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Dr. Mark Miller, DPM

Podiatrist (Foot and Ankle Specialist)

Dr. Mark Miller is a podiatrist practicing in Carlsbad, CA. Dr. Miller is a medical doctor specializing in the treatment of the foot , ankle and related parts of the leg. As a podiatrist, Dr. Miller diagnoses and treats conditions of the feet. The feet are key body parts that give a person stability, absorb shock, allow for walking and standing and are necessary for overall well-being. So, the feet need expert care. Podiatrists can specialize in surgery, wound care, sports medicine, diabetic care and pediatrics.
Learn More About Me
35 years Experience
Dr. Mark Miller, DPM
  • Carlsbad, CA
  • Temple University College of Podiatric Medicine
  • Accepting new patients

Can massage help foot pain?

Yes, depending on what is causing the pain. Tendinitis & muscle strain, even a mild ankle sprain can be helped with most forms of physical therapy, which includes massage. If its READ MORE
Yes, depending on what is causing the pain. Tendinitis & muscle strain, even a mild ankle sprain can be helped with most forms of physical therapy, which includes massage. If its an infection, you will likely need antibiotics, a broken bone needs to be put back & held together. Painful bone spurs, hammertoes, bunions & most other structural deformities may need to be removed or realigned (surgery). Good luck. Dr. M

When should you stop wearing an ankle brace?

Soft tissue injuries can take three months or longer to heal completely, depending on the severity. I would suggest continuing to wear an ankle brace until there is no more pain, READ MORE
Soft tissue injuries can take three months or longer to heal completely, depending on the severity. I would suggest continuing to wear an ankle brace until there is no more pain, swelling, until you can walk safely without feeling off-balance or limping, and after three months time, check with your doctor to make sure everything looks healed. If you continue to do things against your doctors advice even a brace, the healing can obviously take a lot longer. Good luck, Dr. M

What should I do my big toe nail is about to fall off

Your toe appears to be infected, probably from the trauma. My suggestion is to see a local Podiatrist who can evaluate whether or not to prescribe antibiotics. In addition, I READ MORE
Your toe appears to be infected, probably from the trauma. My suggestion is to see a local Podiatrist who can evaluate whether or not to prescribe antibiotics. In addition, I suggest soaking the toe (foot) in 1 qt. of WARM, not hot water with 2 TBSP of Epsom Salts (available almost everywhere) for 15-20 min 2x/day, apply antibiotic ointment and cover it with a new bandaid after each soak. The nail will probably NOT fall off but I'm more concerned with the possible infection. Good luck!

Surgery and reopened wound?

Sorry for the late response as I’ve been out of the country. At this point, I trust your surgery went well. The only 1 reason I could think that your surgery might have been READ MORE
Sorry for the late response as I’ve been out of the country. At this point, I trust your surgery went well. The only 1 reason I could think that your surgery might have been delayed would be an active infection. Focusing on
postoperative recovery, besides doing what your surgeon recommended, increasing your intake of protein & Vitamin D has been shown to shorten healing time. The best of luck to you!

Do you need physical therapy after a broken foot?

Depending on the location and extent of the fracture and your activity levels and goals, PT is usually a very good idea. It can, at least, reduce swelling and return range of READ MORE
Depending on the location and extent of the fracture and your activity
levels and goals, PT is usually a very good idea. It can, at least, reduce
swelling and return range of motion more quickly. Good luck!
Sincerely, Dr. M

Is it possible to correct my ankles?

Before a discussion of which treatment would be best suited to your condition, a full orthopedic exam (by a podiatrist) should be performed. There are a few different conditions READ MORE
Before a discussion of which treatment would be best suited to your condition, a full orthopedic exam (by a podiatrist) should be performed. There are a few different conditions that could cause one or both feet to turn in as a child. Each has its own preferred/recommended treatment plan. It could turn out you have a structural alignment problem, in your foot or ankle or leg or knee or hip, or vertebral (back) bones, joints, muscles or tendon attachments. Possible treatments may include physical therapy, stretching, custom orthotics with an attached splint, steroid injections, physical therapy, or surgery. I hope this helped!

