Blog Archive

If you develop foot pain, you’d expect it to hurt more when you’re active than when you’re at rest. However, a number of painful conditions result in pain that worsens with rest. At Monroe Foot & Ankle Care, serving Monroe Township, New Jersey, podiatric physician Dr. Elliott Perel and his...

As we’re anticipating better weather in the coming weeks, you  may be gearing up to hit the pavement again. But, no matter how careful you try to be, the fact i, running takes a toll on your body. If you run a 10-minute mile, you’re taking an average of 1,700...

Diabetes is a disease that stems from the body’s inability to convert sugar into energy. If your pancreas doesn’t produce enough of the hormone insulin to transport sugar into the cells (type 1), or if your body becomes resistant to the hormone’s effects (type 2), your blood sugar levels become...

Most of us have little cuts on our feet that may be barely noticeable, but they’re enough for toenail fungus to enter the skin and the nail, turning the latter brittle, discolored, and unsightly. Generally, the fungus isn’t a serious medical condition, but it’s important that you seek treatment so...

You may think bunions are something that only old people get, but you’d be mistaken. Anyone, at any age, can develop the swollen, misaligned joint at the base of the big toe that is a bunion. You have two joints in your big toe, the larger of which is the...

Neuropathy refers to damage or disease of any part of the nervous system. Peripheral neuropathy covers damage to the peripheral nerves, those outside the brain and spinal cord. It can produce weakness, numbness, tingling, and pain in the extremities, often in the legs and feet. It also interferes with the...

An ingrown toenail is a podiatric condition where the toenail burrows into the skin beside it, or the skin grows over the edge of the nail. Any nail can become ingrown, but it’s most common on the big toe. At Monroe Foot & Ankle Care in Jamesburg, New Jersey, board-certified...

Warts are raised, fleshy growths on your skin. They’re caused by a viral infection, and some are named according to their location on the body: palmar warts on the hands, plantar warts on the feet, and genital warts on the external reproductive organs. At Monroe Foot & Ankle Care, in...

Within your body lie two nervous systems. The central nervous system (CNS) contains your brain and spinal cord. The peripheral nervous system (PNS) connects the brain and spinal cord to the rest of your body. The peripheral nerves also send information from your body back to your brain about physical...

Customized orthotics are medical devices made specifically for your feet and are designed to support and comfort them. They’re manufactured once your podiatrist has completely evaluated and measured your feet, ankles, and legs, and they not only match your foot’s contours, but they also take into account the way you...

If you constantly feel like there’s a pebble in your shoe when you walk, or if you feel pain between your toes, you may have a condition called Morton’s neuroma. At Monroe Foot & Ankle Care, board-certified podiatrist Dr. Elliott Perel and his staff treat all manner of podiatric conditions, including Morton’s...

Toenail fungus is a condition where a fungus or mold infects the nail tissue, entering between your toenail and toenail bed (the tissue right underneath your toenail) through a crack or cut in your toe. The nail becomes brittle, discolored, and unsightly. While not generally a serious medical condition, you...

Ingrown toenails occur when the nail burrows into the skin on the toe, or the skin grows over the edge of the nail. This can happen on any toe, but most often the big toe. At Monroe Foot & Ankle Care, board-certified podiatrist Dr. Elliott Perel and our team understand...

Bunions aren’t just something old people develop. This deformity can be triggered by a number of causes and therefore can affect people at different ages. Often, a bunion develops due to stress on the metatarsophalangeal (MTP) joint in your big toe. This joint is located where the first long foot...

Each mile you walk places 60 tons of stress on each foot. It’s a heavy load, but your feet can handle it. Too much stress, though, can lead to a damaged, painful heel, the most common issue affecting the foot and ankle. When you ignore the symptoms, the pain only gets worse....

Warts are raised, fleshy skin growths. They’re caused by a viral infection and classified by their location on the body: palmar warts on the hands and plantar warts on the feet. At Monroe Foot & Ankle Care, podiatric physician and surgeon Dr. Elliott Perel and our team in Jamesburg, New Jersey understand...

Toenail fungus, medically termed onychomycosis, is a fungal infection of the toenails. The infection occurs when fungi get trapped between the nail and the nailbed, the tissue just beneath the toenail, usually through a small cut in your toe. Toenail fungus is a common podiatric problem, especially as you age....

