Maria Chon, DPM

Podiatry is the branch of medicine devoted to the diagnosis and treatment of disorders, diseases and injuries of the foot, ankle, and lower leg. Podiatrists, also known as doctors of podiatric medicine (DPMs), treat ankle and foot injuries, deformities and infections including corns, calluses, ingrown toenails, bunions, heel spurs, arch problems, heal pain, and diabetes foot care.

Podiatrists use several techniques to evaluate and treat these problems including prescribing drugs and physical therapy, ordering x-rays, analyzing patients’ walk and weight distribution, setting fractures, fitting corrective shoe inserts called orthotics, designing custom-made shoes, and performing podiatric surgery.

Podiatric surgery is surgery to treat ankle and foot injuries, deformities and infections. Often when pain or deformity persists, surgery may be necessary to alleviate discomfort or to restore function.

Podiatric surgeons specialize in foot and ankle surgery. Podiatric surgeons use several different surgeries to treat bunions (deformed bones of the big toe and foot), hammertoes (an imbalance of the tendons and joints causing buckling of the toes), bone spurs (an overgrowth of the bone); heel spurs; Neuroma (painful enlargement of nerves in the foot); and plantar fasciitis (inflammation of the tissue in the bottom of the foot).