Podiatry & Foot Conditions We Treat

The joints of the feet are affected similarly to other joints in the body and therefore require that we are experts in arthritis treatment both conservative, noninvasive as well as surgical methods.

These can happen in many bones causing pain and limitation of activities.  Many times bone spurs can be a result of the irregular force of tendon/ligament pulling incorrectly or strained to its connection to the bone.  The result is a pinpoint aggressive growth or irregular point that then protrudes into an area that needs free movement.  There are many ways to treat these problems that do not always have to be surgery. There are many more conservative methods to attempt first.  But if those conservative methods do not succeed, the surgical can be corrected.  There are several different types of surgical procedures for this condition to balance management of the condition with necessary healing and mobility.  

Bunions are growths that protrude from the side of the foot.  There are many causes of bunions and there are likewise many treatments.  It is important to have a thorough and correct expert evaluation as to the cause.  Sometimes when is it time to 'fix' a bunion? When YOU say it is! Alternatively, there are many non-surgical means to improve the painful condition.  But when surgery is needed, the Podiatric surgeon utilizes expertise of dozens of different minute different procedures to result in the best outcome. 

These are the body's way to protect the weaker skin from breaking into sores in a specific pinpoint areas of bone pressure. Sometimes scraping with devices can cause bleeding and usually will not be corrective since the issue will return anyway. Certain skin treatments, some over-the-counter and some prescription can diminish the calluses. Otherwise, the irregular bone force should be addressed to stop the pressure.  There are several ways to manage irregular bone pressure and stop the painful irritating skin condition.  

There are many regular foot conditions and problems that are made worse because of diabetic complications which add to circulatory and nerve deficits. Expert evaluation and consideration of all of these complications are key in preventing further problems and healing issues. Specialized treatment of these foot conditions and evaluation of circulation and nerve issues is the method of preventing ulcers and amputations. We take extra measures to test and diagnose and consider these issues.  There is a specific risk factor to evaluate for a person with Diabetes relative to the possibility of the toe, foot, or limb amputation, which is definitely able to be avoided in a very high percentage of the time.  We test regularly for the rating of this risk factor which can help preserve mobility and health for as long as possible.  Many people with Diabetes know of a family member or other person who at one time lost toes or a foot, etc.  Our testing methods majorly help to prevent falling into that category.  

For our established patients, we offer direct support and contact in the event of off-hour emergencies. And for those foot conditions which may end you up in the emergency department, please call the office first! Many times we will be available for urgent care from bleeding to fractures to acute pain and falls. Dr. Levine also will see patients in the hospital, throughout their hospital stay.  For established patients, if you do end up in the emergency department for a foot/ankle condition, make certain to inform their staff that you have seen Dr. Levine previously if you would like to continue.  This way they contact the correct doctor for your care. 

With 28 bones in each foot and countless ligaments, muscles, and tendons, foot orthopedics is among the most complicated and most detailed orthopedics in the body.  We offer computerized gait pressure walking analysis to help see detailed specifics that can result in foot pain or cause foot pain but may relate to walking difficulties due to other issues such as the knee, hip, back, etc.  The specific specialty of foot orthopedics incorporates the importance of functional mobility of the bones and joints and not just the structure.  

There is a significant difference when foot surgery is performed by a specialty foot surgeon compared to general other types of surgeons, who may perform foot surgery.  Podiatric surgeons train extensively with the latest surgical techniques and consider future mobility when planning for surgical procedures. Minor procedures are done in the office with the use of a local anesthetic. For hospital surgical procedures, Dr. Levine is on the surgical staff of Hartford HealthCare’s William W. Backus Hospital, in Norwich

The Podiatrist is the expert in foot anatomy and therefore, the expert for treating fractures/breaks to bring the healed anatomy back into the correct alignment.  Fractures and breaks in the foot/ankle are not to be treated as other areas of the body just with general healing methods.  The foot/ankle area is the main weight-bearing load-bearing structure and will need to heal in such a manner to result in proper function of walking and stance after the injury is healed.  Expertise in this type of management will bring you the best results. 

