orthotics

What Is the Best Treatment for Drop Foot?

Posted on March 16, 2021June 30, 2025 by admin

Drop foot can be a very frustrating problem, and there are many potential causes for it. Before we get into things, it is important to understand what drop foot is. It is the lack of strength to pull your foot or toes upwards, or the ability to move your foot sideways away from your opposite foot. There are approximately five different muscles involved with the weakness that can create drop foot. We won’t be going over these muscle groups in this blog, but it’s important to understand that drop foot can affect both sideways and upwards motion to varying degrees.

When you walk with a drop foot, it may be difficult for your foot to clear the ground. The foot may also want to slap against the ground when your heel hits the floor, or be in such a downward position that you must flex your knee upwards for your foot to clear the ground. This is referred to as a steppage gait and can make walking exceedingly difficult to the point where it has a significant effect on mobility.

What Are the Causes?

Spinal-cord drop foot can be associated with your back, which is referred to as radiculopathy, caused from compression or irritation to the spinal nerves in the lumbar area.
Strokes can be associated with drop foot.
Sciatic nerve trauma, usually caused from hip or knee surgery.
Trauma to the nerves in the leg that stimulate the muscles to contract
Compression of the common peroneal nerve. Compression of this nerve tunnel may be associated with both diabetic and non-diabetic neuropathy. It is often assumed that the drop foot is from a sciatic nerve that was stretched and damaged from hip replacement surgery or knee surgery, because the common peroneal nerve tunnel becomes compressed. Anderson Podiatry Center has successfully reversed drop foot for many patients who were told it was from their back or from damage to the sciatic nerve.

What Is the Common Peroneal Nerve?

The common peroneal nerve is the most overlooked cause of drop foot. It is a branch of the sciatic nerve, and as the sciatic nerve courses down the back of your hamstring area, it divides. One branch goes towards the bottom of the foot, down the back of the calf, and the other branch goes around the outside of your leg, just below the knee.

It’s in this area that the common peroneal nerve tunnel is located. Just beyond the nerve tunnel is the branches that send signals to the leg muscles to contract. When the tunnel is tight, the branches don’t send strong enough signals, and the muscles become weak. This is similar to carpal tunnel syndrome in the hand. This can be the case in diabetes, where there’s compression involved, or non-diabetic neuropathy, because the tunnel can become tight.

At Anderson Podiatry Center, we deal a lot with peripheral nerve disorders and evaluate peripheral nerve issues. Many doctors are not fully trained in the evaluation and treatment of peripheral nerve problems. So, for many of you reading this blog, the potential is that you may have been told there is nothing you can do. You may have had a hip or knee replacement surgery and your sciatic nerve was damaged, which has resulted in drop foot due to the common peroneal nerve.

Treatment

To quickly answer the question as to what the best drop foot treatment is, it’s surgery (especially if the drop foot is significant). If there is high potential that the nerve is compressed, surgery would be the best option because it can give you the most profound improvement.

If there is a delay in surgery, especially after trauma or a surgery that could have caused this, it could lessen the effectiveness of the drop foot surgery. Many say that if you have had a surgery, such as hip replacement, and drop foot occurs, you should wait around six months to a year to see if it improves. However, we strongly disagree with this approach and suggest that if it’s been 2-3 months since surgery, and there is no progression towards improvement, surgery on this nerve tunnel should be performed. Waiting may limit how much improvement the patient gets.

ESTIM: This is a non-surgical treatment that involves multiple visits and electrical stimulation. This is performed with local anesthetic injections, that in combination repair nerve damage and improve circulation to the nerves during treatments.
Tendon transfer surgeries and joint fusions: These surgeries have always been available in conventional surgical training to help stabilize the foot and ankle.
Ankle bracing: there are many types of ankle braces that also may help. In most cases, these are prescribed by the doctor.

In summary, the two most important aspects about drop foot treatment are:

If you’ve had surgery or an injury, and after the first two to three months you’ve not experienced improvement, do not put yourself in a position where you may lessen the effectiveness of the surgery by waiting. With that being said, we’ve also seen patients, years after a surgery caused by drop foot, that still still see improvement on their mobility from drop foot surgery. When surgery is performed, most patients see significant improvement of their lifestyle, even if they have less than 100 percent improvement of their muscle strength.
If you have neuropathy or back problems, don’t assume that you don’t have compression of the common peroneal nerve. It is commonly associated with diabetic and nondiabetic neuropathies.
To conclude, it is not always the case that surgery is the best treatment, but for those whose mobility is significantly impacted, proper assessment of the common peroneal nerve is important. The recovery time and risks are minimal, compared to other surgical options, and if surgery fails, the other options will always be there. When the drop foot is minimal other options such as ESTIM may be considered. So if you or someone you know suffers from drop foot, please consider the common peroneal nerve tunnel as a potential cause.

