Common Foot Problems: Bunions/Bunionette

Bunion X-ray

A bunion is an unsightly bump at the base of the big toe. Because bunions don’t fit most shoes, the skin in the area can become irritated and swollen.  Bunions, hammer toes, and metatarsalgia often appear together. Although bunions tend to be hereditary, wearing shoes with too narrow a forefoot or too high a heel can bring bunions on years sooner. Sometimes bunions develop with arthritis.

Self-care begins with wearing shoes that have a low heel and don’t cramp your bunion. You may be able to have shoes stretched to fit a bunion.  If your symptoms don’t improve, see a foot specialist.

Doctor’s care may start with recommendations about specific changes to your regular shoes, such as wearing shoes with a wider forefoot or using devices such as pads. If these measures fail, you might consider surgery.

Surgery involves realigning the big toe. Part of the first metatarsal bone may be removed or reconstructed. A wire may hold the new alignment. You may have a walking boot or surgical shoe.

Bunionette

Bunionette is like a bunion, but occurs at the base of the little toe. Treatment may include wearing shoes with a wider fore-foot.

Surgery involves the removal of the bony prominence.

What Orthopedic Institute offers with pedorthic care:

  • Custom Orthotics
  • Running/Walking Analysis
  • Shoe Recommendations
  • Diabetic Foot Care
  • Amputee Foot/Toe Filler
  • Custom Bracing/ AFO
  • Shoe Modifications
  • External/Internal Heel Lifts

Dr. Watson specializes in foot and ankle medicine, and also general orthopedics.  He completed his fellowship in foot and ankle surgery at GIKK in Omaha and the University of Nebraska Medical Center.

Reid Herrboldt, MS, ATC, CPED

Our pedorthist, Reid Herrboldt, has many years of field experience and specializes in diabetic care, athletics, and pediatric care for orthotics and bracing.

To make an appointment to see one of our specialists please call 605.331.5890 or 888.331.5890 E-mail: contactus@ortho-i.com

Orthopedic Institute Earns ACR Accreditation

 

Congratulations to our imaging team at  Orthopedic Institute.   They have been awarded a three-year term of accreditation in magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) as the result of a recent review by the American College of Radiology (ACR). MRI is a noninvasive medical test that utilizes magnetic fields to produce anatomical images of internal body parts to help physicians diagnose and treat medical conditions.

The ACR gold seal of accreditation represents the highest level of image quality and patient safety. It is awarded only to facilities meeting ACR Practice Guidelines and Technical Standards after a peer-review evaluation by board-certified physicians and medical physicists who are experts in the field. Image quality, personnel qualifications, adequacy of facility equipment, quality control procedures, and quality assurance programs are assessed. The findings are reported to the ACR Committee on Accreditation, which subsequently provides the practice with a comprehensive report they can use for continuous practice improvement.

The ACR is a national professional organization serving more than 36,000 diagnostic/interventional radiologists, radiation oncologists, nuclear medicine physicians, and medical physicists with programs focusing on the practice of medical imaging and radiation oncology and the delivery of comprehensive health care services.

Orthopedic Institute/ D1 Groundbreaking

Announcing (weather permitting this time),  the groundbreaking of our new D1 Sports training facility! Along with our other partners, we will be holding a groundbreaking ceremony Thursday, June 25th, 2015 at 4:30 p.m.

Location: NW corner of 69th and Southeastern.

AGENDA
Welcome………………………………………………………………Tom Simmons, Master of Ceremonies
Past Chairman
Board of Directors, Sioux Falls Development Foundation
Remarks:
Council Member Southeast District
City of Sioux Falls………………………………………………………………………..Honorable Rick Kiley

Treasurer
Sioux Falls Area Chamber of Commerce……………………………………………………….Tyler Haahr

Senior Principal
Legacy Development and Consulting Co………………………………………………………Norm Drake

CEO
GreatLife……………………………………………………………………………………………………….Tom Walsh

Orthopedic Surgeon and Sports Medicine Specialist
Orthopedic Institute
OI-D1 Sports Training of Sioux Falls, LLC……………………………..Keith Baumgarten, M.D.

