Everybody emerges from the womb with flat feet. If we’re lucky – and most of us are – we’re blessed with arches sometime before our third birthday or so. Arches in your feet serve an important purpose: they help keep your weight evenly balanced. Each time you take a step, the muscles, bones and soft tissues…

Many women choose to wear high heels – and that’s okay. As a board-certified podiatrist, however, Dr. Kenneth R. Wilhelm cautions women to be smart about it. Wearing high heels comes with many challenges. Interestingly, “Choose to Challenge” was the theme for this year’s International Women’s Day, celebrated earlier this week on March 8. “A challenged world is an…

We’re already more than two months into the New Year. That’s 8+ weeks—approximately 60 days since you resolved to eat better and lose weight in 2021. Losing weight is one of the most popular New Year’s resolutions there is, and all of us at Clifton Foot & Ankle Center applaud anyone who strives to attain a healthy…

Our nation has been riding the corona coaster for close to a year now. And over this tumultuous year, podiatrists have seen a mysterious increase in the number of broken toes. There are two parts to this mystery: first, why is it happening? Second, what should you do if it happens to you? Part 1: Why…

Dry, calloused, or cracked heels are not just unsightly and uncomfortable. They can also be dangerous. If you neglect the skin on your heels, it will likely continue to dry out. Cracks can eventually form and grow deeper. Bacteria can enter these deep cracks, also called heel fissures, and cause an infection. Cracked heels are common, especially in the…

What do socks do? They keep your feet toasty warm, right? That’s what most people would say, especially during these cold winter months. Dr. Kenneth R. Wilhelm, our board-certified podiatrist at Clifton Foot & Ankle Center, absolutely agrees. But we also want you to know that, besides warmth, there are other things to keep in mind when you’re choosing…

What’s the #1 killer of women? Not cancer. Not COVID-19. It’s heart disease. Heart disease and its complications account for about 20% of all female deaths in the United States. To get people thinking and talking about this, the American Heart Association has named February 5 National Wear Red for Women’s Heart Health Day. But it…

Dr. Kenneth R. Wilhelm of Clifton Foot & Ankle Center would like our patients in Fairfax County and northern Virginia to know that January is Thyroid Awareness Month. The thyroid gland is in your neck, but it can have a great deal to do with your feet. The thyroid gland and the pituitary gland (located in the brain) are…

Where’s the thickest, most powerful tendon in your body? Perhaps in your neck, to hold up your head? Good guess but look lower. At the back of your heel, you can feel the Achilles tendon, the largest, strongest tendon in the body. The Achilles tendon connects the muscles in your calf to the calcaneus or heel…

Some plantar warts come and go, disappearing after they’ve had their fill of annoying you for several months. Others think they deserve to irritate you and your foot for what seems like forever. It’s not unusual for a wart on the sole of your foot to resist treatment and stick around for years. Treatments for warts have traditionally included…