Charcot joint disease was given its name by the French neurologist Jean-Marie Charcot in 1868. He noted a bizarre pattern of bone destruction in patients with tertiary syphilis and absent sensation.

One of the more common conditions treated by podiatric surgeons is the painful bunion. Patients with this condition will usually complain of pain when wearing certain shoes, especially snug fitting dress shoes, or with physical activity, such as walking or running.

Tendonitis can be a common problem in the foot as we continuously walk and use our feet on a daily basis. The posterior tibial tendon can be especially prone to tendonitis.

The most common form of heel pain is pain on the bottom of the heel. It tends to occur for no apparent reason and is often worse when first placing weight on the foot.

When excessive stress is placed upon the ball of the foot, a hairline break (fracture) of a long metatarsal bone may occur. This occurs most frequently to the second, third, or fourth metatarsal but can occur in any bone.