Medicine, Rehab & Surgery Since 1990
A bunion can be painful without automatically requiring surgery. If you have a bunion, big toe pain, difficulty finding comfortable shoes, or pain while walking, there are several non-surgical treatments that may help reduce symptoms and improve foot function. The key is understanding what conservative treatment can—and cannot—do. A bunion is a structural deformity involving … Read more
Foot pain that improves with rest but returns when you resume normal activity can be frustrating. It may be tempting to keep trying different shoes, stretches, exercises, or other home treatments. But when pain repeatedly comes back, the more important question is often why it keeps happening. Recurring foot and ankle pain can have many … Read more
For much of its history, podiatry has developed along different paths in different countries. In the United States, the profession evolved toward a physician-based model with increasingly sophisticated medical and surgical training. In the United Kingdom, Australia, New Zealand and other countries, podiatry developed within different healthcare and educational systems, often placing greater emphasis on … Read more
A diabetic foot ulcer may heal only to return in the same location months or even years later. When that happens, the problem is not necessarily that the wound was treated incorrectly. In many cases, the wound healed—but the mechanical forces that caused it were never fully addressed. This is one of the most important … Read more
If you have been seeing a dermatologist for a problem involving the skin or toenails, you may wonder what a podiatrist could add to your care. The answer depends on the problem. Podiatrists are trained to evaluate disorders of the skin, nails, bones, joints, tendons, ligaments, nerves, and other structures of the foot and ankle. … Read more
If you have been receiving wound care for a foot wound, ulcer, surgical wound, pressure injury, or other skin breakdown, you may think of the problem as primarily a wound problem. Sometimes it is. But a wound is often the result of an underlying foot or ankle problem, and treating the wound alone may not … Read more
If you have already seen an orthopedic surgeon—or a foot and ankle orthopedic specialist—you may wonder why you would need to see a podiatrist as well. There is no requirement that you choose one specialty over the other. Orthopedic surgeons and podiatrists can both have important roles in the care of foot and ankle conditions. … Read more
If you have been receiving physical therapy for a foot or ankle problem, you may wonder what a podiatrist can add to your care—especially if you were told that your condition was primarily a musculoskeletal problem that should be treated with therapy. The answer is simple: a comprehensive podiatrist evaluates, diagnoses, and treats musculoskeletal conditions … Read more
A bunion can start as a small bump along the inside of the big toe. At first, it may cause little more than a cosmetic concern or occasional irritation from shoes. Over time, however, a bunion can become painful, change the alignment of the big toe, and affect how the entire foot functions. The important … Read more
Your pinky toe is small, but problems involving the fifth toe can have a surprisingly large effect on how you walk. A painful fifth toe may rub against your shoe, develop a corn or callus, become increasingly crooked, or hurt whenever you push off while walking. If you start avoiding pressure on that toe, you … Read more