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Answers to Your Austin Foot & Ankle Injury Questions

If you have questions about foot and ankle injuries in central Texas, the Austin Foot & Ankle Specialists has the answers. We have the experience, knowledge, and resources to treat your injury and get you back to the activities you love. Call us today if you have been injured.

Sports Injury

• How can shockwave therapy help my Achilles tendon pain?
• What exercise can I do when I have Achilles tendon pain?
• How long do I have to stop running with Achilles tendon pain?
• Can I still run with Achilles tendon pain?
• Can I put anything on my Achilles tendon to help it feel better?
• Can I run in an AFO?
• Can wearing a motion control running shoe take the place of an orthotic?
• How can an orthotic help my Achilles tendon pain?
• Can I wear a custom orthotic when I play sports?
• Why does running cause shin splints?
• Why does running cause my toenails to become black and fall off?
• What do you think about the Vibram Five Fingers shoes?
• How close to my race day should I wait to get my foot pain checked?
• Will you tell me to stop running if I have foot pain?
• What's the best OTC insole for running?
• My feet hurt when I run, but no pain no gain, right?
• How much does the surface I run on matter?
• Is stretching necessary?
• How do I know if I'm running right?
• Why does one foot hurt more than the other?
• What can you do to help me run again?
• Do all runners get foot pain?
  
• Do all runners need orthotics?
• What do you make of barefoot running?
• Is there a right or wrong way to run?
• How do I know what the beat running shoes for me are?
• I keep getting stress fractures, is that normal?
• How do I know if my feet are okay to run on?
• Can I still run if I have foot pain?

Surgery

• Is surgery needed for Achilles tendon pain?
  
• How do I know my Achilles tendon isn't ruptured?
  
• Can I drive after my surgery?
• Will there be any pins coming out of my foot?
• When should I not consider foot surgery?
• Should I get a second opinion before my foot surgery?

• How many stitches will be in my foot after surgery?

• Will I need to wear a special shoe after surgery?
• Will I be asleep during the surgery?
• Will my foot hurt after surgery?
• Can I walk after surgery?

• Who is best qualified to do my foot surgery?

• Will foot surgery solve my problem completely?
• Do I need to wear orthotics after foot surgery?
• Is foot surgery safe for the elderly?
• Will my hammertoes come back after surgery?
• Do flat feet cause hammertoes?
• I have a high arch, why do I have hammertoes?
• What's the most common complication of foot surgery?
• How long does it take to recover from a hammertoe surgery?
• What can I do for a corn on the end of my toe?
• Do you have to break my toe to fix a hammertoe?
• When is foot surgery the right choice?
• Do you do foot surgery in the office?
• Do I need to get my foot surgery done in a hospital?
• Will I still need to wear orthotics after surgery?
• Are bunions hereditary?
• Can I have a bunion on the outside of my foot?
• Can a bunion form on top of my foot?
• Does a bunion form because of tight shoes?

Diabetics

• Is foot surgery safe for diabetics?
• Why do diabetics have foot problems?
• Why does diabetes cause my feet to burn?
• Why do diabetics need special shoes?
• Why can diabetes cause foot ulcers?
• When should I get treatment for a foot ulcer?
• My feet are deformed from diabetes, how do I stop it from getting worse?
• Do all diabetics have poor circulation?
• Is there a cure for diabetes?
• I'm worried that my socks are cutting off my circulation, what do I do?
• When should a diabetic see a podiatrist?
• Will an ulcer that's been there for a long time every heal?
• What's the best way to heal a diabetic ulcer?
• What's the most advanced way to heal a diabetic ulcer?
• Is there a cure for diabetic neuropathy?
• Once a diabetic ulcer is healed, how do I stop it from returning?
• My foot doesn't fit in a shoe, what do I do?
• What can you do for a diabetic Charcot foot?
• Why doesn't my foot ulcer heal on it's own?
• What is the right foot cream for a diabetic to use?
• What do I do if I see a problem on my foot?

