“Feet are the Rodney Dangerfield of body parts; they get no respect,” states Dr. Jeffrey Niccoli of the Alameda, California-based Alameda Family Podiatry Group.

As he sees it, this is especially true for men’s feet, who often bear their body’s weight for most of their working day in all but a few cases. Men often resist going to the doctor when they’re sick or in pain. However, most foot conditions are treatable, and much easier to treat when diagnosed early.

Jeffrey J. Niccoli, DPM, FACFAS, Alameda’s premiere foot surgeon and podiatric foot injury and ankle specialist, has seen many patients come into his office with injuries that were much worse than they had assumed, almost always because of a previous condition going untreated, then lending to the severity of an injury later down the line. Today, Dr. Niccoli advises the working man of five foot problems they should never ignore:

Heel pain

Heel pan is often caused by tissue inflammation, but can also result from a broken bone, a tight Achilles tendon, a pinched nerve, or other problem. A qualified physician will know how to diagnose and treat the true cause of heel pain. This symptom is typical in chronic or aggravated athletic foot injury situations.

Ankle sprains

Ankle sprains absolutely, positively, without question, always, require a prompt and hasty doctor’s office visit. Men who skip out on medical care after they’ve suffered an ankle injury are more likely to suffer repeated ankle sprains, and are at risk for developing chronic ankle instability. In a sports injury doctor role, Dr. Niccoli sees this type of injury frequently.

Big toe stiffness and pain

Stiffness and pain in the big toe develops slowly over time, as cartilage in the big toe joint wears down with age and activity. This degeneration of the cartilage can and eventually will lead to arthritis. As with other foot injuries that detail degeneration of the cartilage or tendons between the small bones of the feet, the sooner a man has this diagnosed, the easier it is to treat.

Achilles tendonitis

One of the most important tendons in the foot, the Achilles tendon usually develops Achilles tendonitis from sudden and sometimes strenuous increases in physical activity, such as when men play weekend sports, while working an office job during their business week. Chances of an Achilles tendon rupture can be reduced by treatment of the symptoms of Achilles tendonitis: pain and tenderness on the back of the foot or heel. However, ignoring any such condition on such a vital area of the foot could prove detrimental.

Ingrown toenails

Ingrown toenails can pierce the skin, open the door for bacteria to enter the body, and have some men performing dangerous “bathroom surgery” before visiting a qualified medical professional. Few men know that a doctor can perform a quick procedure that will end the pain and permanently cure an ingrown toenail.
The American College of Foot and Ankle Surgeons (ACFAS) has a list of five additional foot problems men should never ignore on its consumer Web site: FootPhysicians.com.
Dr. Jeffrey Niccoli, Alameda Podiatric Foot Surgeon is a member of the ACFAS, is a Board Certified podiatric foot surgeon, and acts as a specialty sports injury foot specialist to many. Visit his website for more information.