Media Contact: Melissa Matusek
773-693-9300 x 1306
Foot and Ankle Surgeons Release Guidelines For Treating Common Foot Problems
Washington, D.C. [March 4, 2009] – Have you ever broken your small toe? Winced from pain in the ball of your foot? Felt a tingling or numbness in your toes?
Your doctor now has a better roadmap for diagnosing and treating these and other foot problems, thanks to new guidelines published by the American College of Foot and Ankle Surgeons (ACFAS). More than 1,000 ACFAS members are meeting in Washington this week at the College’s Annual Scientific Conference.
The “Forefoot Disorders Clinical Practice Guideline” appears in the March/April issue of the ACFAS’ Journal of Foot & Ankle Surgery. It focuses on the forefoot, or the front of the foot including the ball of the foot and the four little toes. A separate, existing ACFAS guideline addresses the big toe.
“These new guidelines help your foot and ankle surgeon, or even your family doctor or another physician, figure out the best way to diagnose and treat problems in your forefoot,” said James L. Thomas, DPM, FACFAS, co-author of the guidelines and a past president of the ACFAS.
The recommendations in the guidelines are backed up by hundreds of medical studies that were reviewed by an ACFAS expert panel. The guidelines focus on five common forefoot problems: trauma, pinched nerves, pain in the ball of the foot, bunionettes and toe deformities.
Trauma. Trauma to the forefoot can range from a broken bone to serious injuries such as lawnmower accidents or stepping on a rusty nail.
Pinched nerves. People diagnosed with pinched nerves, also called a Morton’s neuroma, frequently describe a “lump” on the bottom of their foot, or a feeling of walking on a rolled-up or wrinkled sock.
Pain in the ball of the foot. A variety of conditions can affect the forefoot and cause pain in the ball of the foot (metatarsalgia). The new ACFAS guidelines help doctors identify the specific culprit behind that pain.
Bunionettes. Most bunions involve the big toe. When bunions involve the smallest toe, it’s called a tailor’s bunion, or bunionette.
Toe deformities. Toe deformities such as hammertoe and crossover toe can cause pain by themselves, and contribute to additional painful conditions such as corns and calluses.
For more information on these forefoot conditions, visit the ACFAS Web site, FootHealthFacts.org.
About ACFAS
The American College of Foot and Ankle Surgeons is a professional society of more than 6,000 foot and ankle surgeons. Founded in 1942, the College’s mission is to promote research and provide continuing education for the foot and ankle surgical specialty, and to educate the general public on foot health and conditions of the foot and ankle through its consumer Web site, FootHealthFacts.org.