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Dr. Schumacher provides comprehensive medical and surgical care of the lower extremity.  This means we treat all manner of general foot care issues at the Achilles Foot Health Centre, from simple skin conditions (calluses, corns, warts, ingrown nails, and infections) to arch and heel pain, biomechanical abnormalities and sports medicine.  We treat diabetic and neuropathic wounds to cases requiring complex surgical intervention. So we can care for all your foot care needs.

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Dr. Schumacher has a variety of specializations, and is board certified specialist in a variety of disciplines.  We discuss these below.

SPECIALTIES

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FOOT SURGERY

 

Whether you need a simple procedure like an ingrown toenail procedure, a bunion correction or an amputation, your feet are in good hands.

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  • Dr. Schumacher is Board-Certified in foot surgery by the American Board of Foot and Ankle Surgery and holder of Diplomate status (DABPS).  He was most recently recertified in 2019.
     

  • He is a Fellow and Founding Member of the American Society of Podiatric Surgeons (FASPS)
     

  • He is a Fellow with the American College of Foot and Ankle Surgeons (FACFAS)
     

  • He is a Member of the Academy of Diabetic Foot Surgeons. 
     

  • And he has over 30 years of experience. 

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These are the credentials you want when looking for a foot surgeon. 

 

We have a fully-equipped surgical centre on the premises of the Achilles Foot Health Centre, so there is no wait list. 

 

And third-party insurers (extended insurance plans, Worksafe, ICBC and RCMP, for example), will often cover a portion to all of what MSP does not cover.

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If you wish an assessment, give us a call at 604.589.5234. 

CHRONIC ARCH, HEEL AND ANKLE PAIN

 

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Most treatment for musculoskeletal pain--anti-inflammatory medications, steroid injections, physiotherapy, massage, acupuncture, stretching, etc.-- are most effective in the acute, inflammatory phase.

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However, what do you do if your injury isn't responding to conventional treatments?  What do you do when you've tried everything and nothing seems to work?  What do you do when it's been three months, six months, a year or more, an you can't find answers?

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Dr. Schumacher has a specialization in chronic, non-responsive injuries, particularly in the common areas of the arch, heel and ankle, using technologies that jump start the healing process.  Some of the technologies we employ are:

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EXTRACORPOREAL SHOCK WAVE THERAPY (ESWT)

 

When you have a chronic, degenerative injury that doesn't respond to traditional therapy and just won't heal, you may be a candidate for ESWT.  This European technology stimulates healing in tissues when they are in the degenerative, non-inflammatory phase and jump starts the healing process in a tissue where the reparative process is turned off. 

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Chronic ligament injuries, tendon injuries, soft tissue injuries and bone injuries--(even avascular necrosis) may respond to this therapy when nothing else has worked.

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​Not all "shockwave" treatments are the same, and the most common services advertised as "shockwave" use machines that don't even produce actual shockwaves.    

 

Dr. Schumacher has been using true, focused piezoelectric version of Extracorporeal Shock Wave Therapy since 2001, and he is certified in this field by the International Society of Medical Shockwave Treatment (ISMST) based in Austria.

 

Using this technology, we've treated patients from across Canada, most US states--from Hawaii to Maine, Florida to California, and from countries around the world--as far away as Japan and South Africa. 

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​To learn more, visit us at www.shockwavetherapy.ca. 

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PLATELET-RICH PLASMA (PRP) INJECTIONS

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Platelet-Rich Plasma is a specialized technique where we take cells that regulate healing from your blood, which has high concentrations of these cells, process them, and inject them into injured region--into tissues that have low concentrations of these cells, and have poorer healing potential.  The goal is to initialize a healing cascade in chronic, difficult-to-treat medical conditions. 

 

We've been using PRP for over a decade, and have treated well-known professional athletes, actors and scientists using this technology.

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RADIOSURGERY

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Even when tissues are unable to heal for some reason, there may be options.  Radiofrequency surgical techniques are versatile, and can be used in a variety of applications--from ingrown toenails, to excision of skin lesions, to sealing bleeding tissue. 

 

In the case of chronic, painful, non-responsive conditions, it may be used to cauterize nerves that are causing the chronic pain. 

 

In this technique, a needle is placed into the painful region and a radio current is applied to cauterize the nerve.  There is no incision, and patients may walk immediately after the procedure.

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We've treated professional athletes and the chief of state of a European country with this technology.