Your body houses two nervous systems. The central nervous system is composed of your brain and spinal cord. The peripheral nervous system connects the nerves from those two areas to the rest of your body. The peripheral nerves also send information about physical sensations, such as temperature, texture, or pain,...

Diabetes is a disease caused by an inability to produce the hormone insulin or to use it effectively. It causes your blood sugar levels to spike, potentially creating a whole host of other health problems, including for your feet. At Monroe Foot & Ankle Care, serving Jamesburg and the entire Monroe...

You’ve probably heard your grandparents complaining about their bunions, but the truth is, you don’t have to be elderly to develop this swollen and misaligned joint at the base of the big toe. Your big toe contains two joints. The larger one is the metatarsophalangeal (MTP) joint. It gets its...

Plantar warts are raised, fleshy growths on the soles of your feet caused by a viral infection. They’re the same type of warts that show up on your hands, but they’re named for their location on the body. Podiatric physician and surgeon Dr. Elliott Perel and his team at Monroe Foot &...

Ingrown toenails are a condition when either the nail burrows into the surrounding skin on the toe, or the skin grows over the nail. While ingrown nails can occur on any toe, they're most common on the big toe. The result is a painful, hard, red swelling at the nail’s...

The plantar fascia is a thick ligament in the sole of your foot that extends from the back of your heel to your toes. It stretches and contracts like a bowstring as you walk, helping to maintain your foot arch and absorb shock. If the fascia becomes inflamed, the resulting...

If you’re a diabetic, it means your blood sugar is elevated beyond safe levels for your overall health. It may be caused by one of two problems: The beta cells in your pancreas don’t produce enough insulin to convert sugar (glucose) into energy (type 1) Your cells become resistant to...

Neuropathy describes any diseased condition of the nerves. Peripheral neuropathy specifically covers damage to nerves that lie outside of the brain and spinal cord, such as those in the extremities. These are called the peripheral nerves. Peripheral neuropathy leads to symptoms such as weakness, numbness or tingling, and pain, most...

Ingrown toenails can occur on any toe, but they’re most common on the big toe. They develop for one of two reasons: The nail burrows into the surrounding skin The skin grows over the nail, on one side, or both The end result is a painful, hard, red swelling at...

Warts are raised, fleshy skin growths caused by a viral infection. They’re classified by their location on the body: palmar warts on the hands and plantar warts on the soles of the feet. At Monroe Foot & Ankle Care, podiatric physician and surgeon Dr. Elliott Perel and his team understand...

Toenail fungus, medically called onychomycosis, is a widespread infection of the toenails. The infection occurs when fungi get between the nail and the nail bed, the tissue just underneath the toenail, usually through a crack or cut in your toe. Toenail fungus is a common problem, especially as you get...

Your feet endure 60 tons of stress with each step you take. Your feet are designed to handle it, but much more stress can lead to pain and inflammation, especially of the heel. Heel pain is one of the most common issues affecting the foot and ankle. At Monroe Foot...

The plantar fascia is a ligament in your foot that reaches from the calcaneus bone at the back of your heel to the base of your toes. This thick band stretches like a bowstring and helps to maintain your foot arch. The fascia can become inflamed for any number of...

Diabetes is a disease caused by difficulty producing (type 1) or using (type 2) the hormone insulin. It causes your blood sugar levels to spike, potentially creating a whole host of other health problems, including for your feet. At Monroe Foot & Ankle Care, serving Jamesburg and the entire Monroe...

Warts are raised skin growths caused by a viral infection and classified by their location on the body. They’re palmar warts on the hands and plantar warts on the soles of the feet. At Monroe Foot & Ankle Care, serving the Monroe Township area of New Jersey, podiatric physician and...

Your body contains two nervous systems: the central nervous system, made up of your brain and spinal cord, and the peripheral nervous system, which connects the nerves from those areas to the rest of your body. The peripheral nerves send information about physical sensations, such as temperature or pain, from...

Your feet bear the brunt of your weight every time you stand up and move. And for every mile you walk, each foot endures 60 tons of stress. While that sounds like a lot, your feet are designed to handle it. Additional stress, though, can lead to pain and inflammation...

