Answers to Common Questions About Podiatric Care

Yes. Achilles tendinopathy includes painful inflammatory and degenerative disorders of the Achilles tendon, either at its calcaneal insertion or within the tendon substance. Symptoms are often related to repetitive loading, altered biomechanics, or a sudden increase in activity. Evaluation assesses tendon integrity, range of motion, strength, gait mechanics, and the need for diagnostic imaging.

Yes. Hallux valgus is a progressive triplanar structural deformity involving lateral deviation of the hallux and altered first metatarsal alignment at the first metatarsophalangeal joint. Clinical findings may include a symptomatic medial eminence, bursitis, restricted or painful joint motion, transfer metatarsalgia, and lesser toe deformity. Weight bearing radiographs may be used to evaluate osseous alignment and joint involvement when surgical planning or further diagnostic assessment is indicated.

Yes. Diabetes related foot pathology commonly results from peripheral neuropathy, loss of protective sensation, peripheral arterial disease, autonomic skin changes, deformity, and repetitive pressure. These factors can increase the risk of callus formation, ulceration, infection, Charcot neuroarthropathy, delayed wound healing, and amputation. Podiatric risk assessment focuses on neurologic status, perfusion, skin integrity, deformity, footwear, prior ulceration, and current wounds or infection.

Yes. Pes planus describes reduction of the medial longitudinal arch and may represent a flexible physiologic foot type or a symptomatic structural or acquired deformity. Evaluation considers arch behavior during weight bearing and nonweight bearing examination, hindfoot alignment, subtalar and ankle motion, posterior tibial tendon function, gait, pain, and progression. Adult acquired flatfoot may be associated with progressive collapsing foot deformity and posterior tibial tendon dysfunction.

Yes. Arthritis of the foot and ankle refers to articular cartilage degeneration or inflammatory joint disease that can produce pain, stiffness, swelling, deformity, and loss of function. Osteoarthritis may be degenerative or post-traumatic, while inflammatory arthropathies can affect multiple joints. Podiatric evaluation includes joint examination, alignment, gait, and weight-bearing radiographs when indicated.

Yes. Foot and ankle fractures include acute traumatic fractures and stress fractures caused by repetitive osseous loading. Fractures may be nondisplaced, displaced, intra-articular, or unstable and can involve the phalanges, metatarsals, tarsal bones, or ankle. Early examination and appropriate imaging are important because the ability to walk does not exclude a fracture.

Yes. Onychomycosis is a fungal infection of the nail unit that can produce nail plate discoloration, thickening, subungual debris, brittleness, and dystrophy. Because traumatic nail changes, psoriasis, and other disorders may resemble fungal disease, diagnosis is based on the clinical examination and confirmatory testing when indicated.

Yes. Heel pain is a symptom with a broad podiatric differential diagnosis rather than a single disease entity. Plantar causes include plantar fasciitis, calcaneal stress injury, fat pad pathology, entrapment neuropathy, inflammatory arthropathy, and less common osseous lesions. Posterior heel pain may involve insertional Achilles tendinopathy, retrocalcaneal bursitis, or other tendon and bursal pathology. Examination is directed toward localizing the pain generator before treatment is selected.

Yes. Onychocryptosis is penetration or chronic irritation of the periungual soft tissue by the lateral or medial nail plate. Clinical severity ranges from localized tenderness and inflammation to granulation tissue, drainage, paronychia, and recurrent infection. Evaluation includes nail morphology, extent of soft tissue involvement, vascular and neurologic risk, and contributing mechanical factors.

Yes. Metatarsalgia describes pain localized beneath the metatarsal heads in the forefoot. It is a clinical symptom complex rather than a single diagnosis and may result from mechanical overload, digital or first-ray deformity, plantar plate pathology, stress injury, inflammatory disease, or nerve-related conditions. Evaluation is directed toward identifying the specific source of forefoot loading and pain.

Yes. Inflammation of the plantar fascia causing heel and arch pain. The most common cause of heel pain in adults.

Yes. Plantar warts are hyperkeratotic skin lesions caused by cutaneous infection with human papillomavirus (HPV). Weight-bearing pressure can force the lesion inward, producing pain and a callus-like appearance. Podiatric examination helps distinguish a wart from a corn, callus, foreign-body reaction, or other skin lesion.

Yes. Tinea pedis is a superficial dermatophyte infection of the foot that may present as interdigital maceration and fissuring, diffuse moccasin type scaling, or vesiculobullous inflammation. Symptoms may include pruritus, burning, erythema, scale, and secondary skin breakdown. The differential diagnosis can include contact dermatitis, eczema, psoriasis, erythrasma, and other inflammatory or infectious dermatoses.

Yes. Corns and calluses are focal or diffuse hyperkeratotic lesions produced by repetitive mechanical pressure and shear. Heloma formation is often associated with digital deformity or focal osseous prominence, while plantar callus may reflect abnormal weight distribution or increased plantar pressure. Podiatric evaluation identifies the mechanical source and distinguishes benign hyperkeratosis from verruca, ulceration, foreign body, or other skin pathology.

Yes. Hammertoe is a sagittal plane lesser digital deformity commonly characterized by flexion contracture at the proximal interphalangeal joint, with variable involvement of the metatarsophalangeal and distal interphalangeal joints. The deformity may be flexible or rigid and can produce dorsal corns, distal keratosis, plantar metatarsal overload, shoe irritation, and pain. Evaluation also considers metatarsophalangeal instability and plantar plate pathology.

Yes. Morton's neuroma is a compressive neuropathy of a common plantar digital nerve, most frequently within the third intermetatarsal space. Patients may report plantar forefoot burning, paresthesia, numbness, radiating digital pain, or the sensation of a foreign object beneath the metatarsal heads. Examination may reproduce symptoms with intermetatarsal compression and is used to distinguish neuroma from metatarsalgia, plantar plate pathology, stress injury, and other forefoot disorders.