Foot pain plagues most people to a greater or lesser degree, and anyone who has experienced it knows that it is a debilitating problem.

Plantar fasciitis (pronounced PLAN-tar fashee-EYE-tiss), an inflammation of the plantar fascia ("plantar" refers to the bottom of the foot, "fascia" refers to a type of connective tissue, and "itis" means "inflammation"), is one common cause of foot pain. Known as "heel pain", this inflammation can be caused by a heel spur, gout, obesity, and other local and systemic diseases. When conservative methods of treatment fail, surgical intervention may be necessary. In most cases, the surgical treatment can be performed minimal invasively in the modern facilities of center for advanced foot and ankle surgery. Bunion surgery - minimally-invasive foot surgery - is a relatively new way to correct foot problems in which the skin incision is only large enough to introduce special instruments into the offending area of the foot. This is the type of bunion surgery performed by Dr. Richard M. Cowin at the center for advanced foot and ankle surgery located in Central Florida. A bunion is seen as an enlargement on the inside of the foot near the big toe. Bunions are often aggravated by narrow shoes, and a callus often forms on the side and underneath the bone.

Dr. Cowin's goal and purpose in life has always been to help people. He felt he could best accomplish this goal by specializing in the treatment of the most abused part of the human body - the foot.

The center for advanced foot and ankle surgery uses cutting-edge technology, such as Laser foot and ankle surgery. A Laser generates an intense beam of light that's man-made and not known to occur in nature. The word "Laser" is an acronym which stands for: Light Amplification by Stimulated Emission of Radiation. A surgical Laser beam can cut or vaporize tissue almost instantaneously. It is so precise that the surrounding tissue is hardly affected. The beam sterilizes and seals the blood vessels as it cuts, so there's generally less bleeding, less post-operative pain, and less chance of post-operative infection than with conventional surgical instruments.

Another cutting-edge technology used by the Center for Advanced Foot Surgery is Extracorporeal Shock Wave (ESW). "Extracorporeal" means "outside the body". Shock waves are created by very strong acoustic (sound) energy. The ESW treatment is performed with a device called the OssaTron. During ESW treatment, the dome of the OssaTron is placed against the heel so the shock waves pass through the dome to the heel. ESW treatment has been found to be effective for treating chronic proximal plantar fasciitis, heel spurs.

A new technology allows the patient to walk over a computerized gait pressure plate, making a 3-dimensional image of the foot in a dynamic rather than a static manner. This image can then be sent by computer modem directly into the orthotic laboratory for accurate fabricating of Custom Foot Orthopedic Devices which are worn in the shoes and can be changed from shoe to shoe.

The center for advanced foot and ankle surgery specializes in treating all types of foot problems, from bunion surgery to plantar fascitis, with the latest technology and expertise available.