Dealing with Every Day Medical Problems

Posted on: 17 December 2018

While you need your feet for your mobility, most people tend to overlook caring for their feet as much as they would, for example, pay close attention to their face! Not only are your feet crucial to your entire body, but these parts are quite intricate too, made up of numerous bones, tendons, ligaments and muscles. Although feet are quite hard-wearing, they can become vulnerable to some problems. Failure to have these foot problems corrected in time can lead to excessive damage to your feet and even compromise your overall mobility. And one of the permanent ways of healing foot problems is via surgery. The following piece touches briefly on a list of the common types of foot surgery that you may require. 

Metatarsal surgery 

Metatarsal bones make up the longest bones in your feet. These bones are located between the phalanges (which are your toes) and the tarsal bones. As you age, your feet's metatarsophalangeal joints, which are joints located are the forefront of your feet, can become afflicted with arthritis. 

Once the joints are arthritic, they become susceptible to inflammation in the lining of the joints and increases the chances of dislocating the metatarsophalangeal joint, and this is extremely painful, mainly when walking. When you visit a podiatrist, they will inspect your foot to establish the extent of the injury and determine if pain medication and rest will suffice or if you need to undergo metatarsal surgery to remedy the problem.

Bunion surgery

Bunions refer to bony lumps that typically form at the bottom of your big toes. The bunions are a result of having the condition hallux valgus, which makes the joint of your big toe to deform and subsequently bend toward your other toes. Fortunately, bunions are one of the most common foot problems that develop. Therefore, the surgery, medically referred to as an osteotomy, is not nearly as complicated when compared to other operations performed on feet.

Hammertoe surgery

Another foot problem that can crop up when you develop hallux valgus is hammertoes. A majority of people tend to be under the assumption that hammertoes only arise when you always wear ill-fitting shoes. And although this is a possible cause too, hallux valgus is known for making people toes bend in a claw-like manner. Hammertoes are also quite painful and can even change your gait. To remedy this foot problem, the podiatrist will carry out surgery known as arthroplasty, which promotes joints flexibility and restores the form of your toes.