Foot and Ankle Pain and Injury

Find an orthopedic surgeon or podiatrist who treats foot or ankle fractures, arthritis, bunions, plantar fasciitis, hammer toe, flat feet, tendonitis, and more.
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For Orthopedics and Rehabilitation related requests:
1-319-356-2223
For all other requests:
1-800-777-8442

It's normal to have aching feet or a sore ankle from time to time.  After all, our feet and ankles literally carry us through each day.

But if your pain makes it hard to stand and walk, you should seek care from a foot and ankle specialist.

University of Iowa Health Care's orthopedic experts treat many conditions and injuries that cause foot and ankle pain.  For example, we help people who:

Our team offers treatments to get you back on your feet and back to your regular activities.

The full range of foot and ankle services

When you choose us for foot and ankle care, you have access to experienced providers and effective treatment options.

A range of providers for nonsurgical care  

If you have unexplained foot pain or chronic wounds on your feet, turn to our podiatry team. We can help diagnose the cause of your symptoms and provide nonsurgical treatments.  If your podiatrist, sports medicine physician, or advanced practice provider thinks you’d benefit from foot or ankle surgery or a specialty treatment, they’ll refer you to one of our orthopedic surgeons or sports medicine physicians.

Sports medicine physicians and advanced practice providers help with injury and overuse conditions causing foot pain, including: 

  • Achilles tendinitis 

  • Achilles tendon rupture 

  • Ankle instability and sprain 

  • Avulsion fracture 

  • Bone spurs 

  • Broken foot 

  • Broken toe 

  • Bursitis 

  • High ankle sprain 

  • Jones Fracture 

  • Plantar fasciitis 

  • Stress fractures

Our podiatrists see patients who need short- or long-term foot care for conditions such as: 

  • Athlete’s foot 

  • Corns 

  • Diabetic ulcers 

  • Flat feet 

  • High arches 

  • Ingrown toenails 

  • Plantar fasciitis 

  • Plantar warts 

See an orthopedic surgeon or sports medicine physician when you need surgery or specialty procedure

For some foot and ankle problems, the best (or only) treatment option is surgery or a procedure.  

UI Health Care foot and ankle surgeons, sports medicine surgeons, and sports medicine physicians use advanced procedures to treat even the most complex problems. Our areas of expertise include: 

  • Ankle arthroscopy 

  • Ankle replacement surgery (arthroplasty) 

  • Ankle fusion (arthrodesis) 

  • Bunions 

  • Cartilage regeneration and repair procedures 

  • Flatfoot reconstruction 

  • Hammertoe and mallet toe 

  • Injections 

  • Procedures for tendinopathy 

  • Procedures to correct structural foot problems 

  • Regenerative medicine 

  • Surgery to repair or reconstruct torn ligaments or tendons 

  • Surgery to repair fractured bones 

Our surgeons lead many research studies that aim to improve foot and ankle treatments. This means we’re often among the first in the Midwest to offer the latest surgical procedures and techniques. 

Because of this, patients travel here from across the U.S.—and beyond—for certain treatments. These include surgeries to treat flat feet, ankle instability, and ankle arthritis.  

Advanced imaging provides a more accurate diagnosis

UI Health Care specialists use leading-edge tools and techniques to diagnose and treat foot and ankle conditions. 

For example, our providers specialize in diagnostic ultrasound, which isn’t widely available. This safe, painless imaging tool quickly pinpoints the cause of your pain and helps your team choose the best treatment. 

Additionally, our providers have helped pioneer the use of “functional imaging” procedures. This includes weight-bearing CT scans to diagnose certain problems.  

Traditional imaging tests can’t always detect complex foot and ankle injuries if the patient doesn’t put their full weight on the injury. With weight-bearing CT, we take 3D images of the foot and ankle while the patient is standing or even walking. 

We’ve conducted extensive safety and efficacy research on weight-bearing CT. And we now use it regularly as a diagnostic tool. It is especially effective at identifying problems such as: 

  • Flatfoot or progressive collapsing foot deformity 

  • Ankle arthritis 

  • Bunions (hallux valgus) 

  • Big toe arthritis (hallux rigidus) 

  • Ankle instability/ankle sprain 

  • Jones fractures 

  • Lisfranc injuries 

  • Navicular fractures 

  • Syndesmotic injuries (high ankle sprains) 

In most cases, weight-bearing CT also uses less radiation than regular CT scans. 

