If foot or ankle pain keeps you awake at night, it may be time to seek help from a professional. Ankles especially are prone to injury and can be a constant problem if not treated promptly and correctly. Common injuries to ankles include sprains and fractures. Issues that cause pain in the feet are warts, flat feet, plantar fasciitis, and hammer toe among other ailments.
While most people try to deal with the pain themselves, at some point it might be in their best interest to seek the help of a professional. In the case of an injury to the ankle, it is very important to understand the extent of the injury. Sprains can be more difficult to treat since they are diagnosed by degrees. For example, a first-degree sprain may only require a few days of rest with a wrap, whereas a second-degree sprain may require an air cast along with crutches and rest. Ankle Specialists in Racine WI can help to diagnose the injury and assign a degree of severity. If the ankle has sustained a fracture, then surgery may be required. Again, this diagnosis requires the expertise of a podiatrist so the injury can be accurately treated. Doctors at the Great Lakes Foot & Ankle Centers perform a comprehensive exam of the injured ankle to ensure a proper diagnosis is made.
Issues with the feet can cause a lot of pain, but most issues can be treated with either topical ointments and creams, or some may require surgery. Probably the most common issue with feet are warts. Warts can be very painful but can be removed with creams and ointments. In some cases, more invasive treatments may be needed, such as freezing the warts. Other issues such as hammer toe can only be resolved by surgery. Since hammer toe is caused by tendons contracting in the toes, which causes the toes to overlap, surgery is the only way to loosen the tendons and straighten the toes.
Depending on the issue, seeking the help of Ankle Specialists in Racine WI can provide answers to get you on the path to a full recovery.
