About
Pain in the foot and ankle is unfortunately a very common problem. You don't have to live on this earth for very long to experience foot or ankle pain of some form. There are many potential causes for pain, swelling, stiffness, or dysfunction of the foot. Ankle sprains are probably the most common sports injury. When your foot or ankle is painful consistently, especially during weight bearing, it can have a profound impact on your life. Working, exercising, cooking, yard work, house-work and playing are frequently affected. As with any problem, especially one that lingers, the first order of business is to determine what is causing the pain and dysfunction. Taking a history of the problem, doing a physical examination, taking xrays, and occasionally further imaging with an MRI or ultrasound will usually diagnose the condition. Once the cause of the problem has been determined then a treatment plan can be developed and begun.
Conditions
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Common conditions of the ankle
Common conditions of the foot
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Treatment
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As with many orthopedic problems, most can be treated with conservative care including:
-anti-inflammatory medicine -braces and splints -orthotics -physical therapy -casts When conservative measures fail and when it is indicated, surgery may be necessary. Surgical procedures are varied based on the problem being treated. Common procedures include fusions, tendon repairs or transfers, bunionectomy (removal of bunion with correction of toe deformity), hammertoe correction, and fracture repair |
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