Plantar fasciitis is a painful condition affecting the bottom of the foot. It is a common cause of heel pain and is sometimes called a heel spur. Plantar fasciitis is the correct term to use when there is active inflammation.

The goals of treatment and management of gout are twofold: (1) end acute attacks and prevent recurrent attacks and (2) to correct the excess uric acid in the blood
called hyperuricemia.

Nonsteroidal antiinflammatory drugs (NSAIDs) work well for most patients to reduce the pain and inflammation of an acute attack. Once in a while, a steroid injection into the joint is needed for an especially acute attack.

Studies testing walking ability on flat surfaces and uneven surfaces in a variety of shoe types have been done. Special motion detector equipment has been used to record three-dimensional (3-D) movement data of the entire body. Young adults and older adults have been tested and compared. In one study, six different shoe types were tested in both age groups on flat and uneven ground.

Shoe wear can be an extremely important item of clothing in the older adult -- and not just from a sense of fashion. Studies show that almost half of all falls are linked with the type of shoes worn at the time of the fall.

Shoe wear can be an extremely important item of clothing in the older adult. Studies show that almost half of all falls are linked with the type of shoes worn at the time of the fall. Slippers and heels double the risk of falling in older people. Even younger adults are at risk of fractures from shoes with a high or narrow heel. And walking barefoot isn't any better. The risk of falling also increases with bare feet (and especially wearing just socks).

I recently had lung surgery (15 days ago). About seven days after surgery, while in the hospital bed bound, my right foot started hurting. I had plantar facitis in the past and thought the problem was from not wearing shoes for the past 7 days. I was in bed for a total of 11 days with restricted movement. The day after I left the hospital the bottom of my right foot swelled and I can barely walk on it. I tried foot massage and a cold pack but neither helped. I currently have an ace bandage to see if restriction helps. I'm assuming the problem is inflamation.

Osteochondral lesion of the talus (OLT) refers to damage to the talus after an ankle sprain. The talus is a bone in the ankle between the calcaneus (heel bone) below and the tibia (shin bone) above.

The bottom of the tibia forms a dome over the top of the talus. With OLT, a piece of cartilage from the talus gets pinched by this dome. In more severe cases, a fragment of cartilage breaks off the talus. In the worst cases, the fragment is floating free in the joint space.

Persistent ankle pain after an ankle sprain could be a sign of a condition called osteochondral lesion of the talus (OLT). The talus is a bone in the ankle between the calcaneus (heel bone) below and the tibia (shin bone) above.

When surgery is not an option, conservative care must be used to help bring about tendon healing without rerupture. Nonoperative care is usually by casting or splinting to immobilize the leg.

The foot is held in a position of slight plantar flexion (toes pointing down). This takes the pressure off the healing tendon. There is no risk of nerve injury as there would be with surgery. But recovery is delayed due to weakness of the injured calf muscle.

There are many studies comparing various methods of treatment for Achilles tendon rupture. The two main methods are surgical repair and nonoperative treatment with rest, immobilization, and antiinflammatory drugs.

There are pros and cons to both management techniques. The main advantage of surgery compared with nonoperative care to repair the torn Achilles tendon is a lower rerupture rate. But the rates of infection, scarring, and nerve injury is much higher for surgical repair.