A Diplomate of the American Board of Podiatric Surgery, Dr. Andrew Carver leverages more than 30 years of experience to treat patients at his practice, Washington, DC Shockwave Center and Washington, DC Laser Nail Center. Dr. Andrew Carver is dedicated to providing the most modern procedures and technologies to his patients for the full range of podiatric conditions, including the birth defect known as clubfoot.

2.  A Diplomate of the American Board of
Podiatric Surgery, Dr. Andrew Carver
leverages more than 30 years of
experience to treat patients at his practice,
Washington, DC Shockwave Center and
Washington, DC Laser Nail Center. Dr.
Andrew Carver is dedicated to providing
the most modern procedures and
technologies to his patients for the full
range of podiatric conditions, including the
birth defect known as clubfoot.

3.  Clubfoot is characterized by a foot that
is twisted or turned to the side at a sharp
angle, like the head of a golf club. A
common congenital anomaly, clubfoot
occurs more often in males than in
females. While the cause of the
condition is unknown, a family history of
clubfoot is a risk factor. When a family
history exists, mothers who smoke during
pregnancy raise the risk even more.

4.  Children with clubfoot will never walk normally without
treatment, which should begin almost immediately after
birth. The most common nonsurgical treatment is called
the Ponseti method, and it involves stretching the foot
toward the correct position and stabilizing it in a cast.
Once or twice a week for a period of several months, the
foot is stretched a bit more and is then recast. When the
foot reaches the proper position, doctors perform a minor
surgery to lengthen the Achilles tendon at the back of the
ankle. When the process is complete, parents must adhere
to a strict regimen of performing stretching exercises with
their infant and placing him or her in special shoes and
braces, as instructed by the physician. In some cases, the
Ponseti method doesn’t fully resolve the issue, and more
extensive surgical procedures may be required to
lengthen tendons and adjust other foot deformities.