Ralph J. Napolitano Jr., DPM, CWSP, FACFAS
Podiatrist & Wound Care Specialist
Our podiatrist here at OrthoNeuro in Columbus, Ohio, offers a wide range of primary foot care treatment options for common to complex foot problems employing the most advanced techniques.
If you have any problems with your feet, from ingrown toenails to diabetic foot ulcers, make an appointment with a doctor by calling our office or booking online today for expert, patient-focused foot care.
What Is Lower Extremity Care?
Lower extremity care, also known as podiatry, is a medical specialty area that focuses on foot and ankle problems.
Our podiatrist uses state-of-the-art techniques and therapies to address lower extremity pain, foot deformities, infections, and injuries and improve your foot health.
What Are Some of the Common Foot Problems?
Our podiatrist diagnoses and treats a comprehensive range of foot and ankle issues.
Some examples of conditions your doctor treats include:
Diabetic and Geriatric Foot Care
Diabetes can cause nerve and blood flow problems, which are risk factors for foot ulcers. Additionally, as you age, your circulation may become impaired, especially in your lower extremities, leading to similar problems.
Our podiatrists offer preventive foot care to keep your feet healthy. We also provide expert wound care to stop foot ulcers from worsening and leading to necrosis and amputation.
Nail fungus
Nail fungus is a common foot problem that affects up to 12% of Americans. In most cases, these infections are caused by dermatophytes, a type of fungi that penetrates your toenails and thrives in the moist, dark nail bed.
You are most likely to pick up nail fungus while walking barefoot in wet public areas such as swimming pools or locker rooms.
- About Nail Fungus
White spots on your toenails are the first signs of a fungal infection. As the fungus grows, your nails become thick, yellow, and brittle.
Your doctor may recommend various treatments for nail fungus, including oral medications, topical medication, and laser therapy.
Ingrown Toenails
Ingrown toenails are common and painful foot injuries that occur when the edge of your toenail grows into the flesh of your toe instead of straight out. You can get an ingrown toenail on any toe, but they often develop on the big toe.
As the nail grows into the fleshy part of your toe, it becomes red, tender, and swollen. When untreated, ingrown toenails can become infected, increasing your pain.
Our podiatrist offers surgical and nonsurgical therapies for ingrown toenails.
You might be able to manage the condition with foot baths to keep your toe clean, over-the-counter pain relievers, and wearing shoes with adequate room in the toe box.
If nonsurgical treatment doesn’t help, our podiatrist can numb your toe and cut away the ingrown portion of the nail. We can also cauterize the edge of a toenail to address chronic ingrowing toenails.
Corns and Calluses
Calluses and corns are patches of thick rough skin that form due to friction and pressure from ill-fitting shoes.
Corns usually form on your toes and have a hard center surrounded by hard skin. Calluses form on the soles and sides of your feet and are generally larger than corns.
If your corn or callus causes foot pain or becomes inflamed, we can prescribe salicylic acid patches to soften and remove the hard skin.
You might also benefit from shoe inserts or from changing your footwear.
- Our podiatrists can trim away your calluses, but you should never do this to yourself. You can occasionally use a pumice stone and a moisturizing cream.
Warts and Athlete’s foot
Plantar warts and athletes’ foot (tinea pedis) are two common foot problems. A strain of the human papillomavirus causes warts. Athletes’ foot is a type of fungal infection that penetrates the skin.
You’re likely to pick up warts and skin infections at a public swimming pool, locker room, or anywhere that you walk barefoot.
We offer topical medication for both conditions as well as cryotherapy and laser treatments for plantar warts.
Call OrthoNeuro today or make an appointment to see your doctor online for expert lower extremity care.
Make an Appointment with an OrthoNeuro Specialist Today!
If you have been suffering the effects of any of the foot problems mentioned above, schedule an appointment with one of our Board Certified Foot and Ankle Specialists at one of our 7 convenient locations throughout Greater Columbus.
Best of all, most patients can be seen within 24 hours of making an appointment.
Related Services
Foot & Ankle
- Foot & Ankle Arthritis
- Foot Stress Fracture
- Ankle Fracture
- Ankle Sprain
- Heel Spur
- Morton’s Neuroma
- Achilles Tendonitis
- Posterior Tibial Tendonitis
- Bunions
- Peroneal Tendonitis
- Plantar Fasciitis
- Bunionectomy
- Flat Feet Treatments
- Ankle Arthroscopy
- Total Ankle Replacement
- Foot Surgery
- Lapidus Bunionectomy
Podiatry
Podiatrist and Wound Care Specialist
IF YOU HAVE AN ACUTE INJURY OR LIVE WITH CHRONIC FOOT AND ANKLE PAIN IN CALL ORTHONEURO TODAY OR MAKE AN APPOINTMENT ONLINE FOR EXPERT FOOT AND ANKLE CARE IN COLUMBUS, OHIO.
““Very nice staff. They got me in and out quickly, had to get surgery, and they made sure that was all set up and aftercare was clear.“
Dena T.
Patient
