Toggle navigation
  • Facebook
  • blog
  • Twitter
277 E Carmel Dr Ste DCarmel, IN 46032-2634(317) 846-4111
5128 E Stop 11 Rd Ste 40Indianapolis, IN 46237-9733(317) 881-0070


  • Home
  • Meet Our Doctor
  • Offices
  • Services
    • Bunion Treatment and Correction
    • Bunions
    • Foot & Ankle Surgery
    • Foot Doctor
    • Fungal Toenail Laser Treatment
    • Heel Pain
    • Heel Pain Relief
    • Toenail Fungus
    • Foot and Ankle Care
    • Laser Toenail Fungal Treatment
    • Sports Injuries to the Foot and Ankle
  • New Patients
  • Contact Us
  • Patient Education
  • Pay Online
  • Appointment Request

Equinus

Our team of specialists and staff believe that informed patients are better equipped to make decisions regarding their health and well being. For your personal use, we have created an extensive patient library covering an array of educational topics. Browse through these diagnoses and treatments to learn more about topics of interest to you. Or, for a more comprehensive search of our entire Web site, enter your term(s) in the search bar provided.

As always, you can contact our office to answer any questions or concerns.

  • Posterior Tibial Tendon Dysfunction (PTTD)
  • Accessory Navicular Syndrome
  • Common Disorders of the Achilles Tendon
  • Achilles Tendon Rupture
  • Diabetic Complications and Amputation Prevention
  • Ankle Arthritis
  • Ankle Fractures
  • Chronic Ankle Instability
  • Ankle Pain
  • Ankle Sprain
  • Arch Pain
  • Arch Supports
  • Athlete's Foot
  • Baseball Injuries to the Foot and Ankle
  • Basketball Injuries to the Foot and Ankle
  • Soft Tissue Biopsy
  • Black Toenails
  • Bone Healing
  • Bone Infection
  • Bone Tumors in the Foot
  • Brachymetararsia
  • Bunions (Hallux Abducto Valgus)
  • Bursitis
  • Calcaneal Apophysitis (Sever's Disease)
  • Fractures of the Calcaneus (Heel Bone Fractures)
  • Calf Pain
  • Callus
  • Capsulitis of the Second Toe
  • Cavus Foot (High-Arched Foot)
  • Charcot Foot
  • Clubfoot
  • Cold Feet
  • Compartment Syndrome
  • Contact Dermatitis
  • Corns
  • Cracked Heels
  • Crutch Use
  • Custom Orthotic Devices
  • Cyst-Ganglion
  • Deep Vein Thrombosis (DVT)
  • Dermatitis
  • Diabetic Complications and Amputation Prevention
  • Diabetic Foot Care Guidelines
  • Diabetic Peripheral Neuropathy
  • Diabetic Shoes
  • Drop Foot
  • Dry Heels
  • DVT (Deep Vein Thrombosis)
  • Eczema of the Foot
  • Equinus
  • Extra Bones
  • Fallen Arches
  • Field Hockey Injuries to the Foot and Ankle
  • Fifth Metatarsal Fracture
  • Flatfoot-Adult Acquired
  • Flatfoot-Flexible
  • Flatfoot-Pediatric
  • Flexible Flatfoot
  • Foot Arthritis
  • Foot Bumps
  • Foot Drop
  • Foot Fracture
  • Foot Lumps
  • Foot Odor
  • Foot Rash
  • Football Injuries to the Foot and Ankle
  • Fracture-Ankle
  • Fracture-Foot
  • Fractures of the Calcaneus (Heel Bone Fractures)
  • Fractures of the Fifth Metatarsal
  • Fracture-Toe
  • Frostbite
  • Fungal Nails
  • Ganglion Cyst
  • Gangrene
  • Golf Injuries to the Foot and Ankle
  • Gout
  • Haglund's Deformity
  • Hallux Rigidus
  • Hammertoes
  • Heel Bone Fractures
  • Heel Cracks
  • Heel Fissures
  • Heel Pain (Plantar Fasciitis)
  • High-Arched Foot
  • Inflammation: Actue
  • Ingrown Toenails
  • Instructions for Using Crutches
  • Intermetatarsal Neuroma
  • Intoeing
  • Joint Pain in the Foot
  • Joint Swelling in the Foot
  • Jones Fracture
  • Lacrosse Injuries to the Foot and Ankle
  • Lisfranc Injuries
  • Lumps
  • Malignant Melanoma of the Foot
  • MRSA Infection of the Foot
  • Orthotics
  • Os Trigonum Syndrome
  • Osteoporosis
  • Osteoarthritis of the Foot and Ankle
  • Osteomyelitis (Bone Infection)
  • Osteopenia
  • P.A.D. (Peripheral Arterial Disease)
  • Pediatric Flatfoot
  • Peripheral Arterial Disease (P.A.D.)
  • Peripheral Neuropathy: Diabetic
  • Peroneal Tendon Injuries
  • Pigeon-toes
  • Plantar Fasciitis
  • Plantar Fibroma
  • Plantar Wart (Verruca Plantaris)
  • Posterior Tibial Tendon Dysfunction (PTTD)
  • Pump Bump (Hallux Rigidus)
  • Puncture Wounds
  • Rash
  • Raynauds Phenomenon
  • Restless Legs
  • Rheumatoid Arthritis in the Foot and Ankle
  • R.I.C.E Protocol
  • Rugby Injuries to the Foot and Ankle
  • Running and Track Injuries to the Foot and Ankle
  • Running Injuries
  • Sesamoid Injuries in the Foot
  • Shin Splints
  • Shoe Inserts
  • Skin Cancer of the Foot and Ankle
  • Smelly Feet
  • Soccer Injuries to the Foot and Ankle
  • Soft Tissue Biopsy
  • Softball Injuries to the Foot and Ankle
  • Sports Injuries to the Foot and Ankle
  • Staph Infections of the Foot
  • Stress Fracture in the Foot
  • Sweaty Feet
  • Swollen Ankles
  • Swollen Feet
  • Synovitis
  • Tailor's Bunion
  • Talar Dome Lesion
  • Tarsal Coalition
  • Tarsal Tunnel Syndrome
  • Tennis Injuries to the Foot and Ankle
  • Thick Toenails
  • Tingly Feet
  • Tired Feet
  • Toe and Metatarsal Fractures (Broken Toes)
  • Toe Walking
  • Turf Toe
  • Ulcers/Wounds
  • Varicose Veins
  • Volleyball Injuries to the Foot and Ankle
  • Warts
  • Weak Ankles
  • Webbed Toes
  • White Toenails
  • Wounds/Ulcers
  • Wounds-Puncture
  • Yellow Toenails

