Performed by Dr James at Oxford Orthopaedics
A persistent ache, limping after activity, recurring swelling, or an ankle that never feels fully stable can be easy to dismiss at first, but harder to ignore over time. As it continues, you might find yourself making small adjustments just to cope with the pain, such as changing footwear, easing off certain activities, or shifting your weight as you move through the day.
What started as a way to cope can gradually place strain further up the leg, with the effects no longer limited to the foot or ankle alone. Everyday activities can then start to feel harder than they should. This is why it’s important to identify the true source through experienced clinical assessment and judgement by an orthopaedic specialist.
Foot and ankle problems aren’t always as straightforward as they seem. Pain, swelling, instability, deformity, or changes in the way you move can stem from different underlying issues, whether that involves bunions, ankle ligament tears, persistent heel pain, or other conditions affecting day to day movement. When symptoms begin to disrupt daily routines, the right next step depends not only on the treatment itself, but also on the quality of the clinical judgement behind it.
Here at Oxford Orthopaedics, Dr James Wee and Dr James Siow bring specialist orthopaedic training and advanced fellowship experience to foot and ankle care. In situations where symptoms have started to affect the way you walk, function, or manage day to day activities, this level of training brings greater depth to clinical assessment and the decisions that follow.
This can be helpful when the problem is less straightforward, or when a second opinion is required before proceeding with treatment. In such cases, a careful and thorough assessment can bring greater clarity to what’s driving the symptoms, how the different issues relate to one another, and what should be addressed first.
MBBS (Singapore), MRCS (Edin), MMed (Ortho), FRCS (Edin)(Ortho)
Dr James Siow is a Senior Consultant Orthopaedic Surgeon with fellowship training in Foot & Ankle surgery. Building on his orthopaedic training in Singapore, he later completed a full year Foot & Ankle Fellowship at Inselspital in Bern, Switzerland, under the Ministry of Health’s (MOH) Health Manpower Development Plan (HMDP) fellowship programme. This further strengthened his subspecialty expertise in advanced foot and ankle care.
This is reflected in a specialist foot and ankle practice that manages a wide range of conditions, with particular interest in bunion surgery and ankle surgery, while also covering deformity correction and more complex reconstructive work. His work also includes arthroscopic (keyhole) and minimally invasive surgery (MIS) techniques, used where appropriate to support function, recovery, and what’s best suited to each patient’s needs.
MBBS (S’pore), MRCS (Edin), MMed (Ortho), FRCS (Edin)(Ortho), FAMS (Ortho)
Dr James Wee is the Medical Director of Oxford Orthopaedics and a Senior Consultant Orthopaedic Surgeon with over 20 years of clinical experience. Dual fellowship trained in Hip & Knee surgery and Foot & Ankle surgery; he completed advanced training at Oxford University Hospitals and the Royal National Orthopaedic Hospital in London. He was also trained in the Oxford Partial Knee System by the inventor surgeons in Oxford.
This is reflected in a lower limb practice with a strong focus on partial knee replacement, while his hip and knee work also includes complex reconstruction, with robotic technology used where appropriate to support what’s best suited to each patient’s needs. His expertise also extends to minimally invasive surgery (MIS) for the foot and ankle, including bunion correction and ankle ligament work. In this area, he is also one of the specialists involved in developing the MIS Lasso technique.
Once the problem has been properly assessed, care is planned according to the condition, its severity, and the way it’s affecting your lifestyle. Where appropriate, treatment begins conservatively. This might include activity modification, bracing, rehabilitation, footwear changes, medication, or injections.
If symptoms persist, function is affected, or the problem is less likely to improve on its own, a surgical procedure might then be discussed. Even then, the aim is to preserve as much healthy tissue and joint structure as possible, with minimally invasive techniques considered first where suitable.
Foot and ankle conditions can present in different ways, and they don’t always affect daily life in the same way. For some, it might be pain, swelling, or stiffness in a specific area. For others, it might be recurring instability, visible deformity, or increased difficulty when walking. With this in mind, the conditions we commonly assess and treat can be grouped across two broad areas:
If pain persists, the swelling isn’t subsiding, or the problem isn’t improving despite rest, it’s often a sign that it should be thoroughly assessed. As symptoms begin to affect walking, stability, choice of footwear, or alter the shape and function of the foot or ankle, the question is no longer just how to manage them only a daily basis, but whether the problem now needs a different level of treatment. In some cases, this might also be the stage at which surgery needs to be considered.
Navigating the administrative side of healthcare can be complex, so our dedicated team aims to simplify this process, allowing you to focus on your recovery. Oxford Orthopaedics works closely with insurers throughout the claims and billing stages to help facilitate a smoother, more comfortable experience.
Because your coverage depends on your specific policy, we provide hands-on assistance for those under Integrated Shield plans (with private hospital riders) or Corporate Insurance plans. This includes helping you apply for a Letter of Guarantee (LOG) or a Pre-authorisation certificate, as well as working directly with surgical centres to help process medical claims on your behalf.
If the condition of your foot or ankle isn’t improving, or has started to affect the way you walk and manage daily life, it might be time to have it properly assessed. What feels manageable at first can become more disruptive over time, especially when pain, instability, or changes in movement are left unaddressed.
In these situations, a specialist consultation matters because ongoing foot or ankle problems aren’t always as straightforward as they first appear. A closer assessment will help clarify what the problem is, how far it has progressed, and whether the symptoms are likely to settle or would require further treatment. Where needed, clinical assessment and imaging can add clarity, so recommendations are made with a clearer understanding of the condition and the impact it’s having on your daily routine.
Complete the form below to arrange for a consultation with Dr James today.
