Many foot and ankle problems can be addressed with conservative strategies. Some approach may include:

• Changing or modifying activities
• Wearing more supportive shoes 
• Avoiding activities that worsen your pain
• Adding corrective orthotics to your shoes, prescribed by a specialist
• Physical therapy
• Pain pills and/or creams
• Shockwave therapy for chronic soft tissue disorders

However, there are some conditions that shouldn’t wait. These include:

• A recent broken bone
• Rupture/torn Achilles tendon in active individuals
• Retained debris or foreign material causing infection
• Compartment syndrome

In other cases, elective surgery may be discussed once conservative treatment has failed to relieve you of pain and deformity. Types of surgery Dr. Tea performs include:

• Bunion & hammertoe correction
• Joint replacement or fusion of the big toe
• Nerve decompression and/or neurectomy
• Shaving of bone spurs
• Ankle arthroscopy with debridement of inflamed tissue
• Charcot deformity correction
• Wound surgery, split-thickness skin grafts, skin and/or muscle flaps