There is a lot of misinformation in the mainstream media when it comes to foot and ankle injuries. For example, I often see reports of professional athletes sustaining mid ankle sprains. There is no such thing as a mid ankle sprain. In the interest of getting the medical terminology correct, here are the varying grades […]
How to Identify & Treat Heel Bruises
A heel bruise, aka a stone bruise or a calcaneal fat pad contusion, is caused by excess force directed to the bottom of the heel. How the heel fat pad works This specialized fat pad works much like a mattress as it cushions normal heel strikes and prevents the calcaneus (heel bone) from getting directly […]
Short, Frequent Breaks May Help Decrease Surgeon Fatigue
Surgeon fatigue is a very dangerous thing. One little mistake can literally mean life or death. A new study suggests that taking short, frequent breaks during surgery is the solution to surgeon fatigue. These “micropauses” – 20 second breaks every 20 minutes – can help decrease fatigue and increase accuracy, according to the study. The […]
How to Diagnose & Treat Posterior Heel Pain
The other day a nurse came up to me in the hospital and asked, “Dr. Silverman, the back of my heel hurts. What’s my diagnosis?” Posterior heel pain is almost always an Insertional Achilles tendon disorder. The anatomy of the back of the heel is pretty simple: Skin A small layer of tissue A tendon that connect the […]
How to Know if you have Ankle Instability
Knowing if you have ankle instability can be easy to diagnose for some and challenging for others. You may have ankle instability if: you have had several ankle sprains in the past your ankle give way on uneven ground you find yourself avoiding things that aggravate your loose ankle or ankles (high heels, cutting sports, […]