The Most Common Foot Problem: Plantar Fasciitis

Posted on March 4, 2021 by admin

We are frequently asked, what is the most common foot complaint? Without a doubt, plantar fasciitis is at the top of the list. Oftentimes, it is referred to as heel pain, or heel spur pain. The symptoms of plantar fasciitis often occur first thing in the morning, as the pain exists on the bottom of the heel and is irritated with those initial morning steps. You may hobble to the bathroom, or to go make some coffee, and after a few minutes the pain wears off. However, as it becomes more severe, you may notice the pain throughout the day, and it can come on gradually or all at once.

Plantar fasciitis is seldom caused by trauma. Although it could be caused by you falling on your foot and striking your heel, in most cases, it’s something that just happens and is unpredictable. Foot biomechanics can also play a role.

While plantar fasciitis is a common foot problem, it rarely occurs in your teenage years or early twenties Why is this? One of the ideas is that the fascia loses its elasticity over time. The fascia runs from the ball of the foot to the heel, where it attaches. With every step you take, as the arch flattens, the fascia pulls from its attachment point (aka the heel). When your foot is not bearing weight, the arch is relatively high, but as soon as your bear weight the arch flattens and pulls on the fascia.

This pain from the common foot problem can become very disabling as it can go on for months, or even years in some cases. It is important to note that an x-ray can sometimes show a heel spur, where the fascia attaches to the heel. The old school idea is that this was the source of the pain, however this is seldom the case. If surgery is ever performed to eliminate your plantar fasciitis (using small incisions to partially release the fascia), nothing is done to the spur. Patients have a remarkably high success rate with this form of surgery, proving that it is not the spur. In fact, the spur could have been created by the fascia pulling from your heel.

What Can You Do For Plantar Fasciitis?

Since plantar fasciitis is one of the most common foot problems, it is also the one that has the most treatment options. It can get confusing because everyone, including your shoe salesman, will claim to have the solution.

But the actual treatment solutions for plantar fasciitis are limited. There are many options that can help a bit, as these are referred to as “band-aid approaches”. These band-aid approaches include anti-inflammatories, icing, and stretching. They are fine to try, and in some cases can help a lot, but it’s important to do these at the earliest stages of your heel pain.

You can also try using supports, and if the shoes you wear for walking, hiking or running are worn down, consider replacing them. If these attempts fail, or if you find yourself having to go back to these approaches time and time again, it may be time to seek professional help.

Orthotics are one of the foundational things that a podiatrist will use. Orthotics help hold and support the foot better so that the fascia does not want to pull away from the heel. It is important that the orthotics being made utilizes either a casting technique, or a digital system by taking a non-weight bearing, impression of your foot. This captures the foot in its ideal functional position in order to get more precise control of your foot. Orthotics minimize how much that fascia is pulling from your heel by supporting your bony structure better.

Stem Cell Treatment

Podiatrists traditionally used cortisone injections to treat plantar fasciitis, but at Anderson Podiatry Center, we still do this on occasion, but recommended the consideration of stem cell treatment. It’s been known from recent studies that the fascia is not truly inflamed, but rather it’s tissue is breaking down and in need of repair. So what better way to do this than with stem cells (we typically use placenta cells).

Shockwave Treatment and Laser

Shockwave sends powerful sound waves into the heel area. This traumatizes the heel, but puts your body into a repairative mode that helps repair the fascia. We also use a treatment called MLS laser which helps by improving the functionality of the mitochondria in your cells to repair the fascia.

Surgery

Surgery is done on occasion, but only after conservative measures have failed. It’s typically done with a scope, and we make a small incision on both sides of the heel. Patients can ambulate immediately, but usually have to wear a movable cast for approximately two-four weeks. Success rate for this is quite high.

If your attempts to remedy your heel pain are not working, it may be time to move on to a more aggressive treatment plan. The longer you wait to see a podiatrist, the more time and treatment options you may need to eliminate the pain.

What Are the Benefits of Wearing Orthotics?

Posted on December 23, 2020July 1, 2025 by admin

As a podiatrist, we often recommend orthotic devices as they can be of great benefit for the wearer. Before we dive into the benefits of wearing orthotics, let’s answer the question of what an orthotic is, from a podiatrist point of view.

In today’s world, it seems like everyone is marketing their orthotics. You see them in retail stores, shoe stores, ski shops, and even Facebook ads. As a podiatrist, the whole concept of what an orthotic is has been muddied. My opinion is shared by my colleagues- podiatrists believe there is a non-weight-bearing, neutral-point position of the foot. And so, whatever technique is utilized to fabricate an orthotic, an impression of the foot should be taken in this position.

