Unexplained foot and ankle pain can be troublesome for anyone. Painkillers prescribed by GPs may briefly alleviate your pain, but rarely address the root cause of your issue. When it begins to interfere with your daily routine and stops you doing the things you love, you’ll understandably want a more long-term solution.
Our orthopaedic consultants at Mount Alvernia provide services for patients with injuries, fractures and longer-term conditions of the adult foot and ankle. We can offer you an accurate diagnosis and a personalised treatment plan, outlining all your options, including whether or not surgery will benefit you.
Symptoms of foot and ankle issues can include:
- Pain
- Swelling
- Stiffness or ‘clawing’ of the toes
- Deformity
If you have been battling any of these symptoms, you don’t have to put up with them any longer. With a swift diagnosis at Mount Alvernia, fast and effective treatment is just around the corner.
Common complaints we see at Mount Alvernia include:
- Heel pain – Achilles tendon problems or Plantar Fasciitis (Policeman’s Heel)
- Arthritis in ankle or other joints of the foot
- Flat foot (often hereditary, causing stiffness and pain) or progressively flatter feet
- Toe problems such as bunions (where the big toe bends towards your other toes), and Hammer/Clawed toes
Aside from these conditions, we also see patients who may have recently had an injury. Each year, thousands of patients arrive at casualty departments with sprained ankles. Up to 10% of these patients find that their symptoms don’t settle, and therefore require expert assessment and potentially further treatment to ensure full recovery.
Fractures around the ankle and foot deserve proper assessment. Often, casualty departments offer crutches and plaster casts, when a speedier recovery could be arranged using removable boots or splints instead of a traditional full cast. With a full assessment, our consultants may be able to provide you with an accelerated recovery, getting you back on your feet sooner thanks to a more accurate diagnosis and appropriate treatment.
At an initial consultation, your specialist will take a medical history and details of your symptoms, and they will want to know:
- What symptoms have you been experiencing?
- How long have you had these symptoms?
- If you’re in pain, can you describe it? Is it constant? Is it a stabbing pain or radiating pain?
- Have your symptoms got progressively worse over time?
They will then thoroughly assess your problem with a physical examination, which helps your consultant assess the level of pain as well as any stiffness. X-rays or other special tests and scans can then be arranged as required, which will normally be enough to make a full diagnosis. If further tests are needed, such as an MRI, CT scan or ultrasound, these can be organised on-site in our Imaging department.
The majority of problems can be managed without surgical procedures. We have excellent working relations with physiotherapy, who will create a programme based on your condition and your goals for recovery, helping to strengthen and improve foot function.
Steroid injections can be offered within our clinic, or guided by ultrasound to ensure greater accuracy. If these prove effective, repeat injections can be arranged.
In those cases that do require surgery (when other options haven’t been effective in managing your symptoms), most will be on a day case basis, and all conducted in state-of-the-art operating theatre conditions. Keyhole surgery known as ‘arthroscopy’ can be offered, as well as open surgery for more involved procedures, such as a fracture repair. Mount Alvernia offers the very latest evidence-based procedures and techniques to best help patients with their conditions.
Aftercare, including a bespoke physiotherapy rehabilitation programme, is tailored to each individual patient and their specific needs. This ensures the exceptional level of care at Mount Alvernia is maintained throughout your recovery.
Part of the discussion at your consultation will focus on expectations for recovery. Surgery may well be very effective in giving you relief, but it could have a long recovery period of up to a year, so your consultant will help you weigh up the benefits against this. Some patients find they are able to manage very well without surgical measures, avoiding long post-surgery rehabilitation.
Any decision to go ahead with surgery will be entirely yours, armed with all the relevant information, as outlined by your consultant in a clear and concise manner.
By choosing to have your treatment at Mount Alvernia Hospital, you’ll be able to take advantage of all these great benefits:
Assessments ASAP – If your quality of life has been affected by the amount of pain your foot/ankle condition is causing you, you’ll want to be seen by a consultant without any unnecessary delay. By seeing patients rapidly, our consultants can get you started on the right course of treatment as soon as possible.
Patient Satisfaction – 98% of other patients in 2020 said they would happily recommend Mount Alvernia Hospital to friends and family in an independent report, and we’re confident that you’ll agree. 98% also said that the quality of care here at Mount Alvernia Hospital was either ‘very good’ or ‘excellent’. We aim to make your stay with us as comfortable as possible, and these results highlight our continued efforts to ensure this is achieved.
Personalised care – We believe in a bespoke approach to treatment, tailoring each experience to our patients’ needs and whatever may be best for you.
Remote consultations – All our consultants have remote access to scans, and this has made the world of difference for both patients and consultants alike. If your consultant is working at one of our other sites and needs to see your latest scan, you won’t have to wait for an on-site consultation or clinic, reducing wait times and ensuring you can be contacted for an ad hoc appointment to get advice at any point through your treatment plan.
A multidisciplinary approach – Our teams at Mount Alvernia work in tandem with each other to provide you with the best possible care from start to finish. Working closely with physiotherapists and other orthopaedic surgeons, as well as a dedicated team of radiographers, anaesthetists, and nurses, you have support from medical professionals every step of the way during your treatment.
Convenient appointments – With appointments available between 8am and 8pm Monday-Saturday, you are sure to find an appointment slot that suits your needs and availability. You can also book online at a convenient time with some orthopaedic consultants.
Park with ease – We know that parking should be the least of your worries when attending hospital, so our car park has space to accommodate your needs. On particularly busy days, you can also find nearby parking bays and on-street parking if spaces are limited.
If you have been suffering from significant foot or ankle pain, why not get in touch with our reception team today to book a consultation? Our consultants can organise the necessary diagnostic tests to investigate your symptoms, and outline all treatment options for you promptly, arranging any further scans or surgery if required.
For peace of mind and expert care, please contact Mount Alvernia to book an appointment now.
