Foot & Ankle Care

Ankle Injuries

Ankle injuries such as fractures or ligament tears often result from twisting or trauma during physical activity or accidents. Treatment depends on severity but may involve immobilization with braces or casts, physical therapy for rehabilitation, or surgical intervention for more severe cases.

Ankle Sprains

A sprained ankle occurs when you twist your ankle in an abnormal way, causing the ligaments holding your ankle bones together to stretch or tear. Most sprained ankles involve injuries to the ligaments on the outer side of the ankle. Treatment for a sprained ankle depends on the severity of the injury. Although you may just need proper rest and pain medications to heal, it is important to have the sprain looked at by a professional to determine the severity and proper treatment.

Bunions

A bunion is a complex structural deformity that involves the bones of the big toe and the middle of the foot. Pain and difficulty walking and wearing shoes can develop because the foot no longer functions normally. It is not uncommon for arthritis to develop in the big toe joint due to misalignment.

Bunions run in families and can be expected to get worse over time. We now offer advanced surgical options for bunion correction to restore proper alignment and relieve discomfort.

Foot Fractures

Since nearly 25% of the bones in our body are in our feet, fractures of the foot are common and rarely debilitating. There are two types of fractures:

• Stress Fractures typically occur in the space between the toes and middle of the foot, usually as a result of physical activity gone awry. These fractures are only on the surface of the bone.
• General Bone Fractures extend through the bone and are usually caused by trauma to the foot.

Depending on the fracture type and placement, different treatments may be discussed. Foot fractures typically heal on their own, although more serious cases may require surgery. It is important to seek medical attention as soon as possible if you suspect your foot is fractured so treatment can begin right away.

Hammertoes

Hammertoe is a deformity where one or both joints of the second, third, fourth, or fifth toes begin to bend outside of their normal alignment. Pressure can begin to weigh heavily on the toes as you wear shoes, which is where pain and other symptoms develop.

Hammertoes typically begin with small symptoms and deformities that continue to worsen over time. In its beginning stages, hammertoes are often impressionable, meaning they can be controlled using minimal treatment such as orthotics or splints. If left untreated, hammertoes can become more rigid and difficult to manipulate, requiring surgery for correction.

Heel Pain (Heel Spurs/Plantar Fasciitis)

Heel spurs occur in at least 50% of people who have plantar fasciitis. A heel spur is a bony growth that begins on the front of your heel bone and points toward the arch of your foot. Past treatments for heel spurs included surgery to remove the growth; however, nowadays surgery is rarely necessary as physical therapy, ice therapy, orthotics, pain medications, or injections are often effective.

Plantar fasciitis itself is one of the most common causes of heel pain due to inflammation in the band of tissue connecting your heel bone to your toes.

Ingrown Toenails

We have all made the painful mistake of trimming our nails too short at some point in our lives. Sometimes this can really affect our foot health by causing ingrown toenails.

This happens when the nail grows downward into the skin instead of straight out—usually causing an infection. Ingrown toenails are most common on the sides of the big toe but can also be caused by shoe pressure, injury, fungal infections, poor foot structure, etc.

Warm water soaks several times a day, properly fitted shoes/socks, and trimming nails straight across (rather than rounded) are ways to treat/prevent painful ingrown toenails. If there is an infection present antibiotics may be prescribed.

Joint Injections

Steroid injections reduce swelling, stiffness, and pain in conditions like arthritis or plantar fasciitis by delivering anti-inflammatory medication directly into affected areas.

Steroid injections treat foot/ankle conditions such as:

• Gout
• Plantar fasciitis
• Ankle osteoarthritis
• Rheumatoid arthritis
• Achilles tendinopathy
• Tarsal tunnel syndrome
• Posterior tibial tendonitis

Relief typically occurs within hours or days after injection.

Orthotics

An ankle-foot orthosis (AFO) improves walking patterns by reducing movement limitations while supporting weak muscles or maintaining joint alignment issues related to deformities or spasticity concerns. These devices are worn alongside socks/shoes.

Rashes & Infections

A foot rash can be caused by a whole range of things such as an allergic reaction, infection, or underlying medical condition. Symptoms of foot or ankle rashes vary from anything from a small, short-lived mild rash on feet to one that spreads up the leg frequently returning painfully itchy accurate diagnosis ensures effective treatment preventing worsening spreading long-term chronic concerns.

There are several causes of a foot rash that present differently and require different treatment:

• Irritant Contact Dermatitis
• Allergic Contact Dermatitis
• Eczema
• Athlete’s Foot
• Hand-Foot-Mouth Disease
• Psoriasis
• Scabies
• Insect Bites

Reconstructive Surgery

Reconstructive surgery addresses complex deformities or injuries that impair foot and ankle function. These procedures aim to restore alignment, stability, mobility—and ultimately improve quality of life.

Sports & Running Injuries

High-impact activities such as sports and running can lead to various foot and ankle injuries including sprains fractures tendonitis overuse injuries proper diagnosis-treatment crucial recovery preventing long-term complications.

Trauma

Traumatic injuries like fractures or dislocations require prompt medical attention for proper healing. Depending on severity treatment may range from conservative care immobilization surgical repair.