Foot Doctor Explains Rafa Nadals RARE Foot Condition ( Müller-Weiss Syndrome)

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Rafael Nadal has recently pulled out of the 2021 Western and Southern Open with a flare up of his chronic foot injury, Muller-Weiss Syndrome. This foot condition is poorly understood even among specialists. Rafael Nadal is one of the fastest movers on the ATP tour but as he gets into his 30's and tries to go after more Grand Slam titles, foot injuries like this could alter the GOAT debate for decades to come, starting with the defense of his US Open title.

In this video ill explain from my perspective as a foot doctor, what Nadal is facing in his rehab from this injury and what time frame he can expect for his return to the tennis court

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Works cited:
Taimur Mohiuddin, Toby Jennison, Dev Damany,
Müller–Weiss disease. - Review of current knowledge,
Foot and Ankle Surgery,
Volume 20, Issue 2,
2014,
Pages 79-84,
ISSN 1268-7731,

Chun-Kuan Lu, Yin-Chih Fu, Yuh-Min Cheng, Peng-Ju Huang,
Isolated talonavicular arthrodesis for Müller-Weiss disease,
The Kaohsiung Journal of Medical Sciences,
Volume 30, Issue 9,
2014,
Pages 471-476,
ISSN 1607-551X,

As a foot doctor I look at tennis shoes and tennis shoe technology a bit differently as I focus more on what foot types benefit from these shoes as well as the tennis shoe's functional attributes on the tennis court

Typical legal disclaimer (doctor’s occupational hazard): This is not medical advice, nor can I give you medical advice. Everything here including videos and comment responses is for informational and entertainment purposes only and not for the purpose of providing medical advice. You should contact your doctor to obtain advice with respect to any particular health issue or condition. Nothing here should be construed to form a doctor patient relationship.
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Disclaimer : This is not medical advice, nor can I give you medical advice. Everything here including videos and comment responses is for informational purposes only and not for the purpose of providing medical advice. You should contact your doctor to obtain advice with respect to any health issue or condition. Nothing here should be construed to form a doctor patient relationship.

[GameSetMatch]

"If there's one person out there with the physical capabilities, the motivation, and the resources..." And here we are, with Rafa as the first man to win 21 grand slams. Talk about heart. 🔥💪🎾🏆

Edit: and now 22!

[blackmoom]

If you go back and read Rafa's autobiography (from 2011) he talks about exactly what the problem is/was with that left foot and how devastated he was when a specialist in Madrid diagnosed it. The career that he's had is really an amazing achievement considering that issue, it's incredible. All we can do is hope for the best for him.

[s.z.x.]

Didn’t know such medical/physical lesson can be interesting to listen to, thanks doc!

[lesturla]

This is literally gonna me cry! We need Rafa back in the game! :( Full recovery Rafa!

[zisepipi]

Thank you for this video! And praying for Rafa to recover and able to play again soon.

[tberry]

Wow, thanks for the info. It was actually interesting & it was very helpful that you used the graphics to illustrate the bone positions!

[jimw.]

Excellent explanation, doctor. Even I could understand!
Tennis has obviously taken its toll on Rafa's body due to his style of play: extreme effort and physicality.
The disease is progressive and as he continues to age I'm sure the injury will only get worse.
Having said that.... if anyone can make a full recovery from this type of injury, it's Rafa Nadal.
He has always been the hardest working man in tennis and always gives 100% effort.
Good luck with your recovery, Rafa.
Tennis needs you!

[Hanmmli]

Just been diagnosed with this today.
I've had issues for years and doctors kept telling me it was strained ligaments

Finally got someone to listen to me and got an xray, results back today.

I can barely walk for 10 minutes straight, I can't believe he plays tennis with it.
Mad man

[meetdenis]

And yesterday after months, he won his 21st in spectacular style. And the best part - he said he felt no pain at all during the match.

But how frustrating it must be to deal with a condition that is so unpredictable and for which you cannot even prepare or plan ahead. And to have this happen to a pro tennis player is even more unfair. Considering this, Rafa's achievements go even higher!

[ChaCha-SY]

I’m glad you have cleared this up, as I was searching the web as to what is the issue with no luck 😳 cheers great channel and timely content prior to the US Open.

[sorrybhai]

Damn…. And he just won RG 2022. In press conference he said he his doctor put nerve suppressing injection which made his left foot numb. It increases the chances for ankle rotation but sin RG is so special for Rafa he went ahead with it.

[bradwilliams]

Great video - thank you for the explanation and breakdown - much better understanding now - best I’ve seen out there. As a Rafa fan especially, appreciate it!!!

[tkav]

And today he has won his 21st GS title and 2nd Australian Open. What a comeback!

[pianoman]

wow, what a great video. It's awesome to understand what the problem is. I was very disappointed when Rafa didn't win the last French open but I didn't know he had a complex foot injury at the time because he kept it quiet.

[jlparcerisa]

Just one word for this video Doc: Excellent!!, short, informative and to the point!

[kellyannehooper]

Great video Dr Zach! I had AVN in my third metatarsal (Frieberg's Infraction), and you did a great job explaining Nadal's form of AVN!

[beam]

Amazing video as always!!! I love how you entertain and teach me new stuff at the same time. Keep up the great work💪🏼💪🏼🤜🤜

[bautistalugarini]

Hello, 3 years ago I was diagnosed with this syndrome in my left foot. With orthopedic insoles I was able to completely solve my pain and I was able to play basketball normally again.
Over time, my knees started to hurt, and I was reading that Rafa had the same problem, since, when changing the footprint, the tensions increase in other joints.
Can you give me some advice to find a balance between my insoles and my knees? Thank you.

[edwinaguilar]

Thank you Doc for the info, hopefully Rafa will recover from this injury soon. Tennis is not the same without him. As soon as Rafa announced his withdraw from US open I canceled plans to go to the tournament. Maybe I will watch om tv.

[rainful]

Wow! That's crazy! I've never heard of such a thing! I hope he makes a full recovery!