Foot and Ankle Blog - Page 10 of 20

What’s an Os Trigonum? An os trigonum is a non-utilitarian piece of bone that usually rests peacefully at the back of some peoples’ feet. Ordinarily, an os trigonum is a harmless anomaly. However, if you punt a football, kick a soccer ball, swim using a butterfly kick, or go en pointe as a ballet dancer, that little hunk of bone read more »

It’s sad but true, you can’t rush your recovery after having ankle surgery Ankle surgery recovery isn’t a walk in the park (pun intended), but getting back into your regular workout routine doesn’t have to be like a grueling marathon either. It’s a big change to your lifestyle when you’re recovering from a broken ankle, but the time you invest read more »

Heel pain is one of the most common problems foot and ankle physicians encounter on a daily basis. Unfortunately, it is also a problem that plantar fasciitis is so common because many physicians do not consider that heel pain can be due to a multitude of problems, of which plantar fasciitis is only one. Radiographs, magnetic resonance imaging (MRI), ultrasound read more »

The famous dancer and choreographer Martha Graham once said, “Think of the magic of the foot, comparatively small, upon which your whole weight rests. It’s a miracle.” But not all feet are so wonderfully miraculous. Some aren’t so pretty. Some are flat. And some are so extremely arched as to cause chronic problems. What’s pes cavus (aka high arches)? Women read more »

No doubt about it, end-stage ankle arthritis sounds scary. But the reality is even worse than it sounds. When the protective cartilage that cushions the ankle joint is lost, bone grinds on bone. The results? Debilitating pain, major disruption of ordinary activities, and a steep decline in ones quality of life. 50,000 new cases of ankle arthritis occur every year, read more »

There was a wonderful article in the Boston Globe recently about plantar fasciitis, which seems to be everywhere these days. Beth Teitel, the author and Boston Globe Features Writer did a great job and also featured Dr. Bob Baravarian, assistant clinical professor at the UCLA School of Medicine and co-director of University Foot and Ankle Institute. A spokesman for the read more »

Want a pedicure? There’re so many salons, how do you choose the right one… or a safe one? If you are using Yelp or other consumer review sites to determine where to go, the selection can be overwhelming.  Just in the Los Angeles area alone, there are over 6,000 salons listed! As podiatrists, we see the aftermath of when pedicures read more »

We see more foot stress fractures when kids (and adults) return to school and work. Here’s why this happens. Say goodbye to playing video games all day, no more lounging around the pool, no more afternoon siestas and no more building snowmen (or “snow people” as I l called them back in Maryland) during the holidays. Sadly it will be read more »

So you have a bunion and you are considering surgery. How do you know what surgeon is the best for you? After 20 years of taking care of patients with foot and ankle ailments, I have come up with what I believe is the perfect bunion surgeon.

The plantar fascia is a strong web of ligament that runs along the bottom of your foot, from your heel bone (calcaneous) to the bones of your toes. It functions as a resilient shock absorber and supports the arch of your foot. What’s Plantar Fasciitis? Plantar fasciitis is the name of the condition that occurs when repetitive overuse of the read more »