| Achilles Tendon Rupture: The Achilles Tendon is the heel cord in the back of the heel. Achilles tendons can rupture for many reasons, including age, sex (males are more susceptible), and sports. However, the Achilles Tendon may also rupture secondary to medical negligence – e.g., giving cortisone injections into the Achilles Tendon. |
| Amputation: Amputations are the loss
of a body part. Amputations are divided into Traumatic Amputations (those
involving loss of a body part caused by an injury) and Non-traumatic
Amputations. The later often occurs secondary to diabetes, poor circulation,
or infection. |
| Arthritis: Artho means joint and itis
means inflammation. There are approximately 38 causes of arthritis and
most of these conditions affect the human foot. The most common of these
conditions is osteoarthritis. This is the simple wearing and tearing away
of the cartilage of the joints. Age, excessive weight, ill-fitting shoes
and trauma (injury) are the basic causes of osteoarthritis. Fortunately,
this condition is very treatable. |
| Blood Clot/ Deep Vein Thrombophebitis (DVT): Deep Vein Thrombosis (also called DVT) is a blood clot that develops in the leg. This is a serious condition, because it can move to the lungs (pulmonary embolus) and cause death. It can also cause permanent damage in the leg called Post-Phlebitic Syndrome |
| Bunion: A bunion is a common term for
a medical condition known as Hallux Valgus. Hallux Valgus if the tilting
of the toe away from the mid-line of the body. It is usually characterized
by a lump or bump that is red, swollen and/or painful on the inside of
the foot in and around the big toe joint. There are many causes of bunions,
but the primary one is tight, ill-fitting shoes, shoes that constrict the
forefoot over a long period of time. High heels and constricting forefoot
shoe gear are the primary causes of Hallux Valgus. |
| Complex Regional Pain Syndrome: see
Reflex Sympathtetic Dystrophy. |
| Corns, Calluses, IPK: Corns and calluses
are the most common conditions on the skin of the foot. A corn which is
a thickening of the outer layer of skin usually occurs on the tops of the
toes. Calluses which are the same condition on the bottom of the feet are
caused by sheering pressures. A severe form of callus is considered an
IPK (Intractable Plantar Keratosis). These conditions are usually painful
and can respond to conservative care. |
| Cosmetic Foot Surgery: Surgery undertaken solely to for the purpose of affecting the appearance or the size of the foot (e.g., to make the foot smaller to be able to fit into smaller/stylish shoes). |
| Diabetes: Diabetes is probably the
most damaging disease that a patient can encounter with regards to their
feet. Diabetes comes in two basic types; type 1 and type 2. Type 1 is usually
associated with juvenile diabetes and is usually a hereditary type of disease.
Type 2, commonly referred to as adult onset diabetes, is usually characterized
by elevated blood sugars by people who are overweight and have not attended
to their diet as they should. |
| Dry Cracked Heels: Dry cracking heels
(xeorosis) is a condition of thickening and fissuring (cracking of the
bottom part of the heels). In most people this is a nuisance and a cosmetic
problem. But when the problem persists, especially in diabetes or people
with impaired vascular sufficiency, this can lead to a serious medical
problem. |
| Economy Class Syndrome: Economy Class Syndrome refers to the cramped economy seats on airlines that can give rise to deep Vein Thrombosis, Pulmonary embolus, or death. |
| Endoscopic Surgery: Endoscopic surgery
-- endo: meaning the end of, and scopic: meaning to look at -- is an instrument
that looks at the end of a closed space. When endoscopic surgery is used
in conjunction with the foot, it is usually meant to be a procedure that
deals with the plantar fascia -- plantar: meaning the bottom of, and fascia:
the thick ligament that runs from the back of the heel to the front of
the foot. [ Further information ] |
| Extracorporal Shock Wave Therapy (ESWT):
ESWT is an emerging new therapy for the treatment of chronic
heel pain.
[ Further information ] |
| Flat Feet: Flat feet of themselves
are not necessarily a problem. But people with a flat foot or the opposite
condition, a highly arched foot, that are painful, are certainly in need
of treatment. Flat feet and high arches that are associated with ankle,
knee or low back pain are also in need of treatment. |
| Foot Ulcers: Foot ulcers are generally
a breakdown of the skin on the plantar aspect (bottom) of the foot. They
have many causes, but the most common are diabetes, and vascular insufficiency.
