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Conditions

Explore many of the common conditions that Firefly's Podiatrists treat on a daily basis. Click on the conditions below to reveal a more in-depth profile of the condition and how Firefly Foot & Ankle Clinics can offer treatment.

In this section

Arthritis in the Big Toe Joint

Osteoarthritis (OA) is the most common type of arthritis, and it can affect joints anywhere in the body. When cartilage in the joints wears down, bones become exposed and rub against each other. This causes swelling and pain in the joint and can limit your range of motion. OA generally starts slowly but worsens over time. The base of the big toe, known as the first metatarsophalangeal joint, is a common site of OA.

Bunions and Hammer Toes

The bunion, medically known as hallux abductovalgus or HAV, is a bump on the side of the great toe joint. This bump represents an actual deviation of the 1st metatarsal and often an overgrowth of bone on the metatarsal head. In addition, there is also deviation of the great toe toward the second toe. A hammer toe is a deformity that causes your toe to bend or curl downward instead of pointing forward. It normally affects the 2nd toe but can also affect the 3rd and 4th toes.

Metatarsalgia

Metatarsalgia is a general term to describe pain in the ball of the foot. Pain in the ball of the feet is a common complaint we see in Firefly Foot and Ankle Clinics. Most often this pain is associated with the Metatarsophalangeal Joint (MTPJ). The Metatarsophalangeal Joint is where the metatarsal bones meet the phalanx (digits) bones. When a person gets pain in these joints it is either caused by injury to the joint itself or changes in the joint or it can also be due to injury to the surrounding structures. There are many different diagnosis that are under this term Metatarsalgia.

Heel Pain/ Heel Spurs

The most common form of heel pain is pain on the bottom of the heel. It tends to occur for no apparent reason and is often worse when first placing weight on the foot. It is caused by the Plantar Fascia. The plantar fascia is the flat ligament that connects your heel bone to your toes. This ligament supports the arch of your foot, but can become strained, irritated or swollen when injured.

Achilles Tendinopathy

The most common form of injury to the Achilles tendon is called Achilles tendinopathy, which is an inflammatory condition causing pain in the Achilles tendon. Achilles tendinopathy is a common overuse injury caused by repetitive energy storage and release with excessive compression. This can lead to a sudden injury, or in the worst case, can cause a rupture of the Achilles tendon.

The Diabetic Foot

Diabetes can be particularly dangerous to the feet, causing nerve damage, loss of feeling, foot ulcers and serious infections which can lead to amputation of the toes or foot. If you have recently been diagnosed with, or care for someone with diabetes, make sure you are doing all you can to protect feet and keep toes healthy too. The Joslin Clinical Guidelines recommend that you have your feet checked at least annually by a podiatrist for altered sensation, decreased circulation and/or infection.

Adult Acquired Flat Foot

The adult acquired flatfoot is a progressive, symptomatic (painful) deformity resulting from gradual stretch (attenuation) of the tibialis posterior tendon as well as the ligaments that support the arch of the foot. Most flat feet are not painful, particularly those flat feet seen in children. In the adult acquired flatfoot, pain occurs because soft tissues (tendons and ligaments) have been torn. The deformity progresses or worsens because once the vital ligaments and posterior tibial tendon are lost, nothing can take their place to hold up the arch of the foot.

Rheumatoid Arthritis

Rheumatoid arthritis is a systemic autoimmune disease that has no known cause. The disease is characterized by on-going inflammation of the lining of the joints in the body. Over time the joints can dislocate in a deforming fashion. The most common joints affected are those in the hands and the feet. Soft tissue nodules can also form near joints. These are called rheumatoid nodules. In the foot, rheumatoid arthritis can present as generalised pain in the ball of the foot or ankle. This can often present in later stages as dislocation and deformity of the joints in the ball of the foot. The plantar fat pad can shift or diminish resulting in painful calluses in the ball of the foot.

Knee Pain

Knee pain is a common problem with many causes, from acute injuries to complications of medical conditions. It can be localised to a specific area of the knee or it can diffuse throughout the knee. Knee pain is often accompanied by stiffness and restriction through the joint.

Leg Length Discrepancy

Leg Length Discrepancy is when a paired lower extremity limbs are noticeably unequal in length. The leg length difference can be structural or functional. It can be found in 70% of the population, however, it is only treated if symptomatic or causing gait abnormality.