A form of arthritis that affects the whole body but manifests with a very painful foot condition.  The symptoms of gout resulting in foot conditions are detectable and treatable but it is important to thoroughly manage people with this diagnosis so repeated flair-ups do not recur and so other systemic conditions do not result.  We continue to regularly monitor and update specific medications yearly to keep this arthritic-related, and metabolic-related condition under control. 

Bending of toes can cause unsightly issues and pain and even a skin irritation bump on top. Hammertoes can be easily fixed with relatively short recovery periods. 

Affecting 60% of all people at some time, this common issue has many causes. Persistent heel/arch pain is something that should be tended to more specifically.  Distinguishing the differences is key to resulting in effective treatment. From many conservative methods to surgical treatment, our heel pain protocols include a wide variety of solutions.  

Infectious diseases of the lower extremity are handled in a very precise manner. We have specialized expertise in this field to aid with a minor and the most severe limb/life-threatening infections.  Sometimes, in addition to the use of antibiotics, surgical procedures are necessary. 

Stop picking! These can be fixed. Sometimes the sides of toenails most commonly the big ones, but sometimes the lesser digits can press into the sides of the skin.  Once they do, the skin gets irritated and could result in infection. When these are minor they can be treated very conservatively.  Otherwise, it is quite simple to remove the ingrown side from pressing into the skin.  Additionally, there is a permanent method to fix this annoying problem by removing the side of the nail from pressing into the skin and treating the base with a method to stop the growth of that corner/side of the nail.  These procedures are very minor and are done with a small amount of local anesthetic very comfortably.  Most people are surprised at how minor the procedure is. 

Toenail fungus discoloration nails and makes a brittle and sometimes painful toenail. Laser therapy is an alternative to medication treatments. Laser technology is safe and painless and has a high effective rate. It targets fungal infection cells leaving the healthy nail to continue to grow out. 

This can come from dozens of medical conditions as well as physical trauma to the nerve. There are many symptoms that result from nerve damage regardless of the cause.  The symptoms can range from numbness to tingling, to burning, to painful stabbing.  It is very important to specifically identify the cause so a treatment plan can help to the most effective way.  We offer several diagnostic measures and different types of testing and treatment protocols for this very bothersome and dangerous condition.

Many different conditions cause nerve pathology.  Nerve pathology can precipitate as numbness, tingling, burning, itchy, balance issues, motor control, and muscle balance issues.  The quality of nerve health and function can be easily tested.  The old standard electronic nerve testing provides very useful information but can be very uncomfortable to have and can also be somewhat limited in results.  Therefore, we test by a different electronic non-painful/very comfortable method and can compare the smallest change in feeling and sensation to the feet/legs.  We also test by deeper specific nerve testing to help determine with health quality of the actual nerve path so this information can be used to result in a plan of care.  

This is a swelling of a nerve path usually caused by some type of bone positioning.  Usually, the neuroma is the result of some orthopedic bone alignment issue.  The neuroma is an associated symptom.  It can be easily cured if this is treated early before allowing the condition to build up over too long of a time.  There are several non-surgical methods to attempt first and if nothing improves the condition, then the surgical method is warranted. 

Children can have the same issues as the adult foot so for many conditions such as injuries, pain, and certain skin conditions, we have to modify special considerations in treatments of pediatrics.  But certain other conditions involve only pediatrics.  Those can relate to functional anatomy, and morphology of the foot and sometimes can be from birth. We handle children's foot and walking conditions from as young as a few weeks old. Through development, there are many milestones that children course through.  Feet and toes and legs pointed outward or inward can be managed and even corrected if caught early enough.  There is a very simple but precise method to aid in the correct alignment that can even result in straighter walking and faster running.  This is why not to wait to see if it is something that the youth will just grow out of.  