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Other cutting-edge techniques exist, too.  However, not every physician offers these treatments.  In fact, many may not even know about them. 

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If you can't find the answers you seek for your chronic issue, call us for a consultation at 604.589.5234. 

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CUSTOM ORTHOTICS, BRACES & SHOES

 

When you need a custom orthotic or foot and ankle brace to control abnormal foot motion, redistribute weight from a painful area, or prevent a diabetic ulcer, when you need a custom-made shoe for an orthopedic problem or to house a custom brace, you owe it to yourself to get a doctor with specific training and expertise in the foot.  Rest assured, you've come to the right place. 

 

Dr. Schumacher is Board-Certified Founder and Emeritus Diplomate with the American Board of Podiatric Medicine (DABPM).  He is also a Fellow in the American College of Foot and Ankle Orthopedics and Medicine (FACFAOM). 

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This means there is no one better suited to assess and treat you.

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Most third-party insurers (extended plans, Worksafe, ICBC and RCMP, for instance) cover orthotics, braces and custom shoes. 

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Call us at 604.589.5234 to schedule an appointment or have our front office get pre-approval from your plan.

COMPLEX WOUND CARE

 

There is probably nothing greater a foot specialist can do than to care for a diabetic or neuropathic ulceration.  It can literally mean the difference between having a normal ability to walk and losing a limb or losing a life. 

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Wound care is one of Dr. Schumacher's passions.  Dr. Schumacher has worked with the most severe wounds one can get at the Abbotsford Regional Hospital Dialysis department, and this is a primary emphasis in his Surrey office today.  He has lobbied the government for better coverage for wound care, and he has lectured across Canada and around the world on this topic. 

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In 2017 Dr. Schumacher founded the Canadian Medical Alliance for the Preservation of the Lower Extremity (MAPLE), a group predicated on education and advocacy for those with neuropathic wounds.  For more information on MAPLE, click this link.

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Dr. Schumacher has a number of board certifications in a variety of fields.  Most specific to neuropathic wound healing...

 

  • Dr. Schumacher is a Physician Certified in Wound Healing by the Council on Medical Education and Testing (CMET). 
     

  • He is a Certified Fellow with the Academy of Physicians in Wound Healing (FAPWHc). 
     

  • He is a Member of the International Association of Diabetic Foot Surgeons (IADFS).
     

  • He is a member of Wounds Canada (Canadian Association of Wound Care (CAWC).
     

  • He is a Member of the European Wound Management Association (EWMA).
     

  • He is a member of the Editorial Board of the medical Journal, Limb Preservation in Canada.

DIAGNOSTIC ULTRAONOGRAPHY

 

When you have a soft-tissue complaint--fasciitis, tendon injuries, nerve compressions and tumors--x-rays don't work.  X-rays can't see soft tissues.  

 

MRI can see soft tissues, and the views they provide are often fantastic.  But MRI is expensive and often involves a wait.  The pictures they produce are also small.  And MRI images take cross-sectional views through the body part imaged, often only 1 or 2 views in 100 may show the area of interest.  So as fantastic a technology MRI is, it sometimes comes up short.

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Like MRI, ultrasound visualizes soft tissues as well.  And in many cases ultrasound may be superior.  For instance, ultrasound has the advantage of seeing the images live on a screen, and the view can be positioned and repositioned as much as you like until you get the perfect view. 

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Ultrasound also allows the examiner to position the transducer (handpiece) over the area examined and actively apply pressure, to better identify the region of pain and the injured tissue.

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Ultrasound can involve a wait in BC.  And they are user-dependent, meaning the person administering the exam should be very competent in the use of  this technology. 

 

Unfortunately, many x-ray facilities in BC contract the work to techs who aren't the ones reading the images. 

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Dr. Schumacher has the newest in ultrasound technology in his office, a high-frequency machine equipped with Doppler technology, and he is recognized as an expert in this field. 

 

He's one of the authors of the 2013  text, Diagnostic Ultrasound. And he has taught practitioners how to use the technology and incorporate it into their practices, for more effective results in diagnosis and treatment.  

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If you need soft tissue imaging of your foot, but don't want to wait weeks for an appointment...if you want the test performed by an expert in the field, and want someone who has been a foot specialist for over 30 years to interpret your results and correlate those findings to clinical exam, call the office for an appointment at 604.589.5234.

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