What is Medication Management?

Medication Management for Foot & Ankle Conditions

A Targeted Approach to Reducing Pain, Inflammation, and Infection

Medication management is the strategic use of prescribed and over-the-counter medications to treat foot and ankle conditions. It is a critical component of a comprehensive treatment plan, designed to manage symptoms, fight infection, and facilitate healing. Medications are rarely a standalone cure; instead, they are used to control pain and inflammation, enabling you to participate more effectively in other essential therapies like physical therapy or the use of custom orthotics.

At City Orthopaedics & Sports Medicine, our team of foot and ankle specialists prescribes and administers medications with precision and care, ensuring each choice is tailored to your specific diagnosis and health needs.

Types of Medications Used in Foot and Ankle Care

Depending on your condition, we may recommend or prescribe various types of medication:

• Non-Steroidal Anti-Inflammatory Drugs (NSAIDs): These are often the first line of defense for conditions involving inflammation, such as tendonitis, arthritis, and plantar fasciitis. They work by reducing both pain and swelling. Examples include oral medications like ibuprofen and naproxen, as well as topical anti-inflammatory gels.
• Antibiotics: These are essential for treating bacterial infections. They are commonly prescribed for infected ingrown toenails, diabetic foot ulcers, punctures, or to prevent infection after surgery. They can be administered orally or applied topically.
• Antifungals: Used to treat fungal infections like Athlete’s Foot and fungal toenails. Treatment can range from topical creams and medicated nail lacquers to oral medications for more severe or persistent infections.
• Analgesics (Pain Relievers): For pain that is not primarily caused by inflammation, simple pain relievers like acetaminophen may be recommended.

Therapeutic Injections: Delivering Medication Directly to the Source

One of the most effective ways to manage localized pain and inflammation is through a therapeutic injection. This procedure allows us to deliver powerful medication directly to the site of your injury or condition for rapid, targeted relief.

• Corticosteroid Injections: These are the most common type of therapeutic injection. Cortisone is a potent anti-inflammatory agent used to provide significant pain relief for conditions such as Plantar Fasciitis, heel spurs, arthritis, Morton’s Neuroma, tendonitis, and bursitis. By breaking the cycle of pain and inflammation, these injections can create a window of opportunity for healing.
• Anesthetic Injections: A local anesthetic can be used to numb an area for diagnostic purposes (to confirm the source of pain) or to allow for painless in-office surgical procedures, such as an ingrown toenail removal.
• Specialized Injections: For certain conditions like Morton’s Neuroma, a series of alcohol sclerosing injections may be used to shrink the irritated nerve.

The Role of Medication in Your Overall Treatment Plan

It is important to view medication as one tool in a larger toolbox. Our goal is not just to mask your pain, but to treat the underlying cause of your condition. Medication is used to:

• Break the Pain-Inflammation Cycle: Reducing acute symptoms so your body can begin to heal.
• Facilitate Rehabilitation: Allowing you to perform stretching and strengthening exercises with less pain.
• Treat or Prevent Infection: Eradicating harmful bacteria to ensure proper healing.
• Improve Comfort: Enabling you to tolerate other treatments, such as breaking in a new pair of custom orthotics.

Safe and Effective Use of Medication

Your safety is our top priority. To ensure the best outcome, we ask that you:

• Disclose all health conditions, allergies, and current medications you are taking.
• Follow all dosage and administration instructions precisely.
• Report any side effects or concerns to our office immediately.
• Understand that some treatments, especially steroid injections, are used judiciously to protect the health of your body’s tissues.