Educational Articles: Regions

In this video, Dr. Ray McClanahan, a sports podiatrist at Northwest Foot and Ankle and the inventor of Correct Toes, discusses the most common underlying cause of lower leg pain. Dr. Ray notes that two common design features in conventional shoes act to shorten the muscles at the front of the lower leg: Heel elevation and toe spring. Both features encourage the toes to remain in an... Read more

Propping up the foot arch is a common approach used by physicians to help treat certain foot and ankle disorders. Arch support is also a design feature commonly touted by shoe manufacturers as beneficial. But we thought it would be helpful to discuss what arch support really means and whether it’s truly necessary—or even desired—in the foot. To understand our arch support philosophy, it’s important to understand... Read more

A neuroma is an often painful enlargement of one of the body’s nerves. Though neuromas can develop in any part of the body, they most commonly occur in the foot, usually in one of the intermetatarsal nerves. Interdigital neuroma is the name used to describe this nerve mass or enlargement. An interdigital neuroma is more likely to occur in women than men. A neuroma can arise between... Read more

A neuroma is the thickening, or enlargement, of a nerve segment. Neuromas can develop in any part of the body, states Dr. Ray McClanahan, a natural sports podiatrist at Northwest Foot and Ankle and the inventor of Correct Toes, in this informative video, though they tend to occur with greater frequency in certain parts of the foot. Conventional footwear, notes Dr. Ray, is one of the leading... Read more

In this video, Dr. Ray McClanahan, a sports podiatrist at Northwest Foot and Ankle and the inventor of Correct Toes, discusses foot neuromas. A neuroma is an enlargement of a portion of a nerve and is caused by nerve irritation. Foot neuromas most commonly occur between the 3rd and 4th metatarsal bones. Dr. Ray states that foot neuromas are a relatively easy problem to treat if there... Read more

In this video, Dr. Ray McClanahan, a sports podiatrist at Northwest Foot and Ankle and the inventor of Correct Toes, discusses the most common causes of foot and toe osteoarthritis. He also reviews common conventional approaches to foot osteoarthritis and compares these with more natural approaches that have proven helpful for his patient base. Learn more about this common problem, and what you can do about it,... Read more

Peripheral arterial disease, or PAD, is a health problem in which plaque—a combination of calcium, fibrous tissue, fat, and cholesterol—accumulates in the arteries that deliver blood to the head, organs, and limbs. Plaque can harden the arteries over time and decrease the diameter of the blood vessels, which reduces the amount of blood reaching certain parts of the body, including the feet. PAD is a common circulatory... Read more

Plantar fasciitis is a common foot problem, but is this condition properly named? In this video, Dr. Ray McClanahan, a sports podiatrist at Northwest Foot and Ankle and the inventor of Correct Toes, reviews the underlying cause of this painful foot problem (improper toe alignment) and puts forth an argument in favor of renaming the condition plantar fasciosis, due to the tissue degeneration (not inflammation) observed in... Read more

Plantar fasciosis is a foot condition characterized by heel pain and pain in the plantar fascia—the strong and dense connective tissue structure on the sole of the foot that spans the foot arch. This condition has historically been called plantar fasciitis because it was believed that plantar fascia inflammation was the principal underlying cause. Plantar fasciosis is a more accurate name for this condition because it actually... Read more

In this video, Dr. Ray McClanahan, a sports podiatrist at Northwest Foot and Ankle and the inventor of Correct Toes, discusses the condition commonly referred to as plantar fasciitis and explains why this foot health problem should more appropriately be called plantar fasciosis. Dr. Ray also discusses how this condition is treated using conventional versus natural approaches. Learn all about plantar fasciosis, including what you can do about it, in... Read more