CEO
Sioux Falls Specialty Hospital (Midwest Family Care)………………………….Blake Curd, MD.

CEO/President
Sioux Falls Storm……………………………………………………………………………………..Todd Tryon

The Groundbreaking

Closing Comments—Tom Simmons

Orthopedic Institute/ D1 Groundbreaking Rescheduled

Groundbreaking rescheduled due to possibility of severe weather.  New date and time have been set: Thursday, June 25th, 2015 at 4:30 p.m.

Location: NW corner of 69th and Southeastern.

AGENDA

Welcome…………………………………………………………………Dale Froehlich, Master of Ceremonies
Vice Chairman
Board of Directors, Sioux Falls Development Foundation
Remarks:

Council Member Southeast District
City of Sioux Falls…………………………………………………………………………….Honorable Rick Kiley
Treasurer
Sioux Falls Area Chamber of Commerce…………………………………………………………..Tyler Haahr
Senior Principal
Legacy Development and Consulting Co………………………………………………………….Norm Drake
CEO
Great Life……………………………………………………………………………………………………….Tom Walsh
Orthopedic Surgeon and Sports Medicine Specialist
Orthopedic Institute
OI-D1 Sports Training of Sioux Falls, LLC………………………………………Keith Baumgarten, M.D.
CEO
Sioux Falls Specialty Hospital (Midwest Family Care)………………………………..Blake Curd, M.D.
CEO/President
Sioux Falls Storm……………………………………………………………………………………………Todd Tryon

The Groundbreaking

Closing Comments—Dale Froehlich

Slip and Fall Prevention Strategies

With winter in full swing, it is important for you and your family to be aware of slip and fall prevention strategies.

  • Walk cautiously and wear gloves instead of putting your hands in your pockets. Your arms help keep you balanced and if you slip, you will need them to help restore your balance.
  • Wear the proper footwear. Footwear with rubber or neoprene composite soles provides better traction on ice and snow than leather or plastic. Although it may not be glamorous to wear a pair of boots, it will give you traction and keep your feet warm. If you want to wear heels or other kinds of shoes, bring an extra pair with you to change in to.
  • When you step on icy areas, take short, shuffling steps, curl your toes under and walk as flatfooted as possible. Spread your feet out slightly like a penguin. Walking like a penguin on ice increases your center of gravity.
  • Avoid carrying large loads while walking on snow or ice. If you do carrying a load on an icy walk and feel yourself falling, toss it out of the way so that you can try to break your fall.
  • Many injuries occur when entering or exiting a vehicle. When possible, use handrails, handles – anything that will help you keep your balance.
  • Help your elderly friends and relatives on snow and ice. Slips and falls can be extremely dangerous for seniors. If you are older, don’t shy away from asking others for a helping hand.
  • If you are falling, do not put all the pressure on your wrists to break your fall. Putting too much pressure on your wrists can result in wrist breaks and fractures of the elbow and hand. If you feel yourself starting to fall, try to avoid landing on your knees, wrists or back. Try to fall on a fleshy part of your body, such as your side. If you are able to relax your muscles when you fall, you may injure yourself less.

 

If you experience an injury while falling, or develop pain that persists after falling, please feel free to schedule an appointment with one of our specialists at Orthopedic Institute to determine the type of injury and its severity.

(888.331.5890)

(605.331.5890)

Don’t Let a Fall from a Ladder Ruin Your Holiday Season

Dr. Eric S. Watson, M.D.

The holidays are right around the corner. Do you have your decorations up? If not, you might be tempted to do it soon.

Dr. Eric Watson, a lower extremity specialist with Orthopedic Institute in Sioux Falls, recommends everyone take extreme caution when using a ladder this holiday season.

According to the World Health Organization, the United States leads the world in ladder deaths. Each year, there are more than 164,000 emergency room-treated injuries and 300 deaths in the U.S. that are caused by falls from ladders

“I have worked with patients who fell from ladders on multiple occasions,” said Watson. “It generally takes six weeks for a foot or ankle injury to heal, but that is after the surgery. Most cases are surgical but we have to wait to complete the surgery until the swelling has gone down. A foot or ankle injury could really ruin your holiday season.”

