.

Now with that in mind, I wonder what the fashionista Kim K will be wearing on her feet for the next 9 months! Do you think that she will wise up and wear something reliable or do you think she will continue wearing her sky high diva shoes (Stilettos a no-no!)?

If you or someone you know is pregnancy and are experiencing nagging foot pain, come on into our office Frederick Foot & Ankle Specialists. We would be more than happy to schedule an appointment, at either of our locations in Frederick, MDand Urbana, MD. We will be able access your current foot and overall health and recommend the best way to evaluate and treat your pregnancy foot pains!

By: Dr. Nikki Ho, AACFAS

Approaching the New Year so many Americans make the empty promise to themselves stating that 2013 will be different and that they will watch their diet and start exercising to get that fit and trim body back that they once had! How many times has losing weight been on your New Year’s Resolution list?

I’ve lost 30+ lbs. of body fat and gained several more pounds of lean muscle mass eating with discipline and training effectively at 368 Athletics with Shannon Wallace. This was my 2012 resolution, with motivational inspirers and encouragement from family and friends this can become realistic for anyone as well. If exercising is routine and nutrition has been a bumpy road, 368 Athletics and our office can offer you a few tools along the way.

If this is you then you might want to try our TLS: Weight Loss Solutions that we have in the office. This is a weight loss program that we have integrated into our podiatric office. Your overall health can have positive or negative effects on your podiatric health and medical needs!

One of the featured TLS products is the Core: Fat and Carb Inhibitor; which major component is leptin. Leptin is a hormone in the body that switches our brain on telling it that we are hungry and we need to eat and also to stop eating. It is basically the hunger regulator in our brains, and with people who constantly are yo-yo dieting their leptin may become imbalanced.

If you or someone you know is interested in exploring the next step for improving their podiatric and overall fitness through TLS supplements or are interested in replacing your current supplements, come on into our office Frederick Foot & Ankle Specialists. We would be more than happy to schedule an appointment, at either of our locations in Frederick, MDand Urbana, MD. We will be able access your current foot and overall health and recommend the best way to integrate TLS into your life style! Will TLS Weight Loss Solutions be a part of your resolution?

By: Brenna Steinberg, DPM, FACFAS

For those of you who aren’t familiar with the term frostbite; it is a when you are exposed to extreme cold temperatures and your skin and the tissue that lie underneath freeze as a result of the exposure. In some cases this process only needs a few minutes of exposure to occur. The most affected areas are you hand, feet, nose and ears.

If you find yourself on the slopes after skiing or on the trail after a long hike and your skin appears white or grayish and your skin might feel hard to the touch, you may have frostbite and should seek immediate medical attention. The podiatrists have suggested athletes to wear compression gear as a base layer and a second layer with water wicking material. Avoid cotton clothing in wet conditions because wet clothing can freeze in cold temperature. In any outdoor event from walking to a week long backpacking trip, the first thing to consider is dressing appropriately and prepare for worst case scenarios.

At risk people include the elderly, the young, people with circulation problems. And also people who drink or smoke excessively, which causes a decrease blood flow to the skin naturally, thus exacerbating the frostbite effects. People who are at risk should seek precautions such as dressing appropriately; especially wearing items to protect the feet, hands and face. Limiting alcohol and/or nicotine intake before exposure helps decrease the risk.

If you or someone you know are planning a winter excursion this holiday season stop by the office to pick up the perfect socks to protect your feet from the vicious cold; wewould love to see you at Frederick Foot & Ankle Specialists, at either of our locations in Frederick, MDand Urbana, MD. And while you are in the office we would be more than happy to schedule an appointment, so that this holiday season your feet don’t put a damper on your plans.

By: Yenisey Yanes, DPM, AACFAS