How long should you keep your foot elevated after an ankle sprain?

If the injury is fresh, warm, swollen and painful, I recommend that my patients elevate the injured part for 20-30 minutes per hour for the first 1-2 days, apply ice on the injured READ MORE
If the injury is fresh, warm, swollen and painful, I recommend that my patients elevate the injured part for 20-30 minutes per hour for the first 1-2 days, apply ice on the injured area for 15-20 minutes until the swelling reduces and the pain subsides. If pain is more intense or
continues past a few days, you should get an x-ray to make sure no fracture or additional injury exists.

How can I shrink my bunion naturally?

To the best of this Podiatrist's knowledge, the only way to "shrink" a bunion is by having surgery. Bunions are a protrusion of bone. While there may be some alternative medical READ MORE
To the best of this Podiatrist's knowledge, the only way to "shrink" a bunion is by having surgery. Bunions are a protrusion of bone. While there may be some alternative medical treatments that might reduce actual living bone, I am not aware of any scientifically proven methods, other than bunion surgery where the bump is actually physically removed.

I have a red line on my toenail?

In my 34 years as a podiatrist, I have never seen the red line in your picture be a cancer! From what I can see, it looks like the nail was trimmed too close to the distal edge READ MORE
In my 34 years as a podiatrist, I have never seen the red line in your picture be a cancer! From what I can see, it looks like the nail was trimmed too close to the distal edge of the nail. Apply antibiotic ointment 1x/day for 1 week & see if there are any changes in appearance. If you have a history of skin/nail cancers, I suggest you make an appointment with a dermatologist for further evaluation.
Good luck & Happy Holidays!!!

Is this just a bruise or something more on my toenail?

It's possible that the spot is a small bruise, especially considering you went hiking. However, there's also a very small chance it might be "something" more serious. I would tell READ MORE
It's possible that the spot is a small bruise, especially considering you went hiking. However, there's also a very small chance it might be "something" more serious. I would tell my own family member not to panic and to not assume the worse, but let's get it checked out immediately. That is what I suggest you do, as well. Get it checked out by a Dermatologist ASAP so you can stop worrying about the spot under your nail.
Hope this helps and, good luck!!

Injured foot?

It's not typical for tight shoes, alone, to cause a Jones fracture. More likely, it can be due to a specific activity while wearing shoes without proper support. A Jones fracture READ MORE
It's not typical for tight shoes, alone, to cause a Jones fracture. More likely, it can be due to a specific activity while wearing shoes without proper support. A Jones fracture should be fully and correctly evaluated and treated to prevent future disability and pain.
The best of luck to you.

Dr. M

What kind of anesthesia do they use for ankle surgery?

Depending on the extent of the injury and complexity and time it will take for the treatment, anesthesia is typically either "Local Standby," which means the area is numbed by READ MORE
Depending on the extent of the injury and complexity and time it will take for the treatment, anesthesia is typically either "Local Standby," which means the area is numbed by injection of local anesthesia and you are given IV Versed (or something similar), which helps you relax, doze off, & not remember much, or "General Anesthesia," where you are completely put to sleep and a breathing tube is inserted and hooked up to a respirator, which breathes for you. Best to ask your surgeon.
Good luck!!!

I have a cut in the inward side of my right foot?

It sounds as if you might have injured one of the nerves in that area of your foot. Nerves sit right under the skin and an injury, or even just pressure against it, can feel like READ MORE
It sounds as if you might have injured one of the nerves in that area of your foot. Nerves sit right under the skin and an injury, or even just pressure against it, can feel like burning, tingling, sharp pain, vibrating pain, like an insect is crawling on your skin, or other sensations. As long as the skin is not broken and you have no signs of an infection, I recommend you purchase, apply, and lightly rub in a small amount of OTC steroid cream, such as Triamcinolone cream or Voltaren Gel. If that doesn't help in 3-5 days, you should seek direct medical care.

Best of luck,

Dr. M

What to do if your foot hurts after working out?