What is Equinus?
Equinus is a condition in which the upward bending motion of the ankle joint is limited. Someone with equinus lacks the flexibility to bring the top of the foot toward the front of the leg. Equinus can occur in one or both feet. When it involves both feet, the limitation of motion is sometimes worse in one foot than in the other.

 

EquinusPeople with equinus develop ways to "compensate" for their limited ankle motion, and this often leads to other foot, leg, or back problems. The most common methods of compensation are flattening of the arch or picking up the heel early when walking, placing increased pressure on the ball of the foot. Other patients compensate by "toe walking," while a smaller number take steps by bending abnormally at the hip or knee.

Causes
There are several possible causes for the limited range of ankle motion. Often it is due to tightness in the Achilles tendon or calf muscles (the soleus muscle and/or gastrocnemius muscle). In some patients, this tightness is congenital (present at birth) and sometimes it is an inherited trait. Other patients acquire the tightness from being in a cast, being on crutches, or frequently wearing high-heeled shoes. In addition, diabetes can affect the fibers of the Achilles tendon and cause tightness.

Sometimes equinus is related to a bone blocking the ankle motion. For example, a fragment of a broken bone following an ankle injury, or bone block, can get in the way and restrict motion.

Equinus may also result from one leg being shorter than the other.

Less often, equinus is caused by spasms in the calf muscle. These spasms may be signs of an underlying neurologic disorder.

