Urgent Foot and Ankle Appointments
in Los Angeles
Medically Reviewed by Dr. Pegah Panirian, DPM, foot and ankle surgeon
Overview
Dr. Pegah Panirian, DPM, sees patients with urgent foot and ankle injuries and infections at The Feet Institute’s Los Angeles/Beverly Hills and Westchester/Marina Del Rey offices. Trained at Cedars-Sinai and one of the top foot and ankle surgeons in Los Angeles, she treats sprains, broken bones, torn Achilles tendons, infected toenails and diabetic foot wounds.
Key points
- Next-day appointments are available, and same-day when the schedule allows. Both offices are open Monday to Friday, 9am to 5pm.
- Being able to walk does not rule out a torn Achilles tendon or a broken bone.
- A new sore, blister or wound on a diabetic foot: call the office; do not wait for a reply to an online form.
- A bone through the skin, heavy bleeding or a cold, blue foot: call 911 or go to the nearest emergency department.
Which foot and ankle problems need an urgent appointment?
Book an urgent appointment for a sudden injury to your foot or ankle, even one you can still walk on, or for a toenail or wound that looks infected. If you wait a few days, the torn ends of an Achilles tendon can pull further apart, and an infection under a toenail or in a sore on a diabetic foot can spread.
- Ankle sprain you cannot put weight on: trouble standing on your ankle, or pain when you press on your ankle bone, can mean the bone is broken.
- A pop or snap at the back of the ankle: a sudden kick-like blow above your heel is the usual sign of an Achilles tendon rupture.
- A foot or toe bone that may be broken: pain when you press on it, swelling that keeps spreading, or a toe that sits at the wrong angle.
- Infected ingrown toenail: redness, warmth, swelling or pus along the edge of the nail. More on ingrown toenail treatment.
- A sore, blister or wound on a diabetic foot: any break in the skin, even a small one, and even one that does not hurt. More on diabetic foot ulcer care.
- Heel or arch pain you cannot walk on: pain that started with a jump, a landing or a misstep.
For a problem that can wait for a regular visit, see the foot and ankle problems Dr. Panirian treats.
When should you go to the emergency room instead?
Go to the emergency department for any of these injuries. Dr. Panirian can see you for follow-up visits after the emergency team has treated you.
- Bone showing through the skin: an open fracture is an emergency, because dirt and debris in the wound raise the risk of infection.
- Bleeding you cannot stop with firm pressure.
- A foot that turns cold, pale or blue, or goes numb after an injury, which can mean its blood supply has been cut off.
- A diabetic foot wound with fever, chills or redness spreading up your leg: signs of a severe infection that needs treatment in hospital.
Why can a serious foot injury feel minor at first?
An Achilles rupture, a broken bone in the foot and a diabetic foot ulcer can each cause little pain at first, so people often wait days or weeks before a doctor sees them.
| What you notice | What it can be | Why it gets missed |
|---|---|---|
| Sharp pain after a pop, easing within minutes | Achilles tendon rupture | Other ankle muscles let you walk flat-footed even when your Achilles is torn all the way through |
| A twisted ankle or foot you can still walk on | A broken bone | A simple break in one bone may not keep you from walking |
| A blister or sore on a diabetic foot that does not hurt | Diabetic foot ulcer | Nerve damage from diabetes can stop you feeling pain from a wound |
For an Achilles tendon that tore weeks or months ago and was missed, Dr. Panirian rebuilds the tendon, moving a nearby tendon or using a graft to bridge the gap.
How should you look after the injury until your appointment?
Rest and raise your injured foot to limit the swelling until you are seen, and leave nails and wounds for the appointment.
- Crutches: use them if you have them, and keep your weight off the injury.
- Ice and elevation: ice for 20 to 30 minutes at a time, three or four times a day, with your foot raised above the level of your heart.
- A suspected Achilles tear: keep your foot pointed slightly down, toes toward the floor.
- Nails and wounds: do not cut into an infected toenail or trim a diabetic wound with scissors or a razor, which carries bacteria under your skin.
What happens at a podiatry appointment for an urgent problem?
At an urgent podiatry appointment, Dr. Panirian examines your foot and ankle and, where she can, starts treatment at the same visit.
- How it happened: she asks what movement caused the injury, when it happened and what you felt at that moment. She also reviews scans and reports from any earlier urgent care or emergency visit.
- A hands-on exam: she presses along the bones, checks each tendon, compares both feet and watches how you stand. For a suspected Achilles tear she squeezes your calf, and if your foot barely moves, the tendon is likely torn (the Thompson test).
- Scans: she orders an X-ray to check for a broken bone, or an ultrasound or MRI to check a tendon, when she cannot tell from the exam alone.
- Treatment at the same visit: she fits a boot or brace, removes the infected edge of a toenail, or, for a diabetic ulcer, removes dead tissue (debridement) and takes pressure off the wound with a cast, boot or padding (offloading).
