Dr. Jesse Ellsworth Riley, D.P.M.

It likely will keep occurring. Ligaments are different from tendons in that they are structural and have little give and take in them when compared to say, a tendon. Each time that you roll the ankle the ligaments on the outside of the ankle stretch or even tear a little. They don’t contract back to their anatomical length completely and with each reinjury, become more and more loose causing ankle instability, which makes you more prone to further ankle sprains. The ligament in particular to be concerned of is the anterior talofibular ligament, or ATFL, which attaches the leg bone (fibula) to the ankle bone (talus) and is most susceptible to injury in an ankle sprain. You can wear a stirrup type ankle brace when being active or on uneven ground, to prevent reinjury. But the only way to definitively fix the problem is surgical intervention which would consist of tightening that ligament. This is known as a Brostrom procedure. Thank you for the question!

Yes, hammertoes and bunions are largely genetic. There is not much that can be done to prevent them. There are tapings and splints available to help with the problem, but these only help when they are applied. As soon as you remove them, the deformities recur. If they become problematic enough that you think they may need to be surgically corrected, it is better to have it done sooner rather than later. As the problem progresses, the surgery required to correct it becomes more involved and complex including longer recovery. Thanks for the question!

If the pain is on the bottom of the heel, then this sounds like classic plantar fasciitis. The most effective treatment includes stretching, ice, compression, anti-inflammatories and cortisone injections. Your local Podiatrist would be able to coach you through these options. Surgery is rarely required for this condition. Best of luck and speedy recovery!

The classic treatment is RICE. Rest, Ice, Compression and Elevation. Oral anti-inflammatories would also be beneficial. Best of luck!

This sounds similar to something known as foot drop. There are multiple etiologies for foot drop, but they are all neurological in nature. The common peroneal nerve which passes around the knee is commonly involved. More extensive work up with a neurologist would be advised. Thank you for the question!

A Podiatrist would be a great option for this problem and would be able to fix the problem with ease. Thanks!

As long as you have good sensation in your feet and are not diabetic, I wouldn't see any concerns with this. Thanks for the question!

While the Epsom salt foot soaks will help with the swelling, they will not correct this condition. The history of her problem sounds consistent with plantar fasciitis and could be properly diagnosed and treated by a podiatrist in your area. The good news is that plantar fasciitis can often be effectively treated with conservative (non-surgical) measures including stretching, ice, oral anti-inflammatories, cortisone injections, orthotics and changes in shoe gear. Thank for your question!

Hard to tell from the information given, but it would be advisable to have cultures taken of the drainage as well as microscopic exam to ascertain their origin. Thanks for the question!

Hello! Thank you for your question. The easy answer is gravity. The longer we have our feet in a dependent (down) position gravity is continually pulling the blood back down the extremities. Now the more complicated answer involves the vascular system, the veins in particular, and the lymphatic system. The veins are responsible for returning our blood that gravity has pulled down back up to the heart. They do this in coordination with our leg muscles. As we use our muscles they contract and compress the veins, squirting the blood up through the veins. There are small bivalves within the veins that then catch the blood to prevent it all from falling back down the leg. Thus, the blood is laddered back up the leg to the heart. The lymphatic system is a system that collects lymph fluid throughout the body (basic cellular fluid that is found throughout our body) and that collected fluid is, for the most part, then dumped back into the veins. The older we get (or certain medical conditions which can precipitate this) the less effective our body becomes as performing both of these actions. When that happens fluid collection (edema) occurs in our legs as gravity continue to have it's way with us. The most effective way to combat this is by wearing compression suck that go at least to below the knee. These stocking provide just enough compression to help the lymphatics more effectively collect that fluid and also bring the vein walls closer together, making those valves more effective. The other way to combat this is easy, just kick up your legs and take it easy once in awhile! Elevating the legs will assist with fighting the effect of gravity and bringing the fluid back up toward the heart. Thank you again for your question and please let me know if you have any other follow up questions!

Best regards,

Dr. Riley