Foot Problems Related to Equinus
Depending on how a patient compensates for the inability to bend properly at the ankle, a variety of foot conditions can develop, including:

  • Plantar fasciitis (arch/heel pain)
  • Calf cramping
  • Tendonitis (inflammation in the Achilles tendon)
  • Metatarsalgia (pain and/or callusing on the ball of the foot)
  • Flatfoot
  • Arthritis of the midfoot (middle area of the foot)
  • Pressure sores on the ball of the foot or the arch
  • Bunions and hammertoes
  • Ankle pain
  • Shin splints

Diagnosis
Most patients with equinus are unaware they have this condition when they first visit the doctor. Instead, they come to the doctor seeking relief for foot problems associated with equinus.

To diagnose equinus, the foot and ankle surgeon will evaluate the ankle's range of motion when the knee is flexed (bent) as well as extended (straightened). This enables the surgeon to identify whether the tendon or muscle is tight and to assess whether bone is interfering with ankle motion. X-rays may also be ordered. In some cases, the foot and ankle surgeon may refer the patient for neurologic evaluation.

Non-Surgical Treatment
Treatment includes strategies aimed at relieving the symptoms and conditions associated with equinus. In addition, the patient is treated for the equinus itself through one or more of the following options:

  • Night splint. The foot may be placed in a splint at night to keep it in a position that helps reduce tightness of the calf muscle.
  • Heel lifts. Placing heel lifts inside the shoes or wearing shoes with a moderate heel takes stress off the Achilles tendon when walking and may reduce symptoms.
  • Arch supports or orthotic devices. Custom orthotic devices that fit into the shoe are often prescribed to keep weight distributed properly and to help control muscle/tendon imbalance.
  • Physical therapy. To help remedy muscle tightness, exercises that stretch the calf muscle(s) are recommended.

When is Surgery Needed?
In some cases, surgery may be needed to correct the cause of equinus if it is related to a tight tendon or a bone blocking the ankle motion. The foot and ankle surgeon will determine the type of procedure that is best suited to the individual patient.


Learn More

  • Fungal Toenail Laser
  • Sports & Your Feet
  • Bunions
  • Heel Pain
  • Pay Online

