45 Percent of People Have This Foot Problem…Do You?

Dr. Brian Nagy | February 1st, 2018

Posted In: Foot Problems, HyProCure Treatment

Do your feet hurt? If you suffer from heel pain, overpronation, or pain in your knees or back when you exercise or stand for long periods of time, like 45% of the population, you may have misaligned feet or ankles. Misalignment doesn’t just occur in your spine, any of your joints can move out of correct alignment, including the many small joints of your foot or your ankle.

How can my foot or ankle be misaligned?

There are three bones in your ankle, your tibia, fibula, and talus. Your talus rests on top of your heel bone and ligaments hold it and smaller parts of your tibia and fibula called the medial, posterior, and lateral malleolus in place creating a small space to accommodate movement called the sinus tarsi. When there is a misalignment in the bones, your talus slides slightly forward over the ankle bone, making the sinus tarsi collapse. This ultimately causes your foot to roll inward, or pronate when you take a step.

What are common symptoms of misaligned feet?

The main symptom of misalignment in your feet and ankles is chronic pain, typically caused by secondary issues resulting from misalignment. Pain from misalignment can travel up as far as your knees and back as well.

What are other foot problems caused by foot and ankle misalignment?

Many common foot problems can ultimately be traced back to an alignment issue.

Bunions are caused by a misalignment in your metatarsophalangeal joint (the joint between your big toe and the rest of your foot). The joint is pulled out of alignment by tight tendons and ligaments and the deformity causes a bony growth to develop, causing the red, painful bump you recognize as a bunion.

Flat feet are often caused by a misalignment in your ankle that makes the sinus tarsi collapse that forces your arch to descend by pulling on the tendons and fascia. Flat feet ultimately cause additional alignment issues and pain in your knees, hips, and back.

Hammertoes can be caused by ankle misalignment that makes your gait unsteady so that your toes grasp at the ground as you walk. Over time, your tendons and muscles pull your toe into the distinctive hammer shape.

Heel pain – also referred to as plantar fasciitis – is caused by irritation and inflammation in the fascia that stretches from your heel to the ball of your foot. The irritation, however, is typically caused by misalignment in your ankle, collapsing the sinus tarsi, which distends the tendons, muscles, and fascia.

As mentioned in the introduction, the collapse of the sinus tarsi causes your foot to roll inward, or pronate when you take a step. Overpronation reduces the effectiveness of the natural cushioning of your foot to absorb the shock of your steps. With the average person taking 5,000 to 10,000 steps in a single day, that creates a lot of pressure on your feet, which radiates up through your legs and back.

How are misaligned feet treated?

At Nagy Footcare, your trusted podiatrist is committed to reducing and eliminating your foot pain. After a careful examination of your feet and ankles, Dr. Nagy offers treatments to reduce your discomfort and correct the misalignment of your ankle.

In some cases, you may benefit from the use of custom orthotics to guide your feet and ankles into the correct alignment naturally. However, in other cases, you may benefit from a minimally invasive treatment called HyProCure®.

HyProCure® is a small, titanium stent that is placed into the sinus tarsi space in your ankle during a minimally invasive in-office procedure. HyProCure® is an outpatient procedure and you’ll be able to go home after your treatment. You’ll need a few weeks to get back to normal activity levels, but Dr. Nagy gives you personalized instructions after your HyProCure® procedure.

If you’re suffering from foot pain, contact our office to make an appointment today. At Nagy Footcare our best day is when you wake up with no foot pain.