Utah Podiatrist Says "Pain Is Never Normal."

"My feet hurt!" "I can't walk!"
"I hurt my foot!" "I have a bunion!"
"My nail is ingrowing!"

Whatever the reason, pain is never normal. So whether it's a bad ankle slowing down your game, heel pain in the morning or numbness and tingling in your feet, Utah's Mountain West Foot & Ankle Institute can help.

Dr. Brandt R. Gibson, DPM, actually wrote the book on foot pain: My Feet Hurt! A Users Guide to Optimized Foot & Ankle Health. He also provides additional information through special reports and audio CDs. Be sure to order your copy today.

At Mountain West Foot & Ankle Institute in American Fork, Utah, we understand that you have a life. We won't keep you waiting for an appointment, can often work around your work schedule. We won't keep you waiting in the clinic. We usually will not require you to stop your normal activities. We put you first, and we will help you recover quickly - without interfering in your life.

We optimize what you were born with.

Dr GibsonTreament Log: When Your Doctor Hurts His Foot...

For an appointment or more information, call 801-756-0765 or email [email protected].

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Children's Feet - We Optimize What You Are Born With

Children's Feet - We Optimize What You Are Born With

Mountain West Foot & Ankle Institute is located in American Fork, Utah. It serves Utah County communities including Alpine, Highland, Lehi, Eagle Mountain, Saratoga Springs, Cedar Hills, Pleasant Grove, Lindon, Orem, Provo and Springville.

How Can We Help You?

Why Do My Feet or Ankles Hurt?

Although foot pain is never normal, it is very common and can often limit your ability to continue to function in normal living and normal life. Due to the complexity of the foot structures(including 28 bones, 33 joints, 107 ligaments, 19 muscles and tendons, and an intricate web of nerves and blood vessels), there can be a large number of causes for foot pain. Careful evaluation of your foot or ankles may be required to determine the cause of your aching feet. One aspect of this evaluation will include determining what foot type and walking pattern you have. Most individuals can typed into one of 6 foot types as discussed below:

My Feet Are Numb or Tingling

Do you suffer from numbness, burning or tingling in your feet? Neuropathy (nerve damage) is most commonly associated with diabetes, but there are nearly 250 other possible causes, including:

a simple vitamin deficiency
exposure to toxins
complications from a kidney, liver or thyroid disorder
an infection caused by another disease
a traumatic injury

All of these can cause the nerves in your feet to become overly sensitive to pain or to become completely numb. The good news is that many of those aches and pains you thought you had to live with are treatable.

At Mountain West Foot & Ankle Institute, we will start by treating the symptoms to give you immediate pain relief. Then, we will work with you to diagnose the root cause and cure it as quickly as possible.

Tell Me About My Diabetes

Diabetes is a disease in which the body doesn't produce or properly utilize insulin. Insulin is a hormone utilized by the body to stimulate cells to use sugars, starches and other foods as energy for regular bodily functions. If insulin is poorly produced or poorly utilized, these foods are not converted into the necessary energy, and the sugars continue to circulate in the blood stream. This leads to high blood sugar.
Diabetes is caused by a culmination of many different factors, although insulin abnormalities (either production or use) cause the diabetic symptoms. Of the causes being studied, genetics (family influence) and environmental factors such as obesity and lack of exercise play important roles. Since the exact cause of diabetes is still poorly understood, health professionals continue to research how to prevent and possibly cure diabetes.

I Want To Keep Playing Sports

As a recreational soccer player, a soccer coach, a marathon runner and a father of very active children (soccer, lacrosse, swimming, biking, running, dance, etc.), Dr Gibson understands that as an athlete you need to stay active. Our goal, therefore, is to allow you to continue participation in your sport if possible. When an injury requires limiting activities, often you will be given aggressive treatments that will help you return to your activities as quickly as possible.

What About My Child's Feet?

Few moments are as precious to a parent as their child's first steps. As a father of 11, Dr. Gibson knows that proud moment well. But what do you do when your child can't walk, has problems walking or seems to be in pain on his or her feet?

