Our Skilled El Paso Podiatrists Provide Complete Medical and Surgical Care for Bunions and Other Foot Deformities
The feet are some of the body’s most complex structures. Each foot has 26 bones, 33 joints, and over 100 muscles, ligaments, and tendons that must work together to ensure proper form and function. Unfortunately, foot deformities and misalignments are common—and they can cause pain, discomfort, and visible foot changes, affecting how you walk and even limiting your mobility.
Putting off treatment lets bunions, hammer toes, and other deformities worsen over time. Don’t risk it. The Foot Institute provides comprehensive care for foot deformities and misalignments, including conservative, advanced, and surgical treatment options. Discover what our board-certified El Paso podiatrists could do for your family’s feet.
Common Causes of Podiatric Deformities
Foot deformities can be present at birth or attributed to lifestyle factors and health conditions such as:
- Putting too much pressure on your feet
- Wearing tight shoes
- Suffering podiatric injuries like fractures, dislocations, tendon or ligament damage, and sprains
- Dealing with chronic inflammation
- Being overweight
- Having diabetes, rheumatoid arthritis, osteoarthritis, or brain disease
Our Experts Capably Address Wide-Ranging Foot Deformities and Misalignments
At The Foot Institute, Dr. Efren Buff De La Rosa leads an adept team of podiatrists, providing the highest standard of care for patients of all ages. Some of the most common foot deformities we address at our El Paso offices include:
- Splay foot. This condition causes the metatarsal bones to spread out, widening the foot at the base of the toes. Increased pressure on the bones in the middle of the forefoot can be painful and result in hard, thickened skin or calluses. Splay feet increase your risk of developing bunions.
- Bunions. When the first metatarsal bone shifts to the side, your big toe leans toward the smaller ones, resulting in a bony bump where the base of the big toe meets the foot. Bunions cause pain, swelling, and big toe stiffness. They can also make wearing certain shoes difficult.
- Hammer toes and mallet toes. These deformities cause the joints in the second, third, or fourth toes to bend abnormally. Hammer toes bend at the middle joint, while mallet toes bend at the joint closest to the tip of the toe. Symptoms include redness, swelling, stiffness, corns and calluses, and eventually, inability to straighten the affected toe.
- Claw toes. Nerve damage can weaken muscles in the feet, causing the toes to bend at the middle joint and curl under toward your sole. Pain, stiffness, and calluses can result.
- High arches. This condition forces the balls of the feet to carry more weight, causing pain and calluses and increasing the risk of claw toes and ankle injuries.
- Fallen arches and flat feet. Arches that are flatter than usual cause too much of your foot to touch the floor when you stand or walk. This excess pressure leads to pain.
- Clubfoot. This congenital condition causes the toes and front of the feet to point down and inward.
- Cavovarus foot. Characterized by high arches and heels that turn inward, cavovarus foot can cause pain and instability on the outer side of affected feet, increasing your risk of ankle sprains.
- Equinus foot. This condition causes the toes and ball of the foot to point toward the ground, preventing you from putting your heel down. As a result, you’re forced to walk on the front and middle parts of the foot, which can become painful.
Treat Your Feet to the Fantastic Care They Deserve
Don't neglect your feet. With early intervention, you can manage many common foot deformities with conservative treatments such as:
- Footwear modifications
- Custom orthotics
- Insoles to cushion and relieve pressure
- Stretches and exercises
Moderate to severe foot deformities that negatively affect your quality of life and don’t respond to conservative treatments may require surgery. Fortunately, our board-certified El Paso podiatrists are proficient in many procedures correcting foot deformities.