Our Experienced El Paso Podiatrists Provide Comprehensive Care for Your Family’s Feet
Whether at the office, heading into class at UTEP, walking your dog on the Rio Grande River Trail, or playing with your grandchildren, your feet are hard at work. The 26 bones, 33 joints, and over 100 muscles, ligaments, and tendons in each foot operate together, allowing you to stand, walk, run, jump, and perform other movements.
Unfortunately, imbalances, weaknesses, deformities, and injuries can cause painful foot problems. Suddenly, you’re arranging your life around staying off your feet, becoming less active, and missing special moments with your loved ones.
Don’t let foot pain disrupt your lifestyle and dictate what you can do. Let The Foot Institute’s highly skilled specialists give your feet the quality care they deserve.
We Offer Complete Medical and Surgical Care for Foot and Ankle Conditions
Feet hurt? You’ve come to the right place for relief. At The Foot Institute, our board-certified El Paso podiatrists capably and compassionately address wide-ranging podiatric issues. Read on for an overview of some of the most common conditions we treat.
Foot and Ankle Pain
Painful foot or ankle problems can make even the best days more difficult. Pain is a symptom of numerous podiatric conditions, such as:
- Strains and sprains. Injuries to muscles or tendons (strains) or stretched or torn ligaments (sprains).
- Morton’s neuroma. Thickening of the tissue surrounding a nerve between the third and fourth toes making it feel like you’re walking on a pebble.
- Stress fractures and broken bones. Tiny cracks or severe bone bruises (stress fractures) or acute traumatic injuries requiring immediate medical attention (broken bones).
- Achilles tendonitis. Inflammation of the tissue connecting the calf muscles and heel bone causing pain in the back of your leg or above the heel.
- Peripheral neuropathy. Nerve damage causing numbness, tingling, burning, shooting, or stabbing pain in the feet, leading to bone and soft-tissue changes.
- Gout. Inflammatory arthritis causing crystalized uric acid to settle in the joint where your big toe and foot meet, resulting in severe pain, swelling, and tenderness.
Foot Deformities
Structural abnormalities or misalignments of internal foot components can be present at birth or develop over time. Our experts address all podiatric deformities, including:
- Bunions. Misaligned metatarsophalangeal (MTP) joint bones cause a painful bony bump at the base of your big toe.
- Hammer toes, claw toes, and mallet toes. These conditions cause the toes to bend or curl; hammer toe frequently affects the middle joint of the second toe; claw toe affects all three joints of the four smaller toes; and mallet toe affects the joint nearest the tip of the (typically) second toe.
- Flat feet. Arches that collapse when standing; children often outgrow this issue.
- High arches. Abnormally raised arches place excessive pressure on the ball and heel of your foot when standing or walking.
Heel Pain
Persistent heel pain can make every step miserable. We treat numerous conditions causing painful heels, such as:
- Plantar fasciitis. Inflammation of the plantar fascia tissue connecting the heel bone and toes results in stabbing pain near the heel that’s often worse in the morning.
- Heel spurs. Bony calcium deposits develop on the bottom of your heel bone in response to excessive stress on the plantar fascia.
- Sever’s disease. Painful swelling and irritation of the heel’s cartilage growth plate are most common among active children between eight and 14.
Nail and Skin Conditions
Our podiatric professionals treat broad-ranging nail and skin conditions to help your feet look and feel their best, including:
- Dry, cracked skin. Dry, broken skin can increase the risk of infection, especially in diabetics and other patients with compromised immune systems.
- Corns and calluses. Frequent friction and pressure can cause thick, hardened layers of skin to develop between your toes or on the tops and sides of the feet.
- Fungal nails and athlete’s foot. Fungal infections can cause your toenails to discolor, thicken, and crumble. Infections that spread to the toes and other parts of the feet are called athlete's foot.
- Ingrown toenails. Improper trimming can cause a nail’s edges to dig into the surrounding skin, resulting in painful irritation and increasing your risk of infection.
- Plantar warts. Rough, bumpy growths that form on the weight-bearing parts of your feet, leading to pain or discomfort.
Take Advantage of Capable and Compassionate Care for Whatever Ails Your Feet and Ankles
At The Foot Insititute, Dr. Efren Buff De La Rosa leads an accomplished team of board-certified podiatrists, providing gentle care and advanced treatment options for all foot and ankle conditions. With onsite imaging, state-of-the-art equipment, multiple El Paso locations, and warm and welcoming staff, we strive to ensure an exceptional experience for every patient.