Diabetes or vascular insufficiency should be taken very seriously as a
good warning sign of impending loss of limb. |
| Fracture: A fracture is a break in a
bone. Fractures are divided into Traumatic Fractures (those fractures
that occur as a result of an injury) and Stress Fracture (those fractures
that occur as a result of repeated micro-trauma). Fractures take several
weeks to heal properly and in some cases, fractures can fail to heal (they
develop a "non-union"). |
| Fungus Nails: Fungus nails are thickened,
deformed, and often painful toenails that are caused by an infection of fungus.
The fungus infects the nail, decays it, and causes the nail to become thick.
[ Further information ] |
| Gout: Gout (hyperuricemia or elevated
uric acid) is generally thought to be a hereditary disease, but there are
many causes: increased purine intake (*see diet), sudden weight loss due
to dieting, and/or diuretics can cause elevated uric acid and mimic the
symptoms of gout. In rare cases, leukemia's and/or blood dyscrasias can
cause elevated uric acid. Gout can be a serious disease and needs medical
intervention, generally by an Internist. |
| Haglund's Deformity: Haglund's Deformity
is a condition of pain and discomfort on the posterior (back) aspect of
the heel at the area of the insertion of the Achilles tendon. |
| Hallux Varus: Hallux varus is a surgical over-correction of a bunion. The big toe splays away from the second toe and the foot can look like a “money’s foot.” |
| Hammertoes / Bone Spurs: Hammertoes,
exostosis (bone spurs) could also be grouped under arthritis. Hammertoes,
bone spurs, and exostosis are all a result of an imbalance of the muscle
structures of the toes, when the toes become crooked, bent, or buckle under
causing joints to protrude. These are all descriptions of a biomechanical
imbalance. |
| Heel Spur / Plantar Fascitis: Heel
spur / plantar fascitis affects men and women equally. It is a condition
in which the bottom of the heel is extremely painful. A heel spur is a
bony overgrowth on the bottom of your heel bone. The heel spur is usually
a result of an inflamed ligament (plantar fascia) on the bottom of the
foot that attaches to the heel bone. Constant abnormal pulling of this
ligament irritates the heel bone and the body lays down a bone spur as
a protective mechanism. [ Further
information ] |
| Ingrown Nails / Fungus Nails: An ingrown
toenail is a condition in which the nail is cutting into the flesh. This
condition is usually very painful and is usually associated with infection
of the toe. A nail is ingrown when one or both corners or sides of the
nail grow into the skin of the toe. Irritation, redness, uncomfortable
sensation of warmth, as well as swelling, pain and infection can result
from an ingrown toenail. |
| Malignant Melanoma: Malignant Melanoma is a dangerous type of skin cancer. |
| Metatarsal Problems / Callus / IPK: In
severe cases of calluses, which usually occur on the plantar aspect (bottom)
of the foot, an IPK can develop. An IPK is, in medical terminology, an
Intractable, meaning that it will not go away, Plantar, meaning bottom
of the foot, Keretosis, meaning a deep seated painful callus that usually
occurs under a weight bearing metatarsal (long bone of the foot). |
| Neuroma: A neuroma
is an irritated, swollen nerve in the ball of the foot,
classically described as a pain in the ball of the foot
located between the base of the third and fourth toes. The
involved nerve is sometimes squeezed and irritated by these
adjacent metatarsal heads causing the painful neuroma to
develop. Many people with this condition report feeling a
painful catching sensation while walking, and many report
sharp pains that radiate out to the two toes where the nerve
ends. You may actually be able to feel a swelling between
the toes, or a feeling similar to a rock in the shoe. This
can feel like electric shocks, similar to hitting your funny
bone on the elbow. Current research with Reflex Sympathetic
Dystrophy (RSD) has
shown a potential relationship between neuroma surgery and
RSD. [ Further
information ] |
| NSAID - Non-steroidal anti-
inflammatory drug. They are called
nonsteroidal because they are not steroids, which treat
inflammation by suppressing the immune system (inflammation
is one of the body's healing responses to trauma). Instead,
all NSAIDs treat inflammation in a way similar to the
mechanism of aspirin, the most well known and oldest member
of the class. |