Your feet take quite a beating. For every mile you walk, each foot endures 60 tons of stress. That sounds like a lot, but your feet are designed to handle it. Much more stress, though, can lead to pain and inflammation of the tissues, causing a painful heel, the most...

Warts are noncancerous growths. They form in the epidermis (top layer of your skin) due to an infection with some strains of the human papillomavirus (HPV). They’re named by where they’re located on the body — on the hands, they’re called palmar warts, and on the soles of the feet,...

The plantar fascia is a thick band of tissue that runs along the bottom of your feet, reaching from your heels to your toes. Its primary responsibilities are to act as a shock absorber and to support your arches, which then allows you to walk, run, and jump.  When you...

Diabetes is a condition where your blood sugar levels become elevated, either because your pancreas doesn’t produce enough of the hormone insulin to break sugar down (type 1), or your body becomes resistant to insulin’s effects (type 2). At Monroe Foot & Ankle Care in Jamesburg, New Jersey, podiatric physician...

Any nail can become ingrown, but it’s more common in the toes than in the fingers, and most common in the big toe. An ingrown nail occurs for one of two reasons: The skin on one or both sides of the nail grows over the nail itself The nail grows...

The big toe is composed of two joints. The larger of the two is called the metatarsophalangeal joint (MTP), where the first metatarsal (long bone of the foot) meets the phalanx (first bone of the toe). Bunions, also known as hallux valgus, develop over a long period of time at...

The central nervous system consists of your brain and spinal cord. The peripheral nervous system connects the nerves from those areas to the rest of your body. The primary job of the peripheral nerves is to deliver information about physical sensations from your body back to your brain. Peripheral neuropathy...

Warts are rough, hard, and scaly growths that can appear anywhere on the body. They vary in size from as small as a poppy seed to as large as a pea. They also vary in color, showing up as white, tan, pink, grey, or flesh-colored. Sometimes, they contain small, black...

For each mile you walk, you place 60 tons of stress on each foot. That’s a heavy load, but your feet can handle it. Too much stress, though, can cause a damaged, painful heel, the most common issue that affects the foot and ankle. When you continue activity despite a...

Neuropathy refers to any diseased condition of the nerves. Peripheral neuropathy covers damage to nerves outside of the brain and spinal cord, called, appropriately, the peripheral nerves. The condition manifests with weakness, numbness or tingling, and pain, most often in the hands and feet, though it can affect other areas...

Plantar fasciitis is a painful condition in the heel. It results from inflammation of the plantar fascia, a thick band of tissue running across the bottom of your foot and connecting your heel bone to the bones of your toes. Plantar fasciitis often causes a stabbing pain when you take...

Bunions, or bony bumps that jut out from the base of the big toe joints, are the product of a progressive bone disorder. They develop due to a structural problem in the bones of the feet and toes, usually in the metatarsophalangeal (MTP) joint. The phalangeal bone of the big...

The ankle is the part of the body most injured in sports activities — accounting for 10-30% of all sports injuries — and a sprain is one of the most common ankle injuries. A sprain occurs when you twist, turn, or roll your ankle beyond its normal limit, which can...

You’re having foot surgery. You know where you’re supposed to go and what time you’re supposed to be there. You’re prepared, right? Absolutely not. First, you have to set up your home to accommodate your rehabilitation. Podiatric physician and surgeon Dr. Elliott Perel of Monroe Foot & Ankle Care in...

If you’re suffering from foot, leg, or back problems, your doctor may prescribe orthotics for you. Orthotics are special inserts you place in your shoes to help correct problems with the mechanics of balance and walking due to deformity or disease. Orthotics can be purchased over-the-counter at drug stores, but...

We all tend to take our health and wellness for granted until something goes wrong and we lose function of one or more body parts — especially your feet. If you have foot or ankle pain, you stop moving and your whole world comes to a halt. Depending on what’s...

Spraining an ankle is a common injury that can be quite painful and debilitating. Unfortunately, many people don’t take the time to heal properly and end up reinjuring the ankle. Being patient is essential. After the initial healing period of an ankle sprain has been completed (which can vary from...