Submitted by Brian Nagy, DPM
Feet are the foundation of the body. Fixing the foundation is critical to overall health. Experiencing pain in the body and feet is a warning sign that something is wrong. Instead of ignoring it, it’s important to slow down and evaluate what is going on. What most people don’t realize is that foot misalignment may be causing the pain.
What are Misaligned Feet?
This condition occurs when the Talus bone – a bone that sits just below the ankle bone – slides off the heel bone and causes the naturally occurring space (the sinus tarsi) to collapse. When the feet are misaligned, it causes a chain reaction throughout the body that affects not only the feet, but knees, hips, and the back. Misaligned feet are very common, and it is estimated that nearly 45% of people have misaligned feet.
Symptoms of Misaligned Feet
When the feet and ankles are misaligned, the rest of the body compensates with every step. As a result, one of the most common symptoms of foot misalignment is pain. It could manifest as foot pain or pain in the knees, legs, hips or back.
Some of the more obvious effects of misaligned feet show up with various common foot problems and related problems throughout the body. These can include:
- Flat Feet
- Bunions
- Hammertoes
- Plantar Fasciitis (Arch and or Heel Pain)
- Knee, hip, back and neck pain
While different factors can contribute to these conditions, the underlying cause is misaligned feet. Treating the underlying cause can bring relief and prevent further complications.
A Revolutionary Treatment That Permanently Realigns Your Feet
The HyProCure® technique is minimally invasive and is used to realign and restore balance to the foot. A small incision is made during the procedure that allows the podiatrist to place a small titanium stent into the naturally occurring space between the ankle and heel bones.
The stent acts as a stabilizer that allows for full range of motion of the foot while protecting the ankle bone from damage. Implanting the stent reduces abnormal movement of the foot, reducing pain and discomfort.
As the person walks or runs, the stent allows pressure from the weight of the body to be dispersed around the stent. This restores how weight is transferred throughout the foot, allowing for improved range of motion and much less foot pain.
Other than a small incision that is used to allow for the implantation of the stent, there are no other techniques used in the procedure. No screws are needed and there is no drilling.
How it works
- A stent is placed between the ankle and heel bone
- This stabilizes the ankle bone instantly while still allowing the normal motion to occur
- There is little pressure placed on the stent itself as the weight of the body passes through the joints in the foot behind and in front of the stent.
The Procedure
Inserting the HyProCure® stent is a fast and simple outpatient procedure that is performed using local anesthesia while:
- A small incision is made below the outer ankle bone
- A deeper opening is then made to insert the HyProCure® stent
- Sizers are tried to determine which stent will give the best correction
- The stent is placed
- The incision is closed with a few absorbable stitches
Recovery
Patients should be able to gently step on the foot immediately following the procedure, but it’s important to use extreme caution. In most cases, patients walk out of the office after the procedure, but doctors recommend resting the ankle for at least 3 to 5 days and then gradually begin to include more activity as the joint begins to feel better. The tissues will be almost fully healed after 4 to 6 weeks. This is also about the time patients are walking normally and gradually increasing their activity levels.
Benefits of HyProCure®
In addition to being minimally invasive and performed as an outpatient procedure, other benefits include:
- Decreases strain in the most important foots structures
- Simple and quick outpatient procedure
- Minimally invasive
- Reduces and/or eliminates pain felt up the musculoskeletal chain in the body
- Internal and permanent option, but is reversible if needed
- Overall health and well-being is positively increased due to the ability to have a more active lifestyle
- There has not been a single case of fracture to the ankle or heel bone since the first use of the HyProCure® stent in 2004 and over 25,000 device placements
HyProCure® has helped over 60,000 patients worldwide because it corrects the actual misalignment of the foot and ankle by eliminating the underlying cause of the symptoms and instantly resolving the pain and discomfort. It also helps correct secondary problems in the body, such as pain in the knees, hips, and back, as well as giving people back their quality of life and allowing them to do what they enjoy.