Podiatric Medicine

Stop walking around with feet that are in constant pain. There are over 26 bones, 33 joints, and over 100 tendons, muscles and ligaments in your feet. We place tremendous pressure on our feet with our daily activities. Common feet problems like hammertoes and bunions cause pain and discomfort.

These problems are often caused by structural deformity of the bones and the joint. Wearing footwear that is too tight can aggravate these problems. By wearing orthotics and footwear that fits comfortably and properly, these problems can often be avoided.

However, if non-surgical treatments fail and the problem interferes with daily activities, surgery may be necessary. Look no further than Franciscan Physicians Hospital. Here, bunionectomies and hammertoe correction are common outpatient procedures.

Bunions and Bunionectomies
A bunion is an enlargement of bone or tissue around the joint at the base of the big toe. It is a noticeable bump on your big toe joint. This protrusion can displace your big toe and turn it inward toward the second toe.

Bunionectomy is the procedure performed to remove the bump that is causing pain. This is accomplished by cutting out the growth and relocating the joint back into its proper position.

Hammertoe and corrective surgery
Hammertoe is a toe that tends to remain bent at the middle joint in a claw-like position. A common cause of hammertoe is a muscle/tendon imbalance. This condition can create other problems like calluses and corns, which in turn causes more foot pain.

There are a few non-surgical approaches to fix a hammertoe, including:

• Trimming corns and calluses
• Padding corns and calluses
• Wearing footwear that allows toe movement
• Cortisone treatment
• Medications such as Non-Steroidal Anti-Inflammatory Drugs (NSAIDs) like ibuprofen
• Splinting

When you and your podiatrist have exhausted all conservative measures and the problem persists, surgical intervention may be the only option.