A loud pop, a feeling of being kicked in the back of your ankle and a feeling of weakness in the leg: You’ve just ruptured your Achilles tendon. If you’re an athlete, you’re done for the day—maybe even the season. If it happened at work, you’re looking at disability. Achilles tendon ruptures and their cousin, Achilles tendinitis (or tendinopathy), are common among athletes and active people. The feet of athletes and of people with physical jobs typically take a beating. Achilles tendinitis is
Foot & Ankle
How Diabetes Affects Feet
How Diabetes Affects Feet
Diabetes is a disease where the body does not produce insulin or does not use it effectively. Insulin, produced by the pancreas, is responsible for providing energy in the form of sugar (glucose) to cells in the body. With diabetes, this system does not work as it should, resulting in elevated blood sugar levels. Without ongoing care and proper disease management, diabetes can lead to a buildup of sugars in the body and cause serious complications such as stroke, heart disease, eye problems,
Heel Spurs with Dr. Suh
Heel Spurs with Dr. Suh
You have heel pain, and you’ve just been diagnosed with heel spurs. Safe to assume that the spurs are causing the pain, right? Don’t be so sure. About 95 percent of heel spurs are asymptomatic—they don’t hurt. If you have heel pain, it’s far more likely to be caused by plantar fasciitis, an inflammation of the ligament, known as the plantar fascia, that connects the heel bone (calcaneus) to the bones near the front of the foot. So what exactly is a heel spur? And, if it doesn’t usually cause
Chronic Ankle Instability with Dr. Ucciferri
Chronic Ankle Instability with Dr. Ucciferri
It can be difficult to tell when your ankle is sprained and when it’s broken. A broken ankle—a fracture—is an injury to bone, whereas a sprain is injury to a ligament, one of the tough fibers that connect bones to each other. It may not matter at the time—all you know is that your ankle hurts and you can’t walk well or at all—but a sprained versus a broken ankle has big implications, both for your treatment as well as your future ankle health. Chronic Ankle Instability Sprained ankles beget
Sever’s Disease with Dr. Tar
Sever’s Disease with Dr. Tar
If your young athlete complains of heel pain at the start of the winter sports season, there are a number of potential reasons for it. The most common cause of heel pain is plantar fasciitis, which occurs when the tough band of tissue on the sole of the foot becomes irritated and inflamed. However, plantar fasciitis is not particularly common in children. There could be a different reason for your child’s heel pain. Ever heard of growing pains? They’re real, and Sever’s disease is one
Alabama Quarterback High Ankle Sprain Treated With TightRope Procedure
Alabama Quarterback High Ankle Sprain Treated With TightRope Procedure
Heading into the College Football Playoff National Championship this Monday, all eyes will be on Alabama quarterback Tua Tagovailoa—specifically, on his ankle. As the number one ranked Crimson Tide goes for its third championship in five years (it won in 2016 and 2018) against number two ranked Clemson, everyone is wondering: Will the Hawaiian sophomore’s ankle hold up for the big game? Two weeks ago it seemed unthinkable that Tagovailoa would be Alabama’s starter in the National