Heel and Arch Pain

• Can a cortisone shot cure my Achilles tendon pain?
• Will stretching help my Achilles tendon problem?
• Do I need physical therapy for my Achilles tendon?
• Is medication the only treatment for Achilles tendon pain?
• What is an orthotic?
• Is a hard or soft orthotic better?
• What's better, a full or partial length orthotic?
• Can I wear an orthotic in a dress shoe?
• Can an orthotic be put in a sandal?
• What can happen if an orthotic is recommended and I never get one?
• Isn't Dr. Scholl's insoles just as good as a custom orthotic?
• How should a mold be taken for a custom orthotic?
• How long do orthotics last?
• Should an orthotic hurt?
• Are orthotics covered by insurance?
• Do I need orthotics in my cycling shoes?
• Do orthotics always work?
• Does a store with computer scanners make a better orthotic?
• Who should take the measurements and mold for an orthotic?
• Will orthotics weaken my feet?
• Why do I need to break in an orthotic?
• Will a custom orthotic relieve the pain from a bone spur?
  

   

• What causes heel pain?
• Is a heel spur causing the pain?
• Does a heel spur need to be removed?
• Why do heel cups not help?
• Is exercise making my heel pain worse?
• Will I need special shoes?
• Why does my heel pain keep coming back?
• How does an orthotics keep my heel pain away?

Children's Feet

• My child has pain on the back of the heel, is that Achilles tendonitis?
• What steps should be taken to make sure a child's feet are not at risk for injury while participating in sports?
• Why should I take my child to see a podiatrist?
• When is a child's foot fully developed and why is this important?
• When should I put my baby in his/her first pair of shoes?
• Do kids need orthotics?
• Will my child always have to wear orthotics once he starts?
• How often will my child need new orthotics?
• When does a child develop an arch?
• When should I put shoes on my baby?
• Is foot, ankle, or knee pain normal in kids?
• How do I know if my child needs supports?

Rear Foot and Ankle Surgery

• My Achilles tendon is swollen, is that normal?

Foot, Skin and Nail Problems

• Why are my toenails so ugly?
• Does a thick nail mean I have fungus?
• Is toenail fungus contagious?
• Why doesn't OTC topical medications help?
• Doesn't the oral medication hurt my liver?
• Is there a way to cure fungus without medication?
• How can you be sure it is fungus?
• Why does the fungus keep coming back?
• Can I polish my toenails during treatment for ingrown toenails?
• Does the medicine need to get beneath my nail?
• How long do I have to wait for my toenails to look better?
• How do I get my toenails looking better fast?
• What's the safest way to cure my fungus?
• Is toenail fungus related to athletes foot?
• Does sweaty feet matter?
• My shoes stink, is that from the fungus?
• Does Vicks vaporub cure fungus?
• Can I get nail fungus from a pedicure?
• Does nail polish cause nail fungus?
• Can I get acrylic nails put on my toenails?
• Do home remedies work best?
• Why does chemotherapy affect my toenails?

Fall Prevention

• What is an ankle-foot orthotic (AFO)?
• What are the different types of AFO?
• Isn't an AFO just a brace?
• Why should I see a podiatrist if I keep falling?
• How will a podiatrist evaluate me for fall risk?
• What can a podiatrist do to prevent falls?
• How will an Ankle-Foot orthotic (AFO) or brace help prevent falls?
• Who else should I see if I have had falls?
• After how many falls should I see my podiatrist?
• What do falls have to do with my feet?
• Won't a brace throw me off balance and make me fall more?
• Do I need to use a cane or walker if I have had a fall?
• Will insurance cover me for fall prevention?
• Why are falls so bad?
• Are my shoes making me fall?
• Do I need a bigger shoe to fit an AFO or brace?
• Will I be able to use an Ankle Foot Orthosis (AFO) or brace if I have arthritis?
• My doctor recommended tennis shoes but I'm worried I'll trip on the carpeting. What should I do?
• Is using a walker the best way to avoid falls?
• Do too many falls mean I have vertigo?

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