ansertfoot

The Power of Custom Orthotics

Fri, 06 Jun 2025 18:36:53 GMT

This month, we’re highlighting orthotics, custom-made shoe inserts prescribed to address a wide range of foot and ankle issues. Over-the-counter shoe inserts may provide you short-term relief, but custom orthotics are made specifically for your feet. Your custom orthotics are molded according to your unique foot structure, gait, and medical needs.

Orthotics assists with conditions such as Plantar Fasciitis, Shin Splints, Diabetic Foot Ulcers, Flat Feet or High Arches, Heel Pain, and more.

Orthotics don’t only solve and reduce foot issues, they help to improve your entire body's functionality. Here are a few examples how:

Customized Fit and Support : Designed specifically for your foot shape and health needs.
Improved Biomechanics : Reduces strain on joints.
Pain Relief : Orthotics reduce discomfort all throughout your body, including your knees, hips, and lower back.
Injury Prevention : Corrects improper movement patterns, by preventing further stress injuries.
Better Balance and Coordination : More stability calls for more confident movement.
Improved Posture : Proper feet alignment leads to proper spine alignment.

If any of these conditions are affecting your everyday life, now is the time to consider custom orthotics from Ansert Foot & Ankle. Book an appointment with a podiatrist to discuss options.

Your feet do so much for you, give them the support they deserve. Step into better health this June.

November Is Diabetes Awareness Month!

Wed, 10 Nov 2021 13:33:41 GMT

Over 30 million people in the United States have diabetes, and around 7 million don't even know they have the disease yet, according to the American Podiatric Medical Association. The most common reason a person with diabetes is admitted to the hospital is for problems with their feet.

Because diabetes can have a significant impact on your feet, seeing a podiatrist once a year for an annual exam should be part of your comprehensive team approach in controlling diabetes.

Throughout the month of November, Ansert Foot & Ankle will be providing information regarding diabetic foot care, so that you can take preventative measures to avoid the two main underlying foot problems related to diabetes: nerve damage and poor circulation. If you have diabetes or pre-diabetes and you can schedule an appointment with us during the month of November, you will receive a mirror to help with self-foot exams. You will also receive important information on diabetic foot care.

Our doctors are experts in diabetic wound care and in the treatment of the diabetic foot. If you have diabetes, give our office a call at (812)949-1002 and let us help you keep your feet on a healthy path.

ANNUAL FOOT EXAM: All diabetics should have an annual foot exam to identify any high-risk foot conditions. Diabetics can avoid foot problems and amputations that are due to diabetes by having regular foot exams.

DAILY SELF EXAMS: Look for areas of redness, bruising, swelling, or rashes. If you notice new problems, call our office. Most foot problems are easier to treat the earlier they are found. Daily foot inspections are even more important if a person has numb feet (neuropathy).

PROFESSIONAL FOOT CARE: Never try to treat calluses, ingrown toenails, corns, or other conditions. At Ansert Foot & Ankle, we provide diabetic foot care so that you can avoid risky cuts and infections.

COMFORTABLE, PROPER FITTING FOOTWEAR: Because diabetes can cause nerve damage or loss of feeling in the feet, it's extremely important to keep your feet protected with proper shoes. Consult with our doctors about our available diabetic footwear.

TEAM APPROACH: Our doctors and staff at Ansert Foot & Ankle work together to help come up with the best plan of action to help you prevent diabetic foot problems. We provide a range of treatments, from conservative care to surgical options for more advanced wounds or complications.

Big Toe Arthritis Provide Pain Relief With Swift Recovery

Tue, 28 Sep 2021 15:08:08 GMT

New treatment options help patients return to normal activities sooner!

The big toe plays a crucial role in standing, walking, and many other daily activities. It makes it possible for humans to walk and run upright, and it absorbs forces equal to nearly twice a person's body weight when walking. With all that the big toe endures, it comes as no surprise that overuse can erode the joint cartilage and cause serious pain and even physical deformities.

Despite the obvious signs, big toe arthritis-which occurs when cartilage in the joints wears down and exposed bones rub against each other-is often overlooked. Foot and ankle surgeons urge people to pay attention to these signs early. With more treatment options and recent advancements, foot and ankle surgeons can help patients get back to doing the activities they love sooner.

Big toe arthritis develops in adults between the ages of 40 and 60 years and is a progressive deformity that can be caused by regular wear and tear and sometimes even mechanical changes due to injury. Symptoms include stiffness, loss of range of motion, swelling and sometimes even noticeable cracking.