A team approach to foot and ankle care 

Because there isn’t a one-size-fits-all treatment for foot and ankle problems, you may work with more than one specialist.  

If an underlying condition is causing your pain, you might also need to see a provider who specializes in that condition. If you’ve injured your foot or ankle, you might partner with experts who can repair the injury or help you recover. 

In addition to podiatrists and orthopedic surgeons, our team includes:  

  • Endocrinologists who can help you prevent chronic foot wounds by getting your diabetes under control 

  • Orthotists who can recommend (and teach you to use) orthopedic devices such as foot and ankle braces 

  • Physical therapists who can help you improve foot and ankle pain, recover from surgery, or get back on your feet after an injury 

  • Rheumatologists who specialize in treating osteoarthritis and rheumatoid arthritis, which are common causes of foot and ankle pain 

  • Sports medicine specialists who offer nonsurgical treatments such as steroid injections, biologic injections, and regenerative medicine therapies 

Foot and ankle tests and treatments

  • Achilles tendon surgery 
  • Ankle fracture repair 
  • Ankle fusion 
  • Ankle replacement 
  • Arthroscopy 
  • Bone marrow aspirate concentrate (regenerative medicine) 
  • Brostrom procedure 
  • Bunion surgery 
  • Calcaneus fracture repair 
  • Calcaneus osteotomy 
  • Cavovarus reconstruction 
  • Cavus foot surgery 
  • Chevron osteotomy 
  • First MPT cheilectomy 
  • First MPT interposition arthroplasty 
  • Flatfoot reconstruction 
  • Foot fracture repair 
  • Foot fusion 
  • Foot osteotomy 
  • Gastrocnemius recession 
  • Haglund’s deformity surgery 
  • Hammer toe surgery 
  • Jones fracture repair 
  • Lapidus procedure 
  • Ligament reconstruction 
  • Lisfranc injury repair 
  • Microfracture (cartilage regeneration and repair) 
  • Midfoot fusion 
  • Modified Kidner procedurePercutaneous Needle Tenotomy for tendon injuries 
  • Plantar plate repair 
  • Platelet-rich plasma (regenerative medicine) 
  • Subtalar joint fusion 
  • Tailor’s bunion (bunionette) surgery 
  • Talar fracture repair 
  • Talonavicular joint fusion 
  • Talus replacement 
  • Tenotomy 
  • Triple arthrodesis 

Foot and ankle conditions treated

  • Accessory navicular bone 
  • Achilles tendon rupture 
  • Ankle impingement 
  • Ankle instability 
  • Ankle pain 
  • Ankle sprain 
  • Anterior tibial tendon rupture 
  • Arthritis 
  • Bunion (hallux valgus) 
  • Cavovarus foot 
  • Charcot foot (Charcot arthropathy) 
  • Charcot-Marie-Tooth foot abnormalities 
  • Chronic foot pain 
  • Claw toe 
  • Diabetic foot 
  • Flat feet (flatfoot) 
  • Foot pain 
  • Fractures 
  • Ganglion cyst of the foot and ankle 
  • Haglund’s deformity 
  • Hallux varus 
  • Hammer toe 
  • High arches 
  • Jones fracture 
  • Lisfranc injury 
  • Mallet toe 
  • Metatarsalgia 
  • Morton’s neuroma 
  • Plantar fasciitis 
  • Plantar fibroma 
  • Posterior tibial tendonitis (adult acquired flatfoot) 
  • Sesamoiditis 
  • Tailor’s bunion (bunionette) 
  • Talar avascular necrosis 
  • Tendonitis 
  • Tendinopathy 
  • Tendinosis  
  • Tight calf 
  • Turf toe (hallux rigidus) 

Our Care Team

Timothy W. Thomsen, MD portrait

Timothy W.
Thomsen
MD

  • Emergency Medicine
  • Orthopedics and Rehabilitation
4.81 out of 5 (567 ratings)
Terese Whipple, MD portrait

Terese
Whipple
MD

  • Emergency Medicine
  • Orthopedics and Rehabilitation
Britt Marcussen, MD portrait

