Nicholas C. Noah, DPM

Podiatrist (Foot and Ankle Specialist)

5226 South College Rd Unit 4 Wilmington NC, 28412 Show map

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About

Dr. Nicholas Noah is a podiatrist practicing in Wilmington, NC. Dr. Noah is a medical doctor specializing in the treatment of the foot , ankle and related parts of the leg. As a podiatrist, Dr. Noah 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.

Education and Training

Barry University School of Podiaric Medicine and Surgery

Provider Details

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Nicholas C. Noah, DPM

Nicholas C. Noah, DPM's Expert Contributions

My Answers

I am experiencing foot pain while sitting. What could be the reason?
Hello, thanks for your question. Pain after sitting or resting for a period of time is called post static dyskinesia. The most common reasons I see this is due to tendonitis or fasciitis. I would try stretching twice a day, OTC orthotics, RICE and an anti inflammatory. I hope this helps. If you have further questions please feel free to call the office, thanks and goodluck. READ MORE
A glass pricked my foot and even after a month the spot hurts. What should I do?
Glass shards are difficult to see on xrays if it is a very small piece. MRI can be a more useful tool when dealing with foreign body reactions. Thanks for your question and I wish you well. If you have any further questions please don’t hesitate to call the office, thanks. READ MORE
What is the meaning of the term ballerina foot?
To be honest I have never heard of nor used the term ‘ballerina foot’. There are certain foot and ankle conditions that affect dancers at a higher incidence than the normal population. The classic condition associated with professional ballet dancers is a condition called os trigonum syndrome. When ballet dancers are en pointe it puts stress on an accessory bone at the posterior (back) aspect of the ankle. This causes pain and swelling of the flexor hallucis longus tendon which is active during extreme plantarflexion while en pointe. There are other conditions that affect dancers such as corns, callouses, bunions, hammertoes, stress fractures that come with the extreme rigors of professional dancing. Thank you for your question. READ MORE
Why do my feet hurt when I wear flats or heels?
Thank you for your question. The most common reasons patients suffer from heel pain is biomechanical in nature. Patients with a high arch, low arch and tight calfs and tendons (equinus) are particularly susceptible. The also see heel pain in people who have had a recent fluctuation in weight, a recent change in activity level or have an overuse injury. As far as shoegear I normally recommend a good supportive anti-pronation shoe. An example is brooks anti-pronation shoes but there are many good brands. I also recommend OTC vs custom orthotics. I would avoid any shoes that cause pain in your heel and ankle during the acute inflammatory stage of your injury. Please call the offIce if you would like additional information. I hope I answered your question and goodluck. READ MORE
Does swelling around the ankle indicate a serious injury?
It apprars you suffered a grade 1 ankle sprain which means the ankle ligament was stretched but not torn. Swelling normally does indicate an injury but if your pain has been minimal then I would not let it worry you. Grade 1 sprains heal fine. I recommend a compression device (ace wrap) on your ankle for one to two weeks after a sprain and implementing the RICE protocol. Thanks for your question and goodluck. If you have additional questions please feel free to call the office. READ MORE
What to do for swollen feet?
Compression stockings are the mainstay of treatment for patients with venous insufficiency. It is a common issue I see in my diabetic patients. I routinely perform weekly compression castings on my patients who have severe swelling to manage it with the plan to go back into compression hose once the swelling has improved. It sounds like she needs more aggressive compression. Give the office a call if you would like to schedule her an appointment. I wish you both the best of luck and thank you for the question. READ MORE
Why do I wake up with pain in my heels everyday?
About 90% of my patients with pain in the heels upon waking up in the morning have a condition called plantar fasciitis. It is very common and is something I treat on a daily basis. Conservative treatment consists of stretching, RICE, orthotics, physical therapy, injections, anti-inflammatory meds, good supportive shoes and night splints. If you would like to schedule an appointment please feel free to call the office. Good luck and thanks for the question. READ MORE
There is a feeling of discomfort in my right foot. What could this be?
The cause of your pain could be a number of things. To truly understand the source of your pain I would need to perform a lower extremity physical exam. Please feel free to call the office if you would like to schedule an appointment. Thank you for your question and I apologize for not having a concrete answer but I would require additional information to give you a better understanding of what is going on with your right foot. READ MORE
The skin on my left foot feels raw after standing for a long time. Why?
Normally numbness manifesting itself in the foot is due to compression of a nerve. It is difficult to know for certain what nerve is being compressed without an exam. More commonly it is either compression of a nerve in the lower spine or compression of a nerve on the inside of the ankle. Typically it is either radiculopathy (compression of a nerve in the low back) or tarsal tunnel (compression of a nerve in the ankle). Call the office for an appointment if your numbess continues and thanks for the question. I wish you the best of luck. READ MORE
Is my ankle sprained?
Ankle sprains can resolve on there own if it is a grade 1 or mild grade 2 sprain. A bad grade 2 or grade 3 sprain require medical care. The best treatment for ankle sprains is compression. I routinely place patients in a soft compression cast during the initial healing process and routinely recommend physical therapy and sweedo braces for people with a history of ankle sprains. My goal is to restore stability to the ankle tendons and ligaments in hopes to avoid surgery. I hope this helps and I wish you luck. Feel free to call the office if you have additional questions. READ MORE
Can I run with flat feet?
For my patients with pes planus (flat feet) I recommend OTC vs custom orthotics. It is fine to run with flat feet as long as the arch is supported. If the arch is not supported in patients with flat feet it makes you prone to tendonitis which is very painful. As far as shoes I recommend brooks beast anti-pronation shoes which are great for people who over pronate due to flat feet. Please feel free to call the office if you have additional inquiries. Thanks for your question and goodluck to you! READ MORE
My mother is diabetic and has thick nail growth in her feet. How can we cut them while avoiding injury?
Unfortunately this is a common problem I see with my diabetic patients who develop onychomycosis or thick, hard and yellow nails. Because of the high risk of diabetic patients developing infections from simple cuts in the skin, I recommend you seek a podiatrist like myself to manage her diabetic foot care. Medicare will cover diabetic foot care. Please call the office if you would like to set an appointment for your mother. I wish you and your mother the best, thank you for your question. READ MORE
Why are my feet so crooked?
It is an unfortunate truth that bunions have a genetic component and it seems you have inherited this problem from your mother. Orthotics can ‘slow’ the progression of a bunion but the disease process has begun in your case at a young age. If you would like a consultation please feel free to contact the office. Thank you for your question and feel free to call the office with any additional inquiries. READ MORE
Can anyone get athlete's foot?
Feet in general are constantly in shoes and socks which is a warm, dark, moist area which can be a breeding ground for fungus. It is difficult to say exactly why you have developed itching, cracking and scaling on your feet but the most common issues I see are foot fungus of the skin and dermatitis of the skin. I recommend you start OTC lotrisone which has anti-fungal and anti-inflammatory medication in it. Spray all of your shoes with lysol on the inside weekly as well. Feel free to call the office if you have more questions and I wish you the best of luck. READ MORE
Ingrown toenail surgery now have thick ridged nails
Thank you for your question. I am happy to hear you do not continue to have ingrown nails. With that said it seems like your nails have grown back ‘dystrophic’ or infected with fungus. Normally I recommend several treatment options for fungal nails which include topical and oral anti-fungals, laser treatments and complete nail removal. There are many treatment protocols I implement based on the individual patient. If you have additional questions please feel free to call the office during normal buisness hours. Thank you so much for your inquiry. READ MORE
Do store orthotics work?
Hello and thank you for the question. This is a very common question I get from patients. Which over the counter orthotics are ‘good’? In my opinion there are three over the counter orthotics I recommend. Most patients go to the pharmacy or walmart and pick up gel inserts which tend to break down very fast or did not have enough arch support in the first place. Of the three OTC (over the counter) orthotics I recommend I would need to examine your feet to evaluate what foot type you have. I would be happy to answer any questions you may have, just call the office during business hours. Thank you for your inquiry. READ MORE
What's this feeling on the bottom of my toe?
Hello and thank you for your question. There could be many reasons why you are experiencing this ‘prickly’ sensation in your big toe. The most common reason I see in practice is that a foreign body somehow is lodged in the skin. Other reasons are dermatological conditions. Its difficult to know without a complete exam and workup. If you have additional questions please feel free to call the office during normal business hours. Thank you so much for your inquiry. READ MORE
Dull pain in my big toe with no presumed cause, what is it?
Hello and thank you for your question. The most common reason I see ‘dull’ pain in the big toe without an obvious deformity is a condition called ‘metatarsus primus elevatus’. Basically, it predisposes you to arthritis in the big toe joint. There are many other reasons that could be causing it and it is difficult to know without a complete workup. If you have additional questions, please feel free to call the office during normal business hours. Thank you so much for your inquiry. READ MORE
I am getting frequent ankle swelling. Can it be cured?
Hello and thank you for your question. The most common reason I see a young patient as yourself complain of ankle pain especially after rigorous exercise regimens is something called posterior tibial tendonitis. I have experience treating this condition and thankfully it is treatable! I would need to perform a complete workup to establish a diagnosis as ankle pain can be caused by many things. Feel free to contact the office during normal buisness hours and I would be happy to answer any additional questions you have. Thank you so much for your inquiry. READ MORE
How to reduce the pain due to ankle sprain?
Thank you for your question. I am sorry to hear of your ankle injury. If you truly have an ankle sprain, this type of injury occurs to the anterior talofibular ligament which is the most common injury after an ankle sprain. There are three grades, grade 1 which is micro tears of the ligament, grade 2 which is a partial tear and grade 3 which is a complete tear of the ligament. In order to properly advice you on the conservative treatment protocol I would need to perform an orthopedic exam. I would recommend the RICE protocol and an anti-inflammatory for 2 weeks post injury and some form of a compression dressing which is extremely important in expedited recovery that commonly gets overlooked. Please feel free to call the office during normal buisness hours if you have additional questions. Thank you for your inquiry. READ MORE

