If you live in Lawrence and suffer from foot pain, we’ve got good news for you. Kansas City Foot Specialists is here to help. We specialize in the medical and surgical treatment of the foot and ankle. If you have foot pain that is affecting your life on a daily basis, stop living with it and come see us. Our doctors and staff can evaluate, educate and treat ailments so you can get back to living your life pain free. We treat all types of foot and ankle problems including:
- Bunions
- Hammertoes
- Bone spurs
- Tendinitis
- Capsulitis
- Plantar fasciitis
- Ingrown toenails
- Fungal nails
- Warts
- Athlete’s foot
- Diabetes
- Arthritis foot problems
- Children’s foot problems
A Conservative Approach to Foot Care
At Kansas City Foot Specialists, we take a conservative approach to foot conditions and problems. While surgery is sometimes the best solution, we will try other minimally invasive treatments first to see if the problem can be alleviated without surgery. We can create custom orthotics to help alleviate pain. Many times footwear, pads, supports, and lotions along with therapy can solve a problem. While we start with the conservative approach, at times, the podiatrists may decide surgery is the best option. But don’t worry. You’re in good hands. Our doctors and staff along with our state-of-the-art surgery center make surgery as convenient as possible.
State-of-the-Art Surgery Center in Lawrence
The Surgery Center of Blue Valley was started in 2007 by Dr. Laha to provide a convenient and cutting-edge foot surgery facility for our Lawrence patients. Our Ambulatory Surgery Center (ASC) is fully licensed and regulated by the state of Kansas. Our surgery center concentrates on foot surgery only, so we can provide the best equipment and a dedicated staff to treat most surgical foot and ankle problems. Rather than a hospital stay, you have an outpatient procedure which is more convenient and usually means a shorter stay plus an environment with less risk for infection.
We Offer the Latest Advances in Foot Care
The doctors at Kansas City Foot Specialists stay abreast of the latest medical advances including medical and surgical techniques and equipment. Our goal is to provide the best foot care for our Lawrence patients. Combine this expertise with our compassionate, friendly staff and comfortable environment and you can see why our patients are happy. Our podiatry clinic uses technology that makes diagnosis and treatment more precise, including:
- Shockwave therapy for a non-invasive treatment of chronic heel pain
- A C-Arm x-ray system, allowing the doctors to monitor injuries, fractures and progress in real time
- Vascular testing equipment for the lower extremities
Common Foot Conditions
Considering that the human foot has 26 bones, 33 joints, 107 ligaments, 19 muscles, and numerous tendons, it’s no wonder that we see dozens of different foot problems from our Lawrence patients. From arthritis to Achilles tendonitis, bunions to bone spurs, the foot doctors at Kansas City Foot Specialists can help diagnose and treat any foot condition or ankle problem. Even seemingly small problems like athlete’s foot or ingrown toenails can become big issues if left untreated. Don’t live with it – fix it!
Ingrown Toenails Can Cause Big Problems
One of the most common foot problems we treat at Kansas City Foot Specialists is ingrown toenails. An ingrown toenail can be caused by many things including genetics, cutting your toenails too short, wearing poorly fitted shoes, or pulling or tearing nails instead of clipping them. While this condition may be no more than an irritation for some patients, as many ingrown toenails heal themselves over time, they can also become a serious problem if they get infected.
Some people suffer from chronic ingrown toenails as well. For diabetics and patients with low blood circulation, an ingrown toenail is even more threatening. An infection in these patients’ feet can turn into gangrene and spread infection to other parts of the body, which poses a serious health risk. Typically, ingrown toenails can be treated with non-invasive procedures, but more serious cases may require surgery, which is usually performed in the office, under local anesthesia.
Heel Pain Is a Common Foot Problem
There are plenty of foot problems that cause heel pain. In fact, heel pain is a very common problem we see in our Lawrence patients. Your heels may be hurting for a variety of reasons, including:
- Arthritis
- Achilles tendonitis
- Calf tightening
- Flat footedness
- Plantar fasciitis
- Weight gain
No matter what’s causing your heel pain, our foot doctors always look for the most conservative approach possible to alleviate your pain with minimally invasive treatment. Severe heel conditions may require surgery, which takes place at the state-of-the-art Surgery Center of Blue Valley.
Diabetic Foot Care
In our office, foot and wound care in our patients with diabetes is a top priority. We specialize in foot and wound care for diabetics. Because they experience a decrease in blood flow in the legs and feet, and a decrease in feeling in the hands and feet (neuropathy), people with diabetes have an increased risk of developing complications from any wounds on their feet. The ability to feel a wound present on the feet is important for treatment and care. If you experience neuropathy, you may not know you have a wound on your foot until it is too late.
At Kansas City Foot Specialists, we pride ourselves in offering advanced treatment options for diabetics. Through continued education and regular appointments, we can help you determine if you are at risk for diabetes-related foot ulcers. We want to ensure that if you are affected by the disease, you will receive the best treatment possible. If a wound goes untreated, it could develop into something more severe such as an ulcer and in a worst-case scenario, could require amputation. Our doctors want to make sure our Lawrence patients with diabetes are aware of any wounds and receive the best treatment to prevent such conditions from worsening and requiring surgery.
Early recognition and regular foot screenings by a podiatrist will help prevent the need for amputation. If you have diabetes, make it a point to Inspect your feet daily and look for these warning signs in both feet and ankles:
- Swelling
- Numbness
- Ingrown and fungal toenails
- Dry cracks in the skin, especially around the heel
- Changes in skin color
- Pain in the legs
- Open sores that are slow to heal
- Bleeding corns and calluses