The foot is positioned at its optimal functional position. Any kind of orthotic that is made from a technique that involves any partial or full weight-bearing, we feel is not done accurately. There are small, torsional abnormalities, sometimes between the front half and rear foot, that are not taken into account when the foot is bearing weight. A podiatrist’s orthotic is much more precise and is able to support and control excessive motion in the foot more accurately. That is not to say that an orthotic made from a weight bearing technique won’t work, but the chances are greatly reduced. It is a common story of patients we treat.

Benefits of Orthotics

I am writing this blog at a time where some advocate barefoot running, or running in minimalist shoes. So hear me out from a foot specialist’s point of view. Outside the office, when someone finds out I’m a podiatrist, I’m often asked what types of shoes are best. Using tact, I’ll make the point that it’s like asking an optometrist what lens prescription they should have. We expect that kind of precision for our eyes, but medicine seems to not think the same rules apply to the feet.

If one has excellent foot structure, I’m not opposed to the idea of barefoot running. My point is that it all starts with what foot type you’ve inherited. It has been observed that 70% of people may have feet that overpronate. Pronation is simply the motion that involves the flattening of your feet. The foot will flatten the arch and abduct, or move away from the other foot. A more ideal foot type does not overpronate, and the actual bony structure helps stabilize and support the foot. There is a locking mechanism that takes place in the bones in the midfoot area. Those that have feet that are much more flexible, or pronates more easily, are thought to have a foot where the bones do not lock and support the foot. Therefore, soft tissue needs to. This can cause excessive stress on structures such as tendons, joints, nerves and other soft tissue structures such as fascia. So, how do you know if custom orthotics might be useful? The following are some tips and specific conditions you should know about.

If you keep getting the same type of injury or foot pain over and over, or if you’ve had that injury for an extended period of time, it may be time to look into orthotics. Especially if you’ve already tried resting, anti-inflammatories, and icing the area. This could also be an indication that your foot type lends itself towards having specific issues.

Soft tissue problems

Plantar fasciitis and Achilles tendinitis
- One of the more common problems is plantar fasciitis commonly referred to as heel pain. Orthotics will reduce the stress of the plantar fascia pulling on the bottom of the heel. For Achilles tendonitis the stress on the Achilles will be reduced.
Foot deformities
- Bunions may also be helped with orthotics. If you have an enlargement on the inside of your big toe you may benefit especially in the early stages of the deformity.

Nerve problems

Neuromas and tarsal tunnel syndrome
- Neuromas are a nerve enlargement that can occur in the ball of the foot. If you’re experiencing burning, tingling and numbness on the bottom of your foot, you may have tarsal tunnel syndrome.
Joint pain
- Arthritis in the foot can also be treated with orthotics and it’s a safer, drug free approach. This may include big toe joint pain commonly referred to as Hallux limitus. Also, ankle pain and pain in the small joints in your arch.

Final Thoughts

You may save money as you’ll quit shopping for shoes to solve your foot problems. The orthotic can be taken from shoe to shoe and will neutralize the less optimal shoe as it’s designed precisely for your foot.
You’ll avoid injuries as certain foot structures lend themselves to certain injuries
You could lose weight and sleep better as you become more active.

If you yourself frustrated with your inability to stay active, please consider a consultation with us to truly understand more about the foot structure you have and how it may be the issue that no one has explained to you. There are many benefits of wearing orthotics, so it’s time you discover for yourself!

Are Custom Orthotics For Foot Problems Right For You?

Posted on December 8, 2020 by admin

There are two basic principles to consider when dealing with your feet and your lower extremity pains that you may have. First, do you think you have a foot that over flattens, otherwise called pronation? As foot specialists, we have been trained in biomechanics and believe that most patients are born with different foot types. If you tend to overpronate the bony structure of your foot, you cannot adequately support the foot. This results in soft tissue structures being stressed more. Orthotics simply position the foot so that the joints can support the foot and demand less of other structures.

Secondly, do you have a condition that continues to plague you in spite of attempts with anti-inflammatories, icing, resting or maybe even physical therapy? Do you find that if you lay off from running or walking and return to it, the same problem occurs? If this is you, then this blog is right for you! Let’s find out if custom orthotics for foot problems are right for you.

Over-pronation

Let’s address your first concern. Over pronating is a very simple concept to understand. People tend to flatten their arch or roll their foot inward too much and too often. The old adage is, if you walk in the sand and you can’t see much of an arch, this could be an indication of pronation. This is somewhat true in most cases, but it may be more complex than that. Some people have an arch that doesn’t over flatten; but if you look at their heel from behind, their heel tends to roll in quite a bit. It does not stay perpendicular to the ground.

Different kinds of feet present different kinds of pronation. Sometimes, a professional is the best to tell you if you are an overpronator. If you have tried various treatments and you have had a problem that’s been persisting; for over one, three, six or twelve months – it is an indication that your foot structure needs additional support. The following are some conditions that are oftentimes bettered or totally eliminated with the use of orthotic devices.

