Appropriate wound care is imperative in preventing leg amputations. Limb salvage is a major goal in podiatry as studies have shown the debilitating effects of leg amputation.
The inversion ankle sprain is the single most common injury in all of the sports and athletic injuries universally. If you regularly watch sporting events, you might see that an athlete is on injured reserve – this is likely due to an inversion ankle sprain. It makes up about 40% of all sports injuries, and 25% of all missed practice or play time.
Dr. Ashley Bowles, a board-certified reconstructive foot and ankle surgeon and certified wound specialist, treats all ailments, big or small, below the knee. “As a lifelong dancer, I was inspired to improve people’s quality of life through optimizing foot health,” explains Dr. Bowles.
More than 20 million people in the United States suffer from peripheral neuropathy and nerve pain according to the National Institute of Health. Neuropathy describes a class of disorders arising from an injury to a nerve. Peripheral neuropathy involves the nerves in the arms and legs with symptoms often presenting in the hands and feet.
Morton’s neuroma is a benign, sometimes painful condition that affects the ball of the foot. It’s also called an intermetatarsal neuroma because it’s located in the ball of the foot between two metatarsal bones. A Morton’s neuroma forms when the tissue around a nerve, usually where it bifurcates (splits) leads to a toe thickens from irritation or compression. It most often occurs between the third and fourth toes.
Anything that inhibits your ability to walk affects your quality of life. Those feet that carry you around from place to place every day are an asset. Wounds occurring on the feet, one of the most common issues seen by a podiatrist, can greatly impair the functionality of that asset.
A doctor can usually diagnose diabetic neuropathy by performing a physical exam. Your doctor will check your tendon reflexes, overall muscle power/strength and sensation to touch.
Gout is a highly inflammatory type of arthritis known to cause debilitating pain, particularly in the joints of the lower extremities. While a majority of gout flares affect the large toe, as Dr Peterson mentioned previously, it can affect any joints as well as many organs.