| Non-Union: Non-union refers to the failure of a bone to "knit" back together following a fracture or surgery. There are many causes of non- union. Non-unions can develop as a result of medical negligence in some instances, such as allowing the patient to walk on the foot too soon. |
| Orthotics: Orthotics are devices that
are used to control abnormal foot function. When the foot is not functioning
correctly, it will produce painful areas. The signs and symptoms of altered
biomechanics of the foot are usually registered as pain. An orthotic can
relieve that pain by supporting the ligaments and the osseous (bone) structures
of the feet. Orthotics are devices that are used to control abnormal foot
function. When the foot is not functioning correctly, it will produce painful
areas. The signs and symptoms of altered biomechanics of the foot are usually
registered as pain. An orthotic can relieve that pain by supporting the
ligaments and the osseous (bone) structures of the feet. Orthotics are
devices that are used to control abnormal foot function. When the foot
is not functioning correctly, it will produce painful areas. The signs
and symptoms of altered biomechanics of the foot are usually registered
as pain. An orthotic can relieve that pain by supporting the ligaments
and the osseous (bone) structures of the feet. Orthotics are devices that
are used to control abnormal foot function. When the foot is not functioning
correctly, it will produce painful areas. The signs and symptoms of altered
biomechanics of the foot are usually registered as pain. An orthotic can
relieve that pain by supporting the ligaments and the osseous (bone) structures
of the feet. |
| Osteomeylitis: Osteomyelitis is an infection
involving a bone. The condition is serious because treatment often requires several
weeks of intra-venous treatment with potent antibiotics and often involves surgery
on the affected bone. |
| Reflex Sympathetic Dystrophy: Reflex
sympathetic dystrophy is a severe and debilitating condition that occurs
when the nerves in the leg "go haywire." A small traumatic injury such
as a slip and fall or any other type of foot, ankle, or leg surgery can
ignite this complication. Early and aggressive treatment usually results
in complete remission of the symptoms. However, if the diagnosis is not
promptly made, or if it is not treated in a timely manner, then the reflex
sympathetic dystrophy can become severe and debilitating to such a degree
that stage III disease can evolve into permanent disability.
[ Further information ] |
| Shin Splints: A shin splint is technically
the tearing away of the anterior tibial muscle from the bone. Shin splints,
or tenosynovitis of the anterior tibial muscle (the muscle that runs from
the mid portion of the foot up the front of the leg, just below the knee,
on the inside front of the calf) is usually caused by over-use. Beginning
runners or other people who engage in sport activities who have not sufficiently
allowed their muscle tone to build up over a proper conditioning program,
or whose conditioning program is too rigorous in the beginning, develop
shin splints. However, people with biomechanical, excessive pronation or
supination of the foot also develop shin splints. |
| Stress Fractures: Stress fractures
are usually the result of altered biomechanics, in that the structures
of the foot are either mechanically not stable and/or the bones of the
foot are subjected to repetitive micro trauma. |
| Sweaty Feet / Foot Odor: Sweaty feet
(hyperhydrosis) and smelly feet (bromohydrosis) are two very common, annoying
conditions of the feet. While some cases of excessive smelling or sweating
of the feet are systemic (throughout the whole body) in nature, such as
anemia (low blood count) or hyperthyroidism (overactive thyroid), these
conditions are usually of a local cause. |
| Synovial Sarcoma: Synovial sarcoma is a malignant soft tissue tumor. This tumor is often misdiagnosed as Plantar Fasciitis. |
| Tarsal Tunnel Syndrome: Tarsal tunnel
syndrome -- tarsal: meaning the lower ankle area of the foot -- is a condition
that usually affects the medial (inside) aspect of the ankle. There are
many structures that run through this area, including tendons, veins, arteries
and nerves. Tarsal Tunnel Syndrome occurs when the posterior tibial nerve,
as it courses under the ligament at the ankle, becomes inflamed for a variety
of reasons, namely: excessive pronation, arthritic problems such as rheumatoid
arthritis, trauma, and even obesity. |
| Wrong Side (Site) Surgery: Surgery done on the wrong side (left foot surgery done when the consent states right foot) or on the wrong area. These results can be devastating when a wrong limb is amputated. |
