Most foot problems do not require multiple office visits. With copays and deductibles increasing every year, your money can be better spent on a new pair of shoes rather than multiple return visits.
- I’ve been a doctor for 21 years.
- I was trained to be a surgeon.
- I’ve seen thousands of patients.
- I’ve made hundreds of orthotics and have performed many surgeries.
- I’ve owned a successful podiatry practice for 19 years.
All of this has shaped the way I treat patients and I’ve learned more than any book, test, or board exam could ever teach.
- I spend more time with my patients than any other practice; anywhere from 30-50 minutes. This is necessary to hear your story, sleuth out why the problem started in the first place, and make a plan to not only to resolve the problem but avoid recurrence.
- Most of my patients experience improvement after one office visit and rarely need to return. In addition to lasting improvement, my patients have a better understanding of how they are built, what shoes to use, and how to better manage their bio-mechanical wellness.
- Shoes are typically part of the problem. It is important for patients to bring a bag of their most commonly-worn shoes to the appointment.
- Common misconceptions about the treatment of foot and ankle pain often involve a misguided belief in the need for:
- X-rays
- custom inserts
- steroid injections
- surgical treatment without trying conservative options first
Here are the truths…
- X-rays can be a helpful tool in diagnosing and guiding treatment, however, most patients do not need them. Many patients think they need them because they have been mislead to think that x-rays are a necessary for successful treatment.
- Custom-made inserts (also called orthotics) are very expensive. They are routinely prescribed to patients but not everyone needs them. People are all built different and every alternative should be explored before deciding on custom inserts.
- Steroid injections are not without risk and should be considered only after other conservative options have been exhausted first. Less than 5% of patients I see for heel pain go on to have a steroid injection.
- Surgery should be a last option after all conservative alternatives have been exhausted. I retired surgery from my practice but if a patient needs surgery, the appropriate options will be recommended.