"Pain is never normal," notes Dr. Gibson. Even so-called "growing pains" usually have a cause and can often be treated. If you have a question about your child's foot development or pain, give us a call. Your child's feet will be in the best hands - a father's hands.

Dr. Gibson also recommends checking your newborn's feet for five signs:

Flat feet: Approximately 97 percent of Utah newborns appear to have flat feet. This is normal and should not concern parents.
Flexible feet: Since their bones are still developing, a newborn's feet should be flexible. You should call a foot specialist if you notice a foot that is tilted oddly on the leg, stiff and inflexible or contorted.
Baby shape: Most baby feet look like a "V," with a narrow heel. Any shape abnormalities can be fixed if caught early.
Reflexes: Run your finger from the bottom of the heel up to the big toe. Adults tend to curve their toes down while infants spread their toes apart. You only need to be concerned if there is no response at all.
Toes: Count them - There should be 10. Other abnormalities could include an unusually large toe or webbed toes. A Utah foot specialist can tell you if treatment is required for a specific abnormality.

Do I Have An Ingrown Toenail?

An ingrown toenail is easily diagnosed by curving of the edge of the nail into the skin and causing inflammation, redness and significant pain. Ingrown toenails are primarily caused by an inherited tendency for the nails to curve, but may be aggravated by tight shoes, tight socks and incorrect nail trimming (nails should be trimmed straight across as opposed to curved like fingernails). In fact many people without an inherited tendency for nails to curve, will never have ingrowing even with tight shoes, poor nail trimming and other causative actions.

Do I Have An Infection?

Our world consists of multiple small organisms that can cause an infection. In fact, we are constantly being bombarded with information about infection risks, or lifestyle changes that are important to minimize infection. Whether the infection comes from fungus, bacteria or even viruses, symptoms are usually similar and can be evaluated to determine if you have an infection.

Clinical Signs of Infection

The most common signs of infection include:

Erythema: Increased redness to the area (usually a bright red color)
Edema: Increased swelling or retained water to area. Severe edema can lead to "shiny skin"
Calor: Increased heat to area
Dolor: Increased pain, which may even be debilitating pain

Other signs may include fever, chills, nausea or vomitting.

As you look for these signs, you may have a better idea if you have an infection.

Do I Have A Bunion?

A bunion is an enlargement or prominence of the bone or tissue at the base of the great toe. This usually causes a bump to the inside of the foot that can rub on shoes, or interfere with walking (ambulation) or standing. This occurs when the great toe begins to migrate towards the other toes. Although it is not commonly caused by shoes, it may be exacerbated by abnormal ambulation patterns, tight/pointed shoe gear or injury to the feet. It is also commonly seen in families, as it may be an inherited trait and is more common in women. Bunions may be without symptoms or may progress to severe pain that requires some form of treatment.

Why Do My Heels Hurt?

You woke up one morning and stepped down on the floor and began to experience significant pain. This pain resolves slowly with walking, but then returns as you go throughout the day. The pain is most severe after a good night's rest. You can't hardly even walk after sleeping. What is this pain? Is it a normal part of getting older? Do you have a heel spur that is causing your pain?

Why Are My Toes Curling?

Curling toes, usually called hammertoes, are common. Here at Mountain West Foot & Ankle Institute, we see them on a regular basis. But this is your feet, so we want to help you understand what this condition is and how it can be treated. You do have options. Hammer toes are little toes that buckle or curl under. The curling can develop in any toe joint and may cause pain.

Am I Walking/Running Correctly?

Gait by definition is this process of motion. If any structure functions in a less than optimal fashion, the process may be accompanied by pain, deformity or even injury, That makes the analysis of the process of walking or running imperative for optimizing your own unique instruments of locomotion.

What Is This On My Skin?

You looked at your feet and found a lesions, a sore or a new area of thick skin on your feet. Maybe you have thickening, or swelling under the skin. Many different lesions, tumors or growths can be found on the feet and all can be treated.

