Are people born with foot problems or do they develop later?
Do podiatrists practice in specialized areas?
While all podiatrists are highly trained practitioners, some specialize in areas such as foot surgery, foot dermatology, bone and joint disorders, diabetic foot care, children’s foot disorders, disorders common to seniors, footwear technology and sports medicine.Other podiatrists specialize in research areas of human movement studies, footwear technology and podometric research. These podiatrist can commonly be found working within the footwear industry.
Do women have more foot problems than men?
My children don’t have any foot pain. Why should I take them to a podiatrist?
Children may have structural imbalances of the feet that may go unrecognized and can lead to deformities and imbalances within the skeletal system. Early detection can lead to fewer difficulties as your child grows up.
What are the symptoms of bunions?
Symptoms of a bunion are most noticeable when wearing shoes. Most often when wearing those shoes that crowd the toes – those shoes with a tight toe box and high heel shoes. This may explain why women are more likely to complain of symptoms than men. Spending long hours on your feet may also aggravate the symptoms of bunions.Symptoms that occur at the site of the bunion may include:
- Pain or soreness
- Inflammation and redness
- A burning sensation
- Occasionally some numbness
Bunions are most often caused by an inherited faulty mechanic structure of the foot. It is not the bunion itself that is inherited, but certain foot types that make a person prone to developing a bunion.
What happens during the actual surgery (bunion removal)?
The surgery to remove a bunion is called a bunionectomy. The procedure takes about 30–45 minutes. During the surgery the surgeon makes an incision on the side of the great toe. A small piece of the bone is removed. The bone in the great toe is repositioned to correct the deformity. Sometimes a screw, pin or wire is inserted to keep the bone in the proper position. Then the incision is closed and a dressing applied.
The surgical procedure performed as part of Premier Research clinical trials is the most current bunion surgery available and is considered a standard of care procedure.
Surgery for bunion removal is typically an outpatient procedure. When you have your bunion removed as part of a clinical trial, you will be required to stay in the clinic for a longer period of time and will be closely evaluated by our trained research physicians, nurses, and other highly skilled staff.
If you have more than one bunion that requires surgery, only one bunion will be removed per clinical trial. You may participate in a subsequent clinical trial with Premier Research to have a second bunion removed, but you may not participate in the same clinical trial a second time.
Sometimes observation of the bunion is all that’s needed. A periodic office evaluation and x-ray examination can determine if your bunion deformity is advancing, thereby reducing your chance of irreversible damage to the joint. In many other cases, however, some type of treatment is needed, such as changes in shoes, padding, activity modifications, pain medications, icing, injection therapy, and orthotic devices.
When the pain of a bunion interferes with daily activities, it’s time to discuss surgical options with your foot and ankle surgeon. Together you can decide if surgery is best for you.
Is the bunion surgery painful?
The amount of pain experienced after bunion surgery is different from one person to the next. Most patients will experience discomfort for three to five days. If you closely follow your foot and ankle surgeon’s instructions, you can help minimize pain and swelling after your bunion surgery.
After a Hallux Valgus operation, can sports activities such as jogging, or dancing, be resumed in the future?
Yes, patients can resume all the usual sporting activities.
Is a general anaesthetic needed in all cases for the operation?
In consultation with the anaesthetist a local anaesthetic in the lower leg can sometimes be sufficient. Sometimes even a so called ‘foot block’ is sufficient. This is where a local anaesthetic is injected directly above the ankle-joint. The patient remains awake and the foot is completely anaesthetised.
Hammertoes occur when a normal foot becomes flat and the flexor muscles overpower the smaller muscles causing the outer two joints of the toe to bend downward. In this unnatural position, the inside of the shoe rubs againt the bent toe joints, gradually causing calluses to form on the tops of the toes. Early treatment is important when hammertoes first begin to develop so they don’t become rigid.
Are there any risks with this operation?
As with all surgical operations, there are risks. Your surgeon and your anaesthetist will be able to judge any possible complications, depending on your health records.
