What can I do if a doctor made a mistake while operating on my heel? Many have heard of the ailment “heel spur” but don’t really know what it is. A bone spur in the heel develops when the ligament in the arch of the foot, the plantar fascia, is stretched causing significant pain. There […]
How common are complications of hammertoe surgery? While hammertoe surgery is ordinarily not regarded as one of the more complex foot surgeries, this digital arthroplasty procedure is often not as simple as it first appears, either for the patient or the doctor. Though it is typically the first operation surgical residents perform during training, a […]
How can so few doctors be responsible for so many malpractice lawsuits? Most of us are familiar with the large number of malpractice cases in the United States. This high number is the reason that doctors in this country have to pay such tremendous fees for malpractice insurance. The cost is, of course, passed on […]
What are some of the misconceptions about gout and why is it often misdiagnosed? Gout has long been a misunderstood, and often misdiagnosed, condition. Though for centuries the disorder was believed to be a disease of the wealthy and overindulgent, in actuality it is no such thing. The majority of people who develop gout do […]
The New York Times, September 2, 2014, Science Times, page D4, reports on bunions and poses the question “Is surgery the only treatment for bunions?” The brief article reminds us that bunions are caused by a number of factors including genetic (which makes the feet more susceptible to bunion formation due to their formation and […]
In the March/April 2014 edition of The Journal of Foot and Ankle Surgery, Volume 53, Number 2, (www.JFAS.org), several podiatrists in Iowa published an articled called “Clarification of the Anatomic Definition of the Bunion Deformity.” Most patients encounter only the word “bunion” when they see their podiatrist. Most think that bunion is a bony bump […]
An interesting article in Podiatry Today (Vol. 27, Issue 6 – June 2014) (see “http://www.podiatrytoday.com/emerging-evidence-footstrike-patterns-running”) tells us that many claims made by advocates for running barefoot are not supported by scientific studies.
You might have wondered why your podiatrist has you stand barefoot and walk back and forth or even march in place. One reason is that she is looking to measure certain relationships in how your feet are positioned in relation to each other. And how you stand while having a foot x-ray taken is also […]
In the Journal of Foot and Ankle Surgery (www.JFAS.org), Volume 53, Number 3, May/June 2014, in an article titled “Incidence of Complex Regional Pain Syndrome after Foot and Ankle Surgery,” researchers from Scotland reported that from a limited study there was a higher incidence CRPS in those patients having foot surgery who are middle-aged females […]
The current issue of the Journal of the American Podiatric Medical Association, (March/April 2011, volume 101, number 2), contains several articles on current podiatric practices regarding diabetic foot care. It goes without saying that regular podiatric care can reduce disease-related foot problems such as diabetic ulcers. One article in this edition showed how costs associated […]