Watson said the most common injuries he sees are broken ankles and feet, but it all depends on how a person falls.

“If you jump off and land on your feet you’re probably going to do some damage to your feet or ankles, but if you land on your hands, you can harm your wrists, hands or arms,” he said. “You could also fall on your back and hurt your head or neck.”

Oftentimes, falls cause injuries in several areas, Watson said.

“There is almost always an associated injury to go with the broken bones,” he said. “A common one is a compound compression fracture in your back, which is very painful.”

Watson offered these tips to avoid injuries while working on ladders:

  • Always inspect the ladder to make sure it is in good working condition. “Make sure there is no excess mud on the rungs that could cause you to slip and make sure all the ladder components are working properly,” he said.
  • Always place ladders on a level surface. “Make sure the hinges are locked out and the legs are as level as possible,” Watson said.
  • Always face the ladder when climbing and wear clothing that allows you to keep a good grip on the rungs.
  • Place the ladder as close to where you’ll be working as possible. “You don’t want to have to reach off the ladder very far,” Watson said. “The further from the center of gravity you are, the more likely you’ll tip the ladder.”
  • If possible, have someone hold the ladder. “This is especially important if you don’t have a good, level surface,” he said.
  • Never step on the top rung or the paint bucket shelf. “Do exactly as the label says and stay off,” he said. “(Ladder manufacturers) really mean it; the warning labels are there for a reason.”
  • Use a job-appropriate ladder. “You don’t need to use a 14-foot ladder to reach up three feet,” he said. “The higher up you are, the more worried you should get because the ladder will be less stable. Make sure your ladder is the appropriate height for the job.”

Some common sense and a bit of planning will go a long way in preventing ladder injuries, Watson said. “The old adage, ‘An ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure,’ is certainly true here,” he said.

Thank You to All of Our Veterans from Orthopedic Institute

At Orthopedic Institute, we want to say THANK YOU for serving to all veterans who are family, friends, co-workers, neighbors and especially our patients. Here is a story shared by one of our patients, Jim Lentsch, who has served 30 years in the military reserve.

Jim Lentsch is a delightful patient who is 69 years old and has had knee problems for years and kept putting knee surgery off because he had heard so many horror stories. Then he met Dr. Michael Adler of Orthopedic Institute. He met him at the VA Hospital and really liked him and could relate to him. He did one knee in March 2014 and the other one in May 2014. Here is his story:

“I have been in the military reserve for 30 years. Desert Storm was the only time I was called up. I have spent 34 years in law enforcement in McCook County. I’m proud to be the State Captain of the South Dakota Patriot Guard Riders.   The Patriot Guard Riders is a diverse amalgamation of riders from across the nation. We have one thing in common besides motorcycles. We have an unwavering respect for those who risk their very lives for America’s freedom and security. To learn more about the SD Patriot Guard Riders, visit http://sdpgr.com/patriot-guard-riders-amended-code-of-conduct/

Thank you, Jim, for your service and all you continue to do for our servicemen and women from Orthopedic Institute.

Orthopedic Institute Veterans Taking Care of Veterans

Lisa TidemannAt Orthopedic Institute, we are proud of all of our employees, but we are especially proud and grateful this month for our employees who also serve in the military. Learn more about our Front Office Manager, Lisa Tidemann:

Lisa has been in the Air National Guard for over 26 years. She enlisted when she was 19 years old and is now an officer. Her career fields include Administration, Personnel, Intelligence and she is currently a Logistics Readiness Officer. She has been deployed overseas three times, for a total of 10 months.

OI has had the privilege of having Lisa as an Athletic Trainer, and she has been on the sidelines taking care of high school athletes since 2002.  She is now our Front Office Manager and still provides athletic training coverage as needed.

Thank you for your service, Lisa, from Orthopedic Institute.

Keith Baumgarten M.D. Receives Sports Injury Research Award

Keith M. Baumgarten MD, Sports Injury Research Award

Keith M. Baumgarten, M.D. was awarded the 2014 O’Donoghue Sports Injury Research Award.

