Frequently Asked Questions

Yes, we do accept short-term payment plans for our podiatry services and cash paying customers!

Dr. Biesinger makes every attempt at conservative treatment. He tries to keep his patients out of the operating room as much as possible but realizes that sometimes the surgical approach to a foot or ankle condition IS the conservative approach. Some foot & ankle issues simply will not get better without surgery.

We do not currently accept Culinary Fund Health Insurance at this time.

If you have a broken bone, there is a possibility that it will heal on its own but the biggest danger to not seeking professional medical help occurs when it does not heal properly or incorrectly.

If it isn’t guided to heal correctly, a bone can heal crooked causing functional impairment and chronic pain wherein surgical correction may be necessary. Or the bone may not heal at all and there again lead to chronic pain. Understand that there are definitely people that never seek treatment for a fracture and report “no pain” or long term issues.

This is the exception and not the norm.

Orthotics can be really beneficial for your feet and mobility and will all depend on the intended purpose or how they were designed to help you move, walk and run better.

Typically, they help by…

• Changing the angle that your foot strikes the ground so that it can help the rest of your body move better
• By correcting the way you step, it also helps to reduce the stress and load that your foot experiences with normal everyday activities such as walking
• Can help and relieve swelling / pains caused by…
  • Achilles tendinitis
  • Heel pains
  • Bunion pains
  • Arch issue pain
• Can also help to alleviate pain in…
  • Your knees
  • Your hips
  • In some cases, even back pain
• Very beneficial for people with small amounts of limb length discrepancy, i.e. one leg is longer than the other

Typically, the overlapping of your toes happens at a young age when you are still growing. Some parents or podiatrists can recommend a conservative approach to try and fix the issue before it becomes permanent in later parts of life but it isn’t a guarantee.

If you are an adult, attempting to tape, stretch or adjust your toes may prove to be difficult if effective at all. This is because your bones, muscles and tendons have already had years of conforming to the way that your toes grew as a child. For children, overlapping toes are rarely problematic from a pain or functional standpoint but sometimes is bothersome to the child on a psychological level.

In this case, surgery might be your only option if you want to change the way that your toes look. Overlapping toes rarely cause problems in mobility and don’t need to be fixed but if you find it embarrassing or feel anxiety from your overlapping toes, we will be happy to discuss your condition so that you can live a happier life.

This of course depends on the severity of your ingrown nail and how long it has been digging into the side of your toe and how badly the pain has become. More importantly however is your pain tolerance and anxiety about the ingrown nail removal process.

We of course, always let our patients that we are here for them and that we will make the removal process as informational and painless as possible. Truly the worst part is making the toe go numb with an anesthetic “numbing” injection but we have very good ways to make this as painless as possible. Dr. Biesinger has even had this shot done on himself!

There have been multiple reviews written about people’s experience when treated by Dr. Biesinger comparing it to the most “painless” and “easy” ingrown nail removal they’ve experienced when comparing it to other podiatrists they had been treated by in the past.

Avoiding painful and inconvenient sport injuries to your feet and ankles can help you stay active longer without having to hold back or taking a long break from your sports activities.

It is important not over stressing them and to make sure that you have the proper muscle development to support your feet and ankles when you play sports. The “weekend warrior ” sport enthusiast is far more prone to injury than the person who plays the sport more frequently. If you are going to engage in sports consistency is key.

Properly preparing for your run is important for avoiding injury as well. Breaking into run while cold will increase your chance for injury. A little jog to warm you up is best, followed by some stretching will loosen your muscles, tendons, and ligaments thereby decreasing your risk of injury. After your warm up and stretch, then its time for your run or whatever sport you are engaging in.

Using the best shoe based on your foot shape and arch also helps your body move more naturally instead of it placing strain on your feet because it is trying to overcompensate for your specific foot shape. In cases of overpronation, having special orthotics can not only help you move better, but can also help to keep yourself injury free.

When you focus on building stronger muscles and take care of your bones and tendons, you create an environment where you won’t get hurt as often.

You can not know if you have suffered a sprain or a fracture unless you visit your doctor. An x-ray will be needed after an injury to determine the damages. Some sprains can be more severe and difficult to treat than some fractures and vise versa. deformity may even result just from a sprain or a ligament rupture, something most people attribute to a fracture

If you are unsure and want a professional opinion, we advise visiting Dr. Biesinger and getting an x-ray which may reveal if you have suffered a fracture vs a sprain.

Both are similar because…

• both will limit your mobility and cause you pain
• both can bruise
• both can lead to deformity
• both require inflammation to heal

Sprains are different because…

• it happens when there is a sudden overstretching of ligaments that stabilize your ankle joint (typically when your foot quickly twist in an unnatural way)
• it affects soft tissue (ligaments)
• may best be served with rehabilitation and rest

Fractures are different because…

• happens when there is a break in the bone (typically when you feel an impact that was greater than what your bone could withstand)
• it affects hard tissue (bones)
• may best be served with immobilization

Getting your achilles tendon back to working order takes quite a bit of time, several months (4 to 6 months), usually.

You can typically treat it, if it’s a minor tear or tendonosis, by aggressive rehab and heel lifts or if more severe by immobilizing the tendon in a fracture boot. If the tendon is ruptured, a minimally invasive surgery may be required in order to reattach your Achilles tendon.

Factors that will affect your heal time:

• How severe the tear was
• Your overall fitness and health
• How quickly you get the tear treated after injuring it
• How well you follow home care and therapy instructions
• How well you do follow your rehabilitative program schedule