Achilles Tendonitis and Plantar Fasciitis

Pain on the bottom of the heel is referred to as plantar fasciitis. It’s one of the most common problems to be treatable. Tendon on the backside of your heel or running up the Achilles tendon, is, oftentimes, Achilles tendonitis. Orthotics can treat this a great deal. In many cases, treatment options such as anti-inflammatory stretching and physical therapy just don’t knock it away.

Bunions and Foot Deformities That Are Treated With Custom Orthotics

Bunions are a prime example of this, especially if it’s in early stages and not painful yet. There is a chance of a foot deformity where you can feel growth on the back of your heel; also called the Haglund’s deformity or pump bump. Patients can benefit from orthotics in this situation. In both cases, the biomechanics of your foot might allow you to have a progression of a bunion or progression of the bump on the back of heel.

Stiff Toe Joint

Also referred to as hallux limitus or hallux rigidus, this is an arthritic condition in its early stages and can be healed with orthotic devices.

Painful Ankle

The ankle in itself can have arthritis and orthotics may benefit that. There are stabilizers or stirrup tendons that help stabilize the outer side and the inner side of the ankle. If you have overpronation, these tendons tend to have to be overused because they’re trying to stabilize the foot that is unstable.

Knee Pain

Orthotics have a proven track record of helping what is called chondromalacia patella, which occurs when the kneecap is not centered over the knee joint, thereby causing arthritis between the knee joint and the femur bone. There are instances when people have a higher Q-angle and their knee angulates inward so the thigh and lower leg are not in a straight line. By supporting the foot more this can lessen the angulation at the knee with every step that is taken. The patella can then stay in better alignment and may be less likely to wear down the cartilage. If you have any of the above conditions or just simply have a problem that persists for a long time, orthotics may be just the way to go for you.

Finally if you find yourself in pain in the ball of your foot maybe you’re feeling like your sock is wrinkled but it isn’t. You may be suffering from a nerve enlargement called a neuroma (mortens neuroma) . Orthotics can help as they support the area to lessen the rubbing of a ligament against the nerve.

This blog will serve as a guideline for your consideration of custom orthotics for foot problems and what they are useful for. Depending on your condition, orthotics may be a part of the solution or the only treatment that is needed. So remember to consider if you think you’re an overpronator and are having difficulty getting rid of a chronic problem in the foot or ankle.

How to Avoid a Visit to the Doctor’s Office When Experiencing Heel Pain

Posted on October 1, 2020July 1, 2025 by admin

One of the most common foot complaints is heel pain, which is commonly referred to as Plantar Fasciitis. Here we’ll discuss how to prevent a visit to the doctors office when experiencing heel pain and what you can do at home to help alleviate your symptoms.

The symptoms of heel pain often start at the bottom of your heel and are very prevalent when first getting up in the morning. This is a very common complaint, and even though the pain can gradually get better throughout the day, it’s important this is treated right away. When plantar fasciitis pain is mild, you have a better chance of reversing the pain with some simple recommendations.

Shoes and Orthotics

First and foremost, the most important thing to do is to make sure your shoes are not run down. Shoes eventually wear down and do not give the foot as much support as they used to, which can cause pain. If you’re an active runner or a walker, good shoe support is key. If you are flatfooted, this becomes even more significant.

With every step you take the foot flattens, causing the fascia to pull from your heel, which can cause symptoms of heel pain. So, utilizing more support in the shoe can be very beneficial. If you don’t believe your shoes are worn down, another option would be to buy over-the-counter shoe inserts, which are also known as orthotics.

There are many options when purchasing orthotics, and you can typically find them in an athletics store. However, be careful when going to an orthotics outlet because oftentimes these devices can cost several hundreds of dollars- and you’re better off seeing a podiatrist to have custom orthotics made to work for your foot type. Ideally, you should not be spending more than $10-$15 for store-bought inserts.

Icing the area of heel pain from plantar fasciitis

Icing is often used to treat sports medicine injuries and can also be employed for the reduction of pain and inflammation caused by heel pain. If you do choose to ice the area, it’s important to do it for 10 minutes twice a day. You can also roll your heel on a frozen plastic bottle as this can be beneficial.

Stretching

Stretching before you get up in the morning can also help as it can reduce the pain and inflammation of the plantar fascia. In order to stretch this area correctly you should keep your knee straight and put your foot up towards you. By keeping your knee straight you are stretching your calf and achilles tendon; this will allow your ankle to flex up more and thereby lessen the need for excessive pulling of the fascia. The band of tissue you can feel beneath your skin in the arch is the fascia. It is often suggested to be careful with this because there have been cases where this can actually worsen the symptoms.

Another way to help stretch the achilles, calf and plantar fascia is by using a night splint. Although they have shown to be useful for many, they can also be an annoyance and reduce sleep quality.

