October 2024

Items filtered by date: October 2024

Friday, 11 October 2024 17:17

The Cause of Painful Foot Deformities

The rate of general foot problems among the elderly has been reported to be as high as 70-90%, and my experience certainly supports this. Many people develop deformities such as bunions, hammertoes, flat feet, corns, and extra bone growth. These can be painful problems in themselves, and can often lead to other issues.

A common question I hear in my office from patients experiencing these problems is, “why?” “Why are my toes curling under?” “Why are my feet flattening out?” It’s a sentiment that I can very much appreciate. There must be a reason for all of these foot problems, right?

As a doctor, I can try to explain to patients which tendons are tightening up and causing their hammertoes, or which tendons are getting weak and causing their feet to flatten out. We can usually pinpoint what the problem is, the immediate cause, but we often cannot adequately explain why it happened.

Occasionally, I will share my theory with a patient, as to why so many people experience these problems, and it goes back to something a professor of mine once said.

Most people are aware that our closest living relative is the Chimpanzee. DNA analysis has shown we share somewhere between 96-99% of the same genes. So, what makes us so unique?

The human brain is about three times the size of the chimps brain, and we have a much more developed cerebral cortex, but overall, the structure and function of our brains are almost identical to the chimps brain. I would argue, as my professor did, that the biggest difference in the anatomy of a chimp and a human is our feet.

The human foot performs a much different function than the foot of a chimpanzee, and therefore its structure is different. Our feet have only had about five millions years to evolve from the chimpanzee foot, only five million years to evolve a structure that supports a function that is very different than the function of the chimp’s foot. We can run marathons while they cannot. They can hang upside down from a tree limb with their toes, while we cannot. This tremendous difference in function, and the relatively short period of time that the human foot has had to adapt to these changing demands, is the reason we experience so many problems with our feet.

Compare this to a horse’s hoof, which has had about sixty million years to evolve. Sixty million years of gradual improvements to arrive at what we see today. The result is a foot, a hoof, that is highly specialized to perform a demanding job with minimal complications over the lifespan of the horse.

The consequence of these drastic changes in how our feet function when compared to our early ancestors, like chimps, is that our feet struggle to perform their new role, and that struggle is evident in the numerous deformities that people develop as they age.

Luckily, as doctors we can usually fix the problem, even if the “why” is more complicated to explain.

Testimonials

John Addeo

One of a very few of Medical Offices I go to where my Appointment time is when the Doctor SEES me. The Very efficient and professional staff is kind, welcoming and very helpful. Dr. Dupont treats you as a valued customer, as he is extremely though, asking all the right questions, with easy to understand answers. He is committed to explaining what, why, and how long each step of his treatment will take and its part in the total treatment.

A visit to Dr DuPont’s is an Excellent experience by an excellent practitioner with a terrific staff.

Wendy Grahman

My husband Richard and I have been seeing Dr. DuPont for the past several years. We see him for periodic nail care and he attends to any other foot problems we have.

He is professional, efficient and personable. His office is always very clean and the staff is helpful and friendly. I heartily recommend Dr. DuPont to anyone seeking podiatric care.

Ann Shrum

I've been a patient of Dr. Dupont's since he began his practice here in Sonoma at Golden Gate Foot & Ankle on 1st St W. I had bunion surgery on my left foot and it went beautifully. He is professional, pleasant, and very responsive to discuss any concerns with my feet and ankles. His office personnel are so good at working with you on your appointments (which I've needed to get in sooner a couple of times), and treat their patients with great respect. They are always pleasant, and the office is open and welcoming. I highly recommend his practice and have to several friends that are now his patients.

Lynnette Bourne

Dr. Dupont was very helpful with my recent foot pain due to a probable neuroma. I went in to the office having a lot of difficulty walking because of the foot pain and left pain free after treatment. He was good at explaining why I had the condition, options and treatment. He is professional and friendly.

Tanya Marsh

I walked into his office fighting back tears because my feet were hurting me so terribly, every step had become an effort. By the time I left his office 30 minutes later, the pain that had bothered me for years had been resolved and has not returned. Within minutes of looking at the issues with my feet, Dr. Dupont accurately diagnosed, treated and bandaged the painful spots that I had been dealing with. My primary care Dr had treated me, but without any success and my dermatologist completely misdiagnosed, offering no support. This left me extremely discouraged and I struggled for many months before discovering Dr. Dupont.

Sandy Pollack

Choosing Dr. Dupont for your footcare is a step in the right direction. He is very knowledgeable, on time with appointments, has a very courteous staff, and has a terrific, easy-going, friendly manner. Thank you Dr. D for your expert care!

Randy Cook

I trust Dr. Dupont. He listens well, asks good questions, helps me understand my condition and my options. Just what I want in a podiatrist! (And my feet think so too!)

Stephanie Hamilton

I recently had hammertoe surgery performed by Dr. DuPont. I am sorry I waited so long. I had excellent care from Dr. DuPont and I am so happy with the results,.

Dun W

Dr. Dupont was great. Saw him for ingrown toenail service. it was literally painless. great job!

Tobin Hansen

Brett is very professionally qualified and shows a caring manner to his patients

Amelia Morgan

Dr. Dupont to care of my dad. He had bunion surgery with excellent results.

Skip Wangbickler

A most pleasant experience.

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