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The response to the question below was authored by Marc Mitnick DPM

My foot turns inward in heels

by Kimberly
(Oklahoma City)

The only injury/birth defect that I can think of is when I was born, I was pigeon-toed so I had to wear this bar with shoes to hold my feet straight and it worked but that was years ago. For the past three years, I sometimes have a sharp pain in the anterior part of my ankles that actually causes me to almost fall and the worst part is, when I wear heels (3-4") my left foot turns inward and becomes weak with a dull ache from the outer left side of my foot up to my upper ankle area...sometimes it even "pops"...I have done flex exercises and nothing is working. What could this be?


RESPONSE

Hi Kimberly,

It would seem to me that you have a structural deformity in your foot that is aggravated by an incline in the height of your shoe heel. Deformity may too strong a word, but said simpler, your foot structure is such that when the heel is inclined, it changes the dynamics of the way the foot functions and in your case the heel turns inward.
Because you had bars on your shoes as a child I will assume you suffered from what is known as internal tibial torsion which is an inward twisting of the lower legs causing you to in toe (pigeon toed) and that you wore what is known as a Denis-Browne bar on your shoes.
Sometimes, however, the in toeing condition is caused by a condition known as metatarsus adductus. In this
condition the deformity is within the foot and this is an inward angulation of the the metatarsal bones which are the long bones just behind the toes.
In cases like this the patient, you, may develop what is known as a cavus foot or high arched foot. In your case, when you put on high heels it further exacerbates the problem thus causing your foot to turn inward at the level of the heel.
So, with the foot turned inward, it tends to stretch the anatomy on the outside of your foot, in particular the tendons that run down the outside of the ankle into the foot. You may also be over stretching the ligaments that attach on the outside of the foot and ankle.
I am not so sure that stretching exercises are going to do much for you. A better bet would be to address the structural deformity itself. This is generally done through the use of an orthotic device.
Without having the luxury of actually examining you, I would think an orthotic with a valgus wedge (an arch support with a build up on the outside of the heel) would force your heel to stop turning inward. This coupled with perhaps wearing a slightly lower heel might do the trick.
The proper way to deal with this situation would be to see a foot specialist in your area who can examine the dynamics of your foot and the way you walk, to determine the best course of treatment.

Marc Mitnick DPM
DISCLAIMER

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ADDITIONAL REFERENCES

Mayo Clinic

Johns Hopkins Medicine

MedlinePlus

Arthritis Foundation

University of Rochester Medical Center

Harvard Health

Drugs.com

American Academy of Pediatrics

Penn State Medical Center

National Institutes of Health

Columbia University Department of Rehabilitation

ScienceDirect

Stanford Health Care

Illinois Bone and Joint Institute

Mount Sinai Hospital

Institute for Chronic Pain

University of Florida Health

American Family Physician

Cedars-Sinai

University of Maryland Medical Center

DISCLAIMER: The purpose of this site is purely informational in nature. It is not intended to diagnose, treat or cure any medical condition. This information is not a substitute for advice from a medical professional. Please consult your healthcare provider for accurate diagnosis and treatment. The information presented here may be subject to errors and omissions.




MY PRODUCT RECOMMENDATIONS
(items I prescribe in the office)


Orthotics for multiple types of foot pain
best buy in a pre-made orthotic
click link below


SuperStepOrthotics

Orthotics for heel and arch pain for those who must wear dress shoes
click link below


redithotics

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(location unknown)
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(location unknown)
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(location unknown)
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(location unknown)
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UK

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Unknown

Unknown location

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Unknown location

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New Zealand

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Arizona
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Poland
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South Carolina
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unknown location


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Arlington, VA


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San Clemente, CA


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Pam

location unknown


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location unknown


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Bre

location unknown


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anonymous



Dr. Mitnick, Thank you, you were 100% correct. The pain finally brought me to the ER. I spent 8 days in the hospital. The Doppler you spoke of was able to show that there was no pulse in that foot. This was an arterial clot that split and traveled throughout my leg. My leg was almost amputated. I am in rough shape but have all my parts intact!! You certainly know what you are talking about. Thank you for taking the time to answer. Yours Truly!

anonymous



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Poland



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Seattle, WA


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location unknown



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New Jersey



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Debbie

location unknown



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Chrissy

location unknown



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Evansville, IA



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San Diego, CA



Dr. Mitnick, Just want to say thank you so very much for your quick response and very informative reply! After reading what you had to say, I called the doctor's office and was able to get in and see him the same day as my injury. Toe was x-rayed and luckily, it is not broken or fractured. Very badly bruised and will probably lose the toe nail. And although my toe and toe nail are still very black and blue and very sore, they ARE both starting to feel a little better. So again, thank you! I am so very happy that I came across your website. The service you provide is outstanding and immeasurable!

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Albany, NY



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location unknown



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Whichita, KS



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Boston, MA



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Colorado



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Colorado

Wonderful advice

by: Anonymous

This is the best site for foot problem info.

Thank you for this information. This description fits my pain and inflammation behind my 2nd toe perfectly.

by: Max

location unknown
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Canada
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location unknown
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Wisconsin
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location unknown
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North Carolina
Many Thanks Dr Marc!
Thank you for your response. It sounds like a good plan to me. He did not cut the wart out first ...

KG

location unknown

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Florida
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location unknown
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New Jersey


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a mom

location unknown


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Lenoir, NC


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Bellevue, WA


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location unknown

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