For patients
Patient resources
Practical information for your visit, your insurance and your records — plus trusted sources if you’d like to read more.
Preparing for your visit
Bring photo ID, your insurance card, a medication list, reports from previous imaging, nerve studies or foot and ankle surgery, and the shoes you wear most often. Our what to expect page walks through the whole visit.
Insurance and referrals
Please call our office at 908-215-5953 to inquire about your insurance.
Some plans require a referral from your primary care physician before a specialist visit. If you’re unsure, check with your insurance carrier or call us at 908-215-5953.
Forms
Our office will let you know which new-patient forms to complete, and how, when you schedule your appointment.
Sharing records safely
The best ways to share previous records are to bring them to your visit or to ask your previous doctor’s office to fax them to 908-446-2575.
Read our website privacy policy. Ozturk Foot & Ankle’s Notice of Privacy Practices explains how your health information is used and protected; ask our office for a copy.
Glossary
- Allodynia
- Pain from something that normally isn’t painful, such as light touch or a sock.
- Decompression (nerve release)
- Surgery that relieves pressure on a nerve by releasing the tissue compressing it.
- EMG and nerve-conduction studies
- Tests that measure how well nerves and muscles carry electrical signals. Usually performed by a neurologist or physiatrist.
- Entrapment
- Compression or irritation of a nerve at a specific point along its path.
- Metatarsals
- The five long bones of the forefoot, between the ankle bones and the toes.
- Neurectomy
- Surgical removal of a segment of nerve, as in some operations for Morton’s neuroma.
- Neuroma
- A thickened or tangled area of nerve tissue — either from compression (Morton’s neuroma) or at the site of a nerve injury.
- Neuropathy (peripheral)
- Damage to many peripheral nerves, often starting in both feet.
- Paresthesia
- Tingling, prickling or “pins and needles.”
- Tinel’s sign
- Tingling felt along a nerve when the examiner taps over it — a clue that the nerve may be irritated at that point.
Trusted reading
These independent organizations publish reliable, patient-friendly information. They are not affiliated with our practice.
- Peripheral Neuropathy (external site)National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke
- Peripheral Nerve Disorders (external site)MedlinePlus (U.S. National Library of Medicine)
- Peripheral Neuropathy (diabetes) (external site)National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases
- Morton’s Neuroma (external site)American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeons — OrthoInfo
- Tarsal Tunnel Syndrome (external site)American College of Foot and Ankle Surgeons — FootHealthFacts
- Complex Regional Pain Syndrome (external site)National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke
Appointments
Talk with us about your symptoms
An evaluation can clarify what’s causing your symptoms and what your options are — starting with non-surgical care whenever that’s appropriate.