Your foot is complex, strong and designed to cope with a considerable amount of pressure. It has 26 bones, all of which are surrounded and supported by tendons, ligaments, nerves and other tissues providing cushioning and smooth movement. Any of these structures can get damaged due to overuse, wearing ill-fitting shoes or high impact activities.
Foot pain is debilitating and can lead to issues in your ankles, knees and hips as you compensate by altering your gait.
We offer treatment for foot problems, including bunions, osteoarthritis, fractures, toe deformities, Morton’s Neuroma and heel pain.
Common foot conditions we treat include:
A bunion occurs when a hard, bony lump forms on the joint at the base of your big toe. It often forms as a result of wearing shoes that are too tight or from wearing high heels for long periods of time – although it’s commonly an inherited condition.
Symptoms include pain, inflammation and swelling.
Treatment: Non-surgical treatments includes toe spacers, splints or insoles as well as painkillers or anti-inflammatories. More serious cases may require surgery to realign the big toe and remove the bony protrusion.
This occurs when your big toe becomes stiffened, swollen and painful due to arthritis. It is typically caused by wear and tear or an old injury – and leads to difficulty walking.
Treatment: Non-operative treatments include insoles, painkillers and anti-inflammatories and injections. Some cases may require surgery to smooth the damaged bone and cartilage on the joint. Occasionally a joint replacement is necessary.
This occurs when a nerve in the sole of your foot is pinched between a ligament and a bone. It can be caused by injury or wearing ill-fitting shoes, and leads to pain under the ball of your foot – like standing on a ball bearing, along with shooting pains and pins and needles into the toes.
Treatment: Non-operative treatments include painkillers and anti-inflammatory injections or orthotics and wide fitting shoes. More serious cases may require surgery to reset the swollen nerve.
A thick band of tissue runs across the bottom of your foot, providing shock absorption and supporting the arch of your foot as you walk. Repeated stretching or stresses can cause micro tears and inflammation – it’s common if you are on their feet all day, if you have naturally flat feet or high arches, or if you are overweight.
It causes a stabbing pain near the base of your heel – particularly as you take your first steps in the morning.
Treatment: special inserts (orthotics) for your shoes and physiotherapy to stretch your plantar fascia and Achilles tendon. We offer anti-inflammatory injections and ultrasound therapy to promote healing.
The lesser toes can become deformed as a result of injury or wearing ill-fitting or high-heeled shoes. The toes can become buckled and stiff leading to calluses, bony lumps, sores and pain.
Treatment: Surgery is often required to straighten the toe.
Broken or cracked bones cause pain, swelling and reduced mobility.
Treatment: Treatment depends on the type of fracture but may include a walking boot or surgery.
A sesamoid is a bone inside a tendon. In the foot, the sesamoids are two smaller bones in the ball of your foot underneath the big toe. If the bones become inflamed, worn or broken – mostly due to overuse – it leads to a dull, ongoing pain under the base of your big toe.
Treatment: Non-surgical treatments include insoles, a walking boot, steroid injections and physical therapy.
Inflammation can cause pain in the heel of the foot. It can be caused by a number of things, including stress fractures, arthritis and tendon problems.
Treatment: Non-operative treatments shockwave therapy, steroid injections and PRP injections, and physical therapy. More serious cases may require surgery.
Simon Moyes is an internationally renowned orthopaedic surgeon and leader in the field of arthroscopic (keyhole) surgery. His Capital Orthopaedics team works from The Cromwell Hospital in London, with its state-of-the-art diagnostic and surgical equipment, and top sports medicine professionals.
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Simon Moyes and the Capital Orthopaedics team are highly experienced in diagnosing and treating foot conditions. Our expert consultant orthopaedic surgeons, radiologists, physiotherapists and nurses aim to get you back on your feet in the shortest time possible.
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