What Podiatry Surgeons Can Do To Offer Patients Relief From Foot Problems

Foot problems can develop from aging, lifestyle habits, or certain bone or other structural deformities in the feet. Podiatry surgeons can correct many foot problems by performing surgical procedures that often result in long-term pain relief and improve the ability to stand and walk. Podiatry surgery is often done for patients who need the following treatments. 

Bunion Removal

Bunions can form on the big toes and occur when bulges develop at the toe joints. These outward bulges can make wearing normal shoes and walking uncomfortable and very painful. Bunions may develop from foot injuries or congenital conditions, and bunionectomy surgery may be done to straighten and realign the toe joints so that they no longer bulge outward. The swollen tissue that often forms around bunions can be removed as well during surgery to offer patients further relief.

Arthritis Treatment

Arthritis can also affect bones in the feet, and surgery may be recommended if other treatment methods have failed to relieve arthritic pain and discomfort. Surgery may be done to fuse joint surfaces together after the cartilage and bone that have been affected by arthritis are removed. To hold the fused bones together so that the foot can function properly, screws or other fasteners can be inserted to give the newly formed joint greater stability. 

Hammer Toe Correction

Podiatry surgeons often recommend surgery for cases of hammer toe that can't be corrected with more conservative treatments. The toes are normally supposed to extend forward, but hammer toe is a condition that causes one or more toes to bend downward instead. Hammer toe is often caused by improper footwear as well as congenital or other medical conditions that develop later in life. Surgery may be done to straighten a toe by repositioning its joints and tendons and removing bone tissue that is no longer in good condition.

Morton's Neuroma Treatment

Nerves in the balls of the feet can cause swelling and chronic pain in the toes, and a patient who experiences this problem may be diagnosed with a condition known as Morton's neuroma. Special footwear or shoe inserts can often be worn to treat the condition, but surgery may be needed in more severe cases. Surgery can be done to relieve compression on the nerves by cutting ligaments or other adjoining structures. The nerves themselves may also be surgically removed to stop the pain.

Podiatry surgeons have received the necessary training to perform different surgeries that are often successful in treating a wide range of foot conditions. Anyone who is experiencing chronic foot pain or other problems in their feet should schedule an appointment with a podiatrist to find out if surgery or another treatment is the option.