Chronic ankle instability (CAI) is an uncomfortable condition in which the outer (lateral) side of your ankle feels like it might “give way” when you walk, move or even stand. If, in fact, it does “give way” with a turn or sprain, the result is lingering tenderness, discomfort and swelling. Overall, about 10% of people […]
A broken fibula may be very painful, but sitting on the couch and letting it heal on its own is probably not the best approach. While your fibula—the long, thin outside bone of your lower leg—is healing, you should stay mobile through the use of a walking boot. Although the fibula is considered a weight-bearing […]
In the medical world, it’s called posterior tibial tendon dysfunction, but most of us know it by a much simpler term: flatfoot. Specifically, this type of flatfoot develops during adulthood and often affects only one foot. More common among women and people over 40, flatfoot occurs when the posterior tibial tendon, which runs from the […]
Perhaps you stubbed your toe or incurred a foot injury while participating in sports. Your doctor has called it a fifth metatarsal avulsion fracture, but you are unsure what is meant by that term. A fracture is a break in the bone, and your fifth metatarsal is the long midfoot bone on the side of […]
Inflammation and irritation of the plantar fascia ligament—plantar fasciitis—is the most common cause of pain on the bottom of the heel, with 2 million cases treated in the United States each year. This heavy band of tissue supports your arch and connects the front of your foot to your heel. In 2014, a comprehensive review […]
If the soles of your shoes show unusual wear patterns, one of the culprits might be the common condition of flat feet. Flat feet are normal in babies whose arches have not yet developed. The arch develops in childhood, and by the time you reach adulthood, a normal arch should be present. But what about […]
A high ankle sprain affects the high ankle ligament, connective tissue strands that attach the tibia (shinbone) to the fibula (outside leg bone). Because the ankle offers the stability you need to walk or run, injury to this ligament may lead to instability of the ankle joint. A high ankle sprain results when these ligaments […]
If you look at your foot from the side, you should notice an upward curve in the middle. Called an arch, this curve is formed by tight bands of tissue that attach at the heel and foot bones. Generally speaking, there are three types of arches: low (present in 20% of the population), high (present […]