Your foot pain depends completely on your level of activity prior to starting exercising, your type & activity level, and general health. It also depends on what you were doing READ MORE
Your foot pain depends completely on your level of activity prior to starting exercising, your type & activity level, and general health. It also depends on what you were doing when it started and what makes the pain worse. In general, it would be best to get your pain checked out by a qualified medical. I suggest any foot, ankle, or leg pain be evaluated by a foot & ankle specialist (Podiatrist or Foot & Ankle Orthopedist).

The best of luck to you,

Dr. M. Miller

What’s up with my ankle?

It looks like only a soft tissue bruise. I suggest putting ice on it for 20 minutes per hour 2-3 times/day, elevate the foot and, maybe rub some Aspercream (OTC) on it to reduce READ MORE
It looks like only a soft tissue bruise. I suggest putting ice on it for 20 minutes per hour 2-3 times/day, elevate the foot and, maybe rub some Aspercream (OTC) on it to reduce the swelling. If it’s still swollen or pain after 5 days, have it checked out by a doctor.
Good luck!

Why do I still have pain after ankle surgery?

Ankle surgery is a very involved surgery. Depending on the reason to have had the surgery in the first place, ex. trauma, injury, arthritis, etc., there were likely bones, muscles, READ MORE
Ankle surgery is a very involved surgery. Depending on the reason to have had the surgery in the first place, ex. trauma, injury, arthritis, etc., there were likely bones, muscles, tendons, joints, ligaments, and nerves involved. In any surgery, soft tissues need to heal along with the structures named above, and they all heal at different rates. In general, bones heal in 6-8 weeks, but other tissues can take 6 months or longer to heal. For quicker recovery, a slightly more aggressive, BUT SUPERVISED PT recovery therapy program can help. Keep moving forward & your body should become fully healed!
The best of luck to you!

Is a walking boot better than a cast?

For most of my COMPLIANT patients, a walking boot is a lot more convenient than a cast. However, the most important aspect in treating any fracture is immobilization & support. READ MORE
For most of my COMPLIANT patients, a walking boot is a lot more convenient than a cast. However, the most important aspect in treating any fracture is immobilization & support. Some people find a boot too convenient and remove it during day time resting, showering, and at night. Even with you off your foot or taking a “quick” shower, accidents can happen. If you choose to wear a boot, then you HAVE to wear it until you are healed. It’s important not to sabotage your own healing!
Good luck!!!

What are the symptoms of heel bursitis?

Heel bursitis can resemble many other disorders, I.e. heel spur syndrome, a heel fracture, arthritis, a partial or full tendon tear, or even Gout. It would be best to get it examined READ MORE
Heel bursitis can resemble many other disorders, I.e. heel spur syndrome, a heel fracture, arthritis, a partial or full tendon tear, or even Gout. It would be best to get it examined by a properly trained medical professional, like a Podiatrist. Good luck!!!

What is the recovery time for hammer toe surgery?

Depending on the exact procedure, the "Complete" Recovery can be anywhere from 2-wks to 8-wks. Usually, the patient can begin walking with a surgical shoe within a few days after READ MORE
Depending on the exact procedure, the "Complete" Recovery can be anywhere from 2-wks to 8-wks. Usually, the patient can begin walking with a surgical shoe within a few days after the procedure. Skin Incisions usually heal within 10-14 days. If the toe needs to be fused into a straight position, this can take 6-8 wks. Be sure to ask your podiatrist for complete information on the procedure and the recovery time. Thank you.

Can a broken big toe that happened 35 years ago cause problems years later like varicose veins?

A broken toe from many years ago can lead to chronic pain, stiffness, and an arthritic joint. Depending on the severity of the fracture, the nearby nerve can also be affected READ MORE
A broken toe from many years ago can lead to chronic pain, stiffness, and an arthritic joint. Depending on the severity of the fracture, the nearby nerve can also be affected long term. However, varicose veins are an unlikely effect from a broken toe. These are more circulation related and most likely related to your CAD, Diabetes, and High Cholesterol.