Orthopedic foot and ankle surgeons are doctors – MDs or DOs who have completed four years of medical school, five to six years of surgical residency and an additional year of fellowship training in foot and ankle care. By comparison, a podiatrist (or DPM) is required to complete four years of podiatry school, followed by two years of residency training.

As a result of this rigorous training, orthopedic foot and ankle surgeons are not only well qualified to care for both common and complex foot and ankle issues, but possess extensive knowledge of the entire human body and its relationship to lower extremity issues. While pain may present in your foot, it’s not uncommon for the root cause of this pain to originate in your hips or back.  A comprehensive understanding of the body’s entire musculoskeletal system allows an orthopedic foot and ankle surgeon to take the context of your entire health into account when diagnosing and treating problems.

Click here for a complete list of Orthopedic ONE fellowship-trained foot and ankle surgeons.

Consider seeing an orthopedic specialist when pain persists, limits your movement or interferes with daily activities. A specialist can identify the cause and discuss surgical and nonsurgical treatment options. Traumatic bone or joint injuries caused by an accident or fall may require immediate orthopedic trauma and fracture care.

An orthopedic surgeon treats conditions affecting the bones, joints, muscles, ligaments and tendons and can perform surgery when necessary. Sports medicine focuses on preventing and rehabilitating activity-related injuries.

Orthopedic ONE’s sports medicine program includes primary care sports medicine physicians, fellowship-trained orthopedic surgeons, athletic trainers and physical therapists. The right provider depends on the condition and whether surgical expertise may be needed.

Yes. Physical therapy is often a first-line treatment for musculoskeletal pain and injuries. A treatment plan may include therapeutic exercise, manual treatment, pain-relief techniques, activity changes and injury-prevention education.

For some patients with osteoarthritis, physical therapy and other conservative treatments may help delay or avoid joint-replacement surgery. Learn more about Orthopedic ONE’s approach to joint preservation.