Bursitis
Bursitis is a painful inflammation of a small fluid-filled sac called a bursa, which is located under the tendon and serves as it’s protection. The bursa protects the tendon from injury and provides cushioning to prevent friction in its immediate area, such as between ligaments and bones. It can become inflamed from repetitive motion or irritation. The most common areas of bursitis are the shoulders, elbows, and hip. However, it can affect the foot and ankle too. In the foot, the heel and the toes are most often affected.
Causes
The most common causes of bursitis are repetitive motions or positions that put pressure on the bursae around a joint.
Examples include:
- Throwing a baseball or lifting something over your head repeatedly
- Leaning on your elbows for long periods of time
- Extensive kneeling for tasks such as laying carpet or scrubbing floors
Other causes include injury or trauma to the affected area, inflammatory arthritis (such as rheumatoid arthritis), gout, and infection.
Ankle Joint Injury
An ankle joint injury may be due to the soft tissues of a ligament or tendon stretching beyond their capacity, better known as an ankle sprain or strain.
Haglund’s Deformity
Haglund’s deformity is a bony enlargement on the back of the heel that, when it rubs against shoes, may irritate the soft tissues near the Achilles tendon.
Symptoms
Symptoms of bursitis include localized redness, swelling, and pain.
Pain On The Side Of The Foot
While pain may be felt on the inner side of the foot (medial foot pain), pain on the outer side (lateral foot pain) is more common.
Pain On Top Of The Foot
Many health conditions and injuries can upset the foot’s movement and balance, causing problems and pain on top of the foot.
Potential Treatments
Treatments may include local ice therapy, nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (such as ibuprofen), and padding or corticosteroid injections to help reduce inflammation and relieve pain. If these nonsurgical treatments fail to provide adequate pain relief, your doctor may discuss surgery.
Ankle Arthroplasty (Total Ankle Replacement)
Ankle Arthroplasty, also called Total Ankle Replacement, is a replacement surgery of a damaged ankle joint using an artificial implant.
Tendon Repair Surgery
The tendon repair surgery is a surgery used to fix a damaged tendon. This surgery is often used to repair the Achilles tendon.
Custom Orthotics
Custom orthotics are specially crafted devices that are patterned based on your individual needs and designed to support and comfort your feet.
Regenerative Medicine Treatments
Regenerative medicine involves the delivery of growth factors to injured joints and tissues to promote the healing process.
