Foot and Ankle Blog - Page 5 of 9

The Cartiva implant was considered to be a revolution in great toe arthritis therapy. It came out with a splash and the original studies to get the implant through FDA approval showed incredible results. Our group, University Foot and Ankle Institute, and me in particular, were involved with helping launch the product and educating surgeons on how to use the read more »

Okay, so the holidays are over, or sadly your trip to Italy (yum, Italy!). And the scale tells you that you’ve put way more effort into eating than exercising. What to do? Certainly, many of us try to lose the extra pounds by exercising more or perhaps by trying out new workout regimens. And that is when we learn that read more »

Like most parts of a newborn’s body, your infant’s feet are undeveloped at her time of birth. As she grows and learns to walk, the soft, pliable tissue that structures her feet will solidify into bony tissue in a process known as ossification. Her feet will continue to grow and develop well into her late teens. You can help your read more »

“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 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 in 29% 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 »

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 »

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 »

When the outer edge of your foot hurts enough to get your attention, it can often be difficult to identify the precise cause. While some of the following conditions can occur anywhere in or on your foot, they all belong on a checklist of potential sources of pain on the outside of your foot.

Michael Dumas, 17, was diagnosed with cutaneous larva migrans, a skin condition caused by larvae from animal hookworms. We’re all aware of the beach hazards that lurk in the ocean, like sharks, stingrays, and jellyfish, but we feel safe on the sand. Now there’s cause for caution on the dry side of the beach. Michael Dumas, a teenage boy from read more »

Here’s how a woman got burns and blisters on her foot after trying a home remedy. When it comes to home remedies for athlete’s foot, a little knowledge can be a dangerous thing A 45-year-old English woman suffering with a stubborn case of athlete’s foot read somewhere that garlic can help eliminate fungal infections. So, naturally enough, for the next read more »

Learn about the causes of a toenail falling off, what to do when the loss of a toenail has already occurred or has become inevitable and how long it takes to regrow.

It is important to have the right footwear to support the extra pounding your feet will be subjected to by being both overweight and physically active, so choose carefully. Find out which shoes our expert podiatrists are recommending.

One pound of extra weight adds 10 pounds of additional pressure on your feet and ankles. So it’s not surprising that overweight people are at higher risk for these foot and ankle conditions.