Individuals with mid to end-stage arthritis tend to experience more severe pain because the cartilage has almost completely eroded and the bones are actually rubbing together. For these cases, foot and ankle surgeons look to next-step treatments, including advancements in the area of implants.

Joint Implant (Implant Arthroplasty): This method of treatment tends to be utilized by individuals who are active and want to retain as much motion as possible. Foot and ankle surgeons use a silicone implant that creates space between the bones, allowing for more movement than other alternatives. Patients who undergo implant surgery are usually able to walk and move the joint as early as the next day. Newer, up-and-coming methods, including the use of synthetics and other types of implant materials, are also low risk and help patients with big toe arthritis return to their normal routine and activities.
Surgical Removal (Cheilectomy): To help give the toe better movement and relieve pain, foot and ankle surgeons surgically remove damaged cartilage around the joint, along with spurs or overgrowths, which may develop on top of the bone during mid-stage toe arthritis. Patients are able to fully bear weight immediately after the procedure.
Joint Fusion: Also called arthrodesis, this procedure removes the worn-down cartilage and uses plates and screws to hold the joint in the right position to alleviate pain. Patients tend to fully recover in approximately six to eight weeks and usually return to all their regular activities, from walking to running marathons.

For early-stage big toe arthritis, foot and ankle surgeons look first to conservative treatments to decrease pain in the joint, such as prescribing anti-inflammatory medication and increasing arch support with custom shoe inserts.

"The sooner patients see a foot and ankle surgeon, the better options there are to treat them. "In a majority of the time, we can alleviate the symptoms and possibly slow down the progression of the disease with invasion procedures."

About Our Foot and Ankle Surgeons

Thu, 13 May 2021 13:22:05 GMT

Why Choose a Foot and Ankle Surgeon?

Foot and ankle surgeons are podiatric physicians who specialize in the surgical and nonsurgical treatment of a variety of conditions that affect people of every age.

A foot and ankle surgeon holds an advanced degree as a doctor of podiatric medicine DPM. Podiatric medicine deals with the bones, soft tissues, and function of the foot and ankle, as well as how podiatric conditions may relate to other parts of the body.

Foot and ankle surgeons provide a wide range of care, from non-surgical methods to correct common podiatric problems to state of the art corrective and reconstructive surgical techniques

Why Choose a Foot and Ankle Surgeon?
Intensive, focus training and in-depth experience or what set apart the foot and ankle surgeon from other positions. During their education and training, foot and ankle surgeons devote more time to a wide variety of foot and ankle procedures then do other surgeons. Because of this critical difference, foot in ankle surgeons are the most appropriate specialist to probably diagnose and treat various foot and ankle conditions.

A foot and ankle surgeon must complete four years of podiatric medical school and typically three years of a residency program in for an ankle surgery. This residency is similar to - an integrates with - residencies for all physician specialties. During the residencies, DPM’s received training in internal medicine and general surgery in addition to their focus on foot and ankle.

Certification by the American Board of Foot and Ankle Surgery (ABFAS) ensures that the foot and ankle surgeon has completed appropriate training, successfully performed a diverse range of fun angle procedures with good surgical skills and judgment, and past rigorous oral and written exams.

Members of the American College of Foot and Ankle Surgeons - a medical specialty society devoted to advancing a foot and ankle health, or board-certified or in the process of becoming board-certified by the ABFAS. The 7,200 members that have dedicated themselves to continuing their training and excelling in the field of foot and ankle surgery for the benefit of the patients they serve.

When should you see a Foot and Ankle surgeon?
Most people have a foot or ankle problem at one time or another. So, how do you know when to see a foot in ankle surgeon? Sometimes it’s obvious that you need to seek help, but other times it’s less clear. In reality, many symptoms, even those you can tolerate, they require professional attention to keep the underlying condition from worsening.

Some reasons patient see a foot and ankle surgeon, include:

An injury (A sprain, broken bone, etc.)
Swelling in your foot or ankle
A medical condition that can affect the feet
Impaired ability to function in certain activities
Heel pain in the morning
Any painful condition of the foot, ankle or lower leg
Discomfort after standing for a while
Changes in the appearance of your foot or ankle
An abnormal growth

Foot and ankle surgeon street all symptoms and conditions affecting the foot and ankle, such as bunions, heel pain, plantar fasciitis, flat foot, foot or ankle arthritis, sports injuries, tendon disorder fractures, diabetes complications, ingrown toenails, neuromas, dermatological conditions, tingly feet, hammertoes, and much more.