What is it on your skin?
What are your treatment options?
Is this cancer or otherwise dangerous?

These are important questions that must be evaluated carefully. Although dangerous lesions are uncommon on the feet, painful lesions, tumors or growths are very common. To get your the appropriate treatment, it is important that you understand what is there...

Can MLS Laser Therapy Reduce My Pain?

Mountain West Foot & Ankle Institute is always in search of the newest and best treatments for our patients. We therefore were excited to find a relatively new technology in our new MLS Laser, considered to be the medical technology forefront. This Class IV Laser Therapy has quickly become a powerful secret weapon in treating foot and ankle pain, even pain that has been present and poorly treated for years. In fact, Laser Therapy has been cleared by the FDA and proven successful through extensive and credible studies conducted in our country's finest institutions including Harvard University.

Known Benefits of Laser Therapy

Anti-Inflammatory (Decreased Swelling)
Analgesic (Decreased Pain)
Improved Cellular Healing & Growth
Improved Circulation To Area
Improving Cellular Metabolism (Cells function better)
Reduction of Scar Tissue and Improved Wound Healing
Improved Nerve Function
Improved Immune System to Area

Do I Need Orthotics?

An orthotic is a specialized appliance, even a type of shoe insert, that is designed to improve the foot functioning. The foot is a complex structure that is designed to function in a complex coordination of muscles, joints, tendons and bones to produce walking (a combination of supination and pronation). When an orthotic (designed for your foot) is placed inside your shoe with full contact to the foot, it aligns the foot with the leg and causes optimum motion of the foot. Usually this improves the functioning of the foot and often eliminates pain from overuse of the tendons, muscles or joints.

What Shoes Should I Buy?

With the new trends of barefoot running, shoes designed to simulate being barefoot and new shoes to exercise your feet and legs, the question about what shoes to buy has become more common. How do you find a quality shoe?

As you look for quality shoes, whether for you or a family member, it is recommended that you follow some key recommendations. Although shoes don't usually cause foot or ankle problems, they can aggrevate a problem or a good shoe can reduce associated problems and even discomfort.

As your feet carry your through life, a shoe (if chosen correctly) can greatly improve your comfort and your ability to continue to function. Get a good shoe, you deserve it!

Should I See or Call The Doctor?

Since we can help you with almost any foot or ankle pain or problem, you can come in for any reason. Not all foot or ankle concerns require an appointment, however. Dr Gibson has provided some key reasons that people should come for an appointment.

Do I Need Surgery?

Nobody wants to live on crutches for weeks following foot surgery. And much as we like to kick off our shoes, prop up our feet and relax, even that gets old. After all, there's work to be done, games to be played and places to go.

Our goal is to get you back on your feet faster than you'd expect.

So if you've been putting off that bunion surgery, for example, for a "less busy" period of your life, don't. Instead, opt for Dr. Gibson's self-proclaimed "walking bunions" surgery, so nicknamed because patients can walk the same day.

If you've struggled with foot pain that never left after that bad sprain, ask us about our new surgery for Lisfranc injuries, a rare but painful condition in which a sprain has not fully healed.

Also, a new no-incision surgery can help your heel pain and get you back to normal shoes within days. Usually, plantar fasciitis or heel spur surgeries would take you off your feet for weeks, but not with this new revolutionary procedure for heel pain.

Tell Me About My Foot

The foot is a complex biological masterpiece consisting of 28 bones, 33 joints, 107 ligaments, 19 muscles and tendons and an intricate web of nerves and blood vessels.

What Is Podiatry?

The "practice of podiatry" is defined by Utah State Podiatry Las as "The diagnosis and treatment of conditions affecting the human foot and ankle and their manifestations of systemic conditions by all appropriate and lawful means." Treatment of various conditions may include palliative care, biomechanical modalities, physical therapy, surgical intervention, and the prescription of both systemis and topical medications.

Who Do You Treat?

Podiatry is a unique medical profession that provides care for all people from the very young to the very old, from the inactive to the highly active, and can usually help all overcome problems with the foot or ankle.