2 Issues That Foot And Ankle Specialists Can Treat
Foot and ankle specialists can treat a variety of different issues in these areas, both in surgical and non-surgical ways. This article will discuss 2 issues that a foot and ankle specialist is going to be able to properly diagnose and then successfully treat for you.
Plantar Warts
One issue that a foot and ankle specialist can help you with is a plantar wart on your foot. This is wart that doesn't protrude out of your skin but is instead up inside. If you have one or more plantar warts on the bottom of your feet, they can be both unsightly and painful. They also generally seem to spread quickly to cover several portions of the bottom of your feet. If the wart happens to form on an area of your foot where you put of a lot of pressure, such as your heel, this can sometimes cause to change the way that you walk in order to reduce the pain. A foot and ankle specialist is going to be able to either reduce or eliminate this problem for you by removing the warts. To do this, they are likely going to either use liquid nitrogen to freeze the wart to kill the wart and the surrounding tissue, or they are going to numb your foot and actually cut the wart out to ensure that it is completely gone. In either case, you are going to need to be prepared to stay off of your feet as much as possible for a few days following the procedure.
Bunions
A foot and ankle specialist is also going to be able to treat bunions. A bunion is a bump that forms at the base of joint, which is located next to the big toe. This forms because the joints that connect at this point moves out of place. This bunion can be very painful, and is generally going to get worse overtime. If you notice that you have a bunion forming on your foot, you are going to want to visit a foot and ankle specialist right away. If you catch the bunion early, they may be able to treat it using non-surgical methods, such as padding and taping the bunion, taking medication to reduce inflammation, physical therapy, or custom orthotics that give your feet and bunion support and comfort. If surgery is needed, the bunion will be removed and, in some cases, the entire joint is then going to reformed to proper alignment.
To learn more, contact a company like Elmhurst Podiatry Center Ltd.
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