Areas of expertise and specialization

Foot and Ankle Surgery

Professional Society Memberships

North Carolina Foot and Ankle Society

Articles and Publications

Buchman, J. DPM, Noah, N., Aoun, Y., Ashe, K., Shelford, J. \"Modified \"S\" Type Elliptical Excision of a Dermatofibroma\". The Foot and Ankle Online Journal 3(6): 2. June 2010
Botek, G. DPM, Noah, N. DPM, Owings T. D. Eng., Suba, J., ??Evaluating Iatrogenic Complications of the Total Contact Cast (TCC): A 6 Year Retrospective Review at the Cleveland Clinic?. Journal of the American Podiatric Medical Association. Jan 2016, Vol. 106, No. 1 (January 2016) pp. 1-6

What do you attribute your success to?

My parents

Teaching and speaking

4/06:   Noah, N.“Recent changes in biotechnology”. Senior Seminar, University of North Carolina at Wilmington

11/08: Noah, N.“SLE and Rheumatoid Arthritis with their common manifestations”. Podiatric Medicine presentation Barry University

11/08: Noah, N. and Britt J.“Case presentation: Johnson RT et al. N Engl J Med. 2005. 353:1042-1050”. Medical Microbiology
            presentation on Creutzfeldt-Jakob disease, Barry University

10/12: Noah, N.“Talipes Equinovarus”. Oklahoma Fall State Meeting 2012