- Home care and your next visit: how long to use the boot, brace or crutches, how to keep a wound clean at home, when to come back, and whether she recommends surgery.
What can a podiatrist treat without surgery?
Most urgent foot and ankle problems heal without surgery. Dr. Panirian recommends surgery for a displaced fracture, where the broken ends have moved out of line, and for an Achilles tear with a gap too wide to close in a boot or one diagnosed late.
| Problem | Treatment without surgery |
|---|---|
| Ankle sprain | A brace or boot, then physical therapy for strength and balance |
| Stress fracture | Rest, bracing and physical therapy |
| Achilles tendon rupture | A walking boot with heel wedges, for fresh tears where the ends meet with your foot pointed down |
| Infected ingrown toenail | Partial nail removal, with antibiotics when the skin is infected |
| Diabetic foot ulcer | Debridement and offloading, often with a cast or boot |
Which office is closer to you?
| Office | Street | Closer to |
|---|---|---|
| Los Angeles/Beverly Hills | W 3rd Street | Beverly Hills, West Hollywood and the Fairfax District |
| Westchester/Marina Del Rey | W Manchester Avenue | Playa Vista, Playa del Rey and the neighborhoods around LAX |
Why choose Dr. Panirian for urgent foot and ankle care in Los Angeles?
- Cedars-Sinai trained: surgical residency and chief resident at Cedars-Sinai Medical Center, where she is now a teaching attending.
- Board status: board certified by the American Board of Podiatric Medicine and board qualified by the American Board of Foot and Ankle Surgery.
- Hospital affiliations: Cedars-Sinai Medical Center, Cedars-Sinai Marina del Rey Hospital and Providence Saint John’s Health Center.
- Surgery she performs: Achilles repair, reconstruction of old Achilles tears, and limb salvage surgery for severe diabetic foot wounds.
- Languages: English, Spanish and Farsi.
Dr. Panirian, a leading Los Angeles foot and ankle surgeon, can repair a fresh Achilles rupture through a few small incisions (percutaneous repair), which usually leaves a smaller scar and a lower risk of wound problems than open surgery. For a severe diabetic foot wound, she works to save your foot and leg, and considers amputation only as a last resort.
From the first exam, Dr. Panirian tells you what is injured, which treatment she recommends and why, and what recovery will look like until you are walking without pain and back to work, running or court sports.
Common questions about urgent foot and ankle care
What kind of doctor should I see if I have an urgent foot and ankle injury?
See a podiatric surgeon (DPM) or a foot and ankle specialist. A podiatrist is a physician and surgeon who treats the foot, the ankle and the related structures of the leg, so sprains, broken bones, torn tendons and infected wounds are all within a podiatrist’s training.
A general urgent care center can X-ray and splint an injury. A foot and ankle specialist can also examine the tendons and ligaments, order the right scan, fit a boot or brace at the visit, plan conservative treatment and operate when an injury needs repair. Dr. Panirian trained in foot and ankle surgery at Cedars-Sinai Medical Center, where she was chief resident, and she performs Achilles repair and limb salvage surgery herself, so you do not need a second referral to a surgeon.
How soon should I see a foot doctor after an injury?
Within a few days for most foot and ankle injuries, and sooner for a suspected Achilles tear or any wound on your foot especially if you have diabetes. After four to six weeks, the torn ends of an Achilles tendon usually can no longer be stitched together directly, and the CDC advises people with diabetes not to wait for their next appointment when they find a blister, sore or ulcer. Similarly, a fracture will start healing in two to three weeks, and if an injury is missed or treatment is delayed the bone may heal improperly.
Can I see a podiatrist without a referral?
Usually, yes: a podiatrist is a doctor you can book directly. Whether your insurance pays for the visit without a referral depends on your plan, and some plans, especially HMOs, require one from your primary care doctor, so check with your insurer whether you need one.
Is my ankle sprained or broken?
You cannot always tell without an X-ray. Severe pain straight after the injury, bruising, tenderness when you touch the bone, an ankle that looks out of shape, or a foot that feels numb or cool all point toward a fracture rather than a sprain.
What if urgent care told me it was just a sprain?
Book a visit with a foot and ankle specialist if you still cannot walk normally after a few days, if the swelling keeps spreading, or if you felt a pop at the back of your ankle. An Achilles rupture is often missed at first and diagnosed as a sprain.
Sources
- Sprained Ankle, OrthoInfo, American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeons. Accessed September 24, 2026.
- Ankle Fractures (Broken Ankle), OrthoInfo, American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeons. Accessed September 24, 2026.
- Your Feet and Diabetes, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Accessed September 24, 2026.
- What is a Podiatrist? and Prepare for Your Appointment, American Podiatric Medical Association. Accessed September 24, 2026.
- Achilles Tendon Rupture (Tear), OrthoInfo, American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeons. Accessed September 25, 2026.
- Health Maintenance Organization (HMO), HealthCare.gov. Accessed September 24, 2026.