Affecting 60% of all people at some time, this is a very common issue and has many causes. It also has many degrees of severity.  It is the most common diagnosis when conducting internet research for foot pain.  Distinguishing specific conditions that either cause this or can be confused with it is key to resulting in effective treatment. From conservative to surgical treatment, our heel pain protocols include a wide variety of the latest and the most effective solutions to get you back to your activity as quickly as possible. Treatments range from nonsurgical means to sometimes necessary surgical techniques.

The largest organ of the body, the skin has a slightly different cellular arrangement on the bottom of the foot as compared to the rest of the body. Additionally, conditions such as skin cancers, psoriasis, rashes, etc, occur on the feel and are treated with the expertise of these conditions.

Returning the athlete to activity quickly but safely is the goal. We offer sports medicine treatments based on medical training and based on Dr. Levine’s own decades of running and competitive athletic background. That mixture brings an advantageous result to our patients to heal as quickly and as properly as possible.  

According to a national reporting agency, yearly there are over 2,000,000 visits to Emergency Rooms in the USA for ankle sprains. The initial condition is often treated quite easily and then seems to resolve. Unfortunately, as the trained expert on this condition, months and even years later, patients present with ankle weakening or pain that can relate to their previous sprain, years prior. An ankle sprain can cause disruption to the ligament structure on both sides of the ankle and those important structures can be injured repeatedly to a very minor degree and eventually can build up the damage if not treated properly in the first place. It is key to have this evaluated appropriately by a specialist and specifically treated, to prevent permanent damage and future issues.

There are several different causes for swelling in the ankles/lower legs.  Some causes are non-urgent and others are very dangerously urgent.  A proper evaluation can determine the condition.  Many times swelling is NOT treated by taking another simple ‘water pill’. And leg swelling can even lead to sores and infections. We offer evaluation and specific treatments that many times, work quite simply and quickly.

To assess the quality of the circulation vessels from the upper legs down to the tip of the toes, it is important to determine the quality of the vessels that bring blood flow to the far end of the body and return it to the heart.  Many conditions including pain and swelling and even post-surgical healing and wound healing are determined in part by the quality of the circulation.  Circulation can be tested for artery supply and vein return capacity. Based on the results of the circulation testing, future medical planning or treatments can be determined.  Our circulation testing analyzes all the way to the ends of the toes with fine detail to the digital vessels, which is something not often testing in standard hospital based circulation tests.  With this fine detail important and precise information can be obtained to help the overal medical plan.  

Dr. Levine has extensive training and is board certified as a lower extremity wound care specialist.  For many years, Dr. Levine was the only Podiatric Foot surgeon at a hospital-based wound care center but found that more of the latest techniques and superior products could be offered to patients in the private practice setting, where he is able to be more available to the patient.  Limb Salvage techniques involve incorporating evaluations of circulation and other key elements and knowing how to plan to heal chronic or even new wounds and healing conditions.  His area of expertise involves healing chronic wounds from immediately below the knees, down the legs, and to the ends of the toes.  There are much more detailed methods a Podiatric surgeon trained in wound care and limb salvage and infectious disease use to evaluate, treat and heal conditions instead of a general doctor who may refer to other specialists each for elements that can be better handled with one same specialist to promote better continuity.  This allows a better chance of healing.  Dr. Levine has additional experience trained in venous stasis leg wounds and lower extremity swelling/edema as the cause.  When needed, the specialty of limb-salvage surgery is a category that involves specific methods of surgical approach to healing with saving the most anatomical healthy areas to stay as mobile as possible.  We offer the latest and most detailed methods for wound healing. Many times Dr. Levine has referred patients who were treated at a wound center or other physician.  In those cases, we request that all records be forwarded so Dr. Levine can review the details and assist with a more astute plan.   

Often painful and unsightly, treatment is very simple and painless. Warts are a manifestation of a viral infection that protrudes under the skin and slowly grows.  It can be treated with topical medications, freezing, excision, and even non-painful laser.  But first, often what looked like a wart may not be a wart after all. There are other conditions that mimic warts, identifying this properly brings results.