Patient Education

Patient Education
  • Posterior Tibial Tendon Dysfunction (PTTD)
  • Accessory Navicular Syndrome
  • Common Disorders of the Achilles Tendon
  • Achilles Tendon Rupture
  • Diabetic Complications and Amputation Prevention
  • Ankle Arthritis
  • Ankle Fractures
  • Chronic Ankle Instability
  • Ankle Pain
  • Ankle Sprain
  • Arch Pain
  • Arch Supports
  • Athlete's Foot
  • Baseball Injuries to the Foot and Ankle
  • Basketball Injuries to the Foot and Ankle
  • Soft Tissue Biopsy
  • Black Toenails
  • Bone Healing
  • Bone Infection
  • Bone Tumors in the Foot
  • Brachymetararsia
  • Bunions (Hallux Abducto Valgus)
  • Bursitis
  • Calcaneal Apophysitis (Sever's Disease)
  • Fractures of the Calcaneus (Heel Bone Fractures)
  • Calf Pain
  • Callus
  • Capsulitis of the Second Toe
  • Cavus Foot (High-Arched Foot)
  • Charcot Foot
  • Clubfoot
  • Cold Feet
  • Compartment Syndrome
  • Contact Dermatitis
  • Corns
  • Cracked Heels
  • Crutch Use
  • Custom Orthotic Devices
  • Cyst-Ganglion
  • Deep Vein Thrombosis (DVT)
  • Dermatitis
  • Diabetic Complications and Amputation Prevention
  • Diabetic Foot Care Guidelines
  • Diabetic Peripheral Neuropathy
  • Diabetic Shoes
  • Drop Foot
  • Dry Heels
  • DVT (Deep Vein Thrombosis)
  • Eczema of the Foot
  • Equinus
  • Extra Bones
  • Fallen Arches
  • Field Hockey Injuries to the Foot and Ankle
  • Fifth Metatarsal Fracture
  • Flatfoot-Adult Acquired
  • Flatfoot-Flexible
  • Flatfoot-Pediatric
  • Flexible Flatfoot
  • Foot Arthritis
  • Foot Bumps
  • Foot Drop
  • Foot Fracture
  • Foot Lumps
  • Foot Odor
  • Foot Rash
  • Football Injuries to the Foot and Ankle
  • Fracture-Ankle
  • Fracture-Foot
  • Fractures of the Calcaneus (Heel Bone Fractures)
  • Fractures of the Fifth Metatarsal
  • Fracture-Toe
  • Frostbite
  • Fungal Nails
  • Ganglion Cyst
  • Gangrene
  • Golf Injuries to the Foot and Ankle
  • Gout
  • Haglund's Deformity
  • Hallux Rigidus
  • Hammertoes
  • Heel Bone Fractures
  • Heel Cracks
  • Heel Fissures
  • Heel Pain (Plantar Fasciitis)
  • High-Arched Foot
  • Inflammation: Actue
  • Ingrown Toenails
  • Instructions for Using Crutches
  • Intermetatarsal Neuroma
  • Intoeing
  • Joint Pain in the Foot
  • Joint Swelling in the Foot
  • Jones Fracture
  • Lacrosse Injuries to the Foot and Ankle
  • Lisfranc Injuries
  • Lumps
  • Malignant Melanoma of the Foot
  • MRSA Infection of the Foot
  • Orthotics
  • Os Trigonum Syndrome
  • Osteoporosis
  • Osteoarthritis of the Foot and Ankle
  • Osteomyelitis (Bone Infection)
  • Osteopenia
  • P.A.D. (Peripheral Arterial Disease)
  • Pediatric Flatfoot
  • Peripheral Arterial Disease (P.A.D.)
  • Peripheral Neuropathy: Diabetic
  • Peroneal Tendon Injuries
  • Pigeon-toes
  • Plantar Fasciitis
  • Plantar Fibroma
  • Plantar Wart (Verruca Plantaris)
  • Posterior Tibial Tendon Dysfunction (PTTD)
  • Pump Bump (Hallux Rigidus)
  • Puncture Wounds
  • Rash
  • Raynauds Phenomenon
  • Restless Legs
  • Rheumatoid Arthritis in the Foot and Ankle
  • R.I.C.E Protocol
  • Rugby Injuries to the Foot and Ankle
  • Running and Track Injuries to the Foot and Ankle
  • Running Injuries
  • Sesamoid Injuries in the Foot
  • Shin Splints
  • Shoe Inserts
  • Skin Cancer of the Foot and Ankle
  • Smelly Feet
  • Soccer Injuries to the Foot and Ankle
  • Soft Tissue Biopsy
  • Softball Injuries to the Foot and Ankle
  • Sports Injuries to the Foot and Ankle
  • Staph Infections of the Foot
  • Stress Fracture in the Foot
  • Sweaty Feet
  • Swollen Ankles
  • Swollen Feet
  • Synovitis
  • Tailor's Bunion
  • Talar Dome Lesion
  • Tarsal Coalition
  • Tarsal Tunnel Syndrome
  • Tennis Injuries to the Foot and Ankle
  • Thick Toenails
  • Tingly Feet
  • Tired Feet
  • Toe and Metatarsal Fractures (Broken Toes)
  • Toe Walking
  • Turf Toe
  • Ulcers/Wounds
  • Varicose Veins
  • Volleyball Injuries to the Foot and Ankle
  • Warts
  • Weak Ankles
  • Webbed Toes
  • White Toenails
  • Wounds/Ulcers
  • Wounds-Puncture
  • Yellow Toenails

Our Location


277 E Carmel Dr
Ste D
Carmel, IN 46032-2634
(317) 846-4111
5128 E Stop 11 Rd
Ste 40
Indianapolis, IN 46237-9733
(317) 881-0070

Map & Directions - Carmel

Map & Directions - Indianapolis

Pay Online

Contact Us


Carmel, IN Podiatrist Carmel Foot & Ankle 277 East Carmel Drive Carmel, IN 46032 (317) 846-4111Podiatrist in Carmel, IN Call for Pricing Options
Indianapolis, IN Podiatrist Greenwood/Southport Foot & Ankle 5128 E. Stop 11 Road Indianapolis, IN 46237 (317) 881-0070Podiatrist in Indianapolis, IN Call for Pricing Options
  • Home
  • Meet Our Doctors
  • Offices
  • Services
  • New Patients
  • Patient Education
  • Contact Us
  • Appointment Request
  • Copyright © MH Sub I, LLC dba Officite
  • Disclaimer
  • Patient Privacy
  • Site Map