Anti-Inflammatories for heel pain from plantar fasciitis

Anti-inflammatories can also be taken. These medications help with the pain and inflammation for those experiencing mild plantar fasciitis. Anti-inflammatories can be taken for approximately one or two weeks to see if they help.

Cut Down on Activities

Lastly, it’s important to back off your activity level. While moving around may be a part of what you do, it’s not helping your heel heal! You can back off entirely, or even cut it down by 50%. One of the most common causes of heel pain is doing too much too soon. When people take up a new form of exercise, such as walking or running, it is important to factor in days of rest- especially since your body requires long periods of rest when injured. Resting is as important as the stress you put on your body to become more fit. Therefore, if you’re walking or running five days a week, maybe cut back to just two or three to see if there is improvement.

If you’ve attempted these treatments for heel pain from plantar fasciitis approximately three to four weeks and have seen no results, it’s probably time to consider professional attention as you may need more aggressive treatment options. Even so, it is important to note that early and aggressive intervention can spare you a trip to the podiatrist’s office.

Bunion Pain – Gone!

Posted on March 12, 2020 by admin

New Year… New Feet… New Shoes!

“Beauty is Pain”

For Susan, the saying, “Beauty is Pain” rang very true when she discovered that trying to fit into her stylish shoes was causing her feet unbearable irritation and foot pain from her bunions! “They became very painful, and it was hard to find shoes that were comfortable.” Susan was one of many bunion (big toe pain) patients that we see in our office. In fact, there are 3 million cases reported in the United States each year!

Something had to be done…

“The bunions were really difficult because they had grown worse over the years. My mom had them horribly, and I just couldn’t go down that road. I decided to go forward with the surgery!” Susan couldn’t bear her bunions preventing her from sporting her favorite footwear any longer, so she came to us to get them removed. Bunion surgery has a high success rate and will have you walking comfortably for life.

Pop back in her step!

We were happy to help Susan with her unbearable foot pain. The surgery went remarkably well, and she is beaming at the sight of her brand new feet! “I’m so thankful, I can’t say enough about how good Dr. Anderson was and the staff, everybody has been great.”

Along with the support of her family, Susan should never be at a shortage of stylish footwear again. “My family pulled through for Christmas. I received a DSW gift card and I bought NORMAL shoes and they feel great! I’m very very happy with my new feet.”

Do you or a loved one have bunions? We would love to discuss options with you. Give us a call to make foot pain a thing of the past!

Expert, State of the Art Care | Experienced Doctors | Friendly Staff

What Are Bunions and How To Treat Your Big Toe Pain

Posted on January 17, 2019July 1, 2025 by admin

Big toe pain can make you dread putting on your favorite shoes or boots am I right? Matt felt that way too but not anymore!

Matt called our office with fairly advanced big toe pain which had progressed to the point that walking was painful and running and sports were getting harder and harder to participate in enjoyably. His big toe pointed towards his second toe and he had a bump on his big toe joint, both of which are classic signs of a bunion. He like many were looking for a solution to end his pain and get back to the activities he enjoys.

Matt, like many other patients we’ve seen, felt discouraged because his feet ached to the point of distraction and caused downright pain!

Does walking or running hurt? Take look at your bare foot. Does your big toe point in toward your second toe? Does your big toe hurt to the point you’d classify it as big toe pain? Is there a bump on your big toe joint? If so, you might have a bunion.

Just What is a Bunion?

A bunion is a misalignment of the big toe joint. This misalignment causes the big toe to point outwards and rotate towards the smaller toes, and appears as an enlargement at the base of the big toe. Similarly, if you have a sizeable bump at the base of your little toe you may have a bunionette.

What are the Symptoms of a Bunion?

Some symptoms of bunions and bunionettes include:

Inflammation and redness in the enlarged joint
Irritation or tenderness
Inflammation in a small fluid-filled sac adjacent to the joint
Swelling
Localized arthritis in the joint (typically occurs during later stages of the deformity)
Chronic pain in the enlarged joint and toe

One of the worst effects of bunions is a decrease in activity level. Bunions can make you hesitate to be active, especially if you are in pain. With bunions it’s often impossible to run or go on long walks, and if you can walk, you have to slow down or alter how you walk to relieve some of the pain. This can cause additional problems from ‘favoring’ the painful bump.

What Causes a Bunion?

Although the precise cause of bunions is unknown, there are certain factors that contribute to them:

Inherited Genetic Factors: Though shoes can play a role in aggravating this deformity, the majority of bunions are a result of biomechanics, or inherited foot types. We also know that bunions are 10 times more likely to affect women than men.
Abnormal Biomechanics: Instability in the joint and muscle imbalance can create bunions.
Trauma: Though uncommon, some sprains, fractures, and nerve injuries have led to the development of bunions.
Neuromuscular Disorders: Certain disorders, such as polio, though rare, have had a correlation with the occurrence of bunions.
Limb-leg discrepancies: When one leg is longer than the other the longer leg tends to grow the bunion.

