Footnotes, The Foot & Ankle Blog - Page 3 of 29

“Fit to be tied” means being so angry or agitated as to need restraint, but with a little semantic license, it could also describe a pair of shoes that fit so well they’re ready to lace up and wear out the door. The point is, proper shoe fit is more important than most people realize. If you don’t spend the read more »

We’re all aware that being obese, or even just overweight, elevates the risk of incurring all sorts of negative conditions. The effects of obesity on the body include hypertension leading to heart conditions and other cardiovascular disease, arthritis, diabetes, cancer, sleep apnea, hernias, and respiratory problems. About 34% of the adult US population is obese, while 68% is overweight. It’s read more »

What’s Charcot Foot? Charcot foot (also known as “Neuropathic Arthopathy“) is when your foot starts to “soften.” This happens because of a progressive degeneration of the weight bearing joints of the foot. This is the bones in the foot weakening. It occurs in people who have significant nerve damage (neuropathy), most often those who are diabetic. It has been reported read more »

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 »

We’re seeking patients with bunions for a non-surgical research study. You do not need to be a patient of UFAI to participate. There is no cost to participate in the study. Persons who participate in this clinical trial will be helping evaluate the safety and effectiveness of a study medication compared with placebo (no active ingredients). The medicine is given read more »

It’s November. Daylight decreases and nights become longer. The weather begins to cool (even in California) and we see the change of seasons. Leaves change color, clothing stores trot out sweaters, jackets and boots, and orange pumpkins crop up around the neighborhood. It’s a season marked with change. Your body also takes notice of the changing weather. Especially your feet, read more »

During my residency training at a veteran’s hospital I met a diabetic patient who informed me that his diabetic father and grandfather both had their legs amputated due to complications from diabetes. The patient was terrified that someday he too would have his leg amputated. I reassured him that his feet were currently fairly healthy and that they would remain read more »