Medical Conditions

Sprained ankles may occur frequently and become a serious medical problem, destabilizing your every step and putting you in jeopardy of taking a disastrous fall. Ankle sprains can be divided into groups of mild, moderate, or severe. These are often graded as Grade 1, which is a mild sprain, Grade 2 that is more severe and may be associated with longer recovery and may involve a partial tear of ligaments or tendon. Grade 3 often refers to a complete tear of the ligaments and tendon and requires longer periods of care and in severe cases may require surgical treatment.

Shin splints is a term used to describe several conditions due to inflammation of the muscle and tendon attachments to the lower leg bone (tibia). Medial Tibial Stress Syndrome is also used to describe shin splints. The term shin splints should not be used to describe specific tenderness on one area of the bone such as a possible stress fracture. Shin splints are characterized by pain and tenderness along the inner aspect of the lower 2/3 of the tibia. The posterior tibialis and soleus muscles attach to the tibia in this area. The function of these muscles is to support the arch of the foot and to help the calf muscles direct the foot. Shin splints are usually due to repetitive use of these muscles, resulting in an inflammation at their attachment sites on the bone.

This term usually applies to pain in the front of the leg, occurring anywhere between the ankle and the knee. However, it can also refer to pain in the inner side of the lower leg. Walking, running, or jumping usually initiates the pain in both of these areas. In extreme cases one can have pain in these areas while just standing still.

Mallet toes and claw toes are similar to hammer toes, except that different joints on the toe are affected. The joint at the end of the toe buckles in a mallet toe, while a claw toe involves abnormal positions of all three joints in the toe. Hammertoes, mallet toes, and claw toes have similar symptoms and causes; therefore, treatments and preventive measures used to relieve hammertoe pain, frequently provide relief to painful mallet and claw toes as well.

Hammertoes are classified based on the mobility of the toe joints. There are two types:

Hammertoes usually start out as mild deformities and get progressively worse over time. In the earlier stages, hammertoes are flexible and the symptoms can often be managed with changes in shoe styles and foot care products. But if left untreated, hammertoes can become more rigid and painful. Corns are more likely to develop as time goes on-and corns never really go away, even after trimming. In more severe cases of hammertoe, corn lesions may evolve into severe ulcerations. These lesions frequently occur in patients who have vascular disease or are Diabetic with neuropathy. The ulcerations can extend to the bone and result in infection and possible loss of digit or amputation.

By the time we reach 65, most of us will have walked more than 75,000 miles (3 times around the equator), and bore several million tons of weight on our feet. Over time, this abuse takes its toll on our feet and alters the structure of the feet. The most common changes that occur in the feet are listed below.

When one leg is shorter then the other, it is medically referred to as Limb Length Discrepancy or Short Leg Syndrome. Having a shorter leg does indeed produce a variety of bodily symptoms, and the term “syndrome” is very accurate. Syndrome implies a multitude of symptoms.