Foot and ankle problems are very common on their own and they often cause problems of the entire leg, hip and back. An innovator in functional therapy, Gary Gray, said that “everything changes when the foot hits the ground!” The entire body truly depends on good function of your feet. Various conditions from overuse to arthritis affect both the foot and the ankle. Foot and ankle restrictions and pain are also seen in neurological conditions such as stroke and multiple sclerosis. Buffalo Spine and Sports Medicine’s team can establish the cause of pain and dysfunction and help restore the function and the support of the entire lower limb and beyond.
How we diagnose
A comprehensive examination is performed on every patient with focus on ferreting out various problems that can cause foot and ankle pain.
Special manual training allows our physicians to diagnose small subluxations of foot and ankle joints that are a very common source of pain and are mostly missed and misdiagnosed by other physicians. Gentle manipulation of the foot and ankle joints is frequently performed during examination for diagnostic and therapeutic purposes.
Our physicians also examine the foot and ankle joints, and surrounding muscles with the help of advanced imaging techniques such as diagnostic ultrasound.
This technology is advanced enough to see chronically inflamed nerves around the foot and ankle region that frequently cause chronic non-joint related foot pain.
Electromyography (EMG) is used to examine foot and ankle pinched nerve problems such as Foot Drop and Tarsal Tunnel Syndrome, as well as neuromuscular spasm condition known as lower limb spasticity.
MRI and X-ray imaging is often used to confirm the diagnosis made by our expert examination of internal ankle joint problems.
How we treat
Manipulation is frequently used during the clinical encounter to restore normal function of the foot and ankle.
Steroid injections are guided by ultrasound for safety and accuracy and are frequently very effective in decreasing pain and inflammation from arthritis of both foot and ankle joints.
Ultrasound-guided injections are also used for injections of small outer knee nerves that can be injured during trauma and surgery.
Ultrasound-guided Viscosupplementation injections of products like Synvisc and Euflexxa are used for joints that need further cartilage lubrication and protection.
PRP (platelet-rich plasma) injections are now available for patients with advanced arthritis, Achilles and plantar fascia tears who have not responded to the other treatments.
In cases of lower limb spasticity, Botox injections are used to calm down the spastic muscles.
Our physicians use EMG assistance to find the spasming muscles and we are one of the first groups in the country to use ultrasound technology to more accurately and safely guide the Botox injections.
We are still one of the few groups that use ultrasound for guidance of Botox therapy.
We employ state-of-the-art physical therapy for correction of joint dysfunction, muscle imbalances, arch abnormalities and weakness that so frequently lead to foot and ankle problems.
When painful, chronic foot and ankle conditions, so often seen in trauma situations, are encountered, the patient is referred for specialized treatments known as ART and Graston mobilization to a chiropractor that works closely with our physicians.
Splinting and custom bracing is frequently prescribed for pain, inflammation, and motion control of the foot and ankle.
Our small and carefully designed therapeutic yoga classes for arthritis are a perfect way to exercise towards a stronger and a pain-free lower limb.