Keith Baumgarten M.D. Receives Sports Injury Research Award

Keith M. Baumgarten, M.D., an orthopedic surgeon with Orthopedic Institute was awarded the 2014 O’Donoghue Sports Injury Research Award.

The prestigious award is given annually to the best overall paper that deals with clinical based research or human in-vivo research.

This year’s winning research was entitled “Revision Anterior Cruciate Ligament Reconstruction Graft Choice Impact on Outcome in the Multi-Center ACL Revision (MARS) Cohort.”

The study, which analyzed the impact of using a patient’s own autograft tissue verses a cadaver graft for ACL replacement, demonstrated better patient reported outcomes and a decreased retear rate if a patient’s own tissue was utilized.

Baumgarten Repeats as Research Award Winner

This is the third research award for Dr. Baumgarten and the MARS group in four years.

The Multicenter ACL Revision Study (MARS) was established in 2006 and consists of 87 surgeons from over 52 sites across the United States and Canada who are interested in outcomes following an ACL revision surgery.

About the O’Donoghue Sports Injury Research Award

The O’Donoghue Sports Injury Research Award was named after Don H. O’Donoghue, MD who is known as the Father of Sports Medicine in the United States. His early work on knee injuries led to the development of the subspecialty and started the interest in the care of athletes.

The awardee is selected by the AOSSM Awards Subcommittee with recipients receiving $2,000. AOSSM annually provides more than $350,000 to research initiatives and projects around the country.

The American Orthopaedic Society for Sports Medicine (AOSSM) is a world leader in sports medicine education, research, communication and fellowship, and includes national and international orthopaedic sports medicine leaders.

The Society works closely with many other sports medicine specialists, including athletic trainers, physical therapists, family physicians, and others to improve the identification, prevention, treatment, and rehabilitation of sports injuries. AOSSM is also a founding partner of the STOP Sports Injuries campaign to prevent overuse and traumatic injuries in kids.

The OI Way: Proven Weight Loss Support for Optimal Joint Health

The numbers are staggering according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention one third of all adult Americans are obese, while the National Institutes of Health state that another third are considered overweight. This condition often leads to serious and chronic health issues, including heart disease, stroke, Type 2 Diabetes and certain types of cancer, as well as disabling joint degeneration. For Dr. Matthew J. McKenzie, a board-certified orthopedic surgeon at Orthopedic Institute in Sioux Falls, consulting with patients who have chronic or severe joint issues is his specialty. What has always concerned him, however, is the sheer number of his patients that have joint problems simply because they’re overweight. “Easily 30 percent of my patients have joint issues as a direct result of their weight,” McKenzie says. “I’ve struggled with my weight my whole life and when I grew up I was one of three kids in my school that had a weight problem. Now 20 to 30 percent of kids have a weight problem. I feel that it’s imperative as a healthcare professional to address the problem for my patients even though that isn’t the primary reason they’re making an appointment with me.”

In the past, Dr. McKenzie and his colleagues would refer overweight patients to local weight-loss facilities for help. However, because there was no way to follow up with their progress, there was also no way to encourage or guarantee weight-loss success and ultimately a better outcome for their joints.

“I wanted to know that I was doing everything I could to give my patients the help they needed, and that’s why we are now offering an incredibly effective weight loss solution called The OI Way within our clinic. This isn’t mandatory and not everybody is going to do it, but we wanted to have the means to help them if they chose to do it. This is a solid solution that gives people tools to control their weight,” McKenzie says.

The OI Way combines professional consultation and support from a Health Coach along with FDA label-approved food and recommended supplements. Depending on the amount of weight loss desired, most patients can expect to be on the program for three months or less.

“With this weight-loss program, we’re advocating a proven and highly-effective solution for our patients. I see many people that feel hopeless about losing weight because they are unable to exercise, their body is literally breaking down and they feel helpless,” McKenzie says. “When we address the original problem about their weight, I believe it will solve other health issues. Patients can come in to achieve not only a solution for their bad joint, but improvement of their overall health. This program is strict but foolproof, if you follow it.”

To schedule an appointment, or for more information about The OI Way, contact a health coach at 605.330.2416 with Orthopedic Institute in Sioux Falls.