Foot & Ankle Conditions & Treatments

Foot and ankle pain is often the result of an injury and is typically considered a sports injury. However, you don’t have to be an athlete to twist your ankle. It is possible to injure your foot and ankle by simply walking on an uneven surface.

Foot and ankle injuries can occur to anyone at any age. Although, men between the ages of fifteen and twenty-four are more likely. Comparably so, women older than thirty tend to have a higher rate of pain than men.

n the US, 25,000 people daily experience an ankle sprain. Furthermore, over 1 million people visit an emergency room for ankle pain daily. However, ankle sprains and fractures are the most common. Although a tear or strain of a tendon is also a large possibility.

Since foot and ankle injuries are so common, it’s important to have a specialist you can trust in. Call our office today to learn more about our #1 foot and ankle physician in South Florida 888-409-8006.

Foot & Ankle Pain Causes

Foot & ankle pain can have many causes. Those include both conditions, injuries & deformities. For instance:

Common Foot/ Ankle Conditions:

• Athlete’s Foot is a contagious fungal infection that typically starts between the toes. This condition is common in individuals whose feet sweat often while in tightfitting shoes.
• Arthritis is the inflammation of one or more of your joints.  There are more than 100 forms of arthritis known that affect the foot and ankle. Our foot and ankle specialists can perform several treatment options to slow the process of arthritis.
• Bunions are a bony prominence at the base of the big toe. They cause pain, redness and are aggravated by footwear. It’s common also to have trouble finding footwear to properly fit.
• Foot Blister is a pocket of fluid that forms in a top layer of your skin on the outside of the body. There are a handful of instances a foot blister may develop. For instance, an infection, insect bite, trauma or a skin burn.
• Ingrown Toenail is a common condition and caused by the in-growth of the nail edge into the skin of the toe. Even though it produces a little discomfort at the beginning, it may progress into an infection. Or worse, a recurring problem.
• Sesamoiditis affects the forefoot and is a common condition. People who engage in physical activity like dancing or running are likely to be affected.
• Heel spurs are a condition of the foot where a bony growth (calcium deposit) extends between your heel bone and arch. However, they are typically so small that they are not always visible to the naked eye.

Common Foot/Ankle Injuries:

• Achilles Tendonitis is the inflammation of the Achilles tendon which connects the two major calf muscles.  A common symptom of Achilles Tendinitis is sharp pain along the back of the tendon and close to the heel.
• Ankle Dislocation is a severe injury where an abnormal separation between the bones of the ankle joint occurs.  The most common symptom is intense pain and immediate loss of normal function as well as a visible deformity
• Ankle Fracture means that one or more bones that make up the ankle joint are broken. These include the tibia, fibula, and talus.  Possible treatment for a fractured ankle involves casting, taping, wrapping, booting or surgery
• Foot Fractures are one of the most common types of foot injuries, most often involving the metatarsals and toes.  Furthermore, 10% of all fractures occur in the 26 bones of the foot.
• Plantar Fasciitis is one of the most common causes of heel pain. Due to inflammation of the tissue that runs across the bottom of the foot and connects the heel bone to the toes (plantar fascia).
• Sprained Ankle is a very common injury that occurs when a person twist, turn or roll the ankle. This causes a stretch or tear of the ligaments that hold the ankle bones together. Most sprained ankles involve injuries to the ligaments on the outside of the ankle.

Common Foot/Ankle Deformities:

• Hammertoe (Claw Toe) is the most common deformity of the second, third, or fourth toe.  The toe has an abnormal bend in its middle joint making it bend downward (like a hammer).  Hammertoe, if not treated, can be extremely painful.
• Clubfoot occurs when the foot is twisted inward in a way that the sole faces sideways or upward.  This condition is typically congenital (at birth) or the result of polio.

Common Foot & Ankle Pain Treatments

Depending on the pain level of your injury will often result in what treatment method you should take. Always ice your elbow after an injury. Your doctor will recommend any additional treatment options. Such as physical therapy or an injection.

Non-operative Shoulder Treatments

• Corticosteroid Injections: may help to relieve pain and inflammation in a specific area of your body. This injection typically includes a corticosteroid medication and a local anesthetic.
• Trigger Point Injections: (also known as TPI) is used to treat pain in certain areas in the body. These areas contain knots of muscle that form when muscles don’t relax.
• Platelet Rich Plasma (PRP) Injections: may help damaged tissue when plasma is injected. Therefore, stimulating your body to grow new healthy cells and promote healing.

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