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  3. Are There Nonsurgical Treatments for Foot and Ankle Problems?

Clinical Resource: Are There Nonsurgical Treatments for Foot and Ankle Problems?

Description

Foot and ankle injuries happen all the time. From sports injuries to exercise mishaps or even just taking one wrong step, these injuries can cause severe pain and mobility issues.

Many of us take our feet for granted until there’s a problem. If you have ever had a shoulder or arm injury, you can still get around despite your injury. With foot or ankle problems, getting from one room to another can be a real struggle. While surgery may be one way to correct some issues, it’s not the only way.  Dr. Rob Martin talks about some non-surgical options to know and consider before going into the operating room.

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Are There Nonsurgical Treatments for Foot and Ankle Problems?

Transcript

Hi, my name is Rob Martin. I’m an orthopaedic surgeon, fellowship-trained in foot and ankle surgery, working at UAMS.

One of the things about your feet is you can’t take a step unless you have a foot that works. So patients with upper extremity injuries, you can still walk around if your shoulder hurts or if your elbow hurts. But if you have a painful foot or a broken foot, it’s impossible to get around and walk.

One of the things I tell all of my patients, the patients that I think I might end up having to operate on and even those I don’t is that I am a surgeon and I love to operate. But before I operate, we’re going to do everything that we can to make sure that we’ve tried all nonoperative modalities to get you back to a pain-free life before we consider surgery.

Probably one of the most simple nonsurgical treatments is simple immobilization in a boot walker. It’s surprising the number of patients that will come in with foot pain or ankle pain, and after a period of three to four weeks in a boot, come back to clinic pain-free and ready to go back into normal shoes. Now it’s important that you have the right type of boot walker. Depending on the foot problem, some people will just need a short boot coming up to the mid-calf region. Other patients with more significant issues may require a boot that comes up to the below-knee area.

So each patient that we see in clinic, when we come up with a treatment plan, we take several things into account. We take into account that patient’s goals for returning back to their activities. We take into account their lifestyle, as far as what activities they do on a daily basis, whether or not they’re wanting to get back to work or just wanting to be able to walk several steps again without pain. We also take into consideration other medical comorbidities, such as obesity and diabetes, which can play a significant role in the treatment of these patients.

I think the important thing for patients to understand that there’s really no problem that’s too small. Oftentimes, I see patients in clinic who just have heel pain, which can be as simple as plantar fasciitis, which is largely treated nonoperatively. And sometimes those patients leave clinic apologizing for taking my time. But my message to those people is, that’s what I’m there for.

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Related Conditions

  • Ankle Injuries
  • Ankle Pain
  • Arthritis of the Ankle
  • Foot Pain

Related Medical Treatments and Procedures

  • Ankle Fusion
  • Immobilization

Related Providers

Robert D. Martin, M.D.

Robert D. Martin, M.D. Orthopaedic Foot and Ankle Surgeon

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Related Locations

UAMS Orthopaedic Clinic on Shackleford

Orthopaedic Clinic on Shackleford

2 Shackleford West Blvd.
Little Rock, AR 72211

Appointment Phone Numbers
501-526-1046
New Patients
501-614-2663
Returning Patients
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Exterior of Baptist-UAMS Ortho

UAMS Baptist Health Orthopaedic Clinic in Conway

625 United Drive
Suite 350
Conway, AR 72032

Appointment Phone Number
501-358-6792
New and Returning Patients
View Location Get Directions

Related Areas of Expertise

Male runner touching foot in pain due to sprained ankle.

Foot and Ankle Orthopaedics (Part of Orthopaedics)

The fellowship-trained foot and ankle orthopaedic surgeons at UAMS provide comprehensive care for a wide range of conditions and injuries that affect the …

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Orthopedic surgeon working on female patient

Orthopaedics

UAMS Health is recognized nationally and internationally for its expertise in orthopaedics.

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Request an appointment by contacting a clinic directly or by calling the UAMS Health appointment line at (501) 686-8000.

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Mailing Address: 4301 West Markham Street, Little Rock, AR 72205
Phone: (501) 686-7000
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