HyProCure – Advanced Treatment for Foot Misalignment

Anyone who works in construction or civil engineering can tell you that a solid foundation is essential to a structure’s strength and stability.

Of course, construction projects are not the only situations wherein it is critical for a solid foundation to exist, though. If you need a non-construction example of this, you needn’t look any farther than your own two feet!

With proper alignment, anatomical structures (and especially joints) function in their intended manner.

When someone has misaligned feet, on the other hand, it can actually lead to an array of issues.

So what do we mean by “misaligned?” Basically, the term usually refers to an ankle joint that has slipped a bit out of place relative to the heel bone. This misplacement could be caused by an injury or physically traumatic event, but more often tends to be a matter of genetics.

Now, it doesn’t take much of a slip before you will start to notice big problems.

In fact, a misaligned foot can throw your entire body out of balance, which makes sense because just about everything in the musculoskeletal system is connected. So, the misalignment doesn’t only cause foot pain – but also discomfort in places like your knees, hips, and back.

Due to the intricately structured nature of our feet, the misalignment doesn’t even have to be particularly great to make a big impact. Further, the tremendous amounts of force loads placed upon feet throughout the day—remember, a landing foot absorbs up to twice your bodyweight in pressure—contribute to the problem.

With regards to foot problems that can develop in misaligned feet, we are talking about issues like:

• Bunions. In a properly aligned foot, the talus (ankle bone) sits directly on top of the calcaneus (heel bone). When the foot is misaligned so that the talus falls forward, it places excessive force on the first metatarsal. In turn, this bone can shift abnormally and ultimately cause the metatarsophalangeal joint (at the base of the big toe) to jut out towards the inner edge of the foot.
• Overpronation. This biomechanical abnormality—an excessive inwards rolling of the foot during the group portion of a step—is an indication of misalignment of the feet and can lead to issues like pain in the ankle, knee, hip, and lower back areas.
• Hammertoes. Instability created by misalignment in the hindfoot can result in greater pressure being placed on the toes. In turn, this leads an imbalance of strength between the muscles and tendons on the tops and bottoms of toes. This kind of imbalance is the reason hammertoes develop – and this is something we see more often in patients who do not have proper foot alignment.

• Heel pain. Plantar fasciitis is rather common for virtually any adult, but the risk of developing this source of heel pain is even greater for individuals who have structural issues.

Traditional surgery performed to correct adult-acquired flatfoot or realign the ankle often requires large incisions, plates or screws, and a lengthy recovery period. Bones, tendons, and ligaments may need to be cut, transferred, or realigned.

Although surgery is usually successful and the end result will be a healthy foot, it is a major procedure and can keep you off your feet for a long time.

Fortunately, there’s another option!

At Capital District Podiatry, we are committed to staying current with the latest in technological advances in the field of podiatry for our patients. When it comes to pain caused by misaligned feet, the good news is that we can correct the condition with an advanced treatment method called HyProCure.

So, what is HyProCure?

Well, it is a safe, effective implant placed between specific foot bones—using a minimally-invasive procedure (instead of traditional surgery)—to stabilize and realign the hindfoot into a more natural, efficient structure.

The implant does not penetrate any bone tissue, is approved by the U.S. FDA—the federal agency responsible for ensuring the safety of medical equipment and devices—and can correct misalignments to reduce painful symptoms.

After it has been implanted, HyProCure allows a completely normal range of motion for your foot joints and promotes a more equitable weight distribution.

Some important things to know about HyProCure include:

• The procedure is minimally-invasive, takes less than half an hour, and is performed on an outpatient basis.
• Once all of the tissues around the stent have healed, there are no limitations with regards to physical activities or sports. If anything, your options may increase given that the abnormal motion is no longer a problem.
• The odds of an allergic reaction are absolutely minimal. Medical-grade titanium was chosen to be used because it is the least reactive material for the human body.
• As long as the implant stays in place, you will not be able to feel it after the procedure. If you are feeling anything in the first couple of months afterwards, it is likely just simply scar tissue that will dissipate in time.
• Depending on your coverage, this procedure might be covered by your insurance plan. Be sure to check with our office and/or your insurance carrier first, though!

As a note, it is our policy to try and evaluate nonsurgical options for correcting a problem before we start to consider surgery (even minimally-invasive procedures like this one).

We may find that conservative care—like rest, ice, physical therapy, custom orthotic therapy, and/or corticosteroid injections—is sufficient in relieving any pain or swelling being caused by misalignment. Further, custom orthotics can be used to take pressure off of specific areas, which may reduce the risk of bunions and hammertoe.

After evaluating your unique situation and listening to your concerns, however, we very well might recommend HyProCure as the solution. If this is the course of treatment we recommend, it is possible we will also prescribe additional measures to supplement it.

This all will depend, naturally, on your specific situation.

To find out what we recommend for you, come see us here at Capital District Podiatry.

Don’t let misaligned feet cause pain throughout your lower body (and further up)! Instead, contact us and request an appointment for consultation. We will determine the best possible treatment plan for you, so give us call today at (518) 273-0053 or fill out our online form and one of our team members will be happy to help set up your appointment for whichever of our offices is more convenient for you.