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How To Avoid Foot Surgery

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The congenial New York foot specialist Dr. Rock Positano is known nationally for helping patients avoid foot and ankle surgery. Which explains why he was featured on the front page of The New York Times expressing dismay at those women who choose cosmetic foot surgery to force their feet into high-end designer shoes. It happens regularly, says Positano, and then the same women seek his help to repair the damage done. "Sadly, I can't do a thing for them," he says. "It's too late."

Positano is director of the Non-Surgical Foot and Ankle Service at Hospital for Special Surgery, and author/editor of an orthopedic medical textbook. His research has led him to conclude that hip and knee replacements are regularly required because the feet were not analyzed and attended to. "It all starts with the feet," he says. "We know that now."

At Positano's office, clients walk on a special mat that transmits information to a computer; the screen shows precisely how the foot is making contact with the ground. Professional customized orthotics might be recommended to re-balance the foot and the rest of the body.

On The Faith Middleton Show we'll look at which shoes are most foot friendly; why cosmetic foot surgery is thriving; and how to take care of the feet to avoid knee and hip surgery, as well as sprained ankles. In addition, we'll talk about how to keep knees and hips stable after replacement.

Dr. Rock Positano's thesis on foot health was approved with honors and distinction by the Yale University School of Medicine.

Here's some reading from The Washington Post:

Join the conversation by email, on Twitter, or on Facebook.

GUEST:

  • Rock Positano is Director of the Non-surgical Foot and Ankle Service at Hospital for Special Surgery.

MUSIC:

  • “Gne Gne,” Montefiori Cocktail
  • “Boogie Shoes,” KC and the Sunshine Band
  • “These Boots Were Made for Walkin’,” Emilie-Claire Barlow
  • “Footloose,” Kenny Loggins

Lori MackJonathan McNicol, and Marian Roy contributed to this show.

For more than 25 years, the two-time Peabody Award-winning Faith Middleton Show has been widely recognized for fostering insightful, thought-provoking conversation. Faith Middleton offers her listeners some of the world's most fascinating people and subjects. The show has been inducted into the Connecticut Magazine Hall of Fame as "Best Local Talk Show".

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