The pun was intended when Dr. Benjamin Carelock said, “Surgery got him back on his feet.” He also equally meant it in the literal sense, as well. It was about a past patient who had a congenital foot and ankle issue that severely impacted the patient’s quality of life and mobility.
“The goal is always getting people back to doing what they want to do,” Dr. Carelock said.
The foot and ankle are the bases for holding the entire body weight and creating motion for movement. Made up of 34 muscles, 33 joints, 28 bones, and112 ligaments – that’s a total of 207 parts that don’t always work flawlessly.
Here at the Family Health West Foot and Ankle Clinic, our philosophy is to educate our patients on their specific foot and ankle problems so they can take an integral part in deciding the best treatment plan for their feet. Patients can feel confident in a diagnosis and treatment plan that is crafted with our board-certified, experienced, and caring professionals.
In addition to Dr. Carelock, the FHW Foot and Ankle Clinic has Dr.s Ryan Payne, and Douglas Goforth who are all dedicated to providing the best care possible. To become a patient with FHW Foot and Ankle Clinic you don’t need a referral, however, your insurance may require it. The clinic and all providers are currently accepting new patients, so perhaps this is your hint to get that bunion, in-grown toenail, or shooting foot pain assessed.
Dr. Goforth recently said, “I love working with my hands. Having a strong construction background lends itself to working as a surgeon. That being said, we’re able to help people out of pain without surgery most of the time. I once had a patient who stepped on a piece of glass. They came to see me several years later and the piece of glass had migrated to the top of their foot. We removed it in the clinic.”
The providers at FHW Foot and Ankle Clinic specialize in foot and ankle injuries and disorders – corrective and surgical management. Don’t let injuries or discomforts go unchecked, regardless of age. Did we mention youth and pediatric patients are welcome?
“We are a full-service clinic,” Dr. Carelock emphasized.
The best treatment plans, he said, look at the entire person, everything from their social habits and personal hobbies to the mechanics of their foot and ankle.
“Ninety-five percent of you exists above the ankle, it has to be considered,” he said, about a diagnosis and treatment plan. “We are dedicated to taking time to tailor solutions to the patient rather than cookie-cutter solutions.”
Heel pain is probably what we see the most patients about followed by diabetic patients who in some cases have extensive foot issues. He went on to describe successfully treating patients with foot deformities to trauma-related issues and all things in between, including arthritis-related pain.
On an average day, the FHW Foot and Ankle Clinic can get new patients into a provider within the week, but there are some same-day urgent care appointments available, as needed.
Dr. Carelock gives a nod to the overall health and healing benefits of a daily walk but if you can’t walk the impacts can then compound themselves, he said. We hear a lot about the daily 10,000 steps but if someone is struggling to meet that goal because of an issue or pain, we invite you to come see us.
“Good shoes can vary from person to person,” Dr. Carelock said.
He wouldn’t openly endorse any one brand or type of shoe. But he was passionate about myth-busting. He said, all too often he hears patients delay care and treatment for a bunion, for example, because they believe they will be in a (medical) boot for six months. The reality at the FHW Foot and Ankle Clinic is that most surgeries have patients back in tennis shoes in roughly six to eight weeks if, in fact, surgery is the direction of choice.
If you are experiencing a foot or ankle issue, we welcome you as a new patient at the FHW Foot and Ankle Clinic where we also offer imaging and radiology services, along with recovery care on the same campus. In addition to those services, the providers work closely with the other FHW clinics when patients overlap – for example at the FHW Wound Healing Clinic or the FHW Arthritis and Rheumatology Clinic. To see a comprehensive list of issues or to explore the physicians in the FHW Foot and Ankle Clinic, visit https://fhw.org/services/foot-ankle/ or call (970) 858-2530.
