Many people expect a little foot pain as they get older. But if your foot or ankle hurts for a long time and rest, ice, medicine and keeping it raised do not help, it’s time to see a foot doctor, also called a podiatrist. “People don’t give their feet much thought until their feet hurt. Your feet are the foundation of your body, and if your feet hurt or they’re out of alignment, that can get your whole body out of alignment. Happy feet mean a happy person,” Dr. Ben Blodgett, board-certified podiatrist with Prisma Health Podiatry-Alcoa, said.
Blodgett said that podiatrists do much more than take care of nails or calluses. “Our community needs to know that we can treat anything from the lower leg down. We treat a variety of diagnoses and pathologies -- fractures, sprains, tears, any injuries or wounds -- but I also can fully reconstruct a person’s foot if it’s needed,” Blodgett said. He especially enjoys ankle replacements. “I focused heavily on surgical reconstruction during residency. I do procedures that aren’t as common, such as toe and ankle replacements, where severe arthritis is replaced with a prosthetic joint, much like knees, hips or shoulders. That’s not a common practice here yet, but it’s something I enjoy quite a bit,” Blodgett added.
More people in the United States are getting ankle replacements. Ankle replacement surgery can help your ankle move better, help you walk more naturally and keep the joint structure. This often is better than fusing an ankle joint, which makes the ankle stop moving. To find out if an ankle replacement can help you, a doctor will do a full exam and take X-rays. If the joint is worn down and other treatments have not helped, replacement might be the next step. “With ankle pain, a thorough exam is performed, and X-rays usually are taken. If degeneration is shown in the ankle joint or if the pain has lasted a while and other conservative measures have been taken but have not been effective, then an ankle replacement may be an option,” Blodgett explained.
Blodget said that patients usually must be at least 50 years old, not very overweight, and not planning high-impact workouts such as running. Those with weak ankle ligaments, badly aligned bones or nerve damage are not recommended to have ankle replacements. After ankle replacement surgery, you will be off your feet for a full two weeks. You may use crutches or a knee scooter during that time. Then, you will wear a walking boot for about a month. After that, with medical supervision, you will slowly return to normal activities. Ankle replacement studies have confirmed good results. One report found that between 85-90 percent of ankle replacements were still working well after 10 years.
Ankle replacements are becoming more common and help patients move better with less pain and more stability. “I’ve had my own foot problems, and I know how important feet are to the well-being of the rest of the body. Feet can sideline people from being active and healthy. To be able to help people reach their goal to feel and move better is very satisfying,” Blodgett said.
If you have foot or ankle pain that does not improve, talk to your doctor about ankle replacement as an option. For more information about ankle replacements, foot or ankle pain, or to make an appointment with Dr. Blodgett, call Prisma Health Podiatry-Alcoa at 865-984-3864.