Bunions can make you dread putting on your shoes, limit what shoes you can wear, and greatly decrease your activity level. Yes, wearing loose and supportive shoes or taking certain medications like ibuprofen can help alleviate the symptoms, but those are only short term solutions.

How Do You Treat Bunions?

Though your symptoms may stay the same, it is vital to understand that bunions are progressive and will worsen over time! Also the longer you wait to treat them the more difficult or extensive the repair needs to be.

The good news is that there are long term solutions to treating bunions with big toe joint pain treatment:

1. Orthotics

We create custom orthotics here in our office. We take a three-dimensional scan of your actual foot and create the orthotic based on exactly what your foot needs. These correct the bio-mechanical imbalances in your feet and create a ‘neutral ‘ stance that takes the pressure off your big toe joint and relieves big toe pain.

2. Corrective Surgery

Surgery is a very successful procedure for treating bunions, and it is the best way to correct this deformity, relieve pain, and improve foot function. People tend to have a misconception about how much down time they will have after bunion surgery. But the great news is, in just three to four weeks after surgery, you can be back to your regular shoes again!

Don’t let bunions on your foot control any longer.

Call us today at our Fort Collins location (970) 484-4620, Broomfield location (720) 259-5053 or use our online scheduling system to book your appointment.

Sports and Exercise Training – Ouch! What do I do if I’m Injured?

Posted on December 7, 2018July 1, 2025 by admin

Sports and Exercise Training – Ouch! What do I do if I’m Injured?

By Anderson Podiatry Center, in consult with Dr. Stephen Wilkinson, DPM, Sports Medicine Specialist

Congratulations! You’re training for an event, have begun or are maintaining an exercise routine and are motivated to compete or sustain your regime habit. You are to be applauded for taking your fitness and health seriously and incorporating it into your lifestyle. Your happy body, mind, work and social life will reward you for your efforts in a big way!

At some point in your fitness life, however, you will very likely experience pain or an injury that will frustrate or sideline you. Do you keep going? Do you take time off? As a sports medicine doctor, Dr. Wilkinson hears this a lot and has experienced it himself. How you manage these injuries, minor or not, is critical in determining if you can make your event goal or keep your downtime to a minimum and maintain your active life.

In his practice, at Anderson Podiatry Center for Regenerative Medicine, Dr. Wilkinson counsels many people to recover from injuries as quickly as possible and approaches his patient’s care and training plan with these steps and processes in mind, which helps assure they will be up and at it without skipping much of a beat. In this first of a series, we’ll present the initial steps that need to be taken to obtain a complete analysis that forms the basis of a sound and effective treatment and training plan. Then, later on, we’ll go into some of the customized specific treatment options and interventions – physical, mental and nutritional – that are utilized to get you to the finish line fast!

Step One:

A Complete evaluation begins with understanding the injury. An in-depth history is used to isolate the problem by asking questions about

The nature, location, and duration of the injury
The onset, course, and aggravating factors
Any treatments tried thus far

Patients often receive advice via their peer’s experiences or from the internet without a complete understanding of how that advice affects them specifically. Such treatment or training advice can unwittingly lead to injury. Patients often continue these improper training methods beyond the point of injury and then require professional help before they can continue towards their goals. We’ll alleviate this problem with a careful and complete history of the injury.

Step Two:

Step two involves taking time to understand what the patient is trying to accomplish in detail
(weight loss, cardiovascular fitness, a race completion, a time improvement etc.).

Intervention is different depending upon whether the desired result is subjective or objective.

This breaks down to two basic groups of people:

This group is seeking overall fitness and use a specific goal to provide motivation for training. They want to reach the finish line regardless of how long it takes. This requires significant core and mental fitness.
This group has established overall fitness and is pushing to improve their fitness level via improvement in time or distance; more ‘fine tuning’ and achievement of maximum capacity
while avoiding injury.

Step Three:

Step three involves understanding the patients starting point and whether or not his or her goal is reasonable to obtain by the time the patient needs to be ready to complete.

A 10% improvement per week is our target.

In this step, distance, intensity or speed of training are advanced 10% per week. Patients can often become impatient without clear guidelines and try and accelerate their training
faster than this tried and true path resulting in injury and training setbacks. “Slow and steady wins the race” as they say. Good advice to heed! The steps above give us a great foundation from which to build a plan of action to get you recovered and on your way. In the next blog we’ll discuss the nutritional, physical and mental approaches that provide the answers you need to get past your injury and help prevent future occurrences. See you then!

If you have an important goal to accomplish and are hindered by running or exercise pain, foot problems or injury, ankle injuries, plantar fasciitis or other problems, give me a call at
Anderson Center for Regenerative Medicine. I am not only ready to listen and understand, I am also ready to help.

