Clinical

Rheumatoid arthritis is a systemic, inflammatory arthritis that needs to be managed by a primary care physician or rheumatologist. Podiatrists can provide care for patients with rheumatoid arthritis by prescribing special shoes or performing surgery for certain painful joint conditions. What Is Rheumatoid Arthritis? Rheumatoid arthritis (RA) is a disease in which certain cells of … Read more

Sesamoid injuries are very common, especially in Downtown Seattle. There are two sesamoid bones on the ball of the foot behind the big toe. These bones may get irritated or break, especially with walking in shoes that are flexible and not supportive. Early diagnosis and treatment is important to give any fractures the best chance … Read more

Tarsal coalition is a condition where there are abnormal connections between bones in the back of the foot. The condition mostly occurs during development. The connection reduces the motion between those bones and causes pain. Treatments include custom orthotics and stable shoes to minimize motion between these bones.  Surgery may be needed to remove these … Read more

Accessory navicular syndrome involves an extra bone on the arch on the inside of the foot. The tendon that lifts the arch passes through this area. The extra bone causes pain as the tendon rubs against it. Treatments include icing, NSAIDs, arch supports including orthotics, and excision of the bone. What Is the Accessory Navicular? … Read more

The Achilles tendon is commonly injured especially after activity such as hiking or basketball. Common disorders include rupture, partial rupture, versus tendinitis and tendinosis. The latter is more long term and involves scar tissue.  Treatments involve protective weight bearing, non-weight bearing, physical therapy, surgery, or extracorporeal shockwave therapy. What Is the Achilles Tendon? A tendon … Read more

It is very important for a patient with heel pain to see the podiatrist to make sure there is not an calcaneal fracture. This is the bone at the heel. Signs of a fracture include bruising, redness and swelling. In addition to physical examination, an x-ray is required to diagnose the fracture. Depending on the … Read more

Os trigonum syndrome involves an extra bone on the back of the ankle. Tendons that control important functions of the foot pass through this area. The extra bone causes pain as the tendons rub against it. X-rays need to be taken to differentiate the condition from a fracture in the Steida’s process, a part of … Read more

Plantar fibromas are knots on the plantar fascia, the ligament on the bottom of the foot. There may be more than one, and they can be quite painful. Treatment for the condition involves off weighting, corticosteroid injections, and less commonly, surgical excision. What Is the Plantar Fibroma? A plantar fibroma is a fibrous knot (nodule) … Read more

Biopsy is a very important procedure done quite often in the office to diagnose a skin lesion. This may be for a suspicious skin condition or to diagnose a fungal infection. An outside lab looks at the specimen to establish a diagnosis for further follow up. Skin Growths from Chicago Health SMB Brands on Vimeo. … Read more

Talar dome lesions are areas of cartilage damage in the ankle. These result from an injury such as an ankle sprain. They can progress. If the pain is deep and soft tissue pathology isn’t suspected the problem may be with the lesion. After conservative therapies such as physical or extracorporeal shockwave therapies have been done … Read more