Britt
Marcussen
MD

  • Family Medicine
  • Orthopedics and Rehabilitation
4.63 out of 5 (944 ratings)
Tyler Slayman, MD portrait

Tyler
Slayman
MD

  • Family Medicine
  • Orthopedics and Rehabilitation
4.74 out of 5 (1,371 ratings)
Kyle Duchman, MD portrait

Kyle
Duchman
MD

  • Orthopedics and Rehabilitation
4.84 out of 5 (711 ratings)
John E. Femino, MD portrait

John E.
Femino
MD

  • Orthopedics and Rehabilitation
4.57 out of 5 (747 ratings)
Adam Arendt, DPM portrait

Adam
Arendt
DPM

  • Orthopedics and Rehabilitation
4.51 out of 5 (1,151 ratings)
Sarah E. Polk, DPM portrait

Sarah E.
Polk
DPM

  • Orthopedics and Rehabilitation
4.84 out of 5 (1,294 ratings)
Ashlee L. Enzinger, MD, FAAP, CAQSM portrait

Ashlee L.
Enzinger
MD, FAAP, CAQSM

  • Orthopedics and Rehabilitation
4.61 out of 5 (369 ratings)
Andy Peterson, MD, MSPH portrait

Andy
Peterson
MD, MSPH

  • Orthopedics and Rehabilitation
4.53 out of 5 (1,084 ratings)
Lisa Woodroffe, MD, CAQSM portrait

Lisa
Woodroffe
MD, CAQSM

  • Orthopedics and Rehabilitation
4.71 out of 5 (506 ratings)
Lance Christensen, MPAS, PA-C portrait

Lance
Christensen
MPAS, PA-C

  • Orthopedics and Rehabilitation
4.63 out of 5 (646 ratings)
Laura Conner, MPAS, PA-C, MA, ATC, LAT, CES portrait

Laura
Conner
MPAS, PA-C, MA, ATC, LAT, CES

  • Orthopedics and Rehabilitation
4.88 out of 5 (518 ratings)
Laura Magrane, MPAS, PA-C, MAT portrait

Laura
Magrane
MPAS, PA-C, MAT

  • Orthopedics and Rehabilitation
4.83 out of 5 (660 ratings)
Jordan Peterson, MPAS, PA-C portrait

Jordan
Peterson
MPAS, PA-C

  • Orthopedics and Rehabilitation
Lesley Haro, ARNP-BC portrait

Lesley
Haro
ARNP-BC

  • Orthopedics and Rehabilitation
4.76 out of 5 (70 ratings)
Elayne Pregon, MSN, ARNP, FNP-C portrait

Elayne
Pregon
MSN, ARNP, FNP-C

  • Orthopedics and Rehabilitation
4.82 out of 5 (491 ratings)

Need help choosing a foot and ankle specialist?

Call us for help finding an orthopedic surgeon or podiatrist who specializes in foot and ankle problems. We’ll find out what’s causing your symptoms, provide a second opinion, or treat your condition.
Call 1-319-356-2223 Request an appointment Refer a patient

Locations and Offices

Orthopedic Clinic
John Pappajohn Pavilion (JPP)
Lower Level, Elevator I
1-319-356-2223
Clinic
Orthopedic Clinic
In Medical Center
200 Hawkins Drive, Iowa City, IA 52242
UI Sports Medicine
Level 1
1-319-384-7070
Clinic
UI Health Care Sports Medicine facility exterior photo
In Iowa City, Prairie Meadow Drive
2701 Prairie Meadow Drive, Iowa City, IA 52242
Iowa River Landing - Floor 4
Fourth Floor
1-319-467-2000
Clinic
Lobby photo of the fourth floor of Iowa River Landing
In Iowa River Landing
105 East 9th Street, Coralville, IA 52241
Iowa River Landing - Floor 5
Fifth Floor
1-319-467-2000
Clinic
Lobby photo of the fifth floor of Iowa River Landing
In Iowa River Landing
105 East 9th Street, Coralville, IA 52241
Sports Medicine - Cedar Rapids
Suite 2300
1-319-731-1430
Clinic
Interior front desk of the new sports medicine location
In Cedar Rapids, 10th Street SE
411 10th Street SE, Cedar Rapids, IA 52403

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Educational Resources

Foot, ankle, and toe exercises