To make an appointment with Dr. Wilkinson, Click HERE

Dr. Wilkinson is an ultra-runner, having completed many 50 and 100-mile races. As a Podiatrist who has successfully weathered his own sports injuries in the past, Dr. Wilkinson enjoys working with patients who are also athletes pursuing their own fitness goals. He believes in injury prevention through gait analysis, biomechanics, and sound, reasonable training techniques but is also an astute provider of clinical and surgical methodology to help return injured athletes to their playing field. Learn more about sports medicine injury treatment

Sports and Exercise Training – Ouch! What do I do if I’m Injured? Part 2

Posted on January 8, 2019July 1, 2025 by admin

Sports and Exercise Training – Ouch! What do I do if I’m Injured? Part Two of Two

By Anderson Podiatry Center, in consult with Dr. Stephen Wilkinson, DPM, Sports Medicine Specialist at Anderson Podiatry Center

Injury Treatment Plan
In our last blog we covered the steps Dr Wilkinson takes to obtain a complete analysis that forms the basis of a sound and effective treatment plan for foot and ankle and lower extremity injuries. Those who become injured during training can benefit from an efficient, effective treatment plan to keep downtime to a minimum and still be able to reach their fitness or event goals.

This time we’ll explore some of the nutritional, physical and mental approaches Dr Wilkinson uses to help you get past your injury, get to your event or goal and help prevent future occurrences.

At Anderson Podiatry Center and our Center for Regenerative Medicine, Dr Wilkinson uses a mind and body restorative process and training redirection to help you meet your goals. This includes addressing nutrition, sleep, mental attitude, injury mechanism, training or exercise schedule as well as equipment and the potential of your current injury. He thereby devises a rehabilitation program specific to your needs. Advanced modalities are used when needed to accelerate healing. The following explains his approach to these individual parts of the rehabilitation process:

Moving Past your Injury – Focus On:

1. Nutrition

Although a basic nutrient allocation of 20-30% fat, 10-30% protein, and 45-65% carbs is optimal for those with an active lifestyle, requirements of activity, work and family make this easier said than done. Dietary balance should also be adjusted based upon the unique situation of each athlete. I.e. heavier athletes may include weight loss as a goal, and injured athletes may benefit from an adjustment in the recommended nutritional ratios and/or additional supplements.
It is not uncommon to see deficits in calcium, magnesium, vitamin D and iron. Test values are used to indicate replacement or supplements in the correct combination.

2. Sleep

The demands of modern life have contributed to a Healthy People.gov report that approximately 25% of average Americans have insufficient sleep half of the time. This, unfortunately, includes athletes, who have increased sleep demands during training, injury or illness. Sleep evaluation and intervention often involves a sincere allotment of time per daily and required activities, in addition to assessment with regards to activity required for sports goal success. Lower priority activities may need to be curtailed: a potentially tough decision but something’s gotta give to provide the long-term sleep requirements for progress in training and/or injury healing.
When sleep requirements for training exceeds the amount of daily sleep time available, additional time may be needed to safely reach goals despite many athletes’ desires to charge forward. Here, the vision and experience of a sports medicine consultant can be essential.

3. Mental Attitude

Possibly the most beneficial development that occurs when we strive to achieve more involved fitness or event goals is the process through which athletes improve their mental attitude. Improvement in self-confidence and improved self-image can often elevate an athlete’s success capacity beyond what was formerly believed. Important in this process is the conscious control of physical and emotional stress which must include appropriate and attainable goals and small interval reward breaks to allow for physical healing and mental reward for a job well done.
Visualization and self-talk, either alone or with a motivation/visualization coach is important preparation for success. Mental preparation and mental toughness require the acceptance of a fluid process with ups and downs in reaching a goal. The ultimate success of this process involves arriving at the final event both physically and mentally prepared.

4. Injury Mechanism

In foot, ankle and lower extremity sports injuries, understanding the injury mechanism is critical to successful intervention. In sports injuries, even in the most complex cases, there is typically a single event or pattern of recurring events that is at fault.

Single act injuries are often improved and resolved by isolation, rest, and regeneration.
Injuries from chronic repetitive mechanisms can often be overcome through improved balance and redirection of forces to other targeted areas.

The sports medicine consultant can be essential in determining the offending mechanism and developing a recovery program for effective intervention.

5. Training or exercise guidance: schedule and equipment

Once the site and mechanism of injury are identified, a training schedule and specific rehabilitative equipment can be utilized to isolate injury areas, protect healing tissue, and strengthen supportive structures to allow for recovery. Often previously ignored core strengthening exercises, including those for posture and balance, can be performed on readily available equipment such as treadmills and ellipticals. We target larger protective muscle groups and pay specific attention to joint alignment and position, which can have a significant impact on energy utilization and other muscle function. Core strengthening and joint mechanics are often ignored by athletes due to time constraints or lack of specific training with regards to their importance. Attention to these areas in training not only promotes injury healing but also may elevate the athletes post-injury performance above pre-injury levels.

6. The potential of your current injury

The importance of understanding the athletes’ degree of injury and potential recovery cannot be overstated. Most injuries can be overcome with simple interventions. Occasionally, the extent of injury and the recovery potential requires an adjustment in goals and/or time to reach those goals. Additionally, some injuries may require advanced modalities such as prescription orthotics, regenerative medicine modalities, or corrective surgical interventions. As stated previously, appropriate evaluation and management with a clear understanding of time table and athlete goals is essential to success. Sports medicine consultants with proven event success can be essential to this process.

7. Advanced Modalities

These can include custom orthotics and regenerative medicine products:

Orthotics: custom-made shoe inserts that are designed to correct abnormal or irregular foot or leg biomechanics. While over-the-counter foot orthotics are available and may help people with mild symptoms, they normally cannot correct the wide range of symptoms that prescription foot orthotics can. Prescription orthotics are custom made to fit an individual’s unique foot structure. If you exercise and train often, you most likely can benefit from an orthotic that best addresses your particular activity, shoe gear, and foot type.
Regenerative medicine: an exciting new option for fast healing with little downtime, these products stimulate your body at the cellular level, giving it the power to regenerate injured joints and tissues. At Anderson Center for Regenerative Medicine, we use three types of regenerative medicine products.

If you have an important goal to accomplish and are hindered by running or exercise pain, foot problems or injury, ankle injuries, plantar fasciitis or other problems, give Dr Wilkinson a call at Anderson Podiatry Center and Anderson Center for Regenerative Medicine. He is ready to listen and understand, and to help.

To make an appointment with Dr. Wilkinson, Click HERE

Sports and Exercise Training and Injury: The Good, The Bad, and The Answer

Posted on September 27, 2018 by admin

The Goal (aka: The Good):

Just imagine that you have trained for a running event, such as a full marathon or half marathon, for anywhere from three to six months and have spent thousands of direct and indirect dollars in preparation. Or you have spent time and money revitalizing your exercise routine in a determined effort to meet your fitness goals. You are organized and motivated and, if you are training for an event, have chosen a specific race date. Perhaps you have scheduled vacation time off, and prepaid all expenses. You also try to balance the rest of your life as well: eating, sleeping, working, and being an engaged and active member in your important relationships.

The Injury and aftermath (aka: The Bad):

Then the unthinkable happens. You start to feel foot or leg pain and become injured during your training or workout routine, placing your preparation and any event goals in jeopardy. To make matters worse, you take more time to visit a well-intended sports medicine specialist, local podiatrist or other care provider who does not understand who you really are or your motivation. You receive his or her best recommendations that include generic and un-customized directions that often include abandoning your running or activity goals, not taking into account that you are physically and mentally invested. You may even decide to continue with your current training or exercise routine and soon find that you are getting worse instead of better.

The Answer:

What do you do? At Anderson Center for Regenerative Medicine I recommend that you consider our total athlete evaluation and rehabilitation program before you are forced to submit to regret and disappointment.

Here is where I come in:

I examine all aspects of who you are in total.
I begin by understanding your goals as completely and specifically as possible.
I learn the past and recent history of your fitness and its evolution.
I trace your health and training or exercise progression in all aspects from the origin of your idea to your current status.
I use over thirty years of office experience and road and ultra-running experience to understand what you are going to need to reach your goal and maintain optimal foot, ankle, and lower extremity health.
I access the physical and mental assets you possess to reach the finish line.
This includes nutrition, sleep, mental attitude, injury mechanism, training or exercise schedule and equipment, and potential of your current injury.
As a Podiatrist specially trained in sports medicine, I am able to present and use advanced modalities to stop your foot or ankle pain or injury progression and move you back to the starting line. These can include nutrition and training guidance as well as custom orthotics and regenerative medicine products. Surgery is a last resort.

In essence, I use a success centered mind and body restorative process and training redirection to help you meet your goals to include healing your current injury, preventing future injury, and completing your event or attaining your fitness goals.

If you have an important goal to accomplish and are hindered by running or exercise pain, foot problems or injury, ankle injuries, plantar fasciitis or other problems, give me a call at Anderson Center for Regenerative Medicine. I am not only ready to listen and understand, I am also ready to help.

To make an appointment with Dr. Wilkinson, Click HERE

Dr. Wilkinson is an ultra-runner, having completed many 50 and 100-mile races. As a Podiatrist who has successfully weathered his own sports injuries in the past, Dr. Wilkinson enjoys working with patients who are also athletes pursuing their own fitness goals. He believes in injury prevention through gait analysis, biomechanics and sound, reasonable training techniques but is also an astute provider of clinical and surgical methodology to help return injured athletes to their playing field. Learn more about sports medicine injury